Page 1708 - Politics
Kashmiris hold protest in London against Pakistan's 'frauds'
Slamming Pakistan for organising so-called 'Kashmir Solidarity Day' on Tuesday, scores of expatriate Kashmiris staged a protest outside the British Prime Minister's office here to expose Islamabad's "frauds".The protesters held placards which read: "No Pakistan, We stand against foreign occupation of Kashmir', 'Abolish terrorist charges against human rights activists in Gilgit Baltistan' (part of Jammu and Kashmir which is under Pakistan occupation),' and 'Restore state subject in Gilgit-Baltistan'.Shabir Choudhry, who organised the protest on Tuesday, posted videos of the demonstration on Facebook with the caption: "Outside Downing Street protesting on 'Fraud Day'.""Fraud day and our response," he wrote in another caption, while referring to their protest against the 'Kashmir Solidarity Day' organised by Pakistan on Tuesday.Choudhry wrote that a "Kashmiri journalist highly praised our effort of exposing the fraud day in London today. He said, now the Pakistani establishment and their
2019 polls: AAP fields Elvis Gomes from South Goa LS seat
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) announced that Elvis Gomes will contest from the South Goa Lok Sabha seat in the upcoming general elections.Gomes, a former bureaucrat and AAP state convenor, was the party's chief ministerial candidate in the 2017 Assembly elections held in Goa.The AAP candidate from North Goa seat is likely to be announced later by the party.Last month, sources had said that the Election Commission of India (ECI) is likely to announce the date for the Lok Sabha elections in the first week of March.The elections are likely to be held in 6 to 7 phases, the sources added.The election process has to be completed by May.
Pak's former PM barred from leaving country
Pakistan's former Prime Minister, Yousuf Raza Gilani, was barred from leaving the country due to the ongoing National Accountability Bureau (NAB) case against him.He was stopped from departing for Seoul - to attend an international conference - despite claiming to have informed the judge about his participation in the summit."My basic human rights have been violated by barring me from travelling, despite the fact that I had informed the NAB judge regarding my World Summit departure," Gilani told The Express Tribune."I have been appearing before the courts and facing the allegations against me," the former Prime Minister said, adding that the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government should give up the "politics of revenge"."If a former Prime Minister faces coercion, how would a common man get protection?" he put forth, referring to the incident.Gilani had just visited Nepal over a month back without being stopped by airport authorities. "I had visited Nepal one and a half ...
Special place in hell for those who promoted Brexit: European Council Prez
The President of the European Council, Donald Tusk mulled what a "special place in hell looks like" for those who promoted Brexit, "without even a sketch of a plan guiding, how to carry it out safely".Tusk made these remarks after meeting with Ireland's Prime Minister, or Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar on Wednesday.The stakes are high, as the UK is slated to leave the European Union on March 29, 2019, with no deal in sight due to the British Parliament rejecting the previously negotiated treaty with the European Union (EU) by a large margin."Today our most important task is to prevent a no deal scenario," Tusk noted on February 6, adding that the EU would not be making any new offer."Let me recall that the December European Council decided that the Withdrawal Agreement is not open for renegotiation," the President highlighted.He further said, "I hope that tomorrow we will hear from Prime Minister May a realistic suggestion on how to end the impasse, in which the process of the orderly ...
Delhi HC dismisses plea seeking EC's supervision of parties' internal polls
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking directions to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to conduct and supervise the internal polls of regional and national political parties.The petition, filed by Arvind Kumar through his counsel Setu Sharma, alleged that a few families are dominating the political scenario of the country and is, in turn, thwarting the basic mandate of the Constitution.The plea mentions the names of some political parties like Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Samajwadi Party, Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD).It had further sought the court's action on the inaction of the authorities to formulate legislation to regulate the process of holding intra-party elections to democratise the structure of political parties in India, which have become a fiefdom of a few families.The plea also sought the court's direction to the respondents to ensure that no member of the family ...
BJP keen on allies in south to shore up numbers in Lok Sabha polls
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is seriously looking for allies in the southern states for the coming Lok Sabha elections to improve its tally from 21 to make up for possible losses in the Hindi heartland states where it had made almost a clean sweep in the last polls.
Russia to exit INF Treaty in six months
Russia on Wednesday said that it will mirror the US' withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty between the countries, formally exiting the agreement in six months.
If you elect BJP MPs again, they'll continue hampering AAP govt's work: Kejriwal to Delhiites
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Wednesday cautioned Delhiites against voting for the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, saying if they elect saffron party MPs on all seven seats again they will continue to clash with the AAP government and hamper its functioning. He alleged that the BJP has got deleted names of 30 lakh voters from the voters' list in the national capital sensing a defeat in the general elections. But, he said, he would ensure these are added back. The Aam Aadmi Party chief was addressing a gathering after inaugurating development works in west Delhi's Patel Nagar. The BJP had won all the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi in the 2014 general elections. On several occasions in the past, the AAP dispensations has been at loggerheads with BJP-led central government on a range of issues. Kejriwal alleged the BJP MPs have done nothing but creating hurdles in the functioning of the AAP government in the last four-and-a-half years. "I appeal to you to vote in favour of the AAP .
Pfizer CEO Bourla plans to testify at Senate drug pricing hearing
NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. drugmaker Pfizer Inc said on Wednesday that its Chief Executive Albert Bourla plans to testify later this month at a Senate hearing examining rising prescription drug prices.
RJD to contest 20-22 seats in Bihar
The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) will contest 20 to 22 of the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar and leave the rest to its allies, a party leader said on Wednesday.
After Prashant Kishore's Mumbai visit, BJP upbeat on alliance with Shiv Sena
A day after poll strategist and Janata Dal-U Vice President Prashant Kishore called on Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, BJP leaders were on Wednesday optimistic of an alliance materialising soon. This comes 15 months after the Sena had announced that it would contest all future elections on its own.
AAP's East Delhi LS seat in-charge Atishi launches crowdfunding drive
A crowdfunding drive by the AAP's East Delhi parliamentary seat in-charge Atishi generated endorsements from Yashwant Sinha, Javed Jaffery and Jignesh Mewani among others, besides yielding a donation of Rs two lakh within a few hours Wednesday. The Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) has nominated in-charges on six of the seven Lok Sabha constituencies in Delhi, who are expected to be soon declared as the official candidates of the party in the coming elections. "The drive was launched by Atishi at 3 pm on Wednesday. Several senior political leaders, including former Union minister Yashwant Sinha, Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani, actor Javed Jaffery, lawyer-activist Karuna Nundy, among others endorsed the campaign," a party statement said. Party leaders said the campaign will continue online with a target to raise Rs 70 lakh, the permissible limit of expenditure in parliamentary polls as per the Election Commission. Yashwant Sinha tweeted a video endorsing Atishi's work. "Atishi's efforts have ...
BJP will win MP's all 29 LS seats in 2019: Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday claimed that his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will emerge victorious in all 29 Lok Sabha seats in the state in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Special place in hell for those who backed Brexit: Tusk
European Council President Donald Tusk on Wednesday said there is a "special place in hell" for those who pushed for Brexit without a plan and reiterated the EU's refusal to renegotiate the withdrawal treaty.
Modi looks shattered, refrain from saying 'murdabad' to him: Rahul to party workers
Noting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi looks visibly "shattered" following the Rafale issue, Congress president Rahul Gandhi Wednesday asked party workers to stay away from using the "murdabad" slogan against his political adversary. Instead, he asked his party workers to win over the BJP with love and affection, "which is what the Congress stands for". The Congress workers had shouted "murdabad" in unison when their party president took Narendra Modi's name during a public meeting here. "These words (murdabad) are used by the BJP/RSS people. We, in Congress, do not use these words as we believe in love and affection," Gandhi told party workers. Stating that the Congress will be able to defeat the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections without giving way to hatred, Gandhi said, "There has been a change in facial expressions of Narendra Modi. He is being surrounded from all corners". "Wherever he (Modi) looks, there is Rafale, kisan, mazdoor and women. Narendra Modi is now being gheraoed by .
Jaipur Foot camp in South Africa
A special camp will be organised in South Africa to provide 'Jaipur Foot', an artificial limb, to amputees. The Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayta Samiti (BMVSS) in association with the Ministry of External Affairs will organise the camp in summer this year in the Phoenix settlement, a heritage site in South Africa, said BMVSS founder D R Mehta. The month-long camp will be organised with the support of the grand daughter of Mahatma Gandhi, Ela Gandhi, who is a former member of Parliament in South Africa. Founded in 1975 and better known by its trademark limb "Jaipur Foot", the BMVSS is among the world's largest organisation for the fitment of artificial limbs and has served over 1.73 million amputees so far.
BJP to reach out to central scheme beneficiaries in TN
The Bharartiya Janata Party, as part of its Lok Sabha poll strategy in Tamil Nadu, will send its activists to meet beneficiaries of various central government schemes, a party leader said on Wednesday.
Centre sending notices deliberately ahead of polls: Mamata on Vadra's questioning by ED
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday slammed the Centre for the interrogation of Robert Vadra by the Enforcement Directorate, claiming that the BJP was deliberately doing it ahead of the general election. Asserting that the Bharatiya Janata Party would not be able to scare the Opposition by the tactics of sending notices "casually to everybody", Banerjee said: "We will complain to the Election Commission against such trend." "They (the Centre) are doing it deliberately ahead of the polls," the Trinamool Congress supremo told reporters at the state secretariat. Vadra was Wednesday questioned by the ED in connection with a money-laundering probe into alleged possession of illegal foreign assets, days after his wife, Priyanka Gandhi, was formally inducted into the party. Banerjee also said she would be in Delhi next Wednesday and Thursday, where the Opposition parties would make a decision on their future course of action.
Egypt opposition rejects move to extend el-Sissi's rule
Egyptian opposition parties have formed a coalition against proposed changes to the constitution that would allow President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi to stay in office well beyond the end of his current term in 2022, two opposition leaders said on Wednesday. Egypt's parliament has given its preliminary approval to the changes, after two-thirds of the general committee endorsed the proposed amendments on Tuesday. The 596-seat assembly which is packed with el-Sissi supporters will take a final vote on February 17, but the amendments would also need to be put to a national referendum. Abdel-Aziz el-Husseini, a senior leader in the Karama, or Dignity party, said that 11 parties met the previous day and declared their opposition to the proposed changes. The group established a "union for the defence of the constitution" that includes secular and left-leaning parties and lawmakers, he added. Khaled Dawood, another opposition leader and former head of the liberal Dostour, or Constitution ...
TDB says its U-turn in SC not out of pressure from LDF govt
: The Travancore Devaswom Board Wednesday said its decision in the Supreme Court to back women's entry into the Ayyappa shrine at Sabariamala was not due to any pressure following the CPI(M)-led LDF government's stand on the issue. The board, which administers the Sabarimala temple, had taken a U-turn on Wednesday in the apex court by supporting the September 28 verdict, allowing women of all age groups to enter the shrine. The Board had told a five-judge Constitution Bench, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, that it was high time that a particular class not be discriminated on the ground of "biological attributes". Asked if the board's changed stance was out of pressure from the state government, TDB President A Padmakumar told reporters here that the temple body had not given a review petition, but sought time to implement the September 28 decision. "The board's decision was not on the basis of the government stand. We were asked if the board accepts the September