Page 1869 - Politics
Opposition alliance at national-level neither practical nor relevant: Prakash Karat
A nationwide grand-alliance of opposition parties is neither practical nor relevant, CPI(M) Politburo member Prakash Karat said Monday, adding that in all probability there would be state-specific alliances. Karat said CPI(M) would forge alliance with secular parties depending on prevailing situation. "A state-specific opposition alliance is likely to take place in the upcoming general election as the mahagatbandhan is neither practical nor has a relevance," he told reporters here. Efforts should be made to unite the main forces in the states to defeat the BJP and state specific-alliances are likely to happen for the upcoming elections, including that in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, he added. The senior CPI(M) leader was in the steel city to take part in a function organized to mark the 200th birth anniversary of Karl Marx. He said the CPI(M) will not compromise with its policies and the party has set if focus on three targets for the upcoming polls. The first is to .
Netanyahu: Iran to face consequences for threatening Israel
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Monday that Iran would face consequences for threatening Israel, hours after Israeli fighter jets struck targets in Syria's capital Damascus.
Centre delaying Jalpaiguri circuit bench inauguration: Mamata
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday accused the BJP-led central government of delaying inauguration of Calcutta High Court's Jalpaiguri circuit bench. She said though the circuit bench was ready for formal inauguration, "politics" of the central government caused a delay. "We have completed the Jalpaiguri circuit bench of the Calcutta High Court and it is ready for inauguration. It's getting delayed because of Delhi (the central government). They do not work but only indulge in politics... This is nothing new," Banerjee said. The CM was talking to reporters while inaugurating the 'Uttar Banga Utsav' here. Urging the people to have faith in her government, she said it would continue the developmental works in the northern part of the state. "Since coming to power, we have given you what we had promised. So much developmental work is being done. I come here every three to four months, which had never happened earlier (in the Left Front regime). "Don't be .
Meghalaya CM launches Whatsapp based grievance redressal
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma Monday launched the Whatsapp-based grievance redressal system where people can write to him directly of their grievances and assured genuine grievances will be resolved. The Chief Minister said at the launch ceremony at his chamber that the whatsapp-based mechanism is an attempt to directly connect with the people. "The idea to have this platform is to allow people to express their concerns and grievances directly to the chief ministers office," he said. The Chief Minister said that a lot of problems are there at the grass-root level because the people are not able to connect with the right authorities. "A dedicated team would share the information received through the system with the concerned departments," he said, adding that his office would also take note of concerns received anonymously.
National Women's Party launched
The launch of a political party exclusively for women was announced in Mumbai Monday with the motto of empowerment of the fair sex. Announcing the formation of the National Women's Party (NWP), its founder-president Dr Swetha Shetty said apart from ensuring empowerment of women, the issues like getting 50 per cent reservation for them in Parliament and state assemblies, and betterment of soldiers and farmers, are their top priorities. Dr Shetty, a medical practitioner-cum- activist from Hyderabad, said the NWP will contest 283 Lok Sabha seats - half of total seats - in upcoming polls. "We are the party of mothers. Our initiative is a historic step in mission to guarantee equal representation in Parliament. The objective behind formation of this party is to remove gender disparity in politics," Dr Shetty said in a press conference here. She said the battle to get reservation for women in parliament and assemblies has been going on inconclusively for the last 20 ...
US-based self-claimed cyber expert says 2014 elections were rigged, poll panel denies allegations
In a sensational claim, a US-based self-claimed cyber expert Syed Shuja on Monday said the 2014 Lok Sabha elections were "rigged" and even claimed that BJP leader Gopinath Munde was "killed" as he knew about the "hacking" of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), a claim debunked by the Election Commission of India.
Cong rubbishes speculation on Narayan Rane rejoining party
The Congress in Maharashtra Monday sought to scotch speculation that former chief minister Narayan Rane was planning to return to the party fold ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. The speculation started following a statement attributed to senior Maharashtra Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat which appeared in a section of the media. Thorat, a CWC member, said he was asked about a media report in Ahmednagar to which he responded that he wasn't aware about it. "I just questioned if Rane was happy in the BJP," he told PTI when asked about the reports on the Rajya Sabha MP rejoining the Congress which were attributed to him. Maharashtra Congress president Ashok Chavan, who is in Sindhudurg district for the last phase of the 'Jan Sampark Abhiyan' launched by the party, told reporters that Thorat has denied the statement attributed to him. "Thorat spoke to me and categorically denied what is being attributed to him. There is no talk of re-inducting Narayan Rane into the party," ...
Cyber expert's EVM hacking claims a 'hacking horror show' by Congress: BJP
Rejecting an India cyber expert's claim that the 2014 general election was rigged, the BJP Monday described this explosive allegation as a "hacking horror show organised" by the Congress, and said the opposition party has begun looking for an excuse for its likely defeat in the next Lok Sabha polls. In a sharp attack on the Congress, Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said its leader Kapil Sibal's presence at the press conference in London was not a coincidence. Naqvi alleged that top Congress leaders, including its president Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi, would have sent Sibal as their "postman". "Electronic Voting Machines cannot be hacked. What is clear is that anti-India forces have hacked into the mind of Congress. What we have seen is a hacking horror show organised by the Congress ahead of its defeat in Lok Sabha polls. It is looking for an excuse for its impending loss," the BJP leader told reporters. He said these allegations were part of an exercise to "defame" ...
Over 85 per cent polling in first phase of panchayat polls in
Over 85 per cent polling was recorded in the first phase of the panchayat elections of Telangana held Monday, poll officials said. This is the first ever polls for panchayats after the formation of the State in 2014. As many as 41.56 lakh people exercised their franchise against 48.46 lakh eligible voters in the first phase, an official communication said. Polling began at 7 am and ended at 1 pm even as counting was taken up from 2 pm. Though 4,479 panchayats were scheduled to go the polls in the first phase, the election was declared unanimous in 769 panchayats, and election to another nine was cancelled due to other reasons. As many as 12,202 candidates are contesting for sarpanch posts in 3,701 panchayats while 70,094 candidates are in the fray for 28,974 wards, a senior official of the State Election Commission had earlier said. Though the elections are held without any involvement of political parties and party symbols, all major political parties have thrown their .
Do not wilt under pressure,keep backbone straight: 'Shotgun'
Disgruntled BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha on Monday took a veiled dig at party spokesman Rajiv Pratap Rudy, saying he could only feel sympathy for the former union minister who has been under lot of pressure because of being sidelined. Sinha, who refrained from mentioning Rudy by name, was criticized by the Saran MP on Saturday when he appeared at the opposition rally in Kolkata and tore into the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah with the remark if speaking the truth is an act of rebellion, then count me as a rebel. I was not surprised by the statement about me by a young spokesperson of the party who has been an old friend. Some people are saying that my young friend has been under lot of pressure because of being sidelined and that we should only feel sympathy for the young man, who seems to have been forced to make statements like these, or probably strives to keep himself relevant, the actor-turned-politician and Patna Sahib MP tweeted. Rudy had
I change my landing location too, BJP misleading people: West Bengal CM on Amit Shah's chopper landing
Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government has denied permission to the state BJP to land the helicopter of party president Amit Shah at Malda airstrip here citing ongoing construction work on the runway. The chopper has however been allowed to land at another venue.Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, "Permission has been given but there was security issues. Police had said that the chopper should land at some other place. I also change my chopper's landing on police request. We have granted permission for the meeting as we believe in democracy. They (BJP) are distorting information and misleading people."Additional District Magistrate of Malda in a letter dated January 18 had responded to BJP request to land Shah's chopper on January 20 stating that airstrip was unsuitable for landing since construction was underway."Up-gradation work at Malda airport is going on. Sand and material are lying around. Therefore the airport is not suitable for safe landing of the helicopter and so the .
WB govt blocking events, fears our prominence in country: BJP
The BJP on Monday said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government is creating hindrances for the party to hold any event in the state as it fears the rise of BJP's prominence in the country, especially in the Left-dominated states like Tripura.Addressing a press conference here, Union Minister of Railways Piyush Goyal said: "Mamata didi has probably started seeing the whole picture clearly now. She is afraid now; she can clearly see the BJP's domination, Modi ji's bond with the people. The West Bengal government has dedicated itself solely to the purpose of creating hindrances for every event organised by the BJP in the state".Goyal's remarks came after the West Bengal government, earlier today, denied permission for BJP president Amit Shah's chopper to land at the Malda airstrip ahead of his rally on Tuesday.Additional District Magistrate of Malda, in a letter dated January 18, had responded to the BJP's request to land Shah's chopper on January 20 stating that ...
Two parties launch new political front in Odisha to take on
Two fringe political parties Monday joined hands and launched a front with the sole objective of ousting the ruling BJD from power in the coming twin elections in Odisha. Samata Kranti Dal headed by former MP Braja Kishore Tripathy and Utkal Bharat led by former MP Kharavel Swain announced formation of the new political front Odisha Democratic Front. The two ex-MPs said the new political front aimed at defeating BJD in the coming Lok Sabha and state assembly election and announced to field candidates in all the 147 assembly seats in the state. Claiming that the BJD government has made Odisha poor during its 18 year-long rule, they said the Odisha Democratic Front will emerge as an alternative. They alleged that a large number of people are migrating to other states from Odisha in search of jobs and the state government has failed to create employment opportunities for the local youths. The Front leaders also criticised the state government and the chief minister ...
Controversy over MEA booklet featuring MJ Akbar at Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas
A row has erupted over distribution of a booklet featuring M J Akbar, who resigned as Minister of State for External Affairs following allegations of sexual misconduct by several women, to delegates at the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas here. However, sources in the ministry said Akbar is not at all associated with the event and that the booklet was published in May last year, months before he quit as minister. The booklet highlighted achievements of the MEA in the last four years and all the ministers in the MEA featured in it. Akbar had resigned as junior External Affairs Minister in the wake of allegation of sexual misconduct during his tenure as a senior editor. The alleged incidents came to light during the #metoo movement. Akbar had denied the allegations. "The booklet was published months before Akbar quit as a minister. An unnecessary controversy is being created which is very unfortunate," said a government official. In the booklet, Akbar also features in the inside pages as part of
Coming LS polls going to be India versus PM Modi, says Congress leader Singhvi
The coming Lok Sabha poll is going to be India versus Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi here on Monday.Comparing Prime Minister Modi with King Louise XV, Singhvi said that the BJP leaders and members have become court jesters and yes-puppets trying to fulfill the 'I, me and myself syndrome of one person.'Talking to media persons here, Singhvi said that Prime Minister Modi was misleading the entire nation by poking fun at alliances forgetting that his own "unholy" alliance in Kashmir."Modi has just come out of the world's most unholy alliance in Jammu and Kashmir. Not only did he enter into an alliance but also ditched it midway after running for four years two governments one in Jammu and one in Kashmir. It is this Prime Minister and the BJP sermonising us about alliances," said Singhvi.Singhvi further said the BJP in 1977-78 was in alliance with the Left and late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had entered an alliance with them."They .
Rahul to visit R'than next month
Congress president Rahul Gandhi will visit Rajasthan for a day next month to address a national convention of the Seva Dal, the grassroots frontal organisation of the party. "The Congress president will be on a one-day visit to Rajasthan in the second week of February, where he will address a national convention of the Seva Dal," state Congress chief and Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot informed. The final programme is yet to be decided, but the convention is most likely to take place in Ajmer, Pilot added.
Assam govt committed to safeguard Jati, Mati, Bheti of indigenous people
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal asserted on Monday that the state government is committed to safeguard 'Jati, Mati, Bheti' (Race, Land and Homeland) and to work to protect the rights of the indigenous people. Sonowal, trying to allay fears triggered by the proposed Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, said the government will "never step back in protecting their interests". He urged the prominent student union AASU and other intelligentsia to extend their cooperation to enable the government to ensure protection of the rights of indigenous people of Assam as per the tenets of the Assam Accord. The NDA government in Assam never played "hide and seek" with the core agenda concerning the interests of the people of Assam and is committed to safeguard 'Jati, Mati, Bheti' of the indigenous people, he said. It had therefore ensured fortification and completion of fencing of the Indo-Bangla border to defeat any evil design of intrusion across the border, Sonowal said inaugurating the .
Iran's gas output has risen 35 percent compared with 2012
LONDON (Reuters) - Iran's gas output has risen 35 percent compared with 2012, the oil minister said on Monday.
RSS affliates warn against farm loan waiver in interim budget (IANS Special)
Four BJP governments in states had rolled out farm loan waiver schemes but RSS affiliates have strongly warned against these in the interim budget, saying such a move would only worsen the agrarian crisis and put further pressure on the banks.
Kushwaha dares Sushil Modi to contest Lok Sabha polls
Rashtriya Lok Samta Party chief Upendra Kushwaha Monday dared Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha poll and claiming that even a humble worker of his party was capable of defeating the veteran BJP leader in an electoral contest. The former Union minister made the remark while replying to a recent comment by state BJP president Nityanand Rai who had said that he would seek re-election from Ujiyarpur Lok Sabha seat and challenged Kushwaha, besides RJD heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav, to engage with him in an electoral fight. What to say on his comments. The senior most leader of his party Sushil Kumar Modi has been shy of contesting elections and choosing the legislative council route.I challenge Modi to contest the polls. Even a humble (adnaa saa) activist of the RLSP is capable of defeating him. Let the Deputy CM and his party accept this challenge, Kushwaha who quit the NDA and joined the Grand Alliance last month- told ...