Page 1771 - Politics
Pak rejects US intelligence assessment report as 'counterproductive'
Pakistan on Thursday rejected US intelligence assessment report as "counterproductive" and "harmful" for regional peace efforts, days after America's top spymaster said that militant groups supported by Islamabad will continue to conduct attacks in India and Afghanistan. Appearing before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on their worldwide threat assessment, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats on Tuesday said Pakistan's "narrow approach to counterterrorism cooperation-using some groups as policy tools and confronting only the militant groups that directly threaten Pakistan-almost certainly will frustrate US counterterrorism efforts against the Taliban." Commenting on Coats' remarks, Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal told the media here that Pakistan took strong exception to the allegations in Coats' report. "We have raised the issue with the US side that such controversial statements will be counterproductive and have the potential to adversely affect the ..
India expresses concern over Pakistan Foreign Minister's event in UK Parliament
India has expressed its concern over proposed seminar in the House of Commons of the British Parliament to which Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has invited Pakistani parliamentarians and political leadership of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the External Affairs Ministry said on Thursday.
Meghalaya MLA threatens to quit BJP over citizenship bill
A BJP legislator in Meghalaya on Thursday threatened to quit the party if the Centre did not exempt Meghalaya and other Northeast states from the purview of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. The saffron party is a part of the ruling dispensation in the hill state, led by the National People's Party (NPP). Sanbor Shullai, one of the two BJP MLAs in the state, said, "I will submit a one-month ultimatum to the NDA government to exempt Meghalaya and other states in the northeast from the purview of the Citizenship Bill." The state cabinet had last year adopted a resolution to oppose the Bill, while BJP Minister A L Hek had said he wouldn't go against the interests of the people. Addressing a rally here, the BJP MLA also said that he has submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the matter, but was yet to get a response. Shullai's rally, which witnessed a huge turnout Thursday, was sponsored by 14 pressure groups and attended by several political leaders in the ...
DIPP Secretary Ramesh Abhishek gets additional charge of Civil Aviation Ministry
Ramesh Abhishek, secretary of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), was Thursday given an additional charge of the Civil Aviation Ministry, an official order said. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved assignment of additional charge of the post of secretary, Civil Aviation Ministry, to Abhishek, the order by the Personnel Ministry said. Civil Aviation Secretary Rajiv Nayan Choubey superannuated Thursday. Choubey has been named member of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). He will take over the new job on Friday.
Pakistan officially abetting anti-India activities: India
Pakistan is officially abetting individuals associated with terrorism and anti-India activities, a senior official said on Thursday, responding to a telephone conversation between Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference earlier this week.
Modi govt strengthened democracy in Kashmir, which was mainly ruled by two families: Shah
BJP chief Amit Shah on Thursday said the Modi government has strengthened the democracy at grass-root level in Jammu and Kashmir, which was mainly ruled by "two families". Addressing the party's national minority convention, Shah said the BJP has strengthened democracy in the valley by holding local body elections in the state and strengthening the sarpanchs there. "People kept on saying Kashmir, Kashmir, Kashmir... It has been ruled by two families... Abdullah family and the Mufti family. Local body elections were not held for more than a decade in the state. The BJP government ensured that local body elections should happen in the state to strengthen the hands of sarpanchs," Shah said. The BJP chief's remarks come months after his party withdrew support from the Mehbooba Mufti-led government in the state. PDP and the BJP had entered into an alliance after the 2014 assembly elections threw a fractured mandate. Describing the local body election in the valley as a "big achievement", ..
Trump says U.S.-China trade talks 'going well' but wants to see Xi
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump was upbeat on Thursday about high-level trade talks with Chinese officials in Washington but said no final deal would be made until he meets with Chinese President Xi Jingping.
European Parliament recognizes Guiado as interim Venezuelan President
The European Parliament on Thursday recognized US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido as the interim President of Venezuela.
Party's victory in Ramgarh poll shows vote of confidence by people: Congress
The ruling Congress in Rajasthan termed the party's victory in the Ramgarh poll a vote of confidence by the people who have supported its president Rahul Gandhi's agenda for farmers. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said the people in Ramgarh "took right decision on a right time" and the party will now focus on winning all 25 seats in the state in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. "Just three days ago, Gandhi spoke about minimum income for the poor, which is a revolutionary idea. Public have endorsed it," Gehlot told reporters here. The ruling Congress in Rajasthan Thursday touched the halfway mark in the 200-member state assembly with its candidate Shafia Zubair defeating her BJP rival by a margin of over 12,000 votes in the Ramgarh poll. Zubair secured 44.77 per cent votes against BJP candidate Sukhwant Singh's 38.20 per cent, according to officials of the state election department. With the results of the Ramgarh assembly poll, Congress now has 100 MLAs in the House and its ally ...
Amardeep Bhinder takes command of Strike One Corps Mathura
Lieutenant General Amardeep Singh Bhinder took command of the elite Strike One Corps at Mathura on Thursday. According to the defence public relations officer Gargi Malik Sinha, Bhinder was commissioned in the Deccan Horse armoured regiment. A graduate of National Defence College, Bhinder's assignments include command of an armoured brigade and an armoured division, she added. Bhinder has served as military observer in United Nations Peace Keeping Mission, besides other prestigious appointments, Sinha said. Before joining Mathura, Bhinder's last assignment was as Directorate General of Military Training (DGMT) at Integrated Headquarters of Ministry of Defence (Army), New Delhi, the official said.
13 DANICS officers promoted to IAS cadre
As many as 13 DANICS officers, including Andaman and Nicobar Islands LG Secretary Kulanand Joshi, have been promoted to the IAS cadre, a government order stated. Joshi, who belongs to Uttrakhand, had been additional secretary (Bhagidari programme) in the office of former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit. He was awarded as "best officer" by the Dikshit government for his works in Bhagidari programme, which was an ambitious scheme of the then Congress dispensation in Delhi. Another DANICS (Delhi, Andaman Nicobar Island Civil Services) officer R N Sharma, who is currently DDA commissioner, has also been promoted to the IAS cadre. He has also been special secretary to Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal. According to the order of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on January 23, others DANICS officers -- K Mahesh, Kuldeep Singh Gangar, Kuldeep Pakad, A R Talwade, Binay Bhushan, Subhash Chandra, Sarpreet Singh Gill, C Udaya Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Ajay Kumar Gupta and Ajay .
I am in pain, won't keep quiet anymore, former Prime Minister Deve Gowda warns Congress
JD(S) leader HD Deve Gowda on Thursday publicly voiced his unhappiness with ally Congress, saying he was in 'pain' and would not remain 'quiet anymore.'Gowda, father of Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, made known that the six months of running the coalition government with the Congress was not a pleasant experience but he had "not opened mouth." "Is this a way to run the coalition government, where we have to request our partner not to use foul language? Six months have passed that Kumaraswamy became the Chief Minister and all kinds of things have happened in six months. Till now I haven't opened my mouth but now I can't keep quiet," he said.His comment comes days after several state Congress leaders demanded that former chief minister Siddaramaiah be made CM again.Gowda also slammed former Siddaramaiah who a few days back misbehaved with a woman, where he snatched her mic."How can anyone touch anybody's clothes? He is a kind of person who does not even meet MLAs," Gowda ...
Government's focus lies on finding solutions to problems of people: Modi
The Central government's focus lies on the issues of national importance and finding solutions to problems of the people, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday while addressing leaders of political parties. "The country expects from all of us to perform our duties as Parliamentarians in a positive manner and we must deliver to the expectations of the people," he said as the Interim Budget session began on Thursday with the President's address to both the houses of Parliament in the Central Hall.The session will have 10 sittings spread over 14 days. A host of issues were brought up by the leaders of parties during the meeting. Prime Minister Modi assured all leaders that issues raised by them would be taken into consideration by the Government and given due importance.The Government has requested all parties, especially the opposition, for their co-operation for the smooth functioning of both Houses of Parliament and is ready for a constructive discussion on every issue of ...
Don't push controversial Bills: Congress to Government
The Congress on Thursday suggested the government should not push through controversial Bills otherwise it would be difficult for Parliament to function.
Modi govt worked to build 'New India', infused new hope in people: Prez
Presenting key achievements of the Modi government ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, President Ram Nath Kovind Thursday asserted it has worked to build a "New India" after assuming power in 2014 and infused new hope when the nation was passing through "uncertain times". Kickstarting the Budget Session of Parliament with an address to a joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, Kovind also said the government is attempting to find "permanent solutions" for problems faced by farmers, amid speculation over an announcement of a farm relief package in the Interim Budget to be unveiled Friday. During his over 60-minute address in the Central Hall of Parliament, Kovind spoke on issues ranging from Rafale jet deal and 10 per cent reservation for the general category poor to the triple talaq legislation, the Citizenship Amendment Bill and the state of economy. Kovind described the 10 per cent quota as historic. "Prior to the 2014 General Election, the country was passing through a phase
EU's Mogherini urges release of journalists held in Venezuela
EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini called Thursday for the immediate release of journalists arrested in Venezuela as part of a crackdown by Caracas on foreign media. "Our request is for them to be immediately released," Mogherini told reporters in Bucharest, where EU foreign ministers will discuss the Venezuela crisis. Five foreign journalists, including two from France and one from Spain, have been held in Venezuela this week, and two more, from Chile, have been deported. The arrests come with the oil-rich but economically wrecked South American state deep in political turmoil, with the self-proclaimed acting president Juan Guaido calling on the armed forces to abandon President Nicolas Maduro. Ahead of the Bucharest meeting, Britain's foreign minister Jeremy Hunt said he would press his EU colleagues for new sanctions against what he called Venezuelan "kleptocrats" as a way to step up pressure on Maduro. Guaido himself has called for more EU sanctions targeting the Maduro ...
Omar promises to revoke PSA if voted to power
National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah said Thursday the controversial Public Safety Act (PSA), under which a person can be detained without trial for six months, would be revoked if his party was voted to power in Jammu and Kashmir. Making the announcement at militancy-hotbed Pulwama district in south Kashmir, Omar Abdullah said: "I do not wish to see the youth of the state behind bars without trial for months together. The parents crying for their children picked under the act." "If voted to power, PSA revocation will be ensured," the former chief minister said, leading to a Twitter spat with the National Conference's arch rivals, the Peoples Democratic Party. There are as many as 230 people, including 180 from the state, who have been booked under the Public Safety Act. These include some separatist workers as well as Pakistani and other foreign nationals, who have completed their sentence but have not been taken by their respective countries of origin. The PDP was quick .
Will repeal PSA once voted to power: Omar Abdullah
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and Vice President of the National Conference (NC), Omar Abdullah on Thursday said that he will repeal the Public Safety Act (PSA) once voted to power.
BJP wins Jind bypoll, Congress is 3rd, INLD gets less than 3,500 votes
Ruling BJP Thursday won the high-stakes Jind bypoll, which also saw the newly floated JJP scoring convincingly higher than the parent party INLD and Congress candidate Randeep Singh Surjewala settling for the third spot. BJP nominee Krishan Middha (48) wrested the seat from the main opposition Indian National Lok Dal, forcing it to the fifth place. The Jannayak Janata Party, which broke away from the INLD just weeks ago following a feud in the Chautala family, put up a spirited fight and finished second. The BJP candidate defeated JJP's Digvijay Singh Chautala (27) by 12,935 votes, Jind Deputy Commissioner-cum-Returning Officer Amit Khatri said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked the people of Jind for voting for the BJP. This is a seat where the Party has never won before, he tweeted. The bypoll was ordered after the death of Middha's father, INLD's Hari Chand Middha. Out of 1,30,828 votes polled, Middha secured 50,556 against Digvijay Chautala's 37,631.Randeep Singh Surjewal, a ...
Congress, BJP, BJD looting country: Kejriwal
Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Admi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said the Congress, BJP and BJD were looting the country.