Page 1645 - Politics
US, Israeli leaders head to Poland with eyes on pressing Iran
US Vice President Mike Pence and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were expected Wednesday in Warsaw for a 60-nation conference that they hope will raise the international stakes for Iran. But the two-day conference will also lay bare divisions, with major European allies of the United States sending low-profile representatives amid unease over President Donald Trump's strident calls to strangle Iran's economy. Pence and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will join the Polish government in welcoming officials at a dinner at the Royal Castle in Warsaw's old town, the home for centuries to monarchs. While much of the schedule remained vague, the main session will take place Thursday when Pence, Pompeo and Netanyahu all deliver remarks and working groups are assigned to discuss areas of concern. "This is a global coalition that is built to deliver on the important mission of reducing the risk that has emanated from the Middle East for far too long," Pompeo said Tuesday evening as .
UP legislature rocked for second day as Akhilesh Yadav grounded
The denial of permission to Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav to fly to Allahabad rocked the Uttar Pradesh legislature Wednesday as angry SP and BSP members stalled proceedings of both the Houses. The entire Question Hour was derailed in both the Assembly and the Council as proceedings had to be adjourned repeatedly and then for the day as the agitated members were in no mood to relent. Protests by SP and BSP members on the issue started as soon as the two Houses met for the day. The pre-lunch sitting of the Assembly saw two adjournments as opposition members vociferously raised the issue. Amid uproar, Speaker Hriday Narain Dixit adjourned the House, first for 30 minutes and then for the entire Question Hour. SP leader Narendra Verma tried to raise the issue during Question Hour. He was instantly supported by BSP legislature party leader Lalji Verma, who said, "Lathicharge was done in the entire state by police and fake cases were lodged against protestors. An MP (SP's Dharmendra ..
JKNPP questions 'timing and intent' behind creation of Ladakh division
The Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) Wednesday questioned the "timing and intent" behind creation of a separate administrative division for the Ladakh region, asking as to why it was done during the President's rule. JKNPP Chairman Harsh Dev Singh also asked who had demanded for divisional status to Ladakh and who were its beneficiaries. "We question the urgency in creation of third division for Ladakh in the state during President's rule. The helmsmen are answerable to the people of the state over the timing and intent behind such a major decision taken in extreme haste," he told reporters here. The people of Leh had been demanding union territory status and the central leadership of the BJP had during 2014 elections assured to fulfil their demand, he said. "Having failed to fulfil the genuine aspirations of the people of Ladakh, the central government had played a dangerous game of dividing the people on religious and ethnic lines for political gains which could ...
Priyanka seeks 'ground realities' from Congress workers
On the third day of her visit, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met more party workers and leaders on Wednesday and sought details of their constituencies and the party organisation in their areas.
SP-BJP face-off continues in Uttar Pradesh
The face-off between the Samajwadi Party and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party over the grounding of former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav's flight to Prayagraj yesterday intensified on Wednesday with SP workers taking to streets and protesting in different parts of the state.
Congress pacifies Marandi to seal opposition alliance in Jharkhand
The Congress has stepped up its efforts to pacify former Chief Minister and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik (JVM-P) President Babulal Marandi to seal the opposition alliance for the Lok Sabha polls.
Amit Shah to visit Telangana February-end
BJP chief Amit Shah would visit Telangana this month-end to attend a meeting to be organised as part of the party's preparations for the coming Lok Sabha elections, state BJP president K Laxman said Wednesday. The party would go it alone in Telangana in the Lok Sabha elections, he told reporters here. "This month-end, national president Amit Shah is going to come for Nizamabad cluster meeting," Laxman said. The BJP has divided the 17 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state into four clusters. BJP MLA and former Karnataka minister Aravind Limbavali would act as the election incharge in Telangana, Laxman said. The party has prepared a plan of action till March 2 to reach out to people and to gear up the party machinery from booth-level in the state, he said. The BJP has recently held a workshop of incharges of assembly segments in the state. Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had attended a meeting with IT professionals and others under the 'Bharat ki Mann ki Baat- Modi ke ...
Drug peddler held with poppy in J-K's Reasi
A suspected drug peddler with 1.8 kg poppy was arrested on Wednesday in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district, police said. During patrolling near Ransoo bus stand, a police party intercepted Rattan Lal, a resident of Pouni in Reasi district, based on suspicion and recovered a bag of poppy from him, they said.
Not passing Citizenship Bill in Rajya Sabha a defeat for Assam: Himanta
Assam Finance Minister and senior BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma Wednesday said not passing the Citizenship Bill in Rajya Sabha is a defeat for Assam and claimed without it 17 assembly seats in the state will go to Bangladeshi Muslims. Sarma, who is also the convenor of North East Democratic Alliance, said his party is committed to the Bill and it will fight the elections with this resolution. The Bill lapsed on Wednesday with the Rajya Sabha being adjourned sine die on the last day of the Budget session, the last parliamentary session before the Lok Sabha polls. It was passed by the Lok Sabha on January 8. "I think not passing the Bill in Rajya Sabha is a defeat for Assam. Without the Bill, 17 (assembly) constituencies will go to Bangladeshi Muslims," he told reporters. "Who will save the (Assamese) community?" Sarma added. The NDA does not have majority in the Rajya Sabha so it could not introduce the document. But it will bring in the legislation again once the BJP-led alliance ...
Mamata, other Opposition leaders take part in mega rally in Delhi
Senior opposition leaders, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, took part in a mega rally organised by the Aam Aadmi Party here on Wednesday against the "dictatorial" attitude of the central government. Speaking at the rally, CPI leader D Raja said the Constitution is under attack under Narendra Modi as prime minister and asserted that Parliament has been undermined and bypassed and its role has been minimized under Modi. "Can you allow a Germany-like situation where Hitler overpowered Reichstag(German parliament)," he said. "BJP in power is a threat to constitution and democracy. It must be defeated," he added. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was also present at the rally. CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury alleged that BJP is professing politics of 'Dushashan' by pitting brothers against brothers. "There is need to replace this government for a better India. This chowkidar needs to be removed to save the country. "BJP is like Kaurava Sena but the Pandavas ...
Cong defeating BJP in ideological fight, Modi's bluster gone over Rafale: Rahul
Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not have a "single step" to stand on and his "bluster" has gone in the wake of the Rafale deal "revelations", Congress president Rahul Gandhi said Wednesday, asserting that his party was winning the "ideological fight" against the BJP. Addressing the Congress Parliamentary Party's general body meeting, Gandhi described the Rafale deal as a "systematic robbery" from the Indian defence forces and alleged that not just the fighter jet contract, but every single deal under the Modi government had been managed in the same way. One man is chosen and then the whole procedure is bypassed, he alleged at the meeting that was attended by Congress Parliamentary Party leader Sonia Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Congress' leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad among others. The "revelations on Rafale, one after the other...Today you see in the Hindu newspaper, that the entire argument for ..
US NSA tweets warning to India against buying Venezuelan oil
The hardline US National Security Adviser John Bolton has issued a warning to India against buying Venezuelan oil, saying it "will not be forgotten" and that Venezuela's Foreign Minister Jorge Alberto Arreaza has countered that it was an attempt to impose Washington's global "dictatorship".
Karnataka: Dissenting Congress MLAs speak about issues with party leaders
The dissenting Congress MLAs, who have been keeping away from the party activities for the past few days, on Wednesday held Congress leaders responsible for their absence. Announcing his comeback, Karnataka Congress MLA Mahesh Kumathalli said: "I have small issues with my party leaders, there was some miscommunication. I was not satisfied with some of the party decisions. As this is a budget session, I have come back."Another dissenting Congress MLA, Umesh Jadhav also spoke of facing similar issues with his party leaders. "I had small issues with party leaders in my constituency. I will discuss those issues separately. Mallikarjun Kharge is a big leader, I can't speak anything against them. I'll speak at the appropriate time. I have come to attend the budget session," Umesh said.According to Congress leader DK Shivakumar, all the four dissenting Congress MLAs have returned. On Monday, CLP leader Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwar had met Karnataka Speaker
Karnataka BJP demands judicial probe into audio clip
BJP MLAs on Wednesday continued to create ruckus in the Karnataka Assembly demanding a judicial probe into the audio tape that allegedly mentioned Speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar's name during a conversation between party leader B.S. Yeddyurappa and JD-S's Naganagouda Kandakur's son Sharanagouda on February 7.
Maratha strongman Pawar to re-enter election battlefield
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Sharad Pawar will contest the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Madha constituency in Maharashtra, party sources said here on Wednesday.
Ludhiana gang rape issue rocks Punjab assembly
The Ludhiana gang rape incident rocked the Punjab assembly on Wednesday with the opposition alleging that the law and order situation in the state had deteriorated under the Congress government. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh assured the House that he would request the chief justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to set up a fast track court to bring the accused to justice. On Saturday, a 21 year old woman was gang raped in Ludhiana and three of the six accused in the case have been arrested. During the Zero Hour, AAP MLA Sarabjit Kaur Manuke raised the Ludhiana gang rape issue. AAP MLA H S Phoolka while describing it as a "serious matter" sought assurance from Singh to adopt zero-tolerance towards such a henious crime. Shiromani Akali Dal and AAP members alleged that the law and order situation had deteriorated in Punjab under the present government. Insisting that the law and order situation had been maintained effectively during the last two years of his government, ...
Rajasthan govt introduces 5 pc quota Bill for protesting Gujjars, 4 other castes
Rajasthan government Wednesday introduced a bill in the Assembly to give a five per cent quota in jobs and educational institutes to Gujjars and four other communities agitating for it. Gujjar leaders were yet to call off their protest, saying they are awaiting a concrete proposal from the government, indicating that they wanted the bill to be passed first. Gujjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla and his supporters have blocked the railway tracks in Sawai Madhopur district and several highways, demanding the quota in government jobs and educational institutes.
Thai election commission moves to dissolve party linked to princess
Thailand's election commission on Wednesday asked the constitutional court to dissolve a party that proposed a princess as candidate for prime minister, a potentially serious blow to the political aspirations of the kingdom's powerful Shinawatra clan. Junta-ruled Thailand has sunk into political chaos since Friday, when Princess Ubolratana's name was submitted by Thai Raksa Chart, a party allied with the divisive billionaire ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra. Her unprecedented bid to enter frontline politics unravelled within hours after King Maha Vajiralongkorn, the 67-year-old Ubolratana's younger brother, decried the entry of a royal into the political fray as "highly inappropriate". Thailand's powerful and vastly wealthy monarchy is seen as above politics, although royals have intervened before during times of political crisis. The commission brought a premature end to the princess's political career by disqualifying her as a candidate for premier. On Wednesday the commission filed a .
PM's defence on pricing of Rafale deal 'demolished': Rahul
Stepping up his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Rafale issue, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday cited a media report to claim that the PM's argument of better pricing and faster delivery of the jets to defend the deal has been "demolished". His attack came after a report in The Hindu which claimed that the Rafale deal was not on"better terms" than the UPA-era offer. "The PM defended his personal RAFALE bypass deal on 2 counts: 1. Better Price 2. Faster Delivery. Both have been demolished by the revelations in the Hindu today," he tweeted. The government has in the past rejected all such allegations and claims against the deal. Three senior Defence Ministry officials who were the domain experts on the seven-member Indian Negotiating Team (INT) came to a "well-substantiated and clear conclusion" that the Narendra Modi government's new Rafale deal for 36 flyaway aircraft was not on "better terms" than the offer made by Dassault Aviation during the procurement ..
Over 4.12 lakh vacant posts in central govt departments in 2016, Lok Sabha told
Over 4.12 lakh posts were lying vacant in various central government organisations in 2016, the Centre said in a written reply to Lok Sabha on Wednesday. Out of the total of 4,12,752 vacancies, 15,284 were Group 'A' posts, 76,050 in Group 'B' and 3,21,418 in Group 'C' categories, it said. The vacancies are based on the annual report on pay and allowances of central government civilian employees' for 2016-17 as on March 1, 2016 published by Pay Research Unit, Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance, the reply said. "The posts falling vacant are required to be filled as per recruitment rules by the concerned ministries/departments/organisations," Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said. The filling up of posts is a continuous process depending on the vacancies arising across ministries and departments during the year and action calender of the recruiting agencies, he said.