Page 1719 - Politics
Indian Army warns Pak against holding 'Kashmir Solidarity Day' events near LoC
The Indian Army on Wednesday warned Pakistan against holding any event related to Kashmir Solidarity Day near the Line of Control as it would draw a strong reaction from the Indian side."Our officials from the Directorate General of Military Operations issued the stern warning to the Pakistan Army today (Tuesday) morning," Army sources said.As per reports, Pakistan was planning to hold a motorcycle rally near the LoC on the Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir side on Kashmir Solidarity Day being organised there.Army sources said the Indian side had told Pakistan that responsibility of any such provocative activity would be on them.Pakistan has been trying to up the ante by celebrating Kashmir Solidarity Day every year on February 5.Pakistanis try to organise events across the globe including important world capitals like London and other European countries but have not been very successful in generating hype.
VHP suspends Ram temple campaign till General Elections conclude
The VHP on Tuesday said its campaign for building Ram Temple in Ayodhya has been suspended till general elections are over, as the Hindutva organisation does not want it to become an election issue. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), which has spearheaded the Ram Janambhoomi Movement, has been running a campaign across the country for the past several months, demanding a law in Parliament for building the Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhaya. As part of the campaign, the VHP has held rallies across the country, and is meeting Parliamentarians across party lines. "The VHP has decided to suspend its campaign for constructing the Ram Temple at Lord Ram's birthplace in Ayodhaya till the General Election process gets over, as the organisation does not want it to become an election issue," said VHP's international joint general secretary Surendra Jain. Jain said the organisation is committed to its cause for building Ram temple in Ayodhaya and will decide the future course of action ...
Netanyahu to meet Putin this month for Iran-Syria talks
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that he would meet Russian President Vladimir Putin later this month in Moscow for talks on Iranian military activity in Syria. It will be their first face-to-face meeting since November and follows a series of air strikes in January against what Israel said were facilities belonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force in Syria. "I'll be going on February 21 again to Russia following my discussions with President Putin in Paris a few months ago and subsequent phone conversations," Netanyahu said. "It's very important that we continue to prevent Iran from entrenching in Syria," he said in English, at the start of a meeting at his office with Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen. "This is one of the subjects, the main subject, that I'll be discussing with President Putin." On January 29, Netanyahu held talks in Jerusalem with two Russian officials on reinforcing their military coordination in Syria to avoid any
Four Egyptian police wounded in attack claimed by IS
Four Egyptian policeman were wounded in an ambush Tuesday in the southwest of the country, a security source said, in an attack claimed by the jihadist Islamic State group. The attack took place in El-Wadi El-Gedid governorate (New Valley in English), a mostly arid region in the Western Desert bordering Libya, when gunmen ambushed a police checkpoint, the source said. The police "responded to the armed attack" leading to an "exchange of fire" with the assailants who managed to flee, the source said, adding that four policemen were wounded. IS's propaganda agency Amaq released a statement claiming responsibility for the attack. It quoted a "security source" as saying IS "fighters" attacked the so-called Baghdad checkpoint on a road linking El-Wadi El-Gedid's capital Kharga to the city of Luxor further south, without giving further details. Egypt has been the target of several jihadist attacks in recent years including from IS who are active in the restive Northern Sinai region. The ...
Will not move no confidence motion against Cong-JDS govt:BJP
Amid toppling bid allegations levelled by the Congress-JDS ruling coalition against it, the BJP's Karnataka unit chief B S Yeddyurappa said Tuesday his party would not move a no confidence motion against it though corruption was "rampant" and there was lack of coordination between the partners. Speaking to reporters after the BJP legislature party meeting here ahead of the budget session tomorrow, Yeddyurappa said the legislators had detailed discussions on various issues ranging from the governments "failure" to live up to expectations of people, lack of development works and "rampant corruption." In absence of coordination between the coalition partners in the government, there was no understanding among the ministers and the MLAs, the BJP state chief alleged. "We have information that at least 20 MLAs gave open statement during their stay in the resort that they will not support H D Kumaraswamy. Even chief minister had said that he was working like a clerk without ...
India's oil trade with Venezuela has gone down since sanctions: Ambassador
India's oil trade with Venezuela has gone down since sanctions were imposed on the Latin American country, its Ambassador to India Augusto Montiel said on Tuesday. Montiel, while speaking to reporters on the current situation in Venzuela, said the country is currently selling 400,000 barrels of oil per day to India. "Earlier, it used to be around 500,000 barrels per day to India. We sell oil to Indian companies and we bring crude oil for many refineries and we are trying to produce more oil to satisfy India's oil needs but the US government is trying to cripple Venezuela's oil industry and economy," he said. In response to a question, he said, "Yes, the oil trade between India and Venezuela has gone down since imposition of sanctions on Venezuela." Venezuela has been battling hyperinflation, power cuts and severe shortages of basic items such as food and medicine. The US has imposed tough sanctions on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's regime. The Trump administration is blocking ..
DC appeals to tea garden managers to help in delivery of
The Deputy Commissioner of Hailakandi has appealed to all tea garden managers to join hand with the district administration in ensuring last mile delivery of various welfare schemes of the government In a meeting here on Monday, deputy commissioner Keerthi Jalli said that it is in the interest of both the tea garden managements and administration to ensure last-mile delivery of the welfare oriented schemes. "There is the imperative need for continuous follow-ups to ensure that last-mile issues are addressed and no beneficiary is left out," she said. The deputy commissioner asked the concerned departments not to work in solitude but include the tea garden managers as field level monitors of schemes and programmes of the government. The tea estate managers welcomed the participatory move of the district administration and assured of all support and assistance to the district administration.
Rahul Gandhi approves Cong committees for Gujarat LS poll
Congress president Rahul Gandhi Tuesday approved the formation of various committees to handle the party's poll campaign for Gujarat's 26 Lok Sabha seats. While senior Congress leader Madhusudan Mistry has been appointed as the chairman of the 22-member manifesto committee, former Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Siddharth Patel has been given the task of leading the 43-member campaign committee. As per an AICC communique, Congress in charge for Gujarat, Rajeev Satav, has been made the chairman of the coordination committee having 36 members, including state party chief Amit Chavda and senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel. Other members of this committee include senior Gujarat Congress leaders Bharatsinh Solanki, Arjun Modhwadia, Siddharth Patel and Shaktisinh Gohil. Gandhi also approved the formation of an election committee consisting of 28 members, including Satav, Chavda and Leader of Opposition in Gujarat Assembly Paresh Dhanani. While former Union .
Mamata putting obstacles in Saradha scam probe: Khattar
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar Tuesday accused his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee of putting obstacles in the CBI probe into the Saradha chit fund scam. He alleged that Banerjee is playing with the Constitution to hinder the ongoing probe by the CBI into the Saradha chit fund scam. Referring to the dharna of Banerjee ever since a CBI team tried to question Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar in connection with the scam, Khattar told reporters that in a democracy, it was not a decent act by the chief minister and the state. The CBI is probing the scam on the directive of the Supreme Court and such act of Banerjee was contempt of court, he claimed, adding that the Apex Court should take cognizance on the issue and take action against her. Khattar was here to take part in the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morchas Kolhan division conference-- "Vijay Lakshya". Earlier, addressing the BJYM workers, he asked them to get ready for the Lok Sabha election and ...
CWC member Gaikhangam named Manipur Congress chief
Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday appointed Congress Working Committee member Gaikhangam as the chief of the party's Manipur unit, the party said. Gaikhangam replaces T N Haokip as the state unit chief at a time when the party is seeking to revive its fortunes in the northeast where it has suffered setbacks in assembly polls in the past few years. With the Lok Sabha polls approaching, Gandhi also named members of the coordination committee, pradesh election committee, campaign committee and election management team of the Tamil Nadu Pradesh Congress Committee (TNPCC). The election panel has 22 members as well as heads of frontal organisations of the TNPCC as ex-officio members. Newly appointed state unit chief K S Alagiri has been named the chairman of the election committee and P Chidambaram a member. Former finance minister Chidambaram has also been named a member of the coordination committee headed by E V K S Elangovan. Mohan Kumarmangalam was named as a working president
Sonowal calls for collaboration between ASEAN-BBN nations
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal Tuesday said a mutual collaboration between the ASEAN and BBN countries can go a long way in auguring a friendly landscape prevailing in South and South East Asian countries. Interacting with the ambassadors and high commissioners of ASEAN and BBN countries on the sidelines of the 2nd ASEAN-India Youth Summit here, Sonowal said unity among ASEAN and BBN countries can transform the region into an era of shared prosperity. The ASEAN and BBN countries need to meet frequently and work on a common agenda, he said. Stating that India and ASEAN have recently celebrated 25 years of dialogue partnership, Sonowal said the entire region should work for growth-centric mutual cooperation. In the last four years, the Act East Policy resulted in much greater traction in the cooperation in all sectors -- economic, socio-cultural or connectivity, he said. India's trade with Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) reached 81 billion Dollars ..
Rajeev Kumar never joined the sit-in, Centre's claims a lie: Mamata
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday launched a scathing attack at the Centre for asking the state government to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Kolkata Police commissioner Rajeev Kumar for participating in the sit-in here and claimed that the officer "never joined" her on the dais.
More funds to be given when needed: Govt on reports of Army's temporary allowance being put on hold
Amid reports that the Army has put on hold temporary allowances due to lack of funds, the Defence Ministry Tuesday said the shortfalls are not permanent and additional money will be provided if need arises. The temporary allowances are paid to officers when they travel for purposes such as tours and training. The Army has a strength of 1.3 million personnel and at least 1,000 officers are on the move or on "temporary duty" to attend courses, planning conferences or participating in exercises, among other things, at any given point of time. Reacting to the reports, the Defence Ministry said adequate funds stand allocated under all heads, including the heads for temporary and permanent duty. "At times, however, the allocated funds to specific head, which is based on predicted/ envisaged expenditure, may fall short of the actual expenditure. These shortfalls are only temporary and are resolved through routine reappropriation. Additional funds will be provided if necessity arises," a ...
PM likely to meet Goa delegation over mining resumption
A year after the Supreme Court banned mining in the coastal state, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to meet a delegation of mining dependents from Goa along with the party's local MPs and ruling MLAs from the state's mining belt in the national capital on February 6, in a bid to restart mining.
Anna Hazare ends hunger strike
Social activist and anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare ended his hunger strike on Tuesday after seven days following assurances from the government on the Lokpal and Lokayukta issues.He made the announcement in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister of State (MoS) for Defence Subhash Bhamre.The announcement came hours after Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh, along with Bhamre and Fadnavis met him at the venue of the hunger strike in his native place Ralegan Siddhi. They extended support his demand for setting up Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayuktas in the state.Speaking to media, Fadnavis said the Lokpal search committee will meet on February 13 and directions of the Supreme Court will be followed. "A joint drafting committee has been set up, it will prepare a new bill and we will introduce it in the next session," he added.Hazare was on a hunger strike from January 30 demanding the setting up of a Lokpal at the Centre and ...
Centre vs Mamata: Adityanath accuses Bengal CM of saving "corrupt" officer
After much controversy over his helicopter landing, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday accused his counterpart in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, of saving a "corrupt" police officer."You have seen Mamata saving a corrupt officer in Saradha chit fund scam. A Chief Minister is on dharna, there cannot be a more shameful and condemnable act (than this) in a democracy," said Adityanath at a rally here.Adityanath's reference was in connection with Benerjee sitting on dharna against CBI team's attempt to arrest the West Bengal Police Commissioner in the Saradha scam case. "As the Supreme Court verdict came, Mamata took a U-turn and said we are ready to cooperate. Why did she sit on dharna (in favour) of a corrupt officer when she is ready to cooperate?" he asked.He further said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has done good work across the country in the last four years. Had the Mamata government implemented those schemes in Bengal, the poor .
Prashant Kishor offers to craft election strategies for Shiv Sena in Maharashtra
In an apparent bid to placate Shiv Sena, poll strategist and JD(U) leader Prashant Kishor on Tuesday met Uddhav Thackeray, chief of the disgruntled NDA ally, in Mumbai and said he looked forward to the party joining hands with the BJP-led coalition in Maharashtra for victory in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.Uddhav's son Aditya Thackeray was also present during the meeting which took place at their residence 'Matoshree'.Hours later, Kishor tweeted: "Thank you for your warm hospitality Uddhav ji and @AUThackeray. As part of NDA, we look forward to joining forces with you in Maharashtra to help secure victory in upcoming Lok Sabha elections & beyond. @nitishkumar".
Modi govt's apathy for defence forces compromised national security: Congress
The Congress on Tuesday accused the Modi government of "politicising" the armed forces and compromising national security by "lowering" the morale of soldiers and insulting them through cuts in their spending. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said "empty slogans" and "fake chest thumping" characterised the government's narrative towards defence forces in the past five years. "They have sought to deeply politicise the blood and sacrifice of our armed forces and have taken systematic steps to lower the morale of our valiant soldiers. "Budgetary cuts, lop-sided policy decisions and apathy towards the welfare of defence personnel and war veterans have been the cornerstone of Modi government's military policy," he said in a statement. The Congress leader said last year's defence budget was merely 1.58 pc (Rs 2,85,423 crore) of GDP, the "lowest" allocation since 1962. "(And) the interim Finance Minister Piyush Goyal in his interim budget speech 2019-20 boastfully said 'our ...
Mehbooba demands action against Army officer for 'torturing' Pulwama man
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday demanded action against an Army officer, who allegedly subjected a man from Pulwama to torture and threatened to kill him in an encounter. "I would request the governor and the Army chief to look into the matter as to why has the Army officer so brutally tortured this youth that he has been hospitalised," the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister told reporters after paying a visit to the man -- Tauseef Wani -- at the SMHS hospital here. Wani has alleged that he was called to the Shadimarg camp of the Army by one Major Shukla, where he was tortured. According to him, he was also threatened that if he did not pose with a gun, he would be eliminated in an encounter. "Tauseef's father was killed by militants 23 years ago and his younger brother is serving in the Army. If this is what is done to our own people, those who have relatives in the Army, what will be the fate of others," Mehbooba said. The People's Democratic Party (PDP) chief said ...
Modi Govt's apathy for Defence Forces in past 5 yrs have compromised our National Security
The Congress on Tuesday accused the Modi government of "politicising" the armed forces and compromising national security by "lowering" the morale of soldiers and insulting them through cuts in their spending. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said "empty slogans" and "fake chest thumping" characterised the government's narrative towards defence forces in the past five years. "They have sought to deeply politicise the blood and sacrifice of our armed forces and have taken systematic steps to lower the morale of our valiant soldiers. "Budgetary cuts, lop-sided policy decisions and apathy towards the welfare of defence personnel and war veterans have been the cornerstone of Modi government's military policy," he said in a statement. The Congress leader said last year's defence budget was merely 1.58 pc (Rs 2,85,423 crore) of GDP, the "lowest" allocation since 1962. "(And) the interim Finance Minister Piyush Goyal in his interim budget speech 2019-20 boastfully said 'our ...