Page 1849 - Politics
Finance Minister Jaitley will not present budget as he faces surgery: source
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will not present the government's crucial interim budget next week because he is expected to undergo surgery, according to a source familiar with the matter. He has been replaced on an interim basis by railways and coal minister Piyush Goyal.
Sheila Dikshit demands probe into labourer's death
Expressing sorrow at the death of a labourer who died while desilting a drain in Delhis Wazirabad area, Delhi Congress chief Sheila Dikshit on Wednesday sought an inquiry into the incident to stop recurrence of such deaths.
Kharge to head Maharashtra Cong's coordination committee
Congress president Rahul Gandhi set up various committees for the party's Maharashtra unit on Wednesday with senior leader Mallikarjun Kharge chairing the crucial coordination committee and former Union minister Shushil Kumar Shinde heading the campaign committee. Former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chauhan will head the party's manifesto committee for the state. The coordination committee will have top leaders from the state as members. Former journalist and Rajya Sabha member Kumar Ketkar has been appointed the chairman of the media and communication committee, while the election committee chairman will be former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan. Veteran Congress leader Ratnakar Mahajan has been appointed as the chairman of the publicity and publication committee.
Committee to select new CBI chief to meet on Thursday
The high-level committee, consisting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge is scheduled to meet on Thursday to decide on the new CBI Director.
R'sthan govt to provide wheat at Re 1 per kg to BPL category people
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot Wednesday said the state government will provide wheat at Re 1 per kg to below-poverty line (BPL) and state BPL category people, pay Rs 2 per litre bonus on milk to farmers, open new 5,000 dairy booths and give pension to small and marginal elderly farmers. He also said the government will bring special package for the farmers who timely pay loans and also announced waiving all overdue loans of farmers from land development bank and central cooperative banks. Replying to debate on the motion of thanks to governor's address, Gehlot also informed the House that the government will soon take a decision to implement 10 per cent reservation for economically weaker section of general category. "The government of Rajasthan is going to take a decision very soon. We will implement 10 per cent reservation in the state," Gehlot said. Speaking on the promises made in manifesto and its fulfilment, Gehlot announced that wheat at Re one per kg will be provided ..
Goyal gets additional charge of Finance Ministry, may present Budget
Piyush Goyal is likely to present the interim Budget on February 1 as he was Wednesday given the additional charge of finance ministry as Arun Jaitley is in the US for medical treatment, sources said. Jaitley has undergone surgery at a hospital in New York on Tuesday and has been advised at least two weeks rest by the doctors, sources said. Jaitley, who had travelled to the US on January 13, has undergone tests for soft tissue cancer this week. Ahead of the interim budget scheduled to be presented on February 1, Railways Minister Piyush Goyal has been given additional charge of Finance and Corporate Affairs ministries. An official release from the Rashtrapati Bhavan Wednesday said the President, as advised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, directed that during the period of Jaitley's indisposition, the portfolios of the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Corporate Affairs, held by him, be temporarily assigned to Goyal, in addition to his existing portfolios. Goyal is likely to ...
Modi's rally in Bengal likely to be rescheduled: Sinha
The proposed rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Thakurnagar area of North 24 Parganas district on January 28 is likely to be rescheduled to February 2, a senior party leader said Wednesday. "On February 2, Modi will also address another rally at Durgapur. On February 8 he will address one more rally at Siliguri. However, nothing is finalized as of now," BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha said. This is for the second time in one month that West Bengal BJP has changed the schedule of Modi's rallies. Earlier it was decided that the prime minister will address a rally at the Brigade Parade Ground on February 8. It was cancelled a few days back and the party said he would attend three rallies in the state starting next week. It was then scheduled that Modi would address a rally at Thakurnagar on February 28, another at Siliguri in north Bengal on February 2 and the third one at Asansol -- represented by Union minister Babul Supriyo -- on February 8. However, on Wednesday
Trump refuses to give up demand of border wall as shutdown enters 33rd day
President Donald Trump on Wednesday refused to give up his demand of a border wall as the partial government shutdown entered 33rd day, which is the longest in the US history and has virtually brought to standstill the functioning of the key departments. "Build a Wall and Crime will fall! Trump said on twitter twice on Wednesday morning and asserted that this will be his new theme for the next two years. "BUILD A WALL & CRIME WILL FALL! This is the new theme, for two years until the Wall is finished (under construction now), of the Republican Party. Use it and pray!" Trump said. His demand for more than USD 5 billion to build the wall triggered a partial government shutdown that has lasted 33 days and counting. The shutdown has resulted in at least 800,000 federal employees not receiving their salaries for two consecutive fortnights now. The Washington Post on Wednesday described this as an example of how Trump turns crisis into leverage. "He creates - or threatens to create - a ..
Ahead of polls, Rahul Gandhi makes key changes in Congress
Congress president Rahul Gandhi made key changes in the party's ranks Wednesday with an eye on the upcoming national elections. Apart from appointing Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as general secretary for Uttar Pradesh East and Jyotiraditya Scindia as general secretary for UP West, Gandhi replaced Ashok Gehlot with K C Venugopal as general secretary (organisation). Gehlot was made the chief minister of Rajasthan after the party formed government in the state. Venugopal will continue to be party's general secretary in-charge for Karnataka, a statement said. Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad was appointed the party's general secretary in-charge of Haryana. He was in-charge for Uttar Pradesh. The post for Haryana fell vacant after Kamal Nath was made Madhaya Pradesh chief minister. Congress also appointed Sanjay Choudhary and Haripal Rawat as joint secretary attached to the general secretary in-charge of Assam. It also appointed Shashank Shukla and Gokul Butail as joint ...
Unlike 2014, AIADMK to have allies for LS polls
The ruling AIADMK Wednesday announced a five-member committee led by senior leader K P Munusamy to hold seat sharing talks with potential allies for the Lok Sabha election. Electricity Minister P Thangamani, Local Administration Minister S P Velumani, Rajya Sabha MP R Vaithilingam and party organisation secretary J C D Prabhakar will be part of the panel, a party release said. The ruling party has maintained it will take decisions on forging alliance during the run up to the polls and the Munusamy-led panel is now expected to set in motion the process. There are speculations that the regional party may align up with the BJP for the coming elections. "We have not closed our doors for alliance. The doors are very much open. But who is to be included, who is not required, these decisions cannot be made by an individual," senior minister D Jayakumar had said Tuesday. While AIADMK contested all the 39 Lok Sabha seats in the state and won 37 of them under the leadership of ...
BJP govt damaged institutions like judiciary, Rahul tells Amethi lawyers
Visiting his home turf Wednesday, Congress president Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP government at the Centre of damaging institutions like the Election Commission and the judiciary. Five years ago, before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the different institutions of India, be they the Judiciary, Election Commission or the education system, were independent, he said at a meeting of lawyers. The judicial system used to be openly for the truth, he said. At another gathering, Gandhi attacked the Narendra Modi government over the Rafale deal, alleging that it paid an inflated price for the military aircraft and helped industrialist Anil Ambani bag a huge contract from the French manufacturer. The charges have been repeatedly denied by the Modi government and the Reliance Group. Gandhi's visit coincided with the appointment of his sister Priyanka Gandhi as the Congress general secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh East, the region in which his Amethi Lok Sabha constituency falls. Against the ...
Jaitley undergoes surgery in US, advised 2 weeks rest
Union Minister Arun Jaitley has undergone surgery at a hospital in New York on Tuesday, sources said. He has been advised at least two weeks rest by the doctors, they added. Jaitley, who had unexpectedly left for the US on January 13, has undergone tests for soft tissue cancer, sources said. Even during this time, he has been active on social media writing Facebook posts and tweeting about current issues. 66-year-old Jaitley had undergone a kidney transplant surgery on May 14, 2018, at AIIMS here and had not travelled abroad since then. He was earlier this month named the publicity head of the BJP for the upcoming general elections. With barely a week left for the 2019-20 Budget, the government Wednesday gave additional charge of Finance and Corporate Affairs portfolios to Railways and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal. The Interim Budget for 2019-20 would be presented in Parliament on February 1. Jaitley is now a minister without portfolio in the Narendra Modi government. Earlier on May 14,
Will support Cong if next PM is from grand old party: AAP leader
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Amanatullah Khan created a flutter on Wednesday by saying the party would extend support to the Congress if the next prime minister came from the grand old party, in the presence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal at a function. At an event hosted by the Delhi Waqf Board, Khan, who is also the chairman of the board, urged the Imams of the city mosques to support the AAP and said, "People are saying they will vote for the Congress because the next prime minister will be from that party. "If that is indeed so, we will also extend support to the Congress, but in Delhi, only the AAP can defeat the BJP, not the Congress." He said, "Do not waste your vote. The votes will be wasted if given to the Congress. Vote for the AAP if you want to defeat the BJP." Last week, AAP's Delhi convener Gopal Rai had said the party would not go for an alliance with the Congress in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, while accusing the grand old party of being "arrogant". He had also .
Government appoints Piyush Goyal as interim finance minister as Arun Jaitley gets medical treatment
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The government has appointed Piyush Goyal as its interim finance minister as the current Finance Minister Arun Jaitley receives medical treatment, the president's office said in a statement.
Priyanka can help in defeating BJP, says Kharge
: Welcoming Priyanka Gandhi Vadras plunge into politics, leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge Wednesday said her entry would enthuse the youth and help in defeating the BJP. ''It is a good thing. Timely, Rahul Gandhi ji acted...we all welcome whole-heartedly and we will give full support to her (Priyanka) to destroy the RSS and the BJP,'' he told PTI here. Kharge further said now that Priyanka Gandhi has come, the BJP would get the feeling that it has one more leader to face, one who can speak against them. Earlier, Congress president Rahul Gandhi appointed Priyanka as the party general secretary in-charge of the eastern part of Uttar Pradesh. The announcement of her appointment was welcomed by Congress leaders and workers at Gandhi Bhavan, the party headquarters here in Telangana. The party leaders and workers raised slogans in support of Priyanka and distributed sweets. Kharge was speaking on the sidelines of the centenary celebrations of former MLA .
Government appoints Piyush Goyal as interim finance minister as Jaitley gets medical treatment
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The Indian government has appointed Piyush Goyal as its interim finance minister as the current Finance Minister Arun Jaitley receives medical treatment, the president's office said in a statement.
Praful Patel congratulates Priyanka Gandhi Vadra
NCP leader Praful Patel Wednesday congratulated Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on being appointed as the Congress's general secretary for eastern Uttar Pradesh and said she will play a pivotal role in the party and Indian politics. "My heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to Ms #PriyankaGandhiVadra on her appointment as #AICC General Secretary. With her dynamism and ideals, she will surely play an active and pivotal role in the future endeavors of @INCIndia and also in Indian politics," he tweeted. Ending years of fevered speculation, Vadra formally entered politics on Wednesday with her brother and Congress president Rahul Gandhi appointing her as general secretary for Uttar Pradesh East just months ahead of the general elections.
Buttigieg enters 2020 race, would be first openly gay nominee
He is a longshot candidate, but South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg said Wednesday he is jumping into the burgeoning 2020 Democratic field challenging Donald Trump, aiming to become the first openly gay presidential nominee. Should he win, the 37-year-old wunderkind, a US Navy reservist who took leave from his mayoral duties to serve in Afghanistan, would also be America's youngest-ever commander in chief. Buttigieg announced that he has formed a presidential exploratory committee, a key opening step to formally launching a bid. He joins a growing list of charismatic Democrats seeking to carry the party's torch into 2020, including three female US senators -- Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris and Kirsten Gillibrand -- and Hispanic-American former Obama cabinet member Julian Castro. In a nearly-two-minute video posted online, Buttigieg portrayed himself as a can-do reformer -- he has earned high praise for reviving his mid-sized Indiana city -- from America's millennial generation eyeing the
BSP-SP can almost halve BJP seats in UP, according to 2014 poll data
The Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party combine poses a strong challenge to the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and could bring down its numbers from 71 to 39 seats going by the numbers the three parties polled in 2014 general election.
Priyanka appointment: Gujarat Cong celebrates; BJP flays move
Congress workers in Gujarat Wednesday welcomed the appointment of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as a party general secretary, while the state BJP termed the move as one inspired by dynastic politics. The 47-year-old Gandhi family scion and the sister of Congress president Rahul Gandhi was earlier in the day appointed as general secretary for Uttar Pradesh East. Congress workers welcomed the decision by bursting crackers at various places in the state, including Surat. However, Gujarat BJP president Jitu Vaghani attacked the Congress, saying the opposition party is seeking to run the country like its dynasty. "Being born in the Gandhi-Nehru family gives one the guarantee to become the leader of the Congress party. But the people of the country are not going to be cheated any more now," he said. Gujarat Congress president Amit Chavda hailed the move, saying a long-pending demand of party workers has been met. Chavda tweeted: "Congratulations & Best wishes to #PriyankaGandhi ...