Page 1850 - Politics
In Amethi, Rahul renews attack over Rafale
Visiting his home turf Wednesday, Congress president Rahul Gandhi renewed his attack on Prime Minister Narendra over the Rafale aircraft deal, accusing the watchman of giving Rs 30,000 crore to industrialist Anil Ambani. The charge has 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 constituency falls. Against the backdrop of an alliance between Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party that has excluded the Congress, Gandhi made it clear that his party was all set to give a tough fight in the state in the coming Lok Sabha election. Now the Congress will work to install its own chief minister here. We will form the next government at the Centre, and will contest with full strength in UP." Speaking at an event in Paraiya Naseerabad village, Gandhi alleged that Modi helped Ambani get a ...
BJP's Vijay Goel meets Delhi's Chief Electoral Officer, demands action against AAP
Union minister Vijay Goel Wednesday met Delhi's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Ranbeer Singh and demanded action against the AAP and its leaders for running a "misinformation" campaign on the basis of allegations that names of 30 lakh voters have been deleted in Delhi. BJP also demanded that AAP convener and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal apologise to people for the "propaganda". "The Chief Electoral Officer should conduct inquiry and take appropriate action against false propaganda by the AAP," Goel said in a statement. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its leaders including Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal have been spreading "misinformation" by making "unsubstantiated allegations" of deletion names of 30 lakh voters in Delhi, he said after meeting the CEO. Surprisingly, names of less than 3.5 lakh votes have been deleted as against AAP's claim of 30 lakh. Deletion of voters' names in case of death, change in address or due to multiple entries is a normal process and every year 1-1.5 lakh ...
US: Senate to vote to reopen govt
Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell struck an agreement with Minority leader Chuck Schumer to vote on the two proposals suggested to reopen the government which has been shut partially for over a month now.According to The Hill, the two votes will take place on Thursday. With Republicans having a 53-47 majority, the decision still hangs in balance as there is no guarantee that either measure will pass the Senate."The opportunity to end all this is staring us right in the face … All that needs to happen is for our Democratic colleagues to agree that it's time to put the country ahead of politics, take yes for an answer and vote to put this standoff behind us," McConnell said.The funding bills require 60 votes for passage.The first voting will be on the measure that was suggested by US President Donald Trump in which he proposed legal protections for some immigrants for three years in exchange for 5.7 billion USD for a border wall.It seems difficult that the bill will manage to get ..
EVM hacking row: Telangana BJP leader files complaint against Sibla, Syed Shuja
Telangana BJP leader G. Kishan Reddy on Wednesday filed a complaint against Congress leader Kapil Sibal and Cyber expert Syed Shuja for falsely accusing him and his party for tampering EVMs.In his complaint, Reddy also alleged that Syed Shuja has wrongly accused him of killing 11 people during communal clashes reported in May of 2014 in Kishanbagh of Rajendranagar abutting Hyderabad's Old City.Speaking to ANI over the phone, Kishan Reddy said: "Along with BJP leaders, I met Telangana DGP Mahender Reddy today to lodge a complaint against Sibal. I have asked police to file a case on him for spreading rumours about me that I was involved in the killing of 11 persons and tampering of EVMs.""A detailed investigation should also be conducted by police on Shuja for levelling baseless allegations against me. DGP has responded positively on the complaint submitted by us and assured us of taking appropriate action in this regard," he added. Kishan Reddy on Tuesday refuted all charges and ...
For some parties, family is the party: PM Modi
Hours after Priyanka Gandhi was formally ushered into active politics, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday took a veiled dig at the Congress party saying "for some parties, the family is the party".Contrasting it with his party, Prime Minister Modi said: "For the BJP, the party is the family".Priyanka, the 47-year-old daughter of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and sister of Congress president Rahul Gandhi, will take charge of her responsibility from February first week. She will be working in the capacity of General Secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh East, the party announced on Wednesday.While addressing party workers from Maharashtra's Baramati, Gadchiroli, Hingoli, Nanded and Nandurbar through video conferencing, the Prime Minister also hit out at the West Bengal government stating that the Mamata Banerjee-led government is scared of conducting free and fair elections as they fear defeat.He said, "The West Bengal government does not want polls to be conducted in a free and ...
Priyanka's entry will strengthen Congress and oust BJP from power :Scindia
Congress MP Jyotiraditya Scindia on Wednesday said Priyanka Gandhi was inducted as general secretary to strengthen his party and oust the BJP from power."The aim is to strengthen the Congress party. Congress and all those parties who are similar to its ideology have the same aim of ousting BJP from power in Lok Sabha elections 2019," said Scindia."Our government will work for the farmers and the youngsters," he added.Priyanka Gandhi Vadra finally entered active politics formally, with the Congress on Wednesday giving her the charge of boosting the party's fortunes in eastern Uttar Pradesh in run up to the Lok Sabha polls.The 47-year-old daughter of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and sister of CongressPresident Rahul Gandhi will take charge of her responsibility from February first week.
India to engage 12 African nations in joint military exercise
India will engage with 12 African nations in a joint military exercise in Pune in March this year.The final planning for the exercise named 'Indian Africa Field Training Exercise (IAFTX)-2019' will be done at a conference in Pune on 23-24 January. The conference will also work out the modalities for the exercise.Indian Army informed through a press-release that the delegates from Egypt, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, South Africa, Tanzania, Namibia, Mozambique, Uganda, Niger, Zambia will attend the conference.The exercise is happening at a time when the Chinese military has spread its tentacles in Africa through military hardware cooperation. The joint training exercise is being conducted with more than a dozen African countries and India."It aims at synergizing humanitarian action and joint peace operations. The initial planning conference for the exercise was held in December 2018," the release said.The IAFTX-2019 is perceived as a positive step towards growing political and ...
With a 'mission', Cong inducts Priyanka as in charge of Eastern UP
Seeking to inject fresh energy into the party, the Congress on Wednesday formally ushered Priyanka Gandhi Vadra into the party fold on "a mission" to transform its fortunes ahead of the Lok Sabha elections due in a few months.Priyanka, whose formal entry into politics has been a matter of speculation for several years, was given the charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh, a state which always plays a key role in the formation of the central government as 80 out of 543 Lok Sabha seats are at stake there.She will be working in the capacity of General Secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh East, the Congress announced on Wednesday.The 47-year-old daughter of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and sister of Congress President Rahul Gandhi will take charge of her responsibility as AICC General Secretary from February first week.Rahul, who made the appointment, said in Amethi that Priyanka has been given "a mission" of creating a "space" for the Congress and push the party's "true ideology which involves .
Priyanka's induction will help party form next govt in UP: Rahul
Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday expressed hope that Priyanka Gandhi's formal entry into the party will help the Congress form the next government in Uttar Pradesh.Rahul Gandhi while addressing the voters in his parliamentary constituency said, "At the Centre we (Congress) will have an alliance government, whereas in Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi has been made the incharge of eastern UP, now Congress party will have its Chief Minister here".Rahul made the statement in the backdrop of his sister Priyanka Gandhi's induction in the Congress party as its General Secretary.Priyanka has also been appointed as the in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh in run-up to Lok Sabha polls. While targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allegedly failing to deliver on his poll promises, Rahul said that if Congress government comes to power at centre in 2019, 50,000 jobs will be created in 24 hours.He also highlighted that in, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, where the Congress ..
Maldivian minister's visit: India, Maldives to strengthen Defence ties
India and Maldives will discuss ways of further strengthening Defence ties between the two countries during the visit of Maldivian Defence Minister Mariya Ahmed Didi here on Thursday.During her visit, the two sides are likely to discuss cooperation for maritime surveillance and extend training facilities.The Maldivian Defence Minister will meet her Indian counterpart Nirmala Sitharaman along with a senior delegation including the Defence forces chiefs.This is Maldivian Defence Minister's first visit outside her country, as she had wanted to visit India as her first destination outside Male.The delegation of the Maldivian Minister includes Chief of Defence Major General Abdulla Shamaal, and Coast Guard director Lieutenant Colonel Mohamed Saleem.
Priyanka faces uphill task if Congress' performance in 2014 is taken into consideration
Priyanka Gandhi, who was on Wednesday given the charge of boosting the Congress' prospects in crucial Uttar Pradesh for the Lok Sabha polls faces an uphill task, if the party's performance in the last Lok Sabha elections is taken into consideration.The 47-year-old daughter of UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and sister of Congress President Rahul Gandhi has been made General Secretary in-charge of East Uttar Pradesh.Her formal entry into politics and being given the charge of Uttar Pradesh assumes significance as the state, where 80 out of 543 Lok Sabha seats are at stake, plays a crucial role in the formation of the central government.In boosting the party's prospects, Priyanka's challenge will involve taking on two formidable political formations - BJP-led NDA and SP-BSP alliance.About 42 Lok Sabha seats fall in the region whose charge will be under her.The major constituencies that fall in the region under her charge include Varanasi, Amethi, Rae Bareli, Gorakhpur, Lucknow, Azamgarh, ..
Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit India: Report
Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit India, likely in February or March, to bolster ties with New Delhi amid Beijing's heightening tensions with the United States, a media report has said.The Nikkei Asian Review, quoting sources, said Xi hopes to visit India ahead of the general elections due in May. It quoted an Indian source as saying the visit could be in February, while a Chinese source said it would take place after China holds its National People's Congress in Beijing in March.Xi is expected to discuss with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi measures to defuse border tensions, as well as propose deals to expand imports of Indian farm products and increase cooperation in advanced technologies, the Nikkei said quoting sources.The visit, when it occurs, is expected to see the two sides work to take forward the diplomatic initiatives taken during the informal summit in Wuhan, China, in April 2018 between Prime Minister Modi and Xi Jinping.The Wuhan summit had helped ...
Sonowal welcomes Union Cabinet decision to strengthen NE
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal Wednesday welcomed the Union Cabinet's decision to approve constitutional amendments to increase powers of the autonomous councils in the Sixth Schedule areas of the Northeastern region. In a statement, Sonowal thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the decision taken by the Union Cabinet. The constitutional amendments will significantly improve the financial resources and administrative powers of the autonomous district councils of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura. The decision has once again brought to fore the prime minister's love for the Northeastern region, the chief minister said. The amendment will also fulfill the commitments made under tripartite Memorandum of Settlements signed by the Centre, state governments of Assam and Meghalaya, and others for speedier socio-economic and educational development in the area, he added.
No entry for heavy vehicles from Noida to Delhi from R-Day eve
The movement of heavy goods vehicles towards Delhi from Noida will not be allowed from January 25 night till the culmination of the Republic Day parade in the city, the traffic police here said. The Gautam Buddh Nagar Traffic Police has issued an advisory cautioning against parking heavy goods vehicles on the road side in order to not obstruct road the traffic movement. A similar ban was put in place in Gautam Buddh Nagar from Tuesday night till Wednesday afternoon in view of the Republic Day rehearsals in Delhi, Superintendent of Police, Traffic, Anil Kumar Jha said. "In view of the Republic Day parade, heavy vehicles will not be allowed to move from Noida to Delhi from the night of January 25 till the ceremony ends in the national capital," he said. During the period, parking of heavy vehicles in bordering areas of the capital will also not be allowed, the traffic police said in the advisory, requesting people to obey the rules. The Republic Day parade in Delhi will start at 9.50 am
Mauritian PM calls on Kovind in Varanasi
Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth Wednesday called on President Ram Nath Kovind here and discussed ways to boost bilateral trade, investment and strategic cooperation. The meeting on the sidelines of the 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with Jugnauth here on ways to boost bilateral trade and investment, including finalisation of a comprehensive economic partnership agreement, and expand cooperation in 'blue economy' sectors. In his meeting with Jugnauth, Kovind said India-Mauritius bilateral relations are enduring and time-tested, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said. The two leaders discussed bilateral trade and investment and strategic cooperation, he said. Jugnauth, who is on an official visit to India from January 20-28, is accompanied by his wife Kobita Jugnauth and a high-level delegation comprising Cabinet ministers, including Minister of Information Technology Yogida Sawmynaden, Education ...
Cong to contest both assembly and LS elections alone in AP, says Chandy
After its pre-poll alliance with the TDP in neighbouring Telangana came a cropper, the Congress Wednesday asserted it would contest on its own the upcoming elections in Andhra Pradesh, both to the state Assembly and the Lok Sabha. AICC general secretary and former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy made the assertion while making it clear that the Congress will not have any alliance with the ruling Telugu Desam Party(TDP) in Andhra Pradesh. "We will contest all 175 Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats alone. "The TDP allied with us only at the national level, so we will have no truck (with it) in the state," he maintained. Addressing a press conference after a meeting of the PCC office-bearers here, Chandy said they would meet again on January 31 to discuss about the poll preparations. The state Congress also decided to undertake a bus yatra in all the 13 districts in February, he said. APCC president N Raghuveera Reddy said they left the decision of electoral alliances to AICC president .
Priyanka can do no magic: SP
A Samajwadi Party leader said on Wednesday that Congress President Rahul Gandhi's sister Priyanka Gandhi, appointed General Secretary in charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh, won't be able to do "chamatkar" (magic) in the Lok Sabha elections.
Priyanka Gandhi's appointment likely to change pecking order in Congress
The pecking order in the Congress appears to have changed on Wednesday with the appointment of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as General Secretary.
Become part of India's growth story, change 'brain-drain' to 'brain-gain': Kovind to NRIs
Asserting that India is going through a transformation of "unprecedented scale", President Ram Nath Kovind Wednesday asked NRIs and Indian-origin people to become a part of the country's growth story and change the "brain-drain" of the past to the "brain-gain" of the present. Kovind, while delivering the valedictory address on the third and the final day of the 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, said the India of today is a land of billion ideas and billion opportunities. He said the last few years have seen a sea-change in the way India engages with its people abroad. "Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has worked hard to connect its 1.3 billion people with its 31-million-strong diaspora," Kovind said. India is going through a transformation of unprecedented scale and the Indian story today is one of inclusivity and progress, he said in the presence of Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Uttar Pradesh Chief ...
Priyanka enters active politics as Cong gen sec; creates political ripples
Ending years of fevered speculation, Gandhi family scion Priyanka Gandhi Vadra formally entered politics on Wednesday with her brother and Congress president Rahul Gandhi appointing her as general secretary for Uttar Pradesh East, which also comprises Lok Sabha seats of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and state chief minister Yogi Adityanath. Signalling the Congress' intent to go full throttle in the state ahead of the high-stakes general elections, Priyanka's appointment immediately became a point of political debate with leaders of Congress and its allies welcoming it saying she will be a "great success" for the party while the BJP dubbed her entry into active politics "as an admission by the Congress that its president Rahul Gandhi has failed in providing leadership". Priyanka will take over her new assignment from the first week of February, a statement from the party said. The 47-year-old will assist her brother, Rahul, in the Hindi heartland state, which was party's stronghold till