Page 173 - Politics

Uddhav, Sena MPs visit Ram Janmabhoomi temple

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, his family and all 18 Members of Parliament of the party, on Sunday, arrived in Ayodhya and offered prayers at the Ram Janambhoomi temple.

Telangana: Another Congress legislator Komatireddy Reddy hints at joining BJP

Already reeling from the defection of 12 legislators to the TRS, Congress party received another jolt on Saturday when a legislator Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy hinted that he may join the BJP in the state.Speaking to media persons, he openly lauded the BJP and criticised the Congress leadership. "The BJP has chances to pick up well in Telangana in the coming days. People of India have given mandate in favour of Modi for the second time, showing their confidence in his decision-making. The BJP has the strength to take some revolutionary decisions, as they have strong leadership. I highly doubt how much Congress can fight against Modi."Raja Gopal, brother of Congress MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, however, said he does not have any plans to switch from Congress to BJP. "I have yet not taken any decision on the matter. I will take the decision only after holding consultation with the party workers," he said.He alleged that 12 Congress legislators had left the party due to Congress' ...

China claims broad consensus after UN envoy's Xinjiang visit

The Chinese government on Sunday said that it has reached a broad consensus on counter-terrorism with the UN following the controversial visit by a top ranking envoy to Xinjiang where an estimated 1 million ethnic Muslim Uyghurs are living in confinement.

Ex-Cong leader Vikhe Patil sworn in as Maharashtra minister

Former Congress leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil was sworn in on Sunday as a minister in the state cabinet led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Vikhe Patil, who was leader of opposition in the state Assembly, resigned from the Congress recently. His son Sujay Vikhe Patil is the BJP MP from Ahmednagar Lok Sabha seat in the state. Meanwhile, Maharashtra housing minister Prakash Mehta and five other state ministers quit their posts, an official in the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said. Besides Mehta, the others who resigned as ministers are Rajkumar Badole, Vishnu Sawra, Dilip Kamble, Praveen Pote and Amrish Atram. The chief minister has accepted their resignations, the official added. The cabinet expansion took place a day before the monsoon session of the state legislature and four months ahead of the Assembly polls.

Ex-Leader of Opposition Vikhe-Patil joins Fadnavis cabinet

Former Congressman and Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil on Sunday joined the cabinet of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

PM Modi's animated avatar demonstrates Bhujangasana ahead of Yoga day

In the run-up to International Day of Yoga 2019 on June 21, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday posted an instructional video of the yoga pose Bhujangasana, also called cobra pose.In the 3D video posted on Twitter, the animated avatar of the Prime Minister, wearing an orange t-shirt and brown track pants, is stretching into the accurate position, while the voice-over details benefits and tips of the asana.Prime Minister Modi has been consistent in promoting Yoga via the micro-blogging site.A few days back, he had shared another animated video of himself performing the Ustrasana and urged people to learn the posture as it helps in strengthening the back, shoulders and improve flexibility.International Yoga Day was started after Modi, in 2104, suggested it in his speech at the UN General Assembly. The members of the Assembly chose June 21 to mark the day as it is the longest day of the year.The Central government and other organisations mark this day each year with multiple events ...

Uddhav Thackeray offers prayers to Ram Lalla in Ayodhya along with party MPs

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray offered prayers at the makeshift Ram Lalla temple in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday along with 18 newly-elected MPs of his party. Thackeray reached here this morning along with his son Aditya and met party MPs who are in the town since Saturday evening. He then paid obeisance at the makeshift temple. He is scheduled to address a press conference later in the day and will then leave for Mumbai. Maharashtra will be going to polls later this year and the visit is being seen as an attempt by the Shive Sena to put pressure on ally BJP on the Ram temple issue. But Sena has maintained that Thackeray's visit should not be seen through the electoral lens. Party leader Sanjay Raut had said on Saturday that Thackeray is fulfilling the promise he made in November that he would visit the temple again after elections. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited Ayodhya a week back to offer prayers at the makeshift Ram Lalla (or infant Ram) temple. His visit, the ...

400 flats to be built for MPs in Lutyens' Delhi using construction waste

The government has decided to demolish 400 old flats and construct new ones in their place in Lutyens' Delhi for Members of Parliament using construction waste. The flats which will be coming up in North Avenue and South Avenue, located on either sides of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, will replace the old ones built nearly 60 years ago, officials of the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) said. "All old MP flats, which were built in North and South Avenues after Independence, will be demolished," CPWD's Director General Prabhakar Singh told PTI. "We will use construction & demolition (C&D) waste in building the new flats for MPs in North and South Avenues, an area which has many old flats," he added. The waste from the demolition site of the old flats are likely to be used for the construction of the new ones after being processed at a facility. CPWD, the prime construction agency of the central government, recently constructed 36 duplex flats, at a cost of Rs 80 crore, which are

UP CM Adityanath meets Defence Minister Rajnath Singh

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday at latter's residence here.On Saturday, Adityanath had attended the fifth meeting of the Governing Council of Niti Aayog in the national capital. He had also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi later.In his first meeting with chief ministers after taking over as the Prime Minister for the second consecutive term, Modi had called for a collective fight against poverty, unemployment, corruption and violence.

Uddhav Thackeray reaches Ayodhya, to offer prayers along with party MPs

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray reached Ayodhya on Sunday to offer prayers at the makeshift Ram Lalla temple along with 18 newly-elected MPs of his party. Thackeray, who reached here this morning along with his son Aditya, will first meet party MPs, who are here since Saturday evening, and then pay obeisance at the makeshift temple. Party leader Sanjay Raut had said on Saturday that Thackeray is fulfilling the promise he made in November that he would visit again after elections. Maharashtra will be going to polls later this year and the visit is being seen as an attempt by the Shive Sena to put pressure on ally BJP on the Ram Temple issue. But Sena has maintained that Thackeray's visit should not be seen through the electoral lens. UP Chief Minister Adityanath visited Ayodhya last Friday to offer prayers at the makeshift Ram Lalla (or infant Ram) temple. His visit, the first after the Lok Sabha election results, was apparently aimed at reiterating support for the construction of a ..

Uddhav Thackeray, son Aditya arrive in Ayodhya

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and his son Aditya Thackeray arrived here on Sunday to offer prayers at the makeshift Ram Lalla shrine.Eighteen Shiv Sena MPs had reached the city yesterday evening.The father-son duo was welcomed by Union Minister Arvind Sawant and party spokesperson Sanjay Raut.The Sena chief will hold a press conference later. He had visited Ayodhya in November last year and asked the central government to announce a date for the construction of Ram temple.He had said that his party will extend support if an ordinance is brought for the purpose.

Libya: 9 killed in airstrike by LNA in eastern Tripoli

Nine civilians were killed in an airstrike carried out by Khalifa Haftar-led Libyan National Army (LNA) on a military store of the rival UN-backed government in the eastern part of country's capital Tripoli on Saturday, authorities said.Libyan Health Ministry spokesperson Fawzi Wanis said that the casualties included two women and one child. A nearby hospital was also damaged in the airstrikes, reports Xinhua news agency.Libya has been largely divided into two factions ever since the death of dictator Muammar Gaddafi. The LNA controls the eastern part of Libya, while the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) governs Libya's western region from Tripoli.Fighting broke out between the LNA and GNA after Haftar's forces launched an offensive in April to retake Tripoli. More than 90,000 people have been displaced ever since the fighting broke out, while over 650 people have lost their lives.The international community has urged for a peaceful resolution to the intense fighting which

Radicalisation comes closer home (Column: Spy's Eye)

There are fresh Intelligence warnings about Islamic radicals attempting to enter into India through the sea route off the coast of Kerala. Investigations into the horrendous terror attacks made on Easter Sunday congregations in and around Colombo, resulting in a huge loss of life and limb, are meanwhile unraveling the scale of foreign and domestic planning as well as resource mobilisation that had gone into that covert offensive. The Islamic radicals chose soft targets but gave a message loud and clear that they were set to take on their US-led adversaries outside of the two theatres of 'war on terror' - Syria and Afghanistan.

Iran summons UK envoy over 'unacceptable' attack claims on Gulf tankers

Iran's Foreign Ministry on Saturday summoned the British ambassador to Tehran, Rob Macaire, over UK's "unacceptable stance" on the attack on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman earlier this week.A statement issued by the UK Foreign Office on Saturday had accused Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of carrying out the attack on the oil tankers. The decision to summon Macaire was made following an assumption made by Britain's Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt that the IRGC was "almost certainly" behind the attack, reported Sputnik."During the meeting with Iran's foreign ministry official, Iran strongly criticised Britain's unacceptable stance regarding the attacks in the Gulf of Oman ... No other country but Britain has supported America's accusations over the attacks," ISNA reported.Friday's statement by the UK Foreign Office was an echo of the stance by the United States shortly after the incident, where it pinned the blame of the attack on the Islamic Republic. To back its ...

A day left for Parliament begin, Congress indecisive on its Lok Sabha leader

New Delhi (India), June 16 (ANI): With just a day left for the Budget Session of Parliament to begin, Congress party has yet to appoint its Leader in the Lok Sabha.Earlier there were talks that Rahul Gandhi, who is reluctant to continue as Congress president after the party's drubbing the polls, will be taking charge of the grand old party's attack on the government in the lower House. With the party ruling out his discontinuation from his post, the speculations have died down creating further suspense on who would be the new leader.With the defeat in the Lok Sabha elections of senior party leader Mallikarjun Kharge's, who led Congress in the 16th Lok Sabha, the party is looking for a leader with excellent command over Hindi and English language, besides being loyal to the Gandhi family.Sources in the party said former Union Ministers Manish Tewari, Shashi Tharoor, West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary and Kerala unit working president K Suresh are among the front runners .

Syria: 7 killed in air strikes by Assad regime

At least seven were killed in air strikes by the Syrian government on the northwest province of Idlib on Saturday.Around 15 other suffered injuries in the attacks by President Bashar al-Assad regime.Out of seven, three people were killed in an air strike on the town of Maaret al-Numan, while in al-Bara, three children and their father were killed, reported Al JazeeraEven though the Idlib Province is one of four designated de-escalation zones in Syria, it is still home to at least 30,000 gunmen. The war has been raging since 2011 in Syria.In September last year, Turkey and Russia agreed on a ceasefire on Idlib, where the two sides agreed that the province would act as a de-escalation zone and promised to refrain from staging acts of aggression in the demarcated area.However, regime forces have been launching several attacks in the de-escalation zone, thereby violating the truce terms.Over 170 civilians have lost their lives in Idlib since April 25. The province is home to about three ..

Slip of tongue: Andhra Dy CM, says Govt aims to deliver 'corrupt rule'

An incident of slip of tongue caused major embarrassment to newly-appointed Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister P Pushpa Srivani on Saturday when she said her government aimed to deliver "corrupt rule" in Andhra Pradesh."Our government's aim is to provide a corrupt rule in the state," she said at a press conference here.The minister who intended to say "corruption-free rule", inadvertently said "corrupted rule".Srivani was visiting her home district for the first time after taking charge as the deputy CM.Main Opposition Telugu Desam Party lost no time to attack the ruling YSR Congress, saying it agreed with the Deputy Chief Minister's comment."Thank you, madam, for opening up your aim. We agree with your comment," a tweet by TDP's official handle read.Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy had last week appointed five deputy Chief Ministers representing different social groups of the state.In the recently concluded elections, Reddy-led YSR Congress swiped the polls with 151 seats, wresting

Saudi crown prince accuses Iran of twin tanker attacks

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman accused rival Iran of twin attacks on oil tankers in a vital Gulf shipping channel, according to excerpts of an interview published early Sunday. "The Iranian regime did not respect the presence of the Japanese prime minister as a guest in Tehran and responded to his (diplomatic) efforts by attacking two tankers, one of which was Japanese," he told pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat, referring to the attacks in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday. Iran has denied any involvement.

Iran might scale back from nuclear deal commitments

Iran on Saturday signalled that it might further scale back from its commitments signed under the nuclear deal unless other signatories show "positive signals"."Iran cannot stick to this agreement unilaterally. It is necessary that all the sides of this agreement contribute to restoring it, " Al Jazeera quoted Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, as saying."Iran needed to see positive signals from other signatories to the pact, " he added.However, he fell short of telling details of actions Tehran is planning to take.Last month, Iran had halted some of the commitments, following an order from the country's National Security Council.US President Donald Trump in 2018 announced to withdraw from a nuclear deal and slapped a multitude of sanctions on Iran, citing the latter's support to state-sponsored terrorism and conflicts.The historic 2015 deal between Iran and world powers--United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany-- offered sanctions relief to Iran for scaling back its ..

Iran summons British envoy over tanker attacks claim: foreign ministry

Iran's foreign ministry summoned the British ambassador on Saturday over his government accusing Tehran of being behind attacks on two tankers in the Gulf of Oman. "Rob Macaire, Britain's ambassador to Tehran, was summoned to the foreign affairs ministry... following the false remarks made by the British foreign affairs minister," the foreign ministry said in a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency. British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt a day earlier said London had concluded Iran was "almost certainly" responsible for Thursday's tanker attacks.