Page 1868 - Politics
Ailing Parrikar to present Goa budget on January 30
Ailing Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar would be presenting the annual budget for the financial year 2019-20 in the state assembly on January 30, it was announced here Monday. The Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the assembly, which met here under the chairmanship of Speaker Pramod Sawant, approved the agenda for the three-day-long assembly session starting from January 29. Parrikar, who also holds the finance portfolio, was present at the meeting which was attended by representatives of all political parties. "Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar would be presenting the budget on January 30," Deputy Speaker Michael Lobo told reporters after attending the BAC meeting. As per the business approved by the BAC, the first day of the session (January 29) will have Governor Mridula Sinha's address. "On January 30, there will be presentation, discussion and voting on Supplementary Demands for Grants (second batch) 2018-19 and also presentation of Annual Financial Statement ..
Pilot says Congress will win Ramgarh seat
Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister and Pradesh Congress Committee president Sachin Pilot on Monday exuded confidence that his party will win assembly election in Alwar district's Ramgarh constituency on January 28. Polling in the constituency was postponed due to the death of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate Laxman Singh ahead of the December 7 Assembly elections. With 99 seats (one short of majority) in the 200-member Rajasthan assembly, the Congress managed to wrest power from the BJP, which won 73 seats. Congress ally Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) won one seat, giving the alliance the magic number to form a government in the state. Mayawati's BSP, which also pledged its support to Congress, bagged six seats. "We are getting encouraging feedback from Ramgarh and the party will win the seat," Pilot told reporters at the PCC office here. Pilot said that there was no problem regarding stability of the government. He said the Congress government has the support of the BSP, Hanuman Beniwal's ..
Nirupam slams Maha over 'delay' in construction of metro lines
Mumbai Congress president Sanjay Nirupam Monday demanded that the metro rail lines whose construction is not taken off yet be scrapped immediately, and attacked the Maharashtra government over the "slow pace" of the work. Alleging delay, Nirupam said the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) had in 2016 claimed that the Metro line 2A, connecting Dahisar to Bandra through Mankhurd, will be ready by December 2019, but pushed the target to 2022 within six months. "While 17 stations are to be constructed on this metro route, not a single station is visible so far," he told reporters. Nirupam claimed the MMRDA had held a meeting under Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in November 2014 for underground construction of the entire 40-km Metro line 2. "However, now the government has taken a U-turn and split Metro Line 2 into 2A and 2B, thus depriving residents of the north-western suburbs of the underground metro," he alleged. The Congress leader said no ...
Mehbooba playing communal card in Jammu: BJP
Dismissing former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti's claim that Gujjar and Bakerwal communities of Jammu region were being "selectively targeted" as "white lies", the BJP Monday accused her of playing "communal card". "Mehbooba Mufti's statement about Gujjar and Bakerwal communities in Jammu are white lies and the PDP, as usual, is trying to play communal card in this peaceful region," BJP state spokesperson Balbir Ram Rattan told reporters. "Unfortunately, under the governor's nose, there is selective targeting of Gujjars and Bakerwals in Jammu and the governor's administration is not taking note of it," Mehbooba had told a press conference in Srinagar on Sunday. Terming Mufti's statement as "politics of provocation" and "highly condemnable", Rattan said "the people of Jammu region have always maintained communal harmony and never fallen pray to the divisive politics on the basis of region, religion and caste". Accusing the former chief minister of trying to create a wrong impression in
EC threatens legal action against 'EVM hackathon' organisers
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday took a serious view of an event held in London, where it was claimed that EVMs could be tampered with, and threatened legal action.In a statement, the ECI made it clear that the EVMs can't be tampered with, asserting that the machines are manufactured following "rigorous Standard Operating Procedures."The event in London was reportedly attended by Congress leader Kapil Sibal."It is being separately examined as to what legal action can and should be taken in the matter," the EC said on the 'EVM Hackathon' held in London where it was claimed that the EVMs used by the ECI can be tampered with."ECI has been wary of becoming a party to this motivated slugfest and stands by empirical facts about the fool-proof nature of ECI EVMs," the commission said.Asserting that EVM cannot be tampered with, EC said, "These EVMs are manufactured in Bharat Electronics Ltd. and Electronics Corporation of India Ltd under very strict supervisory and security ...
Karnataka Cong MLA Ganesh suspended after brawl with colleague Anand Singh
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], Jan 21 (ANI): Karnataka Congress MLA JN Ganesh was on Monday suspended from the party over his alleged brawl with fellow lawmaker Anand Singh.Ganesh was suspended by VY Ghorpade, General Secretary of the Congress' Karnataka unit on the directions of Dinesh Gundu Rao, the party's state unit president.A Special Committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara with state ministers Krishna Byre Gowda and KJ George as members to investigate the issue.Earlier in the day, Ganesh issued an apology to the family of Anand Singh after the latter was hospitalised on Sunday. He also refuted the rumours of the brawl with his colleague."I would like to apologise to the family (Anand Singh) if they're hurt. Whatever the media is reporting is false. We had a heated argument. The quarrel snowballed. He slipped and he has suffered these injuries," Ganesh said in his apology.However, the suspension apparently confirms ..
Congress, opposition doing negative politics over EVMs sensing defeat in 2019 elections: BJP
Accusing the Congress and other opposition parties of indulging in 'negative politics' over the electreonic voting machines (EVMs), the BJP on Monday hit out at them, saying that sensing defeat in the coming elections, they have started spreading such rumours.
BJP cancels Modi's Brigade rally
The proposed rally of Narendra Modi at the Brigade Parade Grounds here next month has been cancelled, the BJP said Monday, adding that the prime minister would initially attend three rallies in West Bengal starting next week. The historic ground, also known as the Maidan, was the venue for the mega Opposition rally organised by West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee last Saturday. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address three rallies in West Bengal. On January 28 (Sunday), he will address a rally at Thakurnagar in Bongaon. On February 2, he will address a rally at Siliguri in north Bengal," state Bharatiya Janata Party president Dilip Ghosh said. Modi's scheduled rally at the Brigade Parade Grounds on February 8 has been cancelled and, instead, he will be addressing a rally at Asansol -- represented by party MP Babul Supriyo -- on the same day, Ghosh said. "So far, this is the schedule." Asked why the BJP was not organising the Kolkata rally as ..
Greek MPs to vote on Macedonia deal amid political turmoil
The Greek parliament is expected to vote Thursday on a deal to change Macedonia's name to the Republic of North Macedonia amid deep social division and a crisis in centrist political parties. Lawmakers will debate the draft name-change deal between Greece and Macedonia on Wednesday and Thursday before the vote, Athens News Agency said Monday. Macedonia's parliament backed a constitutional revision to change the country's name 10 days ago. But for the deal to go through, the change must also be approved by Greek MPs. Macedonia is a former Yugoslav republic, but for most Greeks it is the name of their history-rich northern province made famous by Alexander the Great's conquests. On Sunday, clashes between police and masked protesters left several injured in Athens as tens of thousands demonstrated against the name change. According to the government, "the incidents were provoked by extremists, members of the Golden Dawn, who attempted to enter parliament". Seven people arrested on ...
EC rejects claims of EVMs rigging in 2014, says its examining legal action
The Election Commission on Monday firmly rejected claims by a US-based self-claimed cyber expert Syed Shuja that the 2014 elections were rigged, saying it was examining legal action over the "motivated slugfest".
Cyber expert alleges India's 2014 general elections 'rigged'; ECI rejects claim
A self-proclaimed US-based Indian cyber expert Monday made a sensational claim that the 2014 Lok Sabha elections was "rigged" through the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), which, he said, can be hacked, a charge rejected by the Election Commission of India. Addressing a press conference in London via Skype, the man, identified as Syed Shuja, said he fled India in 2014 because he felt threatened in the country after the killing of some of his team members. Although he appeared on screen through Skype, his face was masked. Shuja, who said he is seeking political asylum in the US, claimed the telecom giant Reliance Jio helped the BJP to get low frequency signals to hack the EVMs. He provided no proof to back up his claim. However, Jio was not in operation in 2014 and had launched its services in September 2016. Shuja, who created a flutter, also alleged that other than the BJP, the SP, BSP, AAP and Congress too are involved in rigging of the EVMs. There was no immediate reaction from ...
Jaitley rubbishes EVM rigging allegations
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Monday rubbished the allegation of rigging of the electronic voting machines (EVMs) and said the insanity of the Congress is increasingly becoming contagious. Jaitley's comments come in the backdrop of an Indian cyber expert, who is seeking political asylum in the US, claiming that the 2014 general election was "rigged" through EVMs, which are prone to hacking. "Was the Election Commission & millions of Staffers involved in manufacturing, programming of EVMs & conduct of elections during the UPA Government in collusion with the BJP - absolutely rubbish," Jaitley tweeted. He said after Rafale and the "non-existent" loan waiver to 15 industrialists, "the next big lie EVM hacking". "Does the Congress feel that the people are so gullible that they will swallow any garbage? Insanity in the Congress party is increasingly becoming contagious," said the Minister, who is in the US for medical check up. Amid claims by an Indian cyber expert that electronic
First Indian-American Senator Kamala Harris announces her 2020 US presidential bid
Kamala Harris, the first Indian-origin Senator, Monday officially launched her campaign for the US presidential election in 2020 to take on President Donald Trump, saying she was "honoured" to announce her bid on a day when Americans celebrated Martin Luther King Jr who sought inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi. A rising party star and vocal critic of President Trump, Harris, 54, is the fourth Democrat to join the battle for the party's nomination in the 2020 election. "I am running for president," Harris said in a tweet along with a simultaneously released video message. "Kamala Harris: For the People" is the theme of her campaign. If elected, she would be the first woman and woman of colour to be the president of the United States. "I love my country. This is a moment in time that I feel a sense of responsibility to stand up and fight for the best of who we are," she told the ABC News. Explaining the significance of announcing her presidential bid on Martin Luther King Jr Day, Harris ..
Sinha says he is 'closest' person who can deliver on creation of jobs, build infrastructure
Former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha threw his hat in the race for prime ministership on Monday when he declared himself as the "closest" person who could deliver on job creation, building roads, townships and industries. Sinha, a former finance minister during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led previous NDA government, also said that Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari would not succeed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he and BJP chief Amit Shah will "not retire" even if the BJP fell below the 200-seat mark in 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The former BJP lawmaker said the problem in the country was non-creation of crores of jobs and millions of kilometres of roads. India needs a leader who can make agriculture profitable and set up irrigation projects, townships and industries, he said. "We have to do a lot of work in this country... We will have to find somebody who is prepared to buy this theory and start doing it," he said. Asked who the person could be, Sinha told NDTV, "There is nobody in my ...
Modi to inaugurate 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas; to hold talks with Mauritian PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas on Tuesday in this temple town and hold talks with his Mauritian counterpart Pravind Jugnauth after the inaugural session. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj inaugurated the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas on Monday, along with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and said the Indian diaspora has dramatically changed the world's perception of Indians and India. Mauritian Premier Jugnauth arrived here in the afternoon and was received by Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh. Later, Swaraj called on the Mauritian PM and exchanged views on a range of issues, including strengthening bilateral cooperation. For the first time, the three-day-long convention is being organised from January 21 to 23 instead of January 9 to allow participants visit the Kumbh mela in Allahabad and attend the Republic Day parade here. The theme of this year's convention is 'role of Indian diaspora in building new
Senior Army officer apprises Guv of situation along LoC, border
A senior Army officer Monday met Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik and discussed the security situation along the International Border and Line of Control, especially infiltration bids from across them, a Raj Bhavan spokesman said. The General Officer Commanding, 26 Infantry Division, Maj Gen Sharad Kapoor met the governor at Raj Bhavan here and briefed him about the security situation in the area of his responsibility, the spokesman said. "During their discussions, the governor and the GOC reviewed issues relating to the pattern of infiltration from across the IB and LoC and discussed various other issues relating to overall security environment in the area," he said. The spokesman said the Army officer also extended to the governor an invitation for the Republic Day Parade. Besides the Army officer, several politicians including former ministers Hakeem Yaseen and Abdul Gani Lone too met the governor separately during the day and discussed various issues of state's interest .
Mamata 'ruined' West Bengal with politics of appeasement: Shah
Ahead of his two rallies in West Bengal, BJP president Amit Shah Monday attacked Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, saying she "ruined" the state with "politics of appeasement" and asserted his party is committed to restoring its pride. "On my two days visit to West Bengal, I will address public meetings in Malda (on Jan 22) & Jhargram (on Jan 23). BJP, under the leadership of PM Modi, is committed to restore the pride of West Bengal, which is ruined by Mamata Didi's politics of appeasement," he said in a tweet. The BJP has previously accused the state government of putting hurdles in the political programmes of its top leaders, including Shah, by denying or delaying permission for holding them. Union minister Piyush Goyal had said Banerjee was "scared" of BJP's growing popularity and that days of her government's are numbered. Shah has claimed that his party will win at least 22 of the state's 42 Lok Sabha seats in the general election. It had won only two seats in 2014.
PIL over families dominating political parties
A Public Interest Litigation was filed in the Delhi High Court on Monday alleging that a few families are dominating the political scenario of the nation and thwarting the basic mandate of the Constitution.
BJP peddling lies, alleges Trinamool over landing permission to Shah's chopper
The Trinamool Congress on Monday contested the BJP's claim that permission was denied for the landing of its president Amit Shah's helicopter in Malda, saying it was "peddling lies" after the "huge success" of the Opposition rally in West Bengal. Hitting out at the West Bengal government, Union Minister Piyush Goyal had claimed that it "is trying to block every programme of Amit Shah be it a rally, yatra or the landing of his chopper". It showed that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was "scared" of his party's growing influence in the state, he said. However, TMC leader Derek O'Brien said that the allegations were "hilarious". In a series of tweets, the Trinamool MP said that he had asked his interns to run a "fact check" on Goyal's statements. "Just asked two interns to run a #FactCheck on the Rail Mantri's press conference on #Bangla Hilarious! "FactCheck #19 After huge success of #UnitedIndiaAtBrigade rally @BJP4India peddling lies. CLAIM: Mamata Banerjee's helicopter ...
Javadekar's remark reflects BJP's fascist thinking,says Owaisi
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi Monday flayed Union minister Prakash Javadekar for his statement that there was no alternative to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and there would be "anarchy" in his absence, saying it reflected the BJP's "classic fascist mindset and thinking." The people of the country want non-BJP, non-Congress Prime Minister, Owaisi claimed and said it was going to happen and once that happens,there would definitely be anarchy and chaos within the ranks of the RSS and BJP. Taking a dig at the Opposition rally organised by Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on January 19, Javadekar had said on Sunday that they cannot present an alternative. "So the condition in the country is like if there is no Modi, there will be anarchy," he had said. Slamming Javedkar, Owaisi said, "This is the classic fascist mindset and their thinking. Every fascist thinks that hisleader is bigger than the country. The real thing is that even if there are lakhs of Modis,