Page 1743 - Politics
Mamata govt making mockery of democracy, constitutional propriety: BJP
The BJP Sunday slammed the Mamata Banerjee-led government in West Bengal after Kolkata Police stopped the CBI from questioning its chief, accusing it of making a mockery of governance, democracy and constitutional propriety. The party said the state government's action is a direct assault on the constitutional scheme of things and reflects dictatorial streak of the chief minister. "The development in Kolkata and the resistance to the CBI investigation is bizarre, unprecedented and reflect Banerjee's dictatorial attitude. She has violated the very Constitution she had sworn by," party spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao said. Noting that the CBI has been probing the chit fund scams on the Supreme Court's order, he said the city police's action amounts to disrespect and disobedience to the apex court. Nalin Kohli, another BJP spokesperson, described the situation in the state as unprecedented and said it is an indication of "total collapse" of law and order. Never before a premier ...
Waiving black flags at PM lowering image of TN: Sitharaman
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Sunday came down heavily on those attempting to waive black flags at Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visits to Tamil Nadu. Replying to a question on rising incidents of showing black flags to central leaders for reportedly neglecting the state and "imposing unwanted projects" on Tamil Nadu, she told reporters it was not the BJP which brought such projects. Even in the case of 'Jallikkattu' (bull taming sport), the then ruling combination of Congress and DMK had banned the sport and it was the BJP government which brought back the sport a year ago, the defence minister asserted. "Similarly, hydrocarbon and neutrino projects were not sanctioned by the BJP government and the agitators should know about those behind (such projects). The people should ask the purpose of their agitation, which has lowered the image of Tamil Nadu," she said. The minister was here to address BJP workers on the preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. She, .
None will believe this trailer and get cheated: LS deputy Speaker on Modi's remarks on budget
Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker and AIADMK leader M Thambidurai on Sunday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his 'trailer' remarks about the interim Union budget, saying the movie would be different from the trailer. Thambidurai, who turned a vocal critic of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the recent past, said an alliance for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls would only be with a party that would do good for Tamil Nadu. After the Centre presented the interim budget before Parliament last Friday, Modi had said: "This is just a trailer since it was the interim budget. The full budget after the Lok Sabha polls will pave the way for a new India." "None will believe this trailer and get cheated. Because trailer would be different from the full movie. It would be good if both are same. But it's questionable if both will be same," Thambidurai told reporters on the sidelines of a ceremony commemorating the 50th death anniversary of Dravidian veteran C N Annadurai here. Mentioning that a payment .
Shah equates BJD govt with 'burnt transformer'
BJP President Amit Shah on Sunday equated the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government in Odisha with a "burnt transformer" for failing to transfer the Central fund to the people.
Patnaik slams Shah, asks him to wait till poll results
Odisha Chief Minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik Sunday challenged BJP chief Amit Shah, asking him to wait for the results of 2019 elections to see who is thrown out of power in the state. Hitting back at Shah for dubbing the BJD government as a "fused transformer" which should be replaced, Patnaik said, "We should await the results of the 2019 elections." "It (the results) will decide which government will be thrown out of power and which government will stay," added the Biju Janata Dal supremo. "I understand he said that my government is a fused transformer. He will wait and see who is the fused transformer and who is the transformer of Odisha," he said further. Assembly elections in Odisha are scheduled to take place along with the general elections due in April-May. Regarding Shah's remark describing the ruling BJD in Odisha as a "B team" of the Congress, Patnaik stressed that the ruling party was an "A team" on its own. "We are an A team on our own," Patnaik told reporters .
Govt dedicated to vision of new Bharat: PM
Promising strengthening of democracy and balanced development in Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday said his government is dedicated to the vision of 'New Bharat' to ensure security of the country and to improve living standards. Efforts were on to ensure safety of those facing the brunt of shelling from across the border, the prime minister said addressing a public rally. Starting his 36-minute speech in Dogri amid chants of "Modi Modi", he said, "For the central government, the national interest and the interest of the people are supreme." "The vision of New Bharat is to ensure security of the country and uplift the living standards of the countrymen. The Centre is fully dedicated towards this goal and with your cooperation, the New Bharat will be fully capable and secure as well," Modi said. Referring to the upcoming the Lok Sabha elections, he said, "The 2019 fight is to take forward the country on the path of development and let us join hands in this ...
BJP lashes out at Mamata Banerjee, calls her government undemocratic, fascist
The BJP on Sunday lashed out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for allegedly denying permission to land Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's chopper in Uttar Dinajpur and dubbed her government as "undemocratic" and "fascist".
Vijay Goel launches 'Dhol Andolan' against AAP
Union minister Vijay Goel Sunday launched his "Dhol Andolan" against the AAP government in Delhi from a slum, alleging it was not allowing the Centre to work for people in the national capital. The senior BJP leader charged Chief Minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal with obstructing the implementation of Ayushman Bharat and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana in Delhi. "Slum dwellers say they have been cheated and fooled by Kejriwal in four years. They have been forced to live under hellish conditions. This Dhol movement will reach all slums in Delhi to expose the AAP government," Goel said. The BJP has sharpened attack on AAP in the run-up to the coming Lok Sabha election by accusing it of failing to fulfil its promises made to people before coming to power. The poor could have benefited from Ayushman Bharat and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana but Kejriwal did not allow implementation of these schemes, Goel charged. "Kejriwal is preventing Modi government from working for welfare of Delhi ...
We must strengthen bonds between India, ASEAN: Alphons
Referring to their common thread particularly through Buddhism and Hinduism, Union Minister of State for Tourism K.J. Alphons on Sunday stressed the need to strengthen the bonds between India and the ASEAN.
Cong's poll prospects have doomed with PM-KISAN: Amit Shah
BJP chief Amit Shah on Sunday claimed that Congress president Rahul Gandhi has realised that the grand old party is heading for a defeat in the upcoming polls with the announcement of a farmers' income support initiative announced in the interim Budget. He also sought to project the BJP as the champion of tribals, saying the Narendra Modi government has raised budgetary allocation for their welfare to Rs 50,000 crore from Rs 30,700 crore made during the Congress-led UPA dispensation. Addressing the valedictory session of the national convention of the BJP's ST Morcha in this pilgrim town, Shah made a scathing attack on the Congress, dubbing it "anti-tribal, anti-farmer, anti-fishermen and anti-Dalit". The 'Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi' (PM-KISAN) initiative will pump in Rs 7.5 lakh crore in 10 years for farmers, much higher than the Rs 57,000 crore farm loan waiver during the UPA rule, the BJP chief said. "When all members in Parliament cheered the announcement of PM-KISAN by ...
Will return Padma Bhushan if govt doesn't fulfil promises: Hazare
Social activist Anna Hazare, whose indefinite hunger strike entered the fifth day on Sunday, warned that if the Narendra Modi government did not fulfil its promises, he would return his Padma Bhushan. Earlier in the day, Bharatiya Janata Party ally Shiv Sena came out in Hazare's support, urging him to emulate socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan and lead an agitation against corruption. Hazare has been on a hunger strike since last Wednesday at his native Ralegan Siddhi village in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district, demanding appointments of Lokpal and Lokayuktas and resolution of farmers' issue. "If this government does not fulfil its promises made to the country in the next few days, I will return my Padma Bhushan," he told PTI Sunday evening. "(The) Modi government has breached the faith of people. The 81-year-old was awarded the third-highest civilian honour of the country in 1992. Hazare's demands include immediate appointment of anti-corruption ombudsmen Lokpal at the Centre and .
Father of martyred soldier joins BJP at PM rally in JK's Samba
The father of Army jawan Aurangzeb, who was abducted and brutally killed by militants last year in Pulwama, Sunday joined BJP in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a public rally here. Rifleman Aurangzeb's father Mohammad Hanief, a resident of Rajauri, joined the BJP along with former Army officer, Lt Gen (Retd) Rakesh Kumar Sharma. Hanief, along with Sharma, handed over a portrait of his martyred son to the prime minister as he welcomed them to the party. Rifleman Aurangzeb of 44 Rashtriya Rifles was abducted and killed by terrorists in Pulwama district when he was on his way home to celebrate Eid on June 14. He was awarded Shaurya Chakra posthumously. I have joined the BJP for its pro-poor policies. Modi government is the best in the country which thinks about the poor unlike the previous governments, Hanief said. After the martyrdom of Aurangzeb, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Chief of Army Staff Gen Bipin Rawat had separately visited the family to express their ..
J&K guv urges Modi to reduce high Srinagar airfares
Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday to intervene and get the airlines reduce the high fares they are charging for travel to Srinagar during winters. "On behalf of Kashmiris, I want to bring to your (Modi's) notice that during winter (due to closure of Jammu-Srinagar national highway) our people get stuck. The airlines charge as much as Rs 28,000 for a ticket. In this amount, one can visit Dubai and come back," Malik said, while addressing a function here in the presence of the prime minister. "I request you that the issue be taken up with them (airlines) so that the airfares are reduced. The people here should get this facility," the governor said. Malik said his administration had tried its best to prevail upon the airlines to reduce the airfares, but to no avail. "Even in the cases where examinations are scheduled the next day, they (airlines) were not ready to reduce the price by even one paisa." He expressed hope that Modi would .
AAP to raise issue of shooting at Gandhi's effigy in Rajya Sabha
Aam Aadmi Party parliamentarian Sanjay Singh will raise the issue of shooting and torching of Mahatma Gandhi's effigy in Uttar Pradesh last week, in Rajya Sabha. Singh, who has given a notice to raise the issue during the Zero Hour of the House, said Modi government's "silence" on the issue is "highly unfortunate". The incident, on the Mahatma's death anniversary, happened in Aligarh, where suspected Hindu Mahasabha members used a toy to shoot at his effigy and torched it in an enactment of his assassination. A video of the incident had gone viral on social media, generating widespread outrage. "The incident exemplifying Talibani culture is highly condemnable but it's unfortunate that Modi government has maintained silence on it," Singh said. Aligarh police registered a case and arrested five persons allegedly involved in the incident.
Kolkata Police chief expresses regret for not meeting poll panel: Bengal govt writes to EC
Kolkata Police chief Rajeev Kumar has expressed "regret" for not attending a meeting with the Election Commission officials last week, stating that he was on a casual leave, West Bengal government has said in a letter to the poll panel. In a letter to Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal dated February 1, state home secretary Atri Bhattacharya said Kumar intended no offence or disrespect to the poll panel by not attending the meeting. "The issue has been discussed with the Commissioner of Police, Kolkata. He has clarified that he was absent from the meeting on 31st January 2019 as he had applied for Casual Leave for personal reasons, and that he thereby intended no offence or disrespect to the Election Commission of India, to Commissioners or to the officers. The error is regretted and would not be repeated. "This may kindly be placed before the Chief Election Commission," the letter said. Kumar, a 1989 batch IPS officer of West Bengal cadre, did not attend a meeting with Election ..
Left leaders call for removal of Modi from Centre, Mamata from WB
The Left Front Sunday called for throwing out the BJP from power at the Centre and the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, accusing both of being "corrupt and throttlers of democracy". Alleging that the BJP and the TMC were hand in glove with each other, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury sought to know why Mamata Banerjee's TMC had joined the BJP-led NDA government after the Gujarat riots, which she alleged was engineered by the saffron party. Both the BJP and the TMC have to be removed from power at the Centre and the state respectively to bring corruption-free governments, he said at a rally at the Brigade Parade Ground here. "Seeing the sea of humanity here, it is evident that the people will evict Modi from Delhi and Mamata Banerjee from Bengal," the senior CPI(M) leader said and threatened of an "inferno of resistance" if people were prevented from exercising their franchise by TMC workers in the state. The Left Front-held anti-BJP, anti-TMC rally attracted a fairly large ..
Kejriwal puts weight behind SP-BSP alliance, Mamata, says only AAP can defeat BJP in Delhi
Hitting out at the Congress, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Sunday threw his weight behind the SP-BSP alliance in Uttar Pradesh, Mamata Banejree-led TMC in West Bengal, the DMK in Tamil Nadu, and said only these parties can defeat the BJP in their respective states in the Lok Sabha election. Similarly, Kejriwal added, only the Aam Aadmi Party can defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party in Delhi. He asserted he was ready to leave all seven Lok Sabha seats in the city for Congress, but the grand old party cannot win elections. Addressing a gathering at an event here for the inauguration of development works in Mustafabad area, he sought votes for his AAP in the general election. "In West Bengal, only Mamata Banerjee-led TMC can defeat BJP (in 2019 Lok Sabha polls), not Congress. In Uttar Pradesh too, only Akhilesh Yadav-Mayawati alliance can defeat BJP, but not Congress. Similarly, only DMK can defeat BJP in Tamil Nadu...," Kejriwal said. Last month, Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati ...
US, South Korean diplomats meet ahead of Trump-Kim summit
Senior US and South Korean officials met Sunday to discuss an expected second summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump's special envoy for North Korea, Stephen Biegun, arrived in South Korea earlier Sunday amid reports that he'll meet North Korean officials soon to work out details for the summit. Trump said last Thursday that he'll announce this week the site and date for his meeting with Kim, expected around the end of February. Seoul's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Biegun and his South Korean counterpart Lee Do-hoon held consultations about working-level U.S.-North Korea talks ahead of the summit. South Korean media reported Biegun and his North Korean counterpart Kim Hyok Chol will likely meet at the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom or in the North's capital of Pyongyang early this week. Little progress has been made toward ridding North Korea of its nuclear weapons since Trump and Kim held their first summit in Singapore
Akali Dal welcomes income support for farmers
Under fire from the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for its silence over the issue, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Sunday described the decision of the Union government to give direct income support of Rs 6000 per annum to every farmer as "a good beginning symbolizing the government's concern for the beleaguered peasantry in the country".
Trump says release of Mueller report up to attorney general
President Donald Trump says it's "totally up to" his attorney general whether the public gets to read special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia report. Trump was asked on CBS' "Face the Nation" whether he'd have a problem with a public release. He said: "I don't know. It depends. I have no idea what it's going to say." Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker said last week the probe is "close to being completed." Democrats have pressured attorney general nominee William Barr to commit to releasing the final report in full. Barr has said he doesn't know "what will be releasable" or what Mueller's writing. Barr has cited Justice Department regulations that say Mueller's report should be confidential. They require only that the report explain decisions to pursue or decline prosecutions.