Page 1673 - Politics
Politics being done in the name of 'Hindutva', says Mehbooba
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday claimed that politics in the country is presently being done in the name of "Hindutva".Referring to invoking of National Security Act (NSA) against three persons accused of illegal cow slaughter in the communally sensitive Khandwa region in Madhya Pradesh, Mufti claimed that Muslims are being killed in the name of cow vigilantism and instead of taking action the Congress government in the state puts them in jails under the NSA."Monuments and old cities with Muslim names are being given Hindu names. There is a race to build the temple. Muslims are killed in the name of cow vigilantism, instead of taking action government puts them in jails under the NSA like in Madhya Pradesh. Politics being done presently in name of Hindutva," she said.Mehbooba hailed Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's decision for announcing to rename Baloki Forest Reserve in Pakistan after Guru Nanak, the Sikh community's holy figure and expressed his ..
Protesters call for fresh elections in Spain amid Catalan tensions
Thousands of protesters thronged the streets of Madrid on Sunday, making calls for fresh elections "for a united Spain" after Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez proposed talks to ease tensions in Catalonia.The demonstrations were organised by two centre-right parties, Popular party and Ciudadanos, and far-right Vox Party. Calls for Sanchez's resignation were made by the protesters who collected at the Plaza de Colon here on February 10."Historical day in the Plaza de Colón. The United Spain has said enough to the blackmail and the cessions before the nationalists. Next stage, 26M. If you do not go, Sanchez stays. #UnidosPorEspaña (United for Spain), elections already," Pablo Casado, the President of the People's Party tweeted in Spanish on Sunday..
Corrupt are now giving attendance to ED : PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday remarked that in his government, even those people about whose income the common people were afraid of talking about are now being questioned by the authorities.Addressing a rally here, Prime Minister Modi said such people are now giving their attendance in the Enforcement Directorate and in courts, in a veiled reference to the recent interrogation of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra."Even those people about whose income people dared not to talk about are now being questioned by ED and in courts. They are now facing the agencies and are giving their attendance, now they are telling about their undisclosed income kept in the country and abroad," said Prime Minister Modi.Calling himself "Pradhan Sewak" and "Chowkidar" (watchman) the Prime Minister said that the corrupt ones have a problem with him as he has stopped the system of intermediaries (middlemen) in government schemes."Your Pradhan Sewak and Chowkidar is removing the .
1600 people to join JD(U) under Prashant Kishor's patronage
Under the aegis of poll strategist and JD (U) Vice-President Prashant Kishor, around 1600 people including political persons and businessmen are slated to the join the Janata Dal (United) in a span of three days- from February 11 to 13."With the vision of strengthening JD (U) and enhancing its worker base, Prashant Kishor launched Youth in Politics campaign with the goal of bringing around 1 lakh youth into electoral politics," read a press release from JD (U).According to JD(U), ex-members of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI's), Mayors, Block Pramukhs and Zilla Parishad Chairpersons, Young businessmen and entrepreneurs, students, women, and others have expressed their intent to join JD (U).In total, 10 camps have been organized for the purpose. JD (U) informed that a female student leader along with her 200 supporters will be joining the party, while about more than 200 young businessmen and entrepreneurs across the state will be joining the party.
Lets begin a new politics: Priyanka ahead of UP visit
A day ahead of her mega road show in Uttar Pradesh, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi on Sunday called on party workers to initiate a "new kind of politics" which listens to the voices of the poor and the marginalised.
Rahul Gandhi to address Seva Dal meet on Feb 14
Congress president Rahul Gandhi will address a meeting of the All India Congress Seva Dal in Rajasthan on February 14, according to a statement Sunday. The organisation will hold its 'Maha Adhiveshan' after 30 years and its volunteers will participate in the two-day event in Ajmer in Rajasthan on February 13-14, it said. "The mega rally...will be one of the major highlights of the two-day Rashtriya Maha Adhiveshan. This rally will be addressed by the Congress President," it said. "In this rally, the Congress President will guide Seva Dal members to build a strong Seva Dal to meet its organisational objectives," it said. Many parallel conferences are being planned during the two days which include discussions on importance in imbibing Gandhian values such as truth, non-violence and tolerance; women safety and empowerment; and importance of the Constitution and constitutional institutions for good governance.
Meghalaya CM flies to Delhi to seek support against Citizenship Bill
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Sunday flew to New Delhi to seek support of various political parties in opposing the Citizenship Bill, which is likely to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.
Naidu slams activist groups for selective criticism of human rights violations
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu Sunday slammed some activists for either "defending" or "maintaining silence" regarding violation of human rights by some groups and said "ballot is more powerful than bullet". Giving a valedictory address in the closing ceremony of the first Law Association For Asia and the Pacific (LAWASIA) conference here, Naidu said violence is one of the "worst forms" of human rights violations and urged the international community to work towards achieving peace. "Violence is one of the worst forms of human rights violations because democracy essentially is all about protection of fundamental rights of individuals. Ironically some activist groups tend to adopt paradoxical attitude towards human rights. They either defend or maintain silence regrading the violation of human rights by violent groups and ready to condemn law enforcing, peace promoting firm action by the state," Naidu said. "Democracy is the best form of government. We are a parliamentary democracy. ..
CAG issue: Congress attack on CAG based on falsehood, says Jaitley
Union minister Arun Jaitley Sunday alleged that the Congress was casting aspersions on the institution of CAG based on "falsehoods" after the party urged Rajiv Mehrishi to recuse himself from auditing the Rafale deal since he, as the then finance secretary, was part of the negotiations. The opposition party also said that it would be improper on the part of Mehrishi to present the report in Parliament. The CAG report on the deal to purchase the 36 Rafale fighter aircraft is likely to be tabled in Parliament on Monday. "Another attack on the institution of CAG by the 'Institution wreckers' based on falsehood. After ten years in Government former UPA ministers still don't know that Finance Secretary is only a designation given to the senior most secretary in the finance ministry," Jaitley said a series of tweets. Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal had earlier said that Mehrishi was the finance secretary from October 24, 2014 to August 30, 2015 and in between Prime Minister Narendra Modi
EC asks Delhi Police to probe misleading calls to voters
The Election Commission (EC) on Sunday said it has asked the Delhi Police to probe telephone calls made to voters claiming their names have been deleted from the electoral rolls.
US-backed fighters close in on last IS-held village in Syria
The US-backed Syrian forces captured 41 positions held by Islamic State group militants and destroyed their fortifications in the last tiny pocket they hold in eastern Syria amid fierce fighting, a spokesman said Sunday. Mustafa Bali said the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces made the advances overnight and on Sunday, hours after they launched a final push to clear the area from IS militants Saturday night. The final battle to clear the village of Baghouz is now playing out after 20,000 civilians were evacuated from the area in the eastern province of Deir-el-Zour over the past few weeks. Bali said heavy fighting was going on inside Baghouz on Sunday, adding that an IS counterattack was foiled early in the day. He did not say how long the battle was expected to last. The US-led coalition warplanes are giving cover to advancing SDF fighters. US President Donald Trump predicted Wednesday that the Islamic State group will lose by next week all the territory it once controlled in Iraq .
Yashwant Sinha claims economical data being "manipulated" by
Former Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha Sunday claimed all the economical data, including the growth figures, are being "manipulated" by the BJP-led Central government to give a "false impression" of development. Delivering a lecture on 'State of the Nation and the way forward' here, Sinha, who had quit the BJP last year, referred to the recent resignation of two members of the National Statistical Commission and the issue of data's authenticity. "In 2017, I said that it was difficult to trust government data. I am telling you with all sense of responsibility that I can command, that this is the first government in India which is manipulating data. No government did this earlier. This government is doing it continuously. "All the current economical data are manipulated. The country is not growing at 7.5 per cent, it is not the fastest growing economy in the world. Own (NDA) data are revised upward and UPA's data were revised downward," he said. During ...
DMK appeals ECI to save 'deer' of democracy from 'hunter' BJP
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Sunday appealed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to use its Constitutional powers, and save the 'deer' of democracy from the 'hunter' BJP by holding by-polls in 21 assembly seats along with the coming Lok Sabha elections, slated to be held between April-May.DMK president MK Stalin said: "In order to have an alliance with AIADMK, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP has assured them for not conducting by-elections in 21 assembly seats along with the Lok Sabha polls." "ECI must save the deer of democracy from the hunter of the BJP dictatorship," he said."Without any compromising, I will ask the ECI to use the Constitutional powers to conduct by-elections for 21 assembly constituencies along with Lok Sabha elections," he said.The DMK president said: "If the ECI compromises under any pressure from the BJP-led Central government, a historic error black chapter will be created in the election history of India. It will lead to the worst consequences. ...
At least 18, including 6 cops, injured during teachers' protest in Patiala
At least 18 people were injured on Sunday as police lathicharged a group of teachers that was marching towards Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's residence here to protest against conditions for their regularisation, police said. A superintendent of police-rank officer and five other policemen were among those injured in the melee as cops tried to disperse the protesters who wanted to gherao Singh's residence, they said. The protesters were demonstrating against the regularisation policy for 8,886 teachers of Adarsh schools, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA). Police also used water cannons to disperse the protesters. The protesters had gathered near the Patiala bus stand where barricades had been erected to stop them, the police said. However, as they insisted on marching ahead, towards the chief minister's residence here, a scuffle broke out between protesters and police personnel, they said. Singh appealed to the teachers to shun the ...
Modi mocks coalition in Karnataka, says oppn wants to impose
Mocking the JDS-Congress coalition government in Karnataka as "helpless" with Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy becoming a "punching bag", Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday said the Opposition wants to impose the same model on the country. Modi said there was not even a single day "when the country doesn't see the Natak (drama) of the government", as he launched BJP's campaign for Lok Sabha polls here in the party's stronghold of north Karnataka. The Prime Minister, whose visit comes amid the political turmoil in the state, with BJP being accused of trying to dislodge the coalition government, took potshots at the ruling alliance in the state, saying "everyone is involved in saving their seat." The visit also comes when BJP state unit chief B S Yeddyurappa is at the vortex of a row after the chief minister released an audio clip of his purported conversation to lure a JDS MLA through his son in his alleged toppling game. Yeddyurappa has dismissed the audio clip as ...
Amol Palekar issue: Opposition accuses govt of 'policing thoughts', 'silencing dissent'
Accusing the government of "policing people's thoughts", opposition parties Sunday lashed out at the NGMA and the Ministry of Culture for allegedly not allowing veteran actor-director Amol Palekar to complete his speech when he began to criticise the ministry for reportedly scrapping the advisory panel at the gallery's Mumbai and Bengaluru centres. A video available on social media purportedly showed Palekar criticising the ministry at the opening of an exhibition in memory of artist Prabhakar Barwe on February 8 for reportedly scrapping the advisory panel. While his speech remained incomplete due to interruptions, the full text has been circulating on social media for the last two days. When contacted, National Gallery of Modern Art Director General Adwaita Gadanayak said the advisory committees of NGMA Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi have not been dissolved. "Their terms have ended recently and they are in the process of being reconstituted. For artists whose works were being showcased .
Modi dubs Kumaraswamy punching bag of everyone in Karnataka
Terming the 8-month-old JD-S-Congress coalition government in Karnataka a 'majboor sarkar', Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday dubbed its Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy a "punching bag" of everyone in the state.
No consensus among parties for electoral reforms: Lanka PM
There is no consensus among Sri Lankan political parties for electoral reforms, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said Sunday. Sri Lanka adopted a new system of hybrid elections, proportional representation and first past the post, in the local council elections held a year ago. The major parties want to revert to the full proportional representation system which was in force for all elections held since 1988. Addressing a public gathering in the southern town of Balapitiya, Wickremesinghe said: "There are differences among political parties on the new system of elections". While the major political parties are in agreement, the smaller parties and minority parties are not, he said. "Smaller parties say their chances are not good in a mixed system. The major political parties are for the proportional representation with safeguards to ensure stable government formation," Wickremesinghe said. His comments came as President Maithripala Sirisena said efforts must be taken to hold ...
Priyanka's entry won't impact LS polls outcome: Sushil Modi
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Sunday said Priyanka Gandhi's entry into politics will not have any impact on the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Modi mocks at coalition in Karnataka, says opposition wants to
In a stinging attack on the JDS-Congress coalition in Karnataka, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday said Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy heading a "helpless" government had become a "punching bag" and mocked opposition efforts to impose the same model on the country. Addressing a massive rally here in north Karnataka and virtually launching his Lok Sabha campaign, Modi said there was not even a single day "when the country doesn't see the Natak of the government" as he took potshots at the ruling coalition over turmoil within it for the past few weeks. "Everyone is involved in saving their seat," Modi said, adding that for the sake of power "MLAs are fighting at hotels and breaking their heads. Several Congress leaders are fighting for their supremacy." Modi's attack on the coalition government comes amid the politically fluid situation in Karnataka, with BJP allegedly making aggressive attempts to topple the government and both ruling and opposition camps having kept ...