Page 1683 - Politics
Protests await Modi in Andhra Pradesh
A day ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Andhra Pradesh, protests were held at various places in the state on Saturday with protesters raising 'Modi go back' slogans.
It seems Olympics going on to deride me: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday hit out at the opposition, saying the main job of the 'mahamilawatwalas' is to deride him and it seems they were all competing in an Olympics of hurling abuses at him. Calling the opposition a 'mahamilawat' (great adulteration) again, he said its leaders are only involved in "holding each other's hands in meetings in Delhi and Kolkata for photographs". "The job of the 'mahamilawatwalas' is only to heap abuses and more abuses on Modi. It is as if an Olympics is on to deride Modi," he told a rally here. "The results of the coming Lok Sabha elections will show what it takes to lie to the people," Modi said. Hitting out at the Left Front without naming it, he said it was not interested in doing anything for the unorganised sector or the farmers when it was in power in the state. "Now for the first time in Tripura, under the BJP government, paddy is being procured at the minimum support price. Besides, the recommendation of the Seventh Pay Commission ..
Delhi govt considering threefold hike in margin money to fair price shop owners
The Delhi government is considering a nearly threefold-hike in the margin money for ration dealers from existing Rs 70 to Rs 200 per quintal, besides paying arrears to them. Food and Civil Supplies Minister Imran Hussain Saturday said the matter is under active consideration of the government. "A proposal in this regard will be placed before the cabinet at the earliest for trebling the margin money," Hussain said in a statement. The Minister also said the demand of ration dealers for payment of arrears of margin money from September 1, 2013 to August 31, 2014 has also been acceded to by the Delhi government. The matter is being forwarded to the Union government for payment of equal amount of arrears as central assistance, he said. The announcement was made by Hussain after a meeting of office-bearers of the Delhi Sarkari Ration Dealers Sangh which was also attended by the Commissioner, Food and Supplies (CFS), and other officials of the department. The Delhi government distributes ...
U.S.-China trade talks resume next week, focus on intellectual property
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. negotiators are preparing to press China next week on longstanding demands that it reform how it treats American companies' intellectual property in order to seal a trade deal that could prevent tariffs from rising on Chinese imports.
PDP demands separate divisions for Pir Panjal, Chenab valley
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Saturday reiterated its demand for creation of separate divisions for Pir Panjal and Chenab valley, saying the governor-led administration cannot adopt different yardsticks for different regions of the state. The party's remarks came a day after the Jammu and Kashmir administration created a separate division for Ladakh, which was part of the Kashmir division till now. PDP vice president Abdul Hamid Chowdhary said his party welcomed the administration's decision and hoped that it would pave way for taking Ladakh towards new horizons of development and tranquillity. The PDP has been demanding for long that Pir Panjal and Chenab valley should also be granted the divisional status, he added. "Pir Panjal and Chenab valley should also be given the divisional status so that these areas get equal opportunities of growth and development," Chowdhary told reporters here. He said several places in Pir Panjal and Chenab valley have been left in a lurch and ...
Divisional status of Ladakh will boost development: BJP
Senior BJP leader and MLC Chering Dorjay Saturday welcomed the creation of a separate administrative and revenue division for Ladakh, saying the step "would boost the development of the region which faced discrimination for decades together". He said the people of Ladakh are celebrating the new division as a gift from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of 'Ladakhi Lunar New Year'. "No previous government or administration paid heed to our demands, our sufferings for the last 70 years. The Modi-led government has taken this historic decision and we are grateful to the BJP," Dorjay, a former minister told reporters here. Flanked by Councilor Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh, Sayeeda Ladakhi and several youth leaders of the party from Ladakh, Dorjay said the people of Ladakh were demanding "freedom from Kashmir" for a very long time in view of the discrimination being meted out to the region. The decision is expected to boost developmental works in the region ...
Citizenship Bill will not harm Assam and Northeast, assures Modi
Unfazed by the resistance in the Northeast , Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said his government's intention is to pass the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill but assured the people of the region that it will ensure that the legislation does not cause any harm to Assam and its neighbouring states.
Amit Shah calls on ailing Goa CM
BJP president Amit Shah Saturday met ailing Goa Chief Minister and senior party leader Manohar Parrikar at his residence at Dona Paula near here, an official said. Parrikar, 63, has been in and out of hospitals in Panaji, Mumbai, Delhi and the USA in the last one year, as a result of which he could not attend his office. Parrikar, who is suffering from a pancreatic ailment, was recently discharged from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi. After arriving in Goa, Shah straightway went to the residence of Parrikar, an official of the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said. The BJP president is scheduled to address 'Atal Booth Karyakarta Sammelan' here.
Neighbour blocking foreign investment to Arunachal: Khandu
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Saturday claimed that foreign investments are eluding the sensitive border state owing to objections raised by a neighbour, a reference to China, and urged the central government to address the issue. Khandu was speaking at a function where Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also present. "Arunachal Pradesh has a lot of potential but due to objection of the neighbouring country, foreign investment is not coming," Khandu said at the event at Indira Gandhi Park here. Although Khandu did not take China's name, the reference was obvious as Arunachal Pradesh shares a 1,080-km long border with China which has refused to recognise India's claim on the region. New Delhi has consistently maintained that the state is an "integral and inalienable part" of India. On Saturday too, China opposed the prime minister's visit to Arunachal Pradesh but India dismissed it saying its leaders visit the state like they travel to any other part of the country. "I .
India dismisses China's objection on Arunachal
India on Saturday dismissed China's opposition to the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Arunachal Pradesh, saying the state was an intergral and inalienable part of India.
Gujjars continue dharna for quota in Rajasthan
Gujjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla and his supporters continued their sit-in on the rail tracks in Rajasthan's Swai Madhopur district for the second day on Saturday, forcing authorities to cancel three trains and divert one. The protesters are demanding five per cent reservation to Gujjars, Raika-Rebari, Gadia Luhar, Banjara and Gadaria communities in government jobs and educational institutions. Train movement continued to be affected due to the blockade on Swai Madhopur-Bayana railway section in Kota division. North Western Railway (NWR) Chief Public Relations Officer Abhay Sharma said three trains, including Hazrat Nizamuddin-Ahmedabad, Hazrat Nizamuddin-Udaipur and Udaipur-Hazrat Nizamuddin were cancelled whereas Firozpur Cantt-Mumbai train was was diverted. Bainsla, who is staging his dharna along with supporters on the railway tracks in Malarna Dungar of Swai Madhopur district, said he will not move till five per cent reservation was given. He said the government had promised ..
There was major breakdown in India-SL relationship after change of govt in 2014: Rajapaksa
Sri Lanka's opposition leader Mahinda Rajapaksa Saturday said here there was a "major breakdown" in bilateral relationship between India and his country after a new government was formed in New Delhi in 2014, but the opposition coalition he is heading now has a "good understanding" with India's ruling party. He emphasised that the rule of thumb with regard to India-Sri Lanka relations should be that if an outgoing government has an adequate working relationship with his country, the incoming one should give due recognition to this. "Past experience has shown that the danger of disruption in our bilateral relationship arises in the immediate aftermath of changes of government. Such easily avoidable disruptions have had serious consequences for both countries," he said. "In 2014, the second major breakdown of bilateral relationships took place. Unfortunately, the working relationship that existed between my government and the outgoing government (UPA) did not roll over to the new ...
WB Cong Prez Somendra Nath Mitra says no alliance with TMC
West Bengal Congress President Somendra Nath Mitra on Saturday ruled out any possibility of an alliance with the Trinamool Congress for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.After a meeting with Congress president Rahul Gandhi and other senior Congress leaders, Mitra said, nobody from the party, including its workers, wanted an alliance with TMC.According to Mitra, Rahul had said in the meeting "if there is an alliance with dignity, it (alliance) will be there, otherwise, there won't be one. There won't be any alliance with TMC, this is final."Out of 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal, TMC spearheaded by its chief Mamata Banerjee had won 34 seats in the 2014 General elections.Currently, there are four Congress Lok Sabha Members of Parliament in West Bengal.
Citizenship Bill will cause no harm to Assam and Northeast, assures Modi
Reaffirming the BJP-led NDA government's intention to pass the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the government will ensure that the Bill does not cause any harm to Assam and other parts of the Northeast.
Under 'pressure', Maharashtra fasting girls end agitation 'for now'
Hours after they were forcibly admitted to hospital, three Maharashtra farmers' daughters on Saturday afternoon called off their agitation, but claimed it was done "under pressure" from the government.
Congress prepares for Priyanka's visit
As hectic preparations are underway at the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) office in the posh Mall Avenue area for Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's first visit to the city on Monday after her plunge into active politics, Congress leaders say this time the buzz will not be limited to "just cosmetics" but will be followed up by serious business ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
'NSC final authority, NITI Aayog has no role in statistics'
P.C. Mohanan, who resigned from the National Statistical Commission (NSC) last month over the government "withholding" the report showing high unemployment rate during 2017-18, has said the commission is the final authority on the NSSO report and the NITI Aayog should not have got involved.
VHP, AHP members come face to face over building ownership
Members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Pravin Togadia's Antar-rashtriya Hindu Parishad (AHP) came face to face Saturday over the ownership of a building being used by the AHP as its office at Paldi locality here in Gujarat. Deployment of a large number of police personnel at the spot prevented any untoward incident. While the VHP claims that the AHP has taken possession of Dr Vanikar Smarak Bhavan without a valid permission from the owner trust, the AHP said VHP members tried to evict them from the building "despite they having permission of a court to use it as their office". The incident occurred on a day Togadia, who had served as VHP's international working president before quitting it last April, announced the launch of his new political party, Hindustan Nirmal Dal (HND), in New Delhi. Gujarat unit VHP Secretary Ashok Rawal claimed the Hindutva organisation is the rightful owner of the building, a claim contested by Togadia who said the AHP is the legal ...
National Women's Party to field 13 women candidates on LS seats in Rajasthan
The National Women's Party will contest on all 25 Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan and field 13 women candidates in the upcoming general elections. In the remaining seats, the National Women's Party (NWP) may field male candidates, party president Shweta Shetty told reporters here. She said her party will contest on 283 seats in the country in the elections. "To ensure participation of women in the national and state politics, the party has decided to field 13 women candidates in the state in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections," Shetty said. She said the party has chosen the 13 seats based on the dominance of women population there. The party was registered in 2012 and has seven lakh members in southern India, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Delhi.
If 'thugs' come to power, India's growth will decline: Shah
India's growth will decline and pace of development will be derailed if "thugs" came to power in the coming Lok Sabha elections, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah warned here on Saturday.