Page 1731 - Politics
Civil war-like situation in country, alleges CPI
The CPI Monday alleged that the misuse of Central agencies like CBI by the NDA government and an equally "undemocratic" response by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee have created a civil war-like situation in the country. "The autocratic misuse of central agencies like CBI, ED and IT departments by the Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Centre to target political opponents and the equally undemocratic response by Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government to protect Saradha Chit Fund Scam accused have put the country in a civil war-like situation," the CPI said. "It is the responsibility of the Centre to resolve the logjam and save the democratic fabric of the country," Communist Party of India general secretary S Sudhakar Reddy said in a statement. The alleged Saradha scam is a "very big scam" and a transparent and independent investigation is necessary to bring the guilty to book, he said. The Centre should call for an all party meeting to redefine ...
BSP drops hints of calling off its alliance with INLD in Haryana
With INLD candidate forfeiting his deposit in the recent bypoll for the Jind assembly seat amid the ongoing family feud, the BSP Monday hinted that it may soon call off its alliance with Om Prakash Chautala-led party. "The BSP is thinking over contesting the future elections in alliance only after the (Chautala) family resolves its differences and come together or else the party will be forced to have a rethink on the matter," said BSP Monday. The Bahujan Samaj Party issued a statement after its president Mayawati met her party leaders from Haryana and reviewed the party functioning in the state. The BSP president was apprised of the inner conflicts in the Chautala family, which is harming the BSP poll prospects in the state, the statement added. The situation has affected the alliance between the BSP and the INLD too, it added. Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and BSP had entered into an alliance and had announced that both parties would jointly contest 2019 Lok Sabha and Haryana ...
AGP slams BJP in assembly for attempting to nullify Assam Accord
AGP, a former ally of the ruling BJP in Assam, Monday slammed the state government for its alleged attempt to nullify the 1985 Assam Accord and staged a walkout in the state assembly. The state government, however, said implementation of the accord is a priority and Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal is holding regular discussions with the Centre on the issue. During the Question Hour, AGP MLA Ramendra Narayan Kalita charged the Centre with trying to nullify the accord by bringing in the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. Responding to Kalita, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said there is no question of nullifying it and the Centre has recently formed a high-powered committee to implement the Clause 6 of the accord. Clause 6 of the Assam Accord envisaged that appropriate constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards, shall be provided to protect, preserve and promote the cultural, social, linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese ...
BJP issues whip for its MPs to remain present in Parliament
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday issued whip to its members in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha asking them to remain present in both houses of Parliament throughout the week. The party has asked all its MPs to be present during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address and the discussion on the Interim Budget. Opposition Congress had issued similar whip on Sunday for its Lok Sabha members.
Dharna will continue till Friday: Mamata Banerjee
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Monday said that her dharna against the CBI's attempt to grill the Kolkata Police chief in the chit fund scam cases will continue till Friday in view of the upcoming boards examinations. Banerjee is sitting on a dharna at the Metro Channel in Esplanade area in the heart of the city, the same spot she had sat on a 26-day fast in 2006 against the acquisition of farmland at Singur for the Tata Motors factory. She has termed her dharna as "satyagraha" against the CBI and the Centre, which she said was attempting a "coup" in Bengal. "This demonstration will continue till February 8. Because the boards examinations will be starting soon and we will not be playing the loudspeakers," she said. Earlier in the day, Banerjee had said she would continue her "satyagraha" till the country and its Constitution are "saved". A CBI team had gone to Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar's residence in the city on Sunday to question him in connection with ...
UK Home Secretary orders Vijay Mallya's extradition to India
UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid on Monday ordered the extradition of Vijay Mallya to India, in a major blow to the embattled liquor baron. The 63-year-old businessman had lost a legal challenge against his extradition in a British court in December. Under the Extradition Treaty procedures, the Chief Magistrate's verdict was sent to the Home Secretary because only he is authorised to order Mallya's extradition. Mallya is on bail on an extradition warrant executed by Scotland Yard in April 2017 after the Indian authorities brought fraud and money laundering charges amounting to Rs 9,000 crores against the former Kingfisher Airlines boss. The UK court had said it was satisfied with the various assurances provided by the Indian government, including a video of the jail cell, which had not only been recently redecorated but was also far larger than the minimum requirement threshold.
Kharge hits back at Jaitley, says 'strongest dissent note' against CBI was written by him last week
Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday hit back at Union Minister Arun Jaitley for calling him "regular dissenter" and said the BJP leader was the "strongest" dissenter against the CBI and its functioning. Kharge said the "value of the Prime Minister's office has been brought down" the way the government has "conducted itself in the matter of appointment of the CBI director (R K Shukla), particularly the way Justice Patnaik's report was suppressed and courts have been misguided regarding the appointment of the Interim Director of CBI." A day after Jaitley attacked him in a blog, Kharge wrote a letter to Jaitley, who is getting treated in the US, saying, "the fact that you chose to respond from halfway across the world indicates something worries the government."Jaitley's attack on Kharge came after the Congress leader, who is a part of three-member Selection Committee headed by the Prime Minister, conveyed his dissent to the appointment of R K Shukla as the CBI Director ..
Centre, Bengal stand-off continues as Mamata carries on sit-in (roundup)
The unprecedented stand-off between the Narendra Modi government and the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal stretched to the second day on Monday as the feisty Chief Minister continued her sit-in at the city hub, while central paramilitary force troopers kept vigil at the CBI offices.
Govt has agreed to accept Hazare's demands, says Maha CM
Under fire over indefinite fast of Anna Hazare for appointment of anti-corruption watchdogs, and in the wake of the Gandhian's warning to return his Padma Bhushan award, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Monday requested the octogenarian to end his protest, saying the government has agreed to accept almost all of his demands. Taking a dig at his political opponents, particularly the Shiv Sena which has appealed to the state government to save the life of the 81-year-old, Fadnavis said Hazare should recall the comments made in the past by the people who have met him and extended their support. "We request Anna to call off fast. We have agreed to almost all of his demands, especially the one related to Lokayukta and formation of a joint committee. We have said yes to it," the chief minister told reporters on the sidelines of an event here. The anti-graft crusader has been on hunger strike since January 30 in his native Ralegan Siddhi village in Ahmednagar ...
Rahul meets newly appointed TNCC chief K S Alagiri, discusses party strategy
Two days after the rejig of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee, Congress president Rahul Gandhi Monday met state unit chief K S Alagiri and other TNCC members here and discussed the party's strategy in the state. Alagiri was appointed as the new president of the Tamil Nadu Pradesh Congress Committee on Saturday, with H Vasantha Kumar, K Jayakumar, M K Vishnu Prasad and Mayura Jayakumar named as the new working presidents to assist him. "I met with members of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee, today, at my residence. I am confident that our team under the leadership of K S Alagiri Ji, the new TNCC president, will continue to have the trust & support of the people of Tamil Nadu. I wish them all the best!" Gandhi said in a Facebook post. Sources said the Congress' strategy in the state for the 2019 polls was discussed during the meeting.
Loan waiver to benefit 11 lakh Rajasthan farmers: Minister
A total of 11 lakh farmers in Rajasthan will benefit from the farm loan waiver scheme for which camps will be organised in all districts from February 7, a state Minister said on Monday.
Mamata says sit-in not against one agency only, backs Kolkata Police chief
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday termed her 'dharna' (sit-in) as "non-political" and not against any individual agency but the "anarchic moves" of the Narendra Modi government to "destroy" democracy.
1,724 held in HP on drug charges in one year: Governor
Himachal Pradesh Governor Acharya Dev Vrat said 1,724 people, including 10 foreigners, have been arrested in the state in one year over charges of drug peddling. He was addressing the Assembly at the start of budget session here on Monday.
Centre "insensitive" towards indigenous people of NE: UCFNEI
The United Christian Forum of North East India has expressed deep anguish at the alleged "insensitivity" of the ruling dispensation at the Centre to the "growing unrest" and "anxieties" of the indigenous people of the N-E region. In a meeting here on February 1, the forum discussed at length "the growing unrest, fear and anxiety expressed by all sections of citizens across the seven states of the region at decisions being made by the ruling dispensation that will seriously affect the destiny of North East India", said a UCFNEI release on Monday. The church leaders cutting across all church denominations in the North east expressed their deep anguish and pain at the "total unconcern and insensitivity of the decision-makers at the Centre to the anxieties of the indigenous people of the North East whose future stands threatened", said the release issued by UCFNEI spokesperson Allen Brooks. "It is all the more shocking when major decisions are made in the country based ...
Attorney General files contempt petition against advocate Prashant Bhushan in SC
Attorney General K K Venugopal Monday filed a contempt petition in the Supreme Court against activist lawyer Prashant Bhushan for allegedly scandalising the court with his recent tweets on the appointment of former interim chief of CBI M Nageswara Rao. The contempt petition refers to the February 1 tweets by Bhushan in which he had allegedly said that the government appeared to have misled the apex court and perhaps submitted fabricated minutes of meeting of the high-powered Selection Committee headed by the Prime Minister. Venugopal said in his plea that through his tweets, Bhushan appeared to have deliberately intended to cast aspersions on the "integrity and honesty" of the Attorney General who had placed the minutes of the meeting before the apex court during the February 1 hearing. On February 1, a bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra was hearing a petition filed by NGO Common Cause challenging the Centre's decision to appoint Rao, an IPS officer, as the interim CBI ...
In letter to Centre, Arvind Kejriwal asks for exemption for journalists from paying toll tax
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Monday wrote to Union minister Nitin Gadkari requesting him for exemption to journalists from paying toll tax across the country. In a letter to the Union Minister for Road, Transport and National Highways, Kejriwal sought the exemption for journalists, saying it was demanded by Haryana journalists at a meeting with him, a statement from the government said.
Russia rejects Indonesia election 'propaganda' accusations
Moscow on Monday denied any involvement in Indonesia's upcoming elections after President Joko Widodo claimed his opponents have used "Russian propaganda" to distort facts and spread fake news. "As we know, the term 'Russian Propaganda' was coined in 2016 in the United States during the presidential election. This term has no basis in reality," the Russian embassy in Jakarta tweeted. "We underline the principal position of Russia is not to intervene in domestic affairs and electoral processes of foreign countries, including Indonesia, our close friend and important partner." Widodo, who is running for a second term, did not elaborate on what he meant by the term "Russian propaganda", and did not directly accuse Moscow of interfering in the election. "There's a campaign team that has been preparing... 'Russian Propaganda', which constantly spews... slander, sins and hoaxes," he said during a campaign event in Surabaya, East Java, on Saturday. Widodo also did not identify the opponents .
Dharna to continue till Friday : Mamata
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Monday said that her dharna against CBI's attempt to grill Kolkata Police chief in chit fund scam cases will continue till Friday in view of the coming board examinations. Banerjee is sitting on dharna since Sunday night at the Metro channel in Esplanade area in the heart of the city, the place where she had sat on a 26-day fast in 2006 against acquisition of farm land by Tata Motors at Singur for its small car project. "This demonstration will continue till February 8. Because the board examinations will be starting soon we will not be playing the loudspeakers so that the students are not disturbed," she said. She has termed her dharna as "satyagraha" or passive political resistance against the CBI attempting to question the city police commissioner on chit fund scams and against the Centre for attemting a "coup" in the state. A CBI team had gone to Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar's residence in the city Sunday to ...
BJP leaders have turned 'allergic' to Lokpal, says Hazare
Social activist Anna Hazare Monday claimed that senior BJP leaders who once vehemently backed his Lokpal demand had turned 'allergic' to it after coming to power. The 81-year-old, who has lost 4.25 kg in the last six days since his fast over appointment of the anti-corruption watchdogs began, also accused the ruling dispensation of betraying people who voted it to power in 2014. "During my Ramlila Maidan agitation on Lokpal and Lokayukta, the entire country stood up. An atmosphere was created. That is the reason why you (BJP) came to power. Now you are betraying the people who brought you to power," Hazare said. "Leaders like Arun Jaitely and Sushma Swaraj had once vehemently defended the Lokpal demand in Parliament. But after coming to power, they are mum over it. It looks like they are allergic to Lokpal and Lokayukta. The agitation brought them to power but they have forgotten it," Hazare told reporters. Hazare rubbished reports about 'envoys of Maharashtra ...
Cricketer Bhajji to promote Punjab fitness campaign
Former Indian Test spinner Harbhajan Singh on Monday offered to voluntarily promote the Punjab government's 'Tandarust Punjab Mission', a state minister said here.