Page 1706 - Politics
Cong govt in C'garh playing vindictive politics, alleges BJP
Questioning the probe ordered by the Congress government in Chhattisgarh into the incidents and alleged scams that took place during the Raman Singh-led dispensation, the BJP Wednesday staged a protest here. The opposition party said the ruling Congress was acting with vengeance. BJP leaders and workers staged a protest against the government at Budhatalab area here and asserted that they were not afraid of "Badlapur" (vindictive) politics of the Congress government. "The state government has been acting with the intention of taking revenge on several issues, including Antagarh by-poll (2014) row," state BJP chief and Leader of Opposition Dharamlal Kaushik said during the agitation. "The BJP is not afraid of 'Badlapur' politics. The party will give a strong fight," he added. "Whenever a Congress government came into the state, an atmosphere of fear prevailed. The same situation is being experienced in the Bhupesh Baghel-led government in just 40 days in office," Kaushik .
NATO's 70th anniversary meeting to be held in UK in December
NATO's next meeting of Heads of State and Government will take place in London this December, marking the 70th anniversary of the military pact."The meeting in London will be an opportunity for Allied Heads of State and Government to address the security challenges we face now and in the future and to ensure that NATO continues to adapt in order to keep its population of almost one billion people safe," NATO Secretary-General Jons Stoltenberg announced on Wednesday.Stoltenberg also highlighted that London was home to NATO's first headquarters, adding that the UK is one of the alliance's 12 founding members.In an official release issued on February 6, he further mentioned that Britain "continues to play a key role in the Alliance, making essential contributions to our shared security.
MP: Rahul Gandhi portrayed as 'Ram Bhakt', Kamal Nath as 'Hanuman bhakt' in hoarding
Congress hoarding portraying party president Rahul Gandhi as a "Ram Bhakt" surfaced in the city ahead of his visit to Bhopal on February 8.The hoarding also portrayed Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath as "Hanuman evam Gau (cow) Bhakt". The poster also contained a promise to construct a Ram temple in Ayodhya. Earlier in the day, BJP president Amit Shah, while addressing a public rally, had asked the Congress and other Opposition parties to clear their stand on the Ram temple issue, adding that the BJP was sure of building a Ram temple "in the very place" that Lord Ram was born in Ayodhya. Gandhi was earlier portrayed as "Shiv Bhakt" by the Congress ahead of the assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and, Chhattisgarh.On February 2, unidentified miscreants vandalised posters depicting Rahul as Lord Rama, which were put up at various places in the capital city of Bihar's Patna.The posters were recently put up in Patna, showing Rahul as the living embodiment of Lord Ram.
Cross-border terror emanating from Pakistan remains core concern for India: Govt
Cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan remains a core concern for India, the government said Wednesday, citing that security forces have foiled 323 infiltration bids by terrorists from across the border last year. Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh, in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha, said New Delhi has consistently called upon Pakistan to abide by its commitment to not allow its territory to be used for terrorism against India and end all support to cross-border terrorism. Until these issues are addressed, he said, "India will continue to take firm and decisive steps to respond to cross-border terrorist infiltration and unprovoked ceasefire violations by Pakistan, including in support of terrorist infiltration." "As per available information, Indian security forces have interdicted attempts by 371, 419 and 323 terrorists at cross border infiltration in 2016, 2017 and 2018 respectively," he said. Responding to a question on whether the government is ...
Pompeo tells allies US still committed to fight IS
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday that the United States remained committed to permanently destroying the Islamic State group despite pulling forces from Syria, as he asked concerned allies to do more. Pompeo offered assurances as top officials from 79 countries met in Washington on how to move ahead in the fight against the Islamic State movement, also known as ISIS, after President Donald Trump's sudden decision in December to remove all 2,000 troops from Syria. "America will continue to lead in giving those who would destroy us no quarter," Pompeo said. "We ask each of your countries to stand with us and, through our efforts and God's help, the day will come when the permanent defeat of ISIS is a reality," he said. Pompeo, one of Trump's most stalwart defenders, described the troop withdrawal as "essentially a tactical change" as extremists scatter around the world. "It is not a change in the mission," Pompeo said, adding "our fight will not necessarily always be ...
UK MPs outraged by Tusk's 'special place in Hell' slur
British politicians reacted angrily on Wednesday to European Union leader Donald Tusk after he wondered "what special place in Hell" awaited those who advocated Brexit without a clear plan, calling him a "devilish Euro maniac". "Donald Tusk once again shows his contempt for the 17.4 million people who voted to escape the corruption of the EU," said Sammy Wilson, Brexit spokesman for Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party. "This devilish Euro maniac is doing his best to keep the United Kingdom bound by the chains of EU bureaucracy and control," he added. Tusk made the comments at a news conference in Brussels, where he was flanked by Irish leader Leo Varadkar. Conservative MP Andrea Leadsom and prominent Leave supporter demanded an apology, calling Tusks's comments "spiteful". "I think that what he has said is pretty unacceptable and pretty disgraceful," she told BBC Radio 4. "I'm sure that when he reflects on it he may well wish he hadn't done it." Fellow Tory and veteran ...
Vadra appearing before ED success of democracy: Prasad
Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Wednesday that Robert Vadra's appearance before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is a success of democracy and a reflection of Modi government's will that even a person hailing from a very well-known family had to submit to the might of law.
WB Cong demands arrest of those involved in chit fund scams
The West Bengal Congress unit Wednesday staged a protest demanding immediate action and arrest of those involved in the multi-crore chit fund scams. The protest came a day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called off her 3-day dharna against the central government following CBI's bid to question Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev Kumar in relation to chit fund cases. Bengal Congress president Somen Mitra wondered what prompted Banerjee to sit on a dharna to save a particular police officer from questioning. "We want to know what is taking so long for CBI to arrest those culprits and secondly, why is the chief minister trying to save a particular police officer," Mitra said while addressing a rally. He said chit fund companies have flourished during the Trinamool Congress regime and some TMC leaders should be questioned in this scam. Mitra, in 2011 when he was an MP with TMC, had first written a letter to central government over chit fund companies in ...
Britain's Labour says it would halt RBS privatisation
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Labour party would halt the privatisation of Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) if it came to power but would not seek to exert day-to-day control, the opposition party's shadow banking minister told Reuters.
BJP disrupts Karnataka Governor's address; 10 Congress MLAs skip joint session
The 10-day Budget session of the Karnataka legislature began on a stormy note on Wednesday with the opposition BJP legislators disrupting Governor Vajubhai Vala's address and 10 Congress lawmakers skipping the joint session.
Maharashtra educationist's daughter named Sweden PMO adviser
Nila Vikhe Patil, a person of Indian descent, has been named political adviser in the Swedish Prime Minister's Office. Patil, 32, daughter of leading educationist Ashok Vikhe Patil, would be working with Stefan Lofven, the Social Democrat leader who was last month elected as Swedish prime minister, leading a Social Democrat-Green Party coalition. "Nila has been appointed as the Political Adviser to the Prime Ministers Office in charge of Finance and will handle taxes, budgets, financial markets and housing," her father told PTI. She has also been elected to the City Council of the Stockholm Municipal Corporation. Also a Political Adviser in the PMO during the previous government, Nila has been active member of the Green Party and is a member of the Election Committee of the Stockholm Green Party, he said. Born in Sweden, Nila spent early years in Ahmednagar in Maharashtra and is the granddaughter of former Union Minister Balasaheb Vikhe Patil and niece of Radhakrishna ...
Bengal Global Business Summit begins on Thursday
Amid slower economic growth in the country and the ongoing stand-off between the Centre and the state, the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government will kick start the fifth edition of annual two-day business summit on Thursday.
1,599 cases of ceasefire violations along LoC in 2018; 20 Army personnel killed
The Army recorded 1,599 cases of ceasefire violations (CFV) along the Line of Control (LoC) and lost 20 personnel in 2018, the government said in the Lok Sabha Wednesday. In a written response to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State in the Defence Ministry Subhash Bhamre said February 2018 recorded 223 cases of ceasefire violations, the highest in the year. The first three months alone saw 633 cases of such violations, a quarter of the total instances in the year, he said. Of the 20, the Army lost 15 personnel in the first four months of 2018. "Appropriate retaliation to the ceasefire violations, as required, has been carried out by the Indian Army. Also, all violations of ceasefire and infiltration were taken up with the Pakistan authorities at the appropriate level through the established mechanism of hotlines, flag meetings, Directorate Generals of Military Operations talks as well as diplomatic channels between the two countries," the minister said. Responding to a ...
Measure of Indian democracy's success: Law Min on questioning of Vadra by ED
Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad Wednesday described the questioning of Robert Vadra, the brother-in-law of Congress president Rahul Gandhi, by Enforcement Directorate as the "measure of success of the Indian democracy." "...It is the success of the will of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, when a gentleman hailing from a well-known family had to submit before the law," Prasad said when asked about questioning of Vadra by the ED. The minister was briefing the media about the Cabinet decisions taken on Wednesday. "It is a measure of success of Indian democracy," Prasad said. Hitting out at Vadra, the BJP alleged that he got "kickbacks" from petroleum and defence deals during the UPA dispensation. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra alleged that Vadra "bought eight to nine properties in London" from the money he got as kickbacks in 2008-09 when the UPA was in power and said he would like to ask Vadra "the formula of becoming crorepati from roadpati." Alleging that ...
Cabinet gives ex post facto approval to EWS quota
The Union Cabinet Wednesday gave ex post facto approval to the revised Office Memorandum (OM) pertaining to the Cabinet note on "Amendment of Constitution to provide for reservation for Economically Weaker Sections". The OM was approved by the Cabinet on January 8. "The approval will promote social equity by providing opportunities in higher education and employment to those who have been excluded by virtue of their economic status," an official statement said. The constitutional provision to provide 10 per cent reservation in government jobs and education to economically backward section in the general category had come into force on February4, a government notification said The Constitution (103 Amendment) Act, 2019 received the assent of the President on January 12. The Act amends Articles 15 and 16 of the Constitution, by adding a clause which allows states to make "special provision for the advancement of any economically weaker sections of citizens" These "special provisions" ...
Two Pak fishermen held by BSF in Kutch
The Border Security Force (BSF) Wednesday apprehended two Pakistani fishermen and seized their boat in the creek area of Kutch district near the Indo-Pak border for allegedly entering the Indian territory, officials said. The apprehension was a result of a "special operation" by the BSF in Vainwari creek using speed boats, an official release said. The apprehended Pak fishermen have been identified as Suganjo Usman (35) and Rajan Laden (15), both residents of Chhach village of Sindh province of the neighboring country, the BSF release added. The duo allegedly entered the Indian territory in their boat to catch fish. A BSF patrol team had last month found an abandoned Pak fishing boat from the same creek. Several abandoned boats as well as Pakistani fishermen had been caught in the past while fishing in the Indian side of the the creek area. Given the sensitive nature of the area, even Indian fishermen are barred from catching fish in the creek. However, Pakistani ...
CPI flays both Mamata, Centre over Kolkatta developments
The CPI Wednesday criticised both the Centre and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the developments following CBI's attempt to question Kolkata Police commissioner in a chit fund scam and demanded a transparent inquiry into the Ponzi schemes. A day after Banerjee ended her three-day dharna in Kolkata protesting the CBI's action, CPI General Secretary S Sudhakar Reddy accused her of trying to convert the issue into a crisis involving Centre-state relations. He said both the action and reaction were not good for democracy. Hitting out at the NDA government, he alleged cases had been filed before the elections against leaders, including Samajwadi Partys Akhilesh Yadav, BSP chief Mayawati, former JNU student union leader Kanhaiya Kumar. The Central government should stop using CBI, the Enforcement Directorate against political opponents, he told reporters here. Reddy alleged BJP's political opponents, including Congress president Rahul Gandhi and his mother ...
Bangladesh FM to visit India for consultative committee meeting
Bangladesh Foreign Minister A K Abdul Momen will be on a three-day visit to India this week, during which he will co-chair the joint consultative committee meeting with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. This will be the first high-level visit from Bangladesh since Sheikh Hasina's landslide victory in the parliamentary election last December. Momen, who is scheduled to arrive late on Wednesday night, will call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday. He will co-chair the 5th Joint Consultative Committee Meeting with Swaraj on Friday. Agreements are also expected to be signed between the two sides. The issue of the Rohingya crisis is likely to come up during discussions.
Centre deliberately sending notices: Mamata on Vadra's interrogation
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday accused the Central government of "sending notices" to all the opposition party leaders and people connected to them, even in petty cases, ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Congress alleges illegalities in eco-tourism project of Parrikar's son
The Congress on Wednesday alleged that three successive BJP-led governments in Goa had facilitated several illegalities in an eco-tourism project promoted by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's son Abhijat in a south Goa village next to a wildlife sanctuary.