Page 182 - Politics
Modi to chair Niti Aayog meet on Saturday
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair the fifth governing council meeting of the Niti Aayog on Saturday with structural reforms in agriculture, drought situation and relief measures, challenges in transforming aspirational districts and security related issues high on the agenda.
NCSC meets families of slain political workers in violence-hit Sandeshkhali
The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) Friday met family members of the three men killed in post-poll violence in North 24 Parganas district's Sandeshkhali area. A delegation of the commission talked to the families who belonged to scheduled castes. It will send its recommendation to the Centre on its return to New Delhi, NCSC chairman Prof Ram Shankar Katheria, a member of the team, told reporters here. Katheria, however, could not go to Sandeshkhali because of his late arrival here. He briefed the media on the basis of reports from other members of the delegation. Senior state government officials accompanied the delegation during its visit to Sandeshkhali. Two workers of the BJP and one activist of the ruling Trinamool Congress were killed there on Saturday after clashes broke out between the two parties. Post-poll violence has been reported from various places of West Bengal after the BJP secured 18 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state, just four less than that of ..
T'gana Cabinet to meet on June 18
A meeting of the Telangana cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, would be held on June 18, the state government said here Friday. "The Chief Minister will chair the state cabinet on June 18 (Tuesday) afternoon at 2 PM at Pragathi Bhavan," an official release said. The Cabinet meeting is expected to discuss, among others, the proposed new municipal legislation, Andhra Pradesh government handing over buildings held by ithere to Telangana and the inauguration of Kaleswaram Lift Irrigation project scheduled for June 21. TRS sources said Rao is unlikely to visit Delhi on Saturday to attend the NITI Ayog meeting. There was no official word on the matter. Rao visited Mumbai Friday to invite his Maharashtra counterpart Devendra Fadnavis for the inauguration of Kaleswaram project. On June 19, Rao, the president of ruling TRS would preside over the TRS state executive, a TRS release said. TRS sources said the state executive was likely to discuss the recent Lok ...
Modi leaves for India as SCO summit concludes
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday left for home after the conclusion of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in which he discussed the global security situation, multilateral economic cooperation, people-to-people exchanges and topical issues of international and regional importance. On the sidelines of the summit on Thursday, Modi held bilateral meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. He also met Kyrgyzstan President Sooronbay Jeenbekov ahead of the SCO Council of Heads of State meeting on Friday. Jeenbekov was the Chair of the SCO Summit 2019. "Thank You Bishkek. After a successful visit to Kyrgyzstan, PM @narendramodi emplanes for New Delhi," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted. Modi also exchanged usual pleasantries with his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan on Friday in the Leaders' Lounge at the venue of the summit. The prime minister arrived in the Kyrgyz capital ..
Naidu to meet floor leaders of Rajya Sabha on June 20
Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu will meet floor leaders of Rajya Sabha over lunch at his residence in Delhi on June 20.The Rajya Sabha has been convened to meet for the Budget Session from June 20, the day President Ram Nath Kovind will address the joint sitting of Parliament. The session will continue till July 26.In all, there will be 27 sittings of the Upper House of Indian Parliament.The Lok Sabha has already been convened from June 17. Newly elected members will take oath on June 17 and 18, and the Speaker's election will be held on June 19.The Union Budget will be presented on July 5.
Agitating doctors decline Mamata's invite for talks
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday invited the agitating junior doctors for a meeting at the state secretariat, which they declined saying it is a ploy to break their stir. She convened the meeting to find a solution to the ongoing impasse disrupting normal services at all state-run medical college and hospitals for four days. After the protesting doctors did not turn up on Friday, Banerjee gave them time again at 5 pm on Saturday for the meeting at state secretariat Nabanna, senior physician Sukumar Mukherjee said. Mukherjee along with other senior doctors, who were not part of the agitating medicos, went to meet Banerjee and held a two-hour-long meeting with the chief minister at the secretariat to find out a solution. Banerjee then asked Director of Medical Education Pradip Mitra to invite three or four junior doctors to the secretariat for the meeting. They, however, refused to go the meeting. "This is a ploy to break our unity, our agitation. We will not attend .
Congress CMs meet over dinner, discuss issues to be raised at Niti Aayog meet
A day before the Niti Aayog meeting here, four chief ministers of Congress-ruled states met over dinner and discussed key issues that they will raise at the meet. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath hosted the dinner at his residence where Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Puducherry Chief Minister Narayansamy were present. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh could not make it for the dinner. The chief ministers of the Congress-ruled states are expected to raise key farmers issues and also share the benefits of the loan waiver scheme implemented by them at the Niti Aayog meeting, sources said. Apart from the issues the Congress chief ministers will raise at the meeting, the sources said at the dinner the leaders also discussed the situation arising out of the Lok Sabha poll debacle and party president Rahul Gandhi's offer to resign. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will Saturday chair the fifth meeting of the Niti Aayog's ...
Requested Shah to soften PM's heart on special status: Jagan
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday said that he had asked Union Home Minister Amit Shah at their meeting here to "soften the Prime Minister's heart" on their demand for special category status to his state.
Modi, Pak PM exchanged 'usual' pleasantries at SCO Summit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi exchanged pleasantries with his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan on the second day of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit here on Friday, as per sources.The two leaders exchanged "usual" pleasantries while they were in the Leaders' Lounge, sources added.This comes as Modi made a veiled attack on Pakistan while addressing the plenary session here on Friday, stating that countries which support and finance terrorism must be held accountable.Relations between India and Pakistan have deteriorated, especially after the Pulwama terror attack, where India lost over 40 CRPF personnel. Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) claimed responsibility for the attack, which saw the entire world community throwing its weight behind India in its fight against terrorism.The US, in fact, told Pakistan to immediately stop providing support and a safe haven to terror groups following the dastardly attack which occurred on February 14 this ...
Jharkhand: 5 policemen shot dead, CM assures befitting reply
Five policemen were shot dead in Saraikela district here on Friday by Naxals, who also fled with their weapons.The incident allegedly took place when the policemen were patrolling a local market in Saraikela district.Condemning the loss of lives, Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das said the state government will give a befitting reply to Naxals, adding that the "martyrdom of policemen will not go waste.""I pay homage to the jawans who died in the Naxalite attack in Saraikela. In this hour of grief, all people of Jharkhand are with the families of martyred soldiers. Our government is giving a befitting reply to Naxalism, the martyrdom of our jawans will not go waste," Das tweeted..
Trump clarifies would report foreign dirt on rivals to FBI
President Donald Trump on Friday sought to clarify his comments that he would accept dirt on election rivals from a foreign power, now saying he would "absolutely" report such an encounter to US authorities. Singed by a political firestorm over his controversial remarks when he said he would only "maybe" call the Federal Bureau of Investigation if he believed there was wrongdoing, the president took to Fox News to nuance his explanation. "Of course you give it to the FBI, or report it to the attorney general or somebody like that," Trump said. But he maintained his controversial position revealed in a Wednesday ABC News interview that he would look at or listen to the information. "Of course, you have to look at it, because if you don't look at it you're not going to know if it's bad," Trump said. "Now, if I thought anything was incorrect or badly stated... I'd report it to law enforcement, absolutely." Trump faced severe criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike after his ...
Xi says China wants Indo-Pak ties to improve
Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Friday that Beijing was for the improvement in ties between New Delhi and Islamabad but at the same time pushed for the expansion of the controversial China-Pakistan Economic Corridor(CPEC), a multi-billion dollar connectivity project that has caused tensions among the three Asian nations.
SCO Summit: Pak PM makes veiled attack on India over Kashmir during address
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday made a veiled attack on India over Kashmir during his address at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit here."Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including State-terrorism against people under illegal occupation," the leader said amidst the SCO Council of Heads of State.Relations between India and Pakistan reached a stalemate after the Pulwama terror attack, where India lost over 40 CRPF personnel.Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) claimed responsibility for the attack, after which the entire world community threw its weight behind India in its fight against terrorism.India launched a successful diplomatic campaign to get JeM's Pakistan-based chief Masood Azhar listed as a global terrorist at the UN Security Council, in the aftermath of the attack.The proposal was launched by the US, France and the UK. In a major diplomatic win for India, Azhar was designated as a global terrorist by .
KTKA refers JSW land sale to cabinet sub-committee for review
Caught in a row over the controversial JSW Steel land sale, the Karnataka cabinet Friday decided to refer its decision on the sale of 3,667 acres to the firm at Ballari, to a cabinet sub-committee for reconsideration. As there were a lot of objections and opposition to the decision to sell the land, the minister concerned (Industries Minister K J George) requested the Chief Minister to constitute a cabinet sub-committee to look in to all aspects and reconsider it, Rural development minister Krishna Byre told reporters after the cabinet meeting. "On the request of the Industries Minister the cabinet today has given its approval to constitute a sub-committee, which will review it at the earliest and report back to the cabinet," Gowda said. The composition of the cabinet sub-committee has been left to the discretion of the Chief Minister, he said, adding that "though the maximum view of the cabinet was that its decision is right, but in the wake of objection and opposition
MP seer who held yagna for Digvijay's win seeks DM's permission to fulfil 'samadhi' promise
After his prediction of Congress leader Digvijay Singh's victory from Bhopal Lok Sabha seat did not come true, a seer has requested permission from authorities here to carry out his "promise" of taking "samadhi" on June 16. The bizarre request by Baba Vairagyanand Giri has been turned down by Bhopal Collector Tarun Kumar who has asked police to ensure his well-being. Giri had announced that he will take 'samadhi' (entombment) if Singh doesn't win from Bhopal during a "yagna" by several religious leaders for the Congress leader's victory during the Lok Sabha poll campaig. Singh was defeated by BJP's Pragya Singh Thakur by a massive margin of 3.64 lakh votes. "We received a letter on June 13 from Vairagyanand Giri maharaj for taking samadhi. Such kind of permissions are never given and I have directed the police to ensure the protection of Vairagyanand's life and belongings," Kumar told PTI Friday. Advocate Mazid Ali, who was authorised by Vairagyanand to file an application to the ...
UAE loses claim against rival Qatar in world court
The UN's top court on Friday rejected a request by the United Arab Emirates to take special measures against Qatar in a two-year crisis that has added to growing tensions in the Gulf. Oil and gas-rich Qatar has faced an economic and diplomatic boycott since June 2017 by Gulf rivals who accused Doha of backing terrorism and being too close to regional rival Iran. Abu Dhabi had asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to prevent Doha "aggravating" the dispute, after Qatar won a case last year over alleged discrimination against its citizens. ICJ Chief judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf said the court "rejects the request for provisional measures submitted by the United Arab Emirates" by a margin of 15 to one. The measures it asked for were temporary ones while the Hague-based court decides on a wider legal battle between the UAE and Qatar over the blockade. The legal blow for the UAE comes as tensions soar in the Gulf after two oil tankers were set ablaze in an attack that Washington has
Gopal Rai cracks whip on erring pvt agency at Ambedkar University
Delhi Labour Minister Gopal Rai Friday found alleged irregularities by a private agency at Ambedkar University here on Friday, a government statement said. The minister has ordered termination of the tender of the agency, which sacked sever contractual employees, the statement stated. The labour minister has directed the administration to reinstate the services of the sacked employees. "During the inspection, the minister found irregularities on part of the agency following which he directed the termination of its tender," it stated. For the last few days, Rai has been making inspections at state-owned institutions to address issues of the people.
Pawar interacts with North Maharashtra NCP leaders on polls
NCP chief Sharad Pawar Friday heard views of party workers from North Maharashtra districts on seats to be contested in the upcoming Assembly polls. This was the second day in a row that Pawar discussed poll-related issues with party men. Pawar met NCP office-bearers from Jalgaon, Dhule, Nandurbar, Malegaon, Nashik and Ahmednagar districts at party head office here as part of preparations for the polls due in September-October. On Thursday, he had held parleys with representatives from districts in the Konkan region, including Mumbai and adjoining Thane. "The party workers expressed views on seats the party can contest (in North Maharashtra). Saheb (Pawar) heard them patiently," a party source said. The NCP is reportedly seeking a quota of 144 of the 288 assembly seats under its pre-poll pact with the Congress in Maharashtra. The 20-year-old party had contested 278 seats on its own in the 2014 Assembly polls and won 41 of them.
Trump blames Iran in tanker blasts, says sea lane not at risk
US President Donald Trump on Friday rejected Tehran's denial it was behind mysterious explosions on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, saying the incident had Iran "written all over it". As US-Iranian tensions soared, Trump dismissed previous threats by Tehran that in case of conflict it could block the Hormuz Strait -- a narrow seaway vital to the world's oil supplies. "They're not going to be closing it," he said in an interview on Fox News television. Speaking hours after the US military released grainy footage it said showed an Iranian patrol boat removing an "unexploded limpet mine" from one of the tankers, Trump was emphatic. "Iran did do it," Trump told the "Fox and Friends" show. "You know they did it because you saw the boat. I guess one of the mines didn't explode and it's probably got essentially Iran written all over it. You saw the boat at night, successfully trying to take the mine off -- and that was exposed," he added. Iran rejects the US accusations. It labelled the
India gives 200 million dollar line of credit to Kyrgyzstan : PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced a 200 million dollar line of credit to Kyrgyzstan after wide-ranging talks with Kyrgyzstan President Sooronbay Jeenbekov in Bishkek. He said that this will ensure India's increasing participation in business, development and economy of Kyrgyzstan."I am happy to give a proposal of 200 million dollar line of credit to Kyrgyzstan which will ensure India's increasing participation in business, development and economy of Kyrgyzstan," said Prime Minister Modi.Prime Minister Narendra Modi held delegation-level talks with President of Kyrgyzstan, Sooronbay Jeenbekov in Bishkek."There are so many similarities between India and Kyrgyzstan Republic that I feel at home here. I congratulate you for successful completion of SCO summit. India and Kyrgyzstan republic are friends since last many centuries and it is reflected in your 'Manas' and India's 'Ram Charitra Manas' which shows our cultural affinity," said Modi.Modi is on a two-day visit to ...