Page 1773 - Politics
Pak summons Indian envoy; protests summoning of its top diplomat over Qureshi-Mirwaiz phone call
In a tit-for-tat move, Pakistan on Thursday summoned India's high commissioner here to lodge a protest over the summoning of its envoy in New Delhi and maintained that it would continue to extend support to the people of Kashmir. India's Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale Wednesday summoned Pakistan's envoy Sohail Mahmood in New Delhi and categorically told him that Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi's telephonic conversation with separatist Kashmiri leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was a "brazen attempt" to subvert India's unity and violate its sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Ministry of External Affairs, in a late evening statement, said the Pakistan High Commissioner was "cautioned" that persistence of such behaviour by Pakistan will have "implications". In Islamabad, Pakistan's Foreign Office Spokesperson Mohammad Faisal on Thursday said that Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua summoned Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria to lodge a protest over the summoning of Pakistan's ...
NATO chief: China must treat arrested Canadians fairly
NATO's chief has called on China to treat detained two Canadian citizens "fairly and with due process." Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Friday he was following the situation of the Canadians detained in China in December "with concern." He called on Beijing to address the concerns of Canada, which wants the pair to be "immediately released." The Canadians have been detained in apparent retaliation for the arrest of a top Chinese Huawei executive. Stoltenberg also said he also expects allies to sign an accession agreement for Macedonia after the country agreed to change its name amid a decades-old dispute with Greece.
Treasury bench thumps most to Rafale, 'surgical strike' as President addresses Parliament
The mention of the 'surgical strike' and inclusion of fifth-generation fighter-jet Rafale in the Air Force saw most thumping of desks by treasury bench members during President Ram Nath Kovind's address to the joint-sitting of Parliament. As the President mentioned Rafale, the members, mostly belonging to the BJP, continued to thump the desk for a good few seconds. The opposition, mainly the Congress, has been accusing the government of irregularities in the deal, a charge which it has rubbished. Members of Parliament usually thump desks to appreciate a point. The President's address to both the Houses usually takes place on the first day of the first session of the year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, senior ministers Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj, Nitin Gadkari, BJP president Amit Shah, Congress president Rahul Gandhi, BJP veteran L K Advani, former prime ministers Manmohan Singh and H D Deve Gowda, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, leader of Congress party in Lok
UK backs 'targeted' sanctions on Venezuelan 'kleptocrats'
British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said Thursday he believed sanctions against Venezuelan "kleptocrats" could be a way to pressure President Nicolas Maduro to call new elections. He said he would raise the issue later in the day with his European Union counterparts at a meeting in Bucharest, Romania. "We are not considering sanctions against the whole country because there is a humanitarian situation and we wouldn't want to make the situation even worse," Hunt said in a statement. "But targeted sanctions against the kleptocrats who have enriched themselves on the back of the rest of the population who are very poor, that is something I think can be effective." Hunt said he had spoken to Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido on Wednesday. "Mr Guaido was very clear -- he wanted us to put pressure on Nicolas Maduro, because they need change," he said. He added: "What I want us to do is to put every pressure on Maduro and I'm urging EU foreign ministers to do exactly the same when I
BJP wins Jind Assembly seat; Congress, INLD bite dust (Fourth Lead)
Establishing it grip on state politics just ahead of the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, Haryana's ruling BJP won the Jind Assembly seat in a multi-cornered contest on Thursday by 12,935 votes.
President's address a summary of 'lame' excuses for non performance: Cong
The Congress on Thursday described President Ram Nath Kovind's address to Parliament as "a summary of lame excuses for non performance" and alleged that the government is seeking to lend credibility to "false promises" through it. Presenting a virtual report card of the Modi government's tenure, President Kovind, in his address to the joint sitting of Parliament, highlighted its various development works and commitment to social justice. He asserted that the government has worked to build a "New India" after assuming power in 2014 when the nation was passing through "uncertain times". "The government's account of five years was given in the President's speech in Parliament. It is unfortunate that the government, through the president, tried to create credibility for its false promises," Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma said at a press conference. "Where is the growth. Which India are they talking about where everything has been achieved. In the real india, the opposite has ...
China, India discuss cooperation in counter-terrorism
China and India have discussed bilateral cooperation in counter-terrorism and exchanged views on regional and international situation on this issue during a meeting of the senior officials of the two nations. The 8th meeting of Joint Working Group on Counter-terrorism concluded here on Wednesday. The meeting assumed significance in the backdrop of the recent developments in Afghanistan where US officials are holding talks with Taliban amid reports of Trump administration's plans to withdraw American troops, sparking concerns in India and regional countries. "Both sides assessed and exchanged views on regional and international counter-terrorism situation, areas of mutual concerns including cooperation at bilateral and multilateral level," a press release issued by the Indian Embassy here on Wednesday night said. The Indian delegation was led by Mahaveer Singhvi, Joint Secretary for Counter Terrorism at the Ministry of External Affairs, while the Chinese delegation was led by Liu ...
Modi is riding a horse which he cannot dismount before elections: Kuldip Nayar in his last book
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is riding a horse which he cannot dismount before the 2019 general elections and he would perforce have to depend on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its cadre, veteran journalist Kuldip Nayar, who passed away last year, had written during his last days.
Ramgarh by-poll win much needed, will boost Congress ahead of Lok Sabha elections: Rajasthan CM Gehlot
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday said the Congress party's victory in the Ramgarh assembly by-poll was much needed and would boost the party ahead of Lok Sabha elections."I thank people and express my gratitude. They have given a message at a time when it was much needed. It will encourage the party ahead of Lok Sabha elections," Gehlot told ANI on Thursday.His comments came after Congress candidate Shafia Zubair defeated her rival Suwant Singh of BJP by a margin of 12,228 votes to win the Ramgarh assembly by-poll.After 20 rounds of counting, the Congress candidate secured a total of 83,311 votes while the BJP's Singh came second with 71,083 votes.
President's speech betrays people, humiliates them: Congress
In his address to the Joint Sitting of both Houses of Parliament ahead of the Budget Session, President Ram Nath Kovind mentioned inflated statistics of the various development work done by the BJP-led central government, hence his speech betrays people and humiliates them, the Congress said on Thursday."Talking about Demonetisation, which hurt Indian economy badly, in President's speech is insensitive and humiliating the Indian people. There can't be any bigger false statement than this because RBI itself has said in its report that over 99 per cent of the money came back. It was the money of farmers, women, poor and small businessmen among others," Congress leader Anand Sharma told media here. "President also mentioned 'Make in India' in his speech. Even the logo of 'Make in India' has not been made in India. If people check, there is a big watch-making brand in Geneva, they (BJP) have stolen the wheel and axle from the brand's logo. Talking about the works done by this government ..
Police lathi-charge protesters at Jind counting centre
Police used canes to disperse workers from opposition parties after they created a ruckus outside a counting centre for the assembly by-election here, complaining about the electronic voting machines. The counting process was halted briefly during the seventh round when polling agents from of Loktantra Suraksha Party (LSP) and the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) alleged that there was a mismatch in serial numbers of two EVMs. The ruling BJP won the high-stakes Jind bypoll with its candidate Krishan Middha defeating his nearest rival, JJP's Digvijay Singh Chautala, by nearly 13,000 votes. Jind's Superintendent of Police Ashwin Shenvi said the police resorted to a mild cane- charge to disperse the protesters and maintain law and order. Jind Deputy Commissioner-cum-Returning Officer Amit Khatri rejected the allegation over the EVMs. He said it was a clerical issue. At the end of the sixth round, BJP candidate Krishan Middha was leading over the JJP candidate by a margin of over 10,000 votes.
Uttarkhand government may accept demands of striking employees
Apparently buckling under the pressure of the Lok Sabha election, the Uttarakhand government on Thursday indicated that it is likely to accept most of the demands of its striking employees who have gone on mass leave.
India's response to Qureshi-Mirwaiz talk has reduced Indo-Pak ties to lowest level: Mehbooba
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti Thursday said India's response to telephonic conversation between Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has reduced the ties between the two countries to the lowest level. "Terming a phone call between Pakistani FM & Mirwaiz Umar Farooq sahab as anti-India has reduced ties to an unbelievable nadir," Mehbooba said in a series of tweets. "A foreign policy dictated by the compulsions of electoral politics is shockingly pathetic," the former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir added. Referring to past engagements between Pakistani officials and Hurriyat leaders in the state, Mehbooba said it was in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA regime that meetings between separatists and Pakistani officials were facilitated. "Ironically it was the NDA under Vajpayee ji that facilitated meetings between Hurriyat leaders & Pakistani dignitaries plus allowing them to visit Pakistan to hold talks with the ...
PM to visit AP on February 10
: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Andhra Pradesh on February 10 and address a public meeting at Guntur, BJP state president Kanna Lakshminarayana said here Thursday. This will be the Prime Ministers first visit to Andhra Pradesh in close to two years and also after the TDP pulled out of the NDA. Modi will visit the state again on February 16 to address another rally in the port city Visakhapatnam, while BJP national president Amit Shah will tour the state on February 4, 21 and 26, Lakshminarayana told reporters here. The Prime Minister was supposed to visit Andhra Pradesh early this month, but the trip was put off because of time constraints as he toured Kerala and other states. Meanwhile, the state BJP president will undertake a bus yatra from February 4, beginning from Srikakulam district. Amit Shah will attend the yatra launch and kickstart the BJPs campaign in Andhra Pradesh, he said. Besides, several Union Ministers like Nitin Gadkari, Prakash Javadekar, ...
Russia says 'no progress' on nuclear treaty ahead of deadline
Moscow and Washington have made "no progress" in talks on saving a key arms control treaty, a Russian diplomat said on Thursday, with the United States expected to begin withdrawal this weekend. Russian and US officials had met on the sidelines of a meeting of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council in Beijing to discuss the fate of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty (INF) - a source of raging tensions between Moscow and Washington. "Unfortunately, there is no progress," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said after talks with Andrea Thompson, Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security. The United States has warned that it will begin a six-month withdrawal process from the treaty on February 2 unless Russia destroys its 9M729 ground-based missile system, which it says breaches the Cold War-era agreement. Ryabkov called the US position "rather tough, ultimatum-like" and "destructive," state news agency RIA Novosti ...
2nd USA-N Korea summit to take place in Asia by Feb-end: USA
The second US-North Korea summit will take place by the end of February in Asia, the United States confirmed on Wednesday (local time).Without disclosing the exact location for the summit, US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo told Fox News that he had dispatched a team to Asia to lay the "foundations" for the meeting."They're headed that way now to lay the foundations for what I hope will be a substantial, additional step towards the path for, not only denuclearization of the peninsula, but a brighter future for the North Korean people," he said. Previously, there have been speculations that Vietnam has been finalised as the venue for the second summit."I think we'll have a summit at the end of the month, that's the plan. That's what the North Koreans have now agreed to. That's what we've agreed to with them as well," Pompeo added.The Secretary of State further put forth that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has told the United States that he's "prepared" to denuclearise."I think it ...
BJP registers first ever win in Haryana's Jind assembly seat by around 13,000 votes
BJP created a kind of history by registering first ever win in Haryana's high stakes Jind assembly polls the result of which was declared on Thursday.BJP's Krishna Lal Middha wrested the seat from the INLD by a margin of 12,935 votes. He polled 50,566 votes. Newly floated Jannayak Janata Party's (JJP) Digvijay Singh Chautala garnered 37,631 votes.Congress' Randeep Singh Surjewala got 22,740 votes, while the INLD's Umedh Singh Redhu came a poor fourth. In 2014 Assembly poll, INLD's Dr Hari Chand Middha, father of Krishan Lal Middha had won the seat by polling 31,631 votes, while the BJP's Surinder Singh Barwala had bagged 29,374 votes.Dr Middha had won the seat in 2009 Assembly poll too. In the first Assembly poll held in 1967, the Congress' Daya Krishan had won the seat as a Congress nominee by getting 26,089 votes.
Surjewala bites dust in Jind, finishes third
Congress national spokesman Randeep Surjewala on Thursday had a poor outing in the Jind Assembly by-election, finishing third in a multi-cornered contest.
UK says may have to delay Brexit to pass necessary laws
Britain may need to delay Brexit to pass legislation to implement the split with the European Union, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said Thursday. As the March 29 withdrawal date looms, the government is still trying to convince MPs to support a version of the divorce deal it has agreed with the bloc. Even if it is passed, legislation putting the treaty into effect would then have to go through both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. "If we ended up approving a deal in the days before March 29 then we might need some extra time to pass critical legislation," Hunt told BBC radio. "But if we are able to make progress sooner then that might not be necessary. We can't know at this stage exactly which of those scenarios would happen." The government is considering extending parliamentary hours and cancelling the February holiday of MPs to allow more time to debate Brexit legislation. But there are still eight laws needed to prepare for Brexit, not just on the deal but also ...
Rs 100 cr allotted to TDB for Sabarimala temple
: The Kerala government Thursday set apart Rs 100 crore in the 2019-20 budget for the Travancore Devaswom Board, which manages the Sabarimala temple that faced an unprecedented a dip in revenue due to the recent floods and violent protests over the women's entry issue. Finance Minister T M Thomas Isaac presented the annual budget for the year 2019-20 in which he lashed out at the "vicious propaganda" unleashed by some "politicians" that the government was "siphoning off the money" of the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple. Isaac said that his government would not allow anyone to 'destabilise the Board by dissuading devotees from offering money" and said Rs 100 crore has been earmarked for the TDB. "Unlike the vicious propaganda unleashed by some, the government does not appropriate even a single paisa from the income of the Sabarimala Temple. "Unfortunately, some politicians masquerading as devotees are falsely propagating that the government is siphoning off the money of ...