Page 1720 - Politics
Facing contempt proceedings, Prashant Bhushan defends remarks
Facing contempt of court for his "scandalous" tweets against the Centre over the appointment of M. Nageshwar Rao as interim Director of the CBI, advocate Prashant Bhushan on Tuesday defended his assertions.
Citizenship bill will finish identity & culture of indigenous
The North East Indigenous Peoples Forum (NEIPF) Tuesday accused the BJP-led NDA government of trying to "finish" the identity and culture of the indigenous people of the North East region by implementing the Citizenship Amendment Bill. The forum led by general secretary of ULFAs pro-talk faction, Anup Chetia, met Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K Sangma and hailed his stand against the bill. "We appreciate the CM for his bold stand against the CAB although his party is a partner of the BJP. We need leaders like Conrad Sangma not only in Meghalaya but in the whole of NE region," Chetia told mediapersons after the meeting. He said the forum along with the people of Assam and the North East region will stand against the citizenship bill. He claimed that the CAB will affect states like Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Manipur in particular. Chetia claimed that indigenous people in Tripura have lost their identity, culture, political and constitutional rights. "Same situation is
Citizen collective recommends reforms to 'reclaim' Indian republic
Suggesting all-round reforms, including in policies, laws and institutions along with the mechanism to implement them, a citizen collective on Tuesday sought the cognisance of political parties and voters at large in their bid to ensure that pertinent issues are raised during the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Amit Shah has no right to talk about corruption, says AP CM
Hitting back at BJP president Amit Shah, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu Tuesday said he had no right to talk about corruption. The BJP chief came down heavily on Naidu on Monday, dubbing the latter the "U-turn CM of the country" and also called the Telugu Desam Party a "corrupt and dynastic party". Reacting to Shah's attack during a rally at Palasa in Srikakulam district on Monday, Naidu said "He is speaking as if he is a paragon of honesty...he says doors of NDA are closed on TDP. In fact, people have closed their doors on the BJP," the TDP chief said in the state assembly. On Union minister Nitin Gadkari's remarks that "one who cannot take care of home, cannot manage the country", Naidu said "It is no longer the old BJP we have. BJP used to have values but now it is Modi-Shah BJP," the Chief Minister said. Naidu took exception to Shah's reference to his son and minister Nara Lokesh, saying the BJP chief had no right to talk about him. "People of AP ..
Hazare calls off fast; happy with outcome of talks with CM
Social activist Anna Hazare Tuesday called off his fast after a marathon meeting with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and two Union ministers here. Hazare, 81, had started his indefinite fast on January 30 over appointment of anti-corruption watchdogs. After marathon talks with Fadnavis and the ministers, which stretched to over five hours, Hazare announced that he is 'satisfied' with the outcome of the discussions. Hazare held talks with Fadnavis, Union agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh, Union minister of state for defence Subhash Bhamre and state water resources minister Girish Mahajan. "Offering autonomous stature to the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) at state and centre level, tabling of Lokayukta bill in the next assembly session of Maharashtra and abiding the SC timeframe through a joint committee for Lokpal were the three demands for which I had started my agitation. I am satisfied with the assurances given to me by the ...
US trying to do Iraq-like coup in Venezuela: Ambassador
The US is trying to do to Venezuela what it did to Libya and Iraq with a military intervention on "artificial" grounds and attempts for a coup are underway through mercenaries, Venezuela Ambassador to India Augusto Montiel said on Tuesday.
BJP not a 'family party', it is common man's party:Gadkari
In a dig at dynastic politics, Union minister Nitin Gadkari Tuesday said the BJP is not a "family party like that of mother-son and father-son" and it is a common mans party where a small-time worker like him could rise to become its president and a tea seller could become the country's Prime Minister. The Narendra Modi government has taken a historic decision to provide 10 per cent quota in jobs and educational institutions to the economically weaker sections (among the general category), without reducing the reservation of SCs, STs and Other Backward Classes, Gadkari said. The union minister was speaking at a function organised by various organisations to thank him and the Centre for the gesture. "Our party is not the one like that of mother-son, father-son, family party. I was a small-time party worker and used to paste posters. My mother was not an MLA nor my father an MP," he said. Gadkari said he did not also go to Delhi seeking any post. "But, despite all this a ..
Priyanka Gandhi gets an office at Congress HQ, holds informal meetings
Newly-appointed Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has got an office, adjacent to the room of her brother and Congress president Rahul Gandhi, at the party headquarters on Akbar Road here. She will attend the first official meeting of the Congress party after assuming the new role on Thursday. Rahul Gandhi has convened the meeting of all general secretaries and in-charges of various states to plan the strategy for the Lok Sabha election due in April-May. Priyanka on Tuesday met a few senior party leaders from Uttar Pradesh and held informal interactions with them. Sources said that during the meeting, she discussed issues relating to strengthening the party in eastern Uttar Pradesh. She has been given charge of the party affairs in eastern Uttar Pradesh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's parliamentary constituency Varanasi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's stronghold Gorakhpur fall in the region. She is also learnt to have discussed the party's strategy for the area ...
Whip issued to Cong-JDS MLAs ahead of budget session in Karna
Amid allegations of renewed bid by BJP to destabilise the Kumaraswamy ministry, a whip was issued to all MLAs of ruling JDS-Congress coalition Tuesday to be present in the state assembly during all days of the budget session commencing Wednesday and vote in favour of the government. The issuance of the whip is seen as a move by the ruling coalition to pre-empt any plans of disgruntled Congress MLAs on the radar of BJP to stay away from the assembly and pose a threat to the stability of the government. Meanwhile, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, who also holds the finance portfolio, said his government was stable and he would present a good budget and deliver good administration despite a few people trying to create hurdles. The whip issued by the Governments Chief Whip Ganesh Prakesh Hukkeri read: "...you (MLAs) have to be present in the House mandatorily from February 6 to 15 every day, from the time the Speaker starts the proceedings to till the time he concludes, and .
Rajasthan BJP workers to court arrest on Feb 8 demanding full farm loan waiver
The BJP said Tuesday its workers in Rajasthan will court arrest on February 8 demanding complete loan waiver to farmers in the state. The party's state president Madan Lal Saini said the Congress government has "betrayed" farmers and therefore the party has planned 'Jail Bharo Andolan' where the party workers will court arrest across the state in protest of the state government. "Our agitation will go on till the government waives farmers' complete loan. The Congress president has promised loan waiver within 10 days of government formation but the promise has not been fulfilled even after 50 days," he said. He said it was because of the pressure from the BJP that the government has planned to hold camps for loan waiver from February 7. "The government has hurriedly planned to organise camp for loan waiver from February 7 under BJP's pressure and this is yet another attempt of the government to do mischief with the farmers which is not acceptable to the BJP and farmers," he said. Chief
Lok Sabha discusses President's address, witnesses acrimonious scenes
The Lok Sabha on Tuesday witnessed acrimonious scenes as members of the Trinamool Congress and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) traded barbs at each other during discussion on Motion of Thanks on President's address.
With united party workers, Congress is capable of sweeping LS polls in Delhi: Sheila Dikshit
Delhi Congress chief Sheila Dikshit Tuesday asserted that the people of the city want to bring back the Congress to power for good governance and development. The former Delhi chief minister said if the Congress workers put up a united show before the Opposition parties, the party will "sweep" the Lok Sabha elections in Delhi by winning all seven seats. "People of Delhi now want change as they neither want the BJP nor the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in power. These parties have only ruined the lives of the people in the past four years," Dikshit said at a party workers meeting in Chandni Chowk area here. The veteran leader said her doors were always open for party workers and lauded them as "the Congress' backbone". "If the party workers of Delhi work like a solid unit, no force can prevent us from sweeping the elections and winning all seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital," she claimed. Under the presidentship of Dikshit, the Congress has seen a surge of excitement among workers ..
SC raps Centre for seeking suspension of NRC work in Assam; Rajnath says process to be completed within stipulated time
The Supreme Court Tuesday rapped the Centre over the National Register of Citizens(NRC) in Assam, observing it is "hell bent" on stalling the process by seeking suspension during the upcoming Lok Sabha polls citing non-availability of security forces. The apex court also reiterated it would not extend the July 31 deadline for finalisation of the NRC. Hours after the court rap, Home Minister Rajnath Singh told PTI that the government is committed to complete the NRC process within the stipulated time and will ensure that no foreigner is included or any Indian citizen excluded. The top court came down heavily on the Centre when Attorney General K K Venugopal submitted that the process be suspended from the last date of submission of nomination papers till two weeks after the date of upcoming elections. The suspension was sought on the ground that 167 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), engaged in Assam NRC work, would be sent to other parts of the country to maintain ..
Bainsla threatens to revive stir for 5 per cent quota for Gujjars, other communities
Gujjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla has threatened to revive Gujjar agitation in Rajasthan from Friday if the community and four other castes are not provided five per cent reservation in government jobs and educational institutions. He reiterated the demand of a fresh five per cent quota at a community meeting held in Ajmer Tuesday. We want five per cent reservation. The Congress in its poll manifesto promised the same and now we are asking it to fulfil its promise which the government made in an official document, Baisnla said. Bainsla said he had earlier given a 20-day deadline ending on February 8 to the government. He said a meeting would be held at Malarna Dungar in Sawai Madhopur district where he would announce the launch of the agitation if the government fails to fulfil the demand. He said highways and roads would be blocked as part of the agitation. Bainsla has been demanding five per cent reservation for Gujjars, Raika-Rebari, Gadia Luhar, Banjara and Gadaria communities in
A year on, farmers to again take out protest march from Feb 20
Accusing the government of not fulfilling the promises made last year, the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) Tuesday announced that the peasants' bodies would once again take out a long march from Nashik to Mumbai beginning February 20. The farmers will reach Mumbai on February 27, the AIKS said in a statement after its meeting. Farmers -- 40,000 in number as pegged by the AIKS -- had taken out the protest march in March last year between the two cities to press for several demands, including farm loan waiver, minimum support price and provision of water and pension to farmers. The farmers' bodies have been up in arms against the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project as well. The state government had "woken up" to and had accepted the farmers' demands after they took out the march between Nashik and Mumbai, it said. "A year has passed, but the government has not executed the promises it made. There is dissent among the farmers," the AIKS said in the statement. "Hence, a long .
Mamata calls off dharna but vows to fight against Modi govt to
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called off her sit-in protest Tuesday evening after the Supreme Court forbid the CBI from taking coercive action against Kolkata police chief Rajeev Kumar but vowed to wage a relentless battle against the Narendra Modi government till it was ousted from power. Banerjee, who dramatically began the dharna on Sunday evening over the CBI's bid to question Kumar, in a throwback to her street fighter politician past, said she was ending the protest following a "favourable" Supreme Court order after consulting leaders of like-minded political parties. "I will not give up....Modi hatao, desh bachao (oust Modi, save the country. The dharna is a victory of the people, of the country, of democracy. I will now take the fight to Delhi," she told a gathering of her supporters with TDP supremo and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu by her side. The stormy leader had begun the protest claiming that the spirit of "Constitution ...
SC slams Home Ministry, refuses to extend NRC deadline again
The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to relax the July 31 deadline for publishing Assam's final National Register of Citizens (NRC) as it expressed its disapproval of the Centre's plea for putting the updation work on hold after the Lok Sabha election schedule is announced.
Russia to roll out 2 new missile systems
The Russian Defence Ministry on Tuesday announced its plan to develop and deploy within two years two new cruise and hypersonic missiles as Moscow's initial response to the US' decision to abandon the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty .
Amit Shah to visit Odisha again on Feb 15
BJP president Amit Shah will visit Odisha again on February 15 and address a rally at Sambalpur, state BJP chief Basant Panda said here Tuesday. Shah will have a meeting with the booth level organisers of four Lok Sabha constituencies of Dhenkanal, Sambalpur, Bargarh and Sundargarh. About 60,000 booth level organisers will attend the meeting, he said. This will be Shahs third visit to Odisha this year and second within 12 days. His last visit was on February 3 when he addressed a meeting of BJP's ST Morcha at Puri. Earlier, he had visited Cuttack district and addressed a public meeting at Kulia on January 29. In both the occasions, Shah had criticised the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government in Odisha.
Congress transition post Sonia: Priyanka Gandhi gets room at AICC next to Rahul
Marking the end of an era with UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the newest fifth generation member of the Gandhi-Nehru family to plunge into active politics, will function from a room at the AICC headquarters next to the office of her brother and party chief Rahul Gandhi as she prepares to formally take charge as General Secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh East.