Page 1658 - Politics
Robert, Maureen Vadra arrives at Jaipur ED office
Robert Vadra, husband of Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and his mother Maureen Vadra on Tuesday arrived at the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office here for questioning in connection with a money laundering case involving a Bikaner land deal in Rajasthan.
Rock-solid support for PM Modi ahead of LS polls: Shah
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has rock-solid support of people ahead of the coming Lok Sabha election, BJP president Amit Shah claimed on Monday. Launching the 'Mera Parivar-Bhajpa Parivar' voter outreach campaign from Gujarat, Shah said the general election is an important step for India to become a global superpower. "I travel the country... I can see that people are standing with Prime Minister Narendra Modi like a rock and one can see the support in their eyes," Shah said addressing BJP workers. Hitting out at the Opposition, he said, "The 'mahagathbandhan' (grand alliance) is made up of only state-level leaders. It will not affect BJP's poll prospects." Shah launched the outreach campaign by hoisting the party flag at his residence here. The BJP intends to hoist the party flag at the houses of voters under this mass outreach drive.
Speaker rebukes Congress for disrupting LS
The Lok Sabha was adjourned for 15 minutes on Tuesday, after the Congress disrupted the session over its demands for a JPC on the Rafale jet deal, prompting Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to slam them for "dropping their levels to a new low".
President Kovind unveils life-size portrait of Vajpayee at Parliament
President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday unveiled the life-size portrait of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at the Central Hall of Parliament.Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Ministers and leaders of various parties were present during the event.Vajpayee, a towering BJP leader, was the Prime Minister thrice - first for 13 days in 1996, then for 13 months from 1998 to 1999, and then from 1999 to 2004.Born on December 25, 1924, in Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, the BJP veteran passed away on August 16, 2018, after a prolonged illness.The decision to install the portrait of the Bharat Ratna was taken on December 18 at a meeting of Parliament's Portrait Committee chaired by Sumitra Mahajan.The meeting, which was attended by Deputy Speaker M. Thambi Durai, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, BJD's B Mahtab, TMC's Sudip Bondopadhyay, TRS' Jithendra Reddy, Shiv Sena's Ananth Geete and BJP's Satyanarayan Jatia, had taken the ...
'US, N Korea yet to narrow differences on denuclearisation'
American diplomat Stephen Biegun has put forth that the United States and North Korea are yet to narrow their differences on denuclearisation, after the first round of preparatory talks were held in Pyongyang last week.The remarks were made by the US Special Representative for North Korea during a meeting with a visiting South Korean parliamentary delegation, reports Yonhap News Agency."With only two weeks until the summit, it will be difficult to resolve all the tricky issues, but there's a chance if we can agree on a timeline (for denuclearization)," a member from delegation quoted Biegun as saying.Chong Wa Dae, or South Korea's Presidential office, had earlier announced of a second preparatory meeting in the coming week between Pyongyang and Washington in an unspecified Asian country.US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un are expected to discuss the latter's progress of dismantling its nuclear weapons programme later this month, as agreed to in the first ...
UN chief willing to broker end to Venezuela crisis
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has renewed his offer to help broker an end to the crisis in Venezuela during talks with the country's foreign minister. Guterres met with Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza in New York on MONDAY, at the request of Caracas, as the standoff between President Nicolas Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaido hardened. The United Nations has called for serious political negotiations between the two sides to prevent a slide toward more violence in the South American country. "The secretary-general reaffirmed that his offer of good offices to both parties remains available for serious negotiation to help the country out of the present standoff for the benefit of the people of Venezuela," said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric. Guaido declared himself interim president last month and has since been recognised by some 50 countries, including the United States. Russia and China, however, continue to back Maduro as do some African countries, creating a
Shah launches BJP campaign for hoising party flag at 5 crore houses
BJP president Amit Shah Tuesday kicked off his party's ambitious "Mera parivar, Bhajapa parivar" campaign by hoisting its flag at his residence in Gujarat as it seeks to cover over five crore houses under the drive ahead of the announcement of the schedule of Lok Sabha polls. The exercise will last till March 2 and the saffron party aims to plant its flag at five crore homes of its workers and sympathisers across the country. "This BJP flag is a symbol of development, belief and nationalism, and shows how appeasement, casteism and family rule is ending in the Modi era," Shah said, launching the campaign. A large number of party leaders and workers joined the campaign and shared pictures on social media platforms. BJP sources have described the drive as a part of its mass mobilisation campaign for Lok Sabha elections, expected to be held in April-May, claiming it may touch up to 20 crore people if a house has on an average four residents. Among other measures, the party has been ...
Robert Vadra slams govt for 'harassing a senior citizen' -- his mother
Ahead of questioning in Jaipur by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Robert Vadra on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the Centre for 'harassing a senior citizen' -- his mother Maureen Vadra.Vadra, along with his mother, is scheduled to appear before the ED in Jaipur in connection with a probe into an alleged land scam in Rajasthan's Bikaner on Tuesday.In a Facebook post, Vadra, the son-in-law of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, also questioned why the "vindictive government" did not act in the past four years and 8 months and why he was called before the campaigning commenced for the Lok Sabha elections.He said, "So here we are my 75-year-old mother n me in Jaipur to depose in front of the Enforcement Directorate. Not understanding the lows of this vindictive government to be harassing a senior citizen, who the world knows has lost her daughter in a car crash, her ailing son to diabetes, and her husband as well. Three deaths n all I did was to ask her to spend time with me in my ...
Fresh protests in PoK against Pak Army, ISI
Fresh protests by Kashmiri Youth in Muzaffarabad city and other parts of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) are taking place against the Pakistan Army and spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).On Monday, a well-attended rally was organised by the Jammu Kashmir National Students Federation (JKNSF) in Muzaffarabad city to condemn the Pakistan Army's brutal acts, including enforced disappearances and torture of political activists and students.The protesters shouted slogans like 'yeh jo deshatgardi hai, uske piche vardi hai' (Army is behind the terror activities). They also raised slogans against Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa.Recently, police lathi-charged and used tear gas shells against the students in Muzaffarabad city. This this was also an issue which was condemned during the protest march.A part of erstwhile princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, PoK and Gilgit Baltistan remain in Pakistani occupation since 1947 and since then, the people here claim they are .
Section 144 imposed in Imphal ahead of tabling of Citizenship Amendment Bill in Rajya Sabha today
Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC have been imposed in East and West Imphal districts ahead of the tabling of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.As per the orders of the district magistrate, "Section-144 is imposed in Imphal till 12 February 2019 until further orders due to the situation arising out of intense agitation launched by various civil society organisations against the passing of Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016 in the Lok Sabha."The bill will be tabled in the Rajya Sabha by Union Minister for Home Affairs Rajanath Singh.The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, which was passed in the Lok Sabha on January 8, aims at granting citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014.Earlier on February 10, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma had stated that his party, National People's Party (NPP), has decided that if the central government passes the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill
Shiv Sena holds BJP government responsible for UP hooch tragedy, slams Adityanath for politicising poor's death
The Shiv Sena on Tuesday held BJP government responsible for UP hooch tragedy, and slammed Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for politicising the death of poor people.Shiv Sena, which shares power with BJP at the Centre and in Maharashtra, said that "one should not make such issue a political one."The observation of Shiv Sena comes close on the heels of Chief Minister Adityanath's allegation that the Samajwadi Party was responsible for "such mischievous acts."It is worth mentioning that the hooch tragedy claimed over 60 lives in Saharanpur and Kushinagar districts of Uttar Pradesh recently."One should not make such issue a political one. However, the Chief Minister of UP recently made a derogatory remark in which it held the SP responsible for the incident," said an editorial in 'Saamna,' which is Shiv Sena's mouthpiece."Instead, the whole responsibility of the tragedy lies with the BJP government because when people were consuming illicit liquor, the state Chief Minister Adityanath was .
Muslim US lawmaker apologises for remarks which triggered anti-Semitism row
US lawmaker Illhan Abdullahi Omar, one of the first two Muslim women in the US Congress, has "unequivocally" apologised for her remarks which sparked an anti-Semitism row and drew widespread condemnation including from President Donald Trump who termed it a "terrible statement". Omar, who was elected to the House of Representatives last November, on Sunday in a tweet questioned the financial relationship between the powerful American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and members of the Congress. While reacting to a Republican critic, Omar, 37, said "It's all about the Benjamins baby," referring to American USD 100 bills featuring the likeness of Benjamin Franklin. "Anti-Semitism is real, and I am grateful for Jewish allies and colleagues who are educating me on the painful history of anti-Semitic tropes," Omar, the first Somalian American lawmaker, said Monday. "My intention is never to offend my constituents or Jewish Americans as a whole. We have to always be willing to step ..
Chhattisgarh govt renames 5 schemes, BJP irked
The newly-formed Congress government in Chhattisgarh has rechristened five schemes named after late Jan Sangh leader Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya by the previous BJP-led dispensation. These schemes of the urban administration and development department have now been named after former prime ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi and architect of the Indian Constitution Dr B R Ambedkar. The opposition BJP, however, expressed unhappiness, saying the step indicated "political vindictiveness". The order to rename the schemes was issued on Monday night, a senior government official here told PTI. As per the order, Pt Deendayal Upadhyaya Swavlamban Yojna has been renamed as Rajiv Gandhi Swavlamban Yojna while Pt Deendayal Upadhyaya Sarvasamaj Manglik Bhavan Yojna will now be known as Dr B R Ambedkar Sarvasamaj Manglik Bhavan Yojna, the official said. Similarly, Pt Deendayal Upadhyaya LED Path Prakash Yojna has been rechristened as Indira Priyadarshini LED Path Prakash Yojna, ..
US negotiators reach deal to avoid government shutdown
US House and Senate legislators have reached an agreement "in principle" to provide $1.375 billion for barriers at the Mexico border, a figure far lower than the $5.7 billion that President Donald Trump had demanded, to avert another government shutdown.
Citizenship Bill undermines 'documented position' of Bhupen Hazarika: Son
Taking a swipe at BJP, Assamese singer-composer Bhupen Hazarika's son Tez Hazarika has said his father's name and words were being invoked and celebrated publicly even as plans were afoot to pass the "painfully unpopular" Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. In a Facebook post on Monday, Tez described the proposed legislation as "undermining" the "documented position" of his father, who was awarded the country's highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna, posthumously by the Narendra Modi government last month. He said he had so far not received any invitation to accept the Bharat Ratna conferred on his father, so there was nothing to reject. "I believe that my father's name and words are being invoked and celebrated publicly while plans are afoot to pass a painfully unpopular bill regarding citizenship that is actually undermining his documented position. It would in reality be in direct opposition to what Bhupenda believed in his heart of hearts," he said, without naming any political ...
Vietnam's Foreign Minister in N Korea ahead of landmark summit
Vietnam's Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Pham Binh Minh, will be in North Korea for an official two-day visit from February 12 to 14.His visit comes just a few weeks before the landmark second US-North Korea summit, which is slated to take place in Hanoi on February 27 and 28.Pham is travelling to Pyongyang at the invitation of North Korea's Foreign Minister, Ri Yong-ho, reports Yonhap News Agency. His delegation consists of five government officials, including his ministry's protocol chief.Experts have speculated that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may pay a state visit to Vietnam either before or after his scheduled meeting with US President Donald Trump.Through the probable visit, Kim will be the first North Korean leader to pay a state visit to Vietnam in over 50 years.Kim's grandfather, Kim Il-sung had last visited Hanoi in October 1964.
Robert Vadra along with mother Maureen to appear before ED in Bikaner land scam case in Jaipur today
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi's husband Robert Vadra and his mother Maureen Vadra will appear before the office of Enforcement Directorate (ED) here on Tuesday in connection with a money laundering case related to an alleged land scam in Bikaner, the state's border town.As per the sources, they are likely to appear before the central probe agency's team for questioning at about 10 am at its zonal office on Bhiwani Singh Road. Police have tightened the security in and around the ED office.On January 22 this year, the Rajasthan High Court's Jodhpur bench had directed Vadra, his mother Maureen, and his partners in Skyline Hospitality to appear before the ED on February 12 to respond to the allegations of money laundering involving his firm.In November 2018, the ED had for the third time issued summons to Vadra and his mother, a partner in the firm, for questioning but none of them appeared. Instead, they moved the High Court seeking a 'no coercive action' order and stay of ..
US shutdown averted, border deal reached
Democrats and Republicans have reached an agreement in principle over border security to fund the US government and avert another partial shutdown, media reports said.
Saudi Crown Prince to visit Pakistan on Feb 16
Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammad bin Salman will embark on a two-day visit to Islamabad on Saturday (February 16), Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Said Al-Maliki said on Monday.Geo News reported that a large delegation comprising of the former's security team has already arrived in Pakistan on Monday to review security arrangements in Islamabad ahead of the Prince's visit. "A team of doctors and a delegation of Saudi media persons who will cover Mohammed bin Salman's tour have also reached Islamabad," sources added.The visit of the Saudi prince comes amid reports that Saudi Arabia will sign an agreement on oil refinery project, worth USD 10 billion, in the port city of Gwadar.Gwadar is a port city located in the southwestern region of Balochistan in Pakistan, featuring the famous China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project in which Saudi Arabia is desperately seeking to become a major strategic stakeholder.Apart from finalising the deal, the Saudi Prince is further ...
Sack Tripura minister for indecent behaviour: CPI(M)
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Monday demanded Tripura Minister Monoj Kanti Deb's resignation alleging that he misbehaved with his fellow colleague, state Minister and tribal leader Santana Chakma during a BJP rally on Saturday.Calling for Deb's arrest, All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA), women's wing of CPI-(M) staged a protest in Agartala on Monday.It is being alleged that Deb during a BJP rally in Agartala inappropriately touched Chakma. This act of his was caught on camera, video of which went viral creating furor amongst the political quarters.Rama Das, AIDWA leader said, "On February 9 during the Prime Minister's programme, a BJP Minister Monoj Kanti Deb touched another lady Minister Santana Chakma from behind. We have organised this protest rally demanding that he is arrested immediately."Addressing the media, later on Monday senior CPI (M) leader Bijan Dhar, stated, "If in broad daylight and that too in the presence of the Prime Minister such an ...