Page 1870 - Politics
CJI recuses from hearing challenge to appointment of Rao as acting CBI chief
Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi on Monday recused himself from hearing a plea by NGO Common Cause challenging the appointment of M. Nageswara Rao as the interim Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) after the ouster of Alok Verma.
Kamala Harris announces her 2020 US presidential bid
First Indian-origin Senator Kamala Harris Monday officially launched her campaign for the US presidential election in 2020, saying she was "honoured" to announce her bid on a day when Americans celebrate Martin Luther King Jr Day who sought inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi. A vocal critic of President Donald 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 said the icon of American civil rights movement, who .
Former Gujarat BJP minister, ex-MLA join Congress
Former Gujarat BJP minister Bimal Shah joined the opposition Congress Monday, claiming the the saffron outfit has turned into a "power-oriented party". Along with Shah, another BJP leader Anil Patel, a former Congress MLA who had crossed over to the ruling outfit after the 2007 polls, also joined the main opposition party. The development comes just ahead of the Lok Sabha polls and is being seen as a sort of boost for the Congress, which drew a blank in Gujarat in the 2014 general elections. The two were inducted into the Congress at a function held at state Congress headquarters here in the presence of key party leaders such as Ahmed Patel and GPCC president Amit Chavda. Shah was elected to the assembly from Kapadvanj in Kheda district in 1998 and again in 2002. The 57-year-old had served as the Minister of State for Transport in 1998, when Keshubhai Patel was chief minister. Shah, however, lost in the 2007 assembly polls. In the 2017 elections, he entered the arena as ..
70 per cent votes polled in Assam autonomous councils polls
About 70 per cent votes were cast in the election for three autonomous councils in Assam and passed off peacefully, a statement by Assam State Election Commission (ASEC) said Monday. The elections were held at the Rabha-Hasong, Mising and Sonowal-Kachari autonomous councils on Sunday. The highest polling was witnessed for Mising Autonomous Council with 75 per cent votes cast, the statement said. The Rabha-Hasong autonomous council has 36 seats, Mising autonomous council 35 and Sonowal-Kachari autonomous council 26 seats. The counting in all the three autonomous councils will take place on January 28, ASEC informed.
Kamala Harris enters US presidential race
California Senator Kamala Harris on Monday announced that she is running for the US presidential elections in 2020.Harris, who belongs to the Democrat party, made the announcement on ABC's "Good Morning America," reported Fox News. "I'm running for president of the United States, and I'm very excited about it," Harris said on the show.In a video, announcing her candidacy for the office, Harris said, "Justice. Decency. Equality. Freedom. Democracy. These aren't just words. They're the values we as Americans cherish. And they're all on the line now. The future of our country depends on you and millions of others lifting our voices to fight for our American values. That's why I'm running for president of the United States. "I'm running to lift those voices, to bring our voices together."The Democrat Senator is the first African-American woman to announce a run for the White House in 2020.However, Harris is not the first Democrat to announce the candidacy. Earlier, Hawaii representative ..
US has 'no plans' for Syria post troops withdrawal, says former envoy
The United States does not have any plans for Syria in the future once its troops are withdrawn from the region, Washington's former anti-Islamic State (ISIS) envoy Brett McGurk said.During an interview with CBS's 'Face the Nation' on Sunday, McGurk was quoted as saying: "There is no plan for what's coming next and this increases the risk to the US forces."The statement by the envoy comes amid reports of a terrorist attack in the northern Syrian town of Manbij, last week, which claimed lives of four US military personnel and 15 civilians, Al Jazeera reported.The terrorist attack was considered to be the deadliest one since the US troops were deployed in 2014 to destroy the ISIS in the region.The ISIS-claimed attack on the US troops took place following President Donald Trump's announcement of withdrawing 2,000 troops from Syria, on December 19 last year, after declaring the ISIS to have been fully 'destroyed'.Earlier in January, President Trump's National Security Advisor John Bolton .
Pak invites Indian delegates to negotiate Kartarpur Corridor agreement
Pakistan has invited Indian delegates to negotiate and finalise the agreement on Kartarpur Corridor for which the stone breaking ceremony was held on both sides of the border in November last year.In a press release, the government on Monday said to have appointed Director-General (South Asia & SAARC) as the focal person from Pakistan's side and requested that the Government of India should also designate a focal person at its end.Pakistan has stated to have shared the draft agreement with New Delhi for the facilitation of Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit the Gurdwara, Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, through the Indian High Commission in Islamabad."This was in line with Islamic principles that advocate respect for all religions and Pakistan's policy of promoting inter-faith harmony and religious tolerance and also in line with Quaid's vision of a peaceful neighbourhood. Pakistan would continue with its efforts to bring peace and stability in the region," the press release said.According to ..
Bodo rally blames Centre for not keeping promise on statehood
A rally by leading Bodo organisations at Kokrajhar in Assam Monday demanded a separate Bodoland and blamed the BJP-led government at the Centre of not keeping its promise on the statehood which it had made when it came to power. The All Bodo Students Union (ABSU), National Democratic Front of Bodoland Progressive (NDFB-P) and Peoples Joint Action Committee for Bodoland Movement(PJACBM) participated in the rally, sources said. ABSU President Promod Boro told the rally that the BJP led government at the Centre had promised that the problems of the Bodos would be solved. "But it is now more than four and half years but the government is yet to take any policy decision on the issue". BJP had assured to fulfill the long-standing demand for the separate state before the 2014 Lok Sabha and 2016 Assembly elections "but they forgot their commitments," he said. "We believe in the Indian Constitution and are not demanding anything against the Constitution. We want a separate ...
For Lok Sabha polls, Shah to kick-start BJP's Bengal campaign with rally in border-district Malda
The BJP will kick-start its campaign in Bengal for the national elections with a public meeting by party chief Amit Shah in Malda on Wednesday, three days after Mamata Banerjee's mega rally featuring opposition leaders from across the country. Malda, a border district in north Bengal, was a Congress stronghold for decades with its politics being dominated by party veteran A B A Ghani Khan Chowdhury and his family. However, ruling Trinamool Congress have built a strong presence there after regime change in the state in 2011. "Amit Shah will start Bengal's Lok Sabha campaign from Malda district tomorrow. It will be followed by two other rallies on January 23 at Jhargram and Suri in Birbhum district," BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha said. The series of rallies were originally scheduled to begin on Sunday, however had to be postponed after Shah was taken ill and was admitted at the AIIMS in Delhi with swine flu. State BJP leaders feel Shah's rallies will help the party give a ...
Odisha BJP women members scuffle with police on gangrape
Members of the Odisha BJP women wing on Monday scuffled with the police personnel during their protest over denial of justice in the 2011 Pipili gangrape and murder case.
KoPT mooring crew strike paralyses Haldia docks
A strike by the mooring operation crew paralysed operations at Haldia Docks of the Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) since Sunday affecting trade, port officials said Monday. The striking workers are members of unions under the patronage of the ruling Trinamool Congress, they said. The development took place when the Mamata Banerjee led state government has taken a strong stand against bandhs and strikes. KoPT officials said the mooring operation crew went on strike since January 20 after the port authorities tried to take action against some workers who were not found on duty though they had registered their attendance. The strike continued on Monday causing huge damage to trade and the port operation which was growing at 12 per cent, the officials said. Though 19 mooring workers had registered their attendance for the shift, only 11 were present during an inspection, they said. Around 28 foreign liners are stranded at Sandheads to enter the port carrying mostly dry bulk ...
Suicide attack on Kurdish-US convoy in Syria kills 5: Monitor
A suicide car bomb attack on a military convoy in Syria's Hasakah province on Monday killed five members of a Kurdish-led force accompanying US-led coalition troops, a war monitor reported.
Parrikar's mind is sharp, but he needs rest: Congress
Ailing Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's mind is sharp, but physically he looks unwell and needs rest, Goa's Opposition leader and Congress MLA Chandrakant Kavlekar told reporters here on Monday.
Maha plans 'yellow revolution' with SHGs to address egg demand
The Maharashtra government is planning a "yellow revolution" with self help groups (SHGs) to address the growing demand for eggs, state Rural Development Minister Pankaja Munde said here Monday. Munde said the government has decided to set up egg collection centres at villages as part of the effort and private players, with whom the government would tie-up, would buy them. She said the project will be launched in Palghar and Dhule districts to begin with. The launch of the initiative will be formally declared on January 23, when Governor C Vidyasagar Rao will inaugurate the annual Mahalaxmi Saras Exhibition, Munde said. The exhibition, which gives an opportunity to SHGs to sell their products, will see 30 states taking part and have 511 stalls, including 70 selling food, she informed. It will be held till February 4 at MMRDA ground in Bandra-Kurla Complex here. "We have made a new resolution. Like there was a green revolution, we have planned a yellow revolution," she ...
BJP suffered for changing names of govt schemes: Gehlot
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said the BJP "suffered" in the state because it changed the name of existing government schemes when it was in power and "now it's time" for it to face defeat at the Centre. Gehlot cited the example of the previous BJP government's decision to rename the Rajiv Gandhi Seva Kendra as Atal Seva Kendra to say that the saffron party will have to repent for changing names of government schemes. He said the Congress government in Rajasthan has decided to retain the name. "The scheme will remain Rajiv Gandhi Seva Kendra and we have directed the chief secretary to take further action," he told reporters outside Rajasthan Assembly. He said nobody would have objected had the BJP government named a new scheme after their leader. "Be it Centre or state, they did not leave any chance to change names. Such thinking develops bitterness and spoils ambience. They did not realise and now they will have to suffer. They have already suffered in Rajasthan and now it's .
Oppn rally has shaken the base of Modi govt, claims TMC
The Trinamool Congress on Monday hit back at Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for his remarks dismissing the 'Mahagathbandhan' as "unviable and unworkable" and claimed the mega opposition rally by Mamata Banerjee has shaken the "very base" of the BJP-led central government. "For the last two days (since Saturday) be it the prime minister or other central ministers everybody is talking about this rally. Though Mamata Banerjee is not in the government at the centre, she seems to be in it. That is why despite being sick Jaitleyji is making such comments," TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee said. "The BJP has realized that their days are numbered ... It seems the rally has shaken the very base of the Modi government," he said. In a Facebook post, Jaitley had on Monday dismissed the Mahagathbandhan' as unviable and unworkable and had said it is going to be advantage BJP in the next general election as an aspirational society will not commit a "collective suicide" by voting for a ...
Cyber expert claims India's 2014 general election was 'rigged'
An Indian cyber expert, seeking political asylum in the US, Monday claimed that the 2014 general election was "rigged" through the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), which, he says, can be hacked. Addressing a press conference in London via Skype, the man, identified as Syed Suja, said he fled India in 2014 because he felt threatened in the country after the killing of some of his team members. He claimed the telecom giant Reliance Jio helped the BJP to get low frequency signals to hack the EVMs. Shuja said the BJP would have won Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh elections if his team hadn't intercepted the BJP attempts to hack the transmissions in these states. The outlandish and explosive claims, made in a cloak and dagger manner, could not be immediately confirmed. He claimed he was part of a team at the public sector Electronic Corporation of India Ltd (ECIL), which designed and developed the EVMs. He was presented at a press conference organised by the Indian ...
Khaira takes dig at Mann's never to drink again promise
Taking a dig at AAP leader Bhagwant Mann's announcement at a rally in Barnala, former party leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira said Monday the gathering appeared to have been called only to declare that Mann had quit drinking. "I was upset over the AAP rally as no serious discussion related to Punjab took place. The rally seemed to be 'Sharab Chhaddao' rally of Bhagwant Mann," Khaira told reporters here. "If any announcement was to be made on giving up liquor (by Mann), that's a personal decision and such an announcement is not made in presence of thousands of people. It should not be meant to seek votes," he said. Mann revealed on Sunday that he had given up drinking on his mother's advice. He said he had given up drinking as of January 1 and hoped to stay firm on his resolve for the rest of his life. Mann, who is often criticised by political opponents for "excessive drinking", earned high praise from AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal for giving up alcohol. Khaira said Mann's announcement from ..
Thousands of vacancies in Delhi govt depts will be filled after powers related to service matters given to us: Rai
There are thousands of posts lying vacant in various departments of the Delhi government which will be filled only after powers related to service matters are given to the ruling dispensation, AAP minister Gopal Rai said Monday. Inaugurating a job fair organised by the Employment department of the Delhi government, the minister said over 13,000 youth will be recruited at the two-day event being participated by 76 private companies. "There are thousands of posts lying vacant in different departments of the Delhi government, but it is not able to fill them due to lack of powers in service matters," the Employment minister said at the job fair held at the Thyagraj stadium. Whether the Delhi government or the office of the Lt Governor has the power regarding service matters is yet to be decided by the court. "If the government gets powers in service matters, the vacancies in various Delhi government departments will be filled up expeditiously," said the minister. A government official ...
BJP knocks at EC door, demands action against AAP for propaganda on deletion of voters' names in Delhi
Under sustained attack from the AAP over alleged illegal deletion of 30 lakh voters' names in the national capital, the BJP Monday knocked at the door of the Election Commission seeking action against Delhi's ruling party for levelling "unfounded allegations" with the aim to dent the faith of people in the poll panel. A delegation of the BJP's Delhi unit, headed by its president Manoj Tiwari, demanded the commission de-recognise the Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) for carrying out "baseless and scurrilous propaganda" against it. "It is being portrayed as if the Election Commission is under the clutches of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)," according to a memorandum submitted by the delegation. Tiwari said the Chief Election Commissioner has assured appropriate action in the matter, and added his party might approach the high court against the AAP's "propaganda". AAP leaders, including party head and chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, have alleged the names of about 30 lakh voters, especially ...