Page 1744 - Politics
Trump says Pompeo not leaving Cabinet for Senate race
President Donald Trump says Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is "absolutely not leaving" the Cabinet even as top Republicans make a pitch for him to run for the Senate in Kansas. Pompeo served four terms in the House and was Trump's CIA director before moving to the State Department. The decision by longtime Republican Sen. Pat Roberts to retire has prompted an effort by other GOP senators to recruit Pompeo for 2020. He's said that push has included a call from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. Trump tells CBS' "Face the Nation" that McConnell may have spoken to Pompeo but "I asked him the question the other day. He says he's absolutely not leaving. I don't think he'd do that. And he doesn't want to be lame duck.
Cong-JD(S) alliance govt to complete full term: Venugopal
The remarks of a few Congress leaders on governance in Karnataka had created some misunderstandings in the ruling Congress-JD(S) coalition which will be sorted out soon, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said Sunday. "The coalition government in the state is here to stay and will complete the full five-year term and not a single Congress MLA will quit the party," Venugopal, who is in-charge of the state, told reporters here. He said the Congress had sought clarification from some leaders who had made a few unsavoury comments on the alliance government. They have been asked not to make such statements in future, he added. Congress MLAs had refused the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) offer to destabilise the government, he said, expressing confidence that no legislator will leave the party. At another press meet, Karnataka Congress president Dinesh Gundu Rao said the BJP had been offering huge sums of money to poach MLAs from the ruling parties, but the MLAs had stood their ...
SAD-BJP to discuss strategy for LS polls soon, says Sukhbir Badal
The Shiromani Akali Dal and its ally the BJP will soon hold a meeting to firm up strategy for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal said here on Sunday. Replying to a question on seat distribution between the two allies, the Akali leader said the SAD and the BJP will contest the Lok Sabha polls on all 13 seats in Punjab. Three seats will be contested by the saffron party while his party will contest on the remaining seats, he said. "The SAD-BJP coordination committee will be meeting soon after which we will hold joint rallies," Badal told reporters after the SAD's core committee meeting. When asked about Akali leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa's recent remark of walking away from the alliance, alleging RSS' interference in internal affairs of Sikhs, he said he met BJP president Amit Shah in New Delhi on Friday and discussed the issue with him. Sirsa and some other SAD leaders had objected to change in legal procedure for appointment of the head of Nanded gurdwara .
Who will run 'mahagatbandhan' vehicle, asks Rajnath Singh
Hitting out at the proposed grand alliance of anti-BJP parties across states, Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh on Sunday asked who will "run the vehicle of mahagatbandhan."
Cong to protest across country over right-wing party leaders shooting at Gandhi's effigy
The Congress will stage protests across the country on Monday over the alleged firing at an effigy of Mahatma Gandhi on his death anniversary by suspected members of Hindu Mahasabha in Uttar Pradesh, the party said. Talking to reporters here on Sunday, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera alleged the incident, an enactment of the Mahatma's assassination, reflects that BJP governments at the Centre and in the state have been quietly supporting the act. In Delhi, Congress MPs are also likely to protest outside the Gandhi statue in Parliament Complex on Monday. "There is a difference between the words and deeds of the BJP and its governments. The government's affection has always been with (Nathuram) Godse (who killed Gandhi). "The Congress condemns this act and will protest against firing at the effigy of Mahatma Gandhi on Monday in which all the PCC (state unit) chiefs will participate," he said. In the national capital, the protest is likely to be led by the recently appointed Delhi ...
Surjewala asks people to defeat BJP's 'politics of division'
Senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala Sunday urged the people of the country to rise against the "divisive politics" of the BJP governments at the Centre and in Haryana. "The people need to unitedly rise against the divisive politics of 'phoot, jhooth and loot' (division, falsehood and loot), which has become the face and DNA of BJP governments at the Centre and in the centre," the lawmaker from Haryana's Kaithal said. Addressing a 'Jan Aakrosh' rally' at Badkali Chowk here, Surjewala called upon the people to take a pledge to end the "BJP misrule" which was promoting "divisive politics of mutual hatred on caste, region and religious lines". "The nation belongs to all of us and our fight is not against the individuals but it is against the divisive policies," he alleged. Surjewala claimed that the people were angry with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and state Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar as they had failed to fulfil their pre-poll promises. Referring to the Indian ...
PM attacks Congress over farm loans; promises to break back bone of terror in J-K
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday attacked the Congress, terming its promises of loan waiver an election gimmick, and promised to break the backbone of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. The prime minister also empathised with the pain of displaced Kashmiri Pandits during his whirlwind day-long tour of all three regions of the state. He inaugurated and laid foundation stones of a number of projects for the regions, including an AIIMS, a transmission line, a university, new building of Leh airport and a rural BPO among others. In a stern message to terrorists in Srinagar, Modi said surgical strikes have shown to the world the new policy (neeti) and tradition (reeti) of the country in responding to acts of terror. "I assure all the youths of Jammu and Kashmir and the country that the government will give a befitting response ('muhtod jawab') to every terrorist. We will break the backbone of terror in the state," he said. Paying homage to those killed while fighting terrorists, including .
'BJP planning constitutional coup?' TMC After CBI's knock at Kolkata Police chief's home
Amid the unprecedented showdown between the CBI and the Kolkata Police, the ruling Trinamool Congress Sunday wondered whether the BJP was attempting a constitutional coup in the state. A team of CBI officers was stopped from entering the residence of Kolkata Police chief Rajeev Kumar, when they had gone to question him in connection with chit fund scam cases, officials said. "BJP planning a constitutional coup? 40 CBI officials surround Kolkata Police Commissioner's home. Destruction of institutions goes on unabated. Our demand in #Parliament on Mon. Modi has to go. We are reaching out and sharing this with all Oppn parties who want to #SaveDemocracy," TMC national spokesperson Derek O' Brien tweeted. Throwing her weight behind the city police chief, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee rushed to his Loudon Street residence in central Kolkata. Reacting to the face-off, BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvergiya said the CBI is a noted organisation and any efforts .
BSP, SP should have included Congress in UP alliance to finish the game: Yashwant Sinha (IANS interview)
Former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha says opposition unity against the BJP in the coming Lok Sabha elections is a "work in progress" but feels that the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party should have included Congress in the alliance in Uttar Pradesh that would have "finished the game".
'Announce elections by Sunday': France issues ultimatum to Maduro
France issued an ultimatum to embattled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, stating that it would recognise opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim President if fresh Presidential elections are not announced by Sunday night."If by tonight, Maduro does not commit to organising Presidential elections, then France will consider Juan Guaido as legitimate to organise them in his place and we will consider him as the interim President until legitimate elections in Venezuela (take place)," Al Jazeera quoted France's European affairs minister, Nathalie Loiseau, as telling local media.Loiseau further slammed Maduro's call for fresh parliamentary elections - held to appoint leaders to the National Assembly - labelling it as a "farce".Guaido proclaimed himself as the President of Venezuela on January 23 amid cheering protesters who had gathered after the National Assembly called for protests against the Maduro regime in Venezuela. The USA immediately extended its support for Guaido, followed ..
Not averse to no-confidence motion against Kumaraswamy govt: BJP ahead of state budget session
Ahead of the Budget Session in Karnataka Assembly, the BJP Sunday said it was not averse to moving a no-confidence motion against the HD Kumaraswamy-led government. Going by the current situation, it is imperative for the BJP to take a political stand in view of people's aspirations, Union minister D V Sadananda Gowda said. "Being a pro-people party, BJP will have to take an appropriate decision at the right time. We will not escape from the situation. If required we will do that too (move a no-confidence motion)," said Gowda. He was talking to reporters regarding the election preparedness in the Bengaluru North constituency, which he represents in the Lok Sabha. "We are not after power. Being in opposition we try to correct them but when we look at their activities and the resultant resentment among their MLAs, we feel that the administrative machinery has collapsed," Gowda said. "There is a need for us to come to people's rescue. Being a pro-people party, BJP will have to take an ...
PM's J&K visit an attempt to regain lost ground: Cong
The Congress Sunday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh divisions just ahead of Lok Sabha polls was BJP's attempt to regain the lost ground in the state. Alleging that the saffron party had "miserably failed" to fulfil promises made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, Pradesh Congress Committee president G A Mir said the BJP had "nothing to show to the people". "The visit of Prime Minister is a tool to create an impression as to how BJP was committed and concerned about the development of people," Mir said in a statement. "But the fact is BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) has nothing to show to people, while having sensed defeat before the Lok Sabha elections," he added. Mir said general elections were around the corner and the prime minister launching new projects at this juncture was mere paper work to hide his government's failure on all fronts. "Whatever the Prime Minister has inaugurated during the last four and half years had been sanctioned and ...
Will waive farmers' loans if voted to power: Rahul Gandhi
Congress president Rahul Gandhi Sunday said his party would waive farm loans and give a big push to the food processing industry if voted to power in the Lok Sabha elections Alleging that the Centre's crop insurance scheme is "aimed at taking away the hard-earned money of farmers to fill up the pockets of big businessmen", he promised that the Congress would initiate a number of steps to deal with farmers' distress and unemployment. Gandhi said, his party's governments in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh waived farm loans within a few days of coming to power. The Congress president, who was addressing the party's first rally in the city in about three decades at the Gandhi Maidan here, repeated his slogan 'chowkidaar hi chor hai' (the watchman is the thief) in an allusion to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Gandhi said that he had already told the chief ministers of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh that these states should take the lead in ushering in the second Green
LS polls 'fight to the finish battle': Guj CM to BJP workers
Terming the upcoming Lok Sabha election as a "fight to the finish battle", Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani Sunday urged BJP workers to get into election mode and ensure victory on all 26 seats in the state. He was addressing booth-level BJP functionaries from four Lok Sabha seats - Ahmedabad East, Ahmedabad West, Gandhinagar and Sabarkantha at a 'cluster sammelan' in Gandhinagar. "This election will be a fight to the finish battle. There should not be any confusion about it. We have to take it very seriously. Mere talking will not do. BJP workers need to reach out to people to ensure victory," Rupani said in his address. Rupani exhorted party workers to get their act together to ensure the BJP retains all 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat and, thereby, help Prime Minister Narendra Modi form a government at the Centre again. "Do not remain lazy now. Only two months are left for the election. There are some workers who think they have ample time. You must come out of this
Cong slams MP governor for telling people 'Modi sahab par
The ruling Congress in Madhya Pradesh lashed out at Governor Anandiben Patel Sunday after a video where she is purportedly seen telling a group of people to keep Prime Minister Narendra Modi in mind went viral. Patel, a former Gujarat chief minister, was acting as if she was still a worker of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and not a governor, the Congress alleged. The video was apparently shot during Patel's visit to a solar power plant at Gudh in Rewa district Saturday. During an informal chat with a group of local people, the governor was heard saying, "This is an excellent project. It will benefit you all." When a person said they were happy to meet her face-to-face, Patel said, "Aisa (mauka) kai (baar) aayega. Modi sahab par dhyan rakho." (Such occasions will come often. Keep paying attention to Modi sahab.) After the video circulated on social media, state Congress' media cell head Shobha Oza alleged that Patel was behaving as if she was still a BJP worker. "If she
Modi has deceived Kashmiri Pandits: Owaisi
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi Sunday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP government at the Centre of "deceiving" Kashmiri Pandits as they had failed to rehabilitate the community in the Valley. The Lok Sabha MP from Hyderabad was speaking on the 'Demise of Secularism- The Future of Secularism' at 'Words Count' festival here. He was being interviewed by Prafulla Ketkar, editor of Organiser, a publication affiliated to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Replying to a question from a Kashmiri Pandit in the audience who said Owaisi spoke about Rohingya Muslims but not the displaced community, the latter refuted the allegation. "In my speech (in Parliament in 2014), I had said Kashmiri Pandits must be sent back to the Valley," the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president said. "But what has (PM) Modi done in four-and-half years? Are you satisfied with this? What atmosphere have they created in Kashmir?" he asked. "Who is responsible? Kashmiri Pandits have been .
Tamil Nadu remembers Dravidian stalwart Annadurai on 50th death anniversary
Dravidian stalwart C N Annadurai was Sunday remembered across the state on his 50th death anniversary, with leaders of the ruling AIADMK and opposition DMK paying tributes to their political ideologue at Anna memorial built on Marina beach here. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami, his deputy O Panneerselvam and their cabinet colleagues paid floral tributes at the memorial and participated in community feasts held at more than 30 locations across the city. Similar feasts were held at more than 300 locations across the state. The DMK, meanwhile, observed the anniversary of Annadurai by holding a silent march in the city. DMK president M K Stalin and other senior leaders in the party also paid floral tributes at Anna memorial as well at the memorial of former chief minister M Karunanidhi, who has also been laid to rest on Marina beach. A veteran Dravidian leader, Annadurai ushered in the first post-independence era non-Congress government in Tamil Nadu in 1967 when his party stormed
Israel begins construction of new Gaza border barrier
Israel said Sunday that work to strengthen its border with the Gaza Strip had entered a new phase, with construction starting on a massive new barrier along the frontier. "Over the weekend we began building the above-ground barrier along the Gaza border," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told journalists before the weekly cabinet meeting. The barrier, set to stand six metres off the ground, "will prevent terrorists from Gaza from penetrating into our territory on the ground", he said in Hebrew. Netanyahu gave no further details but a defence ministry statement said that work on the structure began Thursday. It is set to follow the 65-kilometre (40-mile) course of an underground barrier also under construction meant to neutralise the threat of cross-border tunnels built by Gaza militants. At its western end, the statement said, the above-ground barrier would join a fortified sea wall jutting into the Mediterranean, aimed at blocking Palestinian attacks by water. "It's massive and ...
Northeast political parties, students' bodies intensify campaign against Citizenship Bill in Delhi
Major political parties and student groups of the Northeast Sunday intensified their campaign against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the national capital, with a series of meetings with leaders of the BJP, Congress and other parties urging them not to pass it in the Rajya Sabha. A delegation of 11 political parties of the Northeast, including the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the National People's Party, met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and requested him not to press for passing the bill in the Rajya Sabha, AGP leader and former Union minister Birendra Prasad Baishya told PTI. The delegation was led by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma. Earlier in the day, former Assam chief minister and founder-president of the AGP Prafulla Kumar Mahanta along with other party leaders met Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan and Samajwadi Party leaders urging them to take a stand against the bill. The leaders of the regional parties of ...
BJP hits out at Mamata, TMC for denying Adityanath's chopper to land
The BJP Sunday hit out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her TMC saying the state government denying permission to Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath's chopper to land in the state was a glaring case of "undemocratic and fascist behaviour". Senior BJP leader and Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said his party would urge the Election Commission to take notice of this issue since Adityanath, being the chief minister of one the largest state of the country in terms of population, was not allowed to hold public meetings in West Bengal. "It is deeply regrettable and condemnable and true to the undemocratic record of Mamata Ji and TMC. It is a glaring case of undemocratic and fascist behaviour. The only reason behind preventing Yogi Adityanath's chopper from landing is panic and a sense of fear as Bengalis are yearning for change," he said. "We would urge the Election Commission to take due notice of it as a popular chief minister of country's largest state (in terms of .