Page 1901 - Politics
Trump-Deutsche Bank links in sights of U.S. House investigators
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats now in control of the U.S. House of Representatives are working out which House panels will take the lead in investigating President Donald Trump's business ties to Deutsche Bank, lawmakers and aides familiar with the plans told Reuters.
UP cabinet approves 10% reservation scheme of Centre
The Uttar Pradesh cabinet on Friday approved the central government's scheme of 10 per cent reservation in government jobs to the economically weaker section in general category.Following suit of the other BJP ruled states like Gujarat and Jharkhand, the Uttar Pradesh cabinet on Friday approved the scheme in state government jobs and educational institutes run by it across the state.The cabinet informed that the scheme would be implemented from backdate i.e. January 14 this year.The Lok Sabha recently passed the Constitution (124th Amendment) Bill, 2019 in Parliament to grant 10 per cent reservation in education and government jobs to economically weaker individuals belonging to the general category, across religions.The Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha, with 165 votes in favour and seven against.
Some leaders are 'accidental', foisted into position by others: Goa Governor
In a veiled attack on former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Goa Governor Mridula Sinha on Friday said some leaders are "accidental" and "foisted into the position by others" without giving much thought whether the leader "understands issues".The comment came amidst an ongoing controversy surrounding the movie 'The Accidental Prime Minister', which is based on the life of the former Prime Minister."First of all, let us think about how many types of leaders are there... I felt, when I was concentrating in the morning, that some leaders are accidental. They are made (leaders) all of a sudden," she said at a function organised by the Goa Institute of Management at a women's leadership forum 'Pathways to Resilient Leadership' here."There are many types of leaders, some of them are even accidental, and are foisted into the position by others," the Governor added.Clearly referring to Singh, who was the Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014, Sinha said, "In appointing an 'accidental leader', much .
I will never join any political party, says actor Prakash Raj
Actor Prakash Raj, who recently announced his decision to contest the coming Lok Sabha election, said Friday he would never join any political party, alleging the parties were not honest. Raj said he had decided to contest the election as an Independent from the Bengaluru-Central constituency as "I cannot stay in any party for more than three months." "I want to be the voice of the people," he said at a press conference here. The critically-acclaimed actor, who has been active politically ever since the murder of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh here on September 5, 2017, had announced his foray into politics more than a fortnight ago. Asked whether the anger with which he has taken a plunge into politics would help him, he said, "There should be anger against dishonest people." Known for his anti-BJP stand, Raj distanced himself from the present turmoil in the Congress-JD(S) coalition government in Karnataka over alleged attempts to dislodge it by the saffron party. "At the time of .
Government appoints Rakesh Asthana as DG, BCAS
A day after the government curtailed his tenure in the CBI as Special Director, Rakesh Asthana, who had a bitter fight with ousted agency chief Alok Verma, was on Friday appointed as the new Director General of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS).
BJP promises Budget 2019 will bring relief to farmers
Rejecting the farm loan waiver as a permanent solution, the BJP on Friday said that the Centre will announce relief measures in Budget 2019 that will boost farmers economically.
Singapore former govt stalwart seeks to form new party
A former stalwart of Singapore's long-ruling government and ex-presidential candidate said Friday he is seeking to form a new party ahead of elections expected as early as this year. Analysts said the move by Tan Cheng Bock, who almost beat the ruling party's de facto candidate in the 2011 presidential race, could represent a challenge to the government's dominance of the political system. The People's Action Party (PAP) has ruled the affluent city-state since 1959 and has a tight grip on power. The forthcoming election, which they are widely expected to win, must be held by 2021 -- but speculation is mounting it will be this year. Tan's move will heap extra pressure on the government, however, with the poll coming at a sensitive time as the country's founding Lee family prepares to hand over the premiership to a new generation of leaders. Announcing he had applied Wednesday to register the new group, called the "Progress Singapore Party", Tan said the move was out of a "sense of ...
BJP not scared of any political alliance: UP deputy CM
Bharatiya Janata Party is not scared of any political alliance ahead of parliamentary elections, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma said. "BJP is capable of forming the government on its own. The opposition is day-dreaming," he said. His comments came days after Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati and Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav announced they would contest Lok Sabha polls, expected to be held in April-May, together in UP. The comments also came ahead of Saturday's rally of several anti-BJP parties being organised by TMC chief Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata, which the SP and the BSP have decided to be part of. "Those who are scared have decided to opt for alliances. They are the ones who make strategies to join hands with one to make the other lose," Sharma told reporters Thursday. "The opportunists have struck alliances in the past too, which were devoid of any policy or morality... They were not able to defeat the BJP even then," he said. Sharma said BJP has formed ...
Modi deal gifted Dassault Rs 186 crore more per Rafale: Congress
The Congress on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of compromising national security in the Rafale deal by "denying" to the IAF 90 aircraft it desperately needed and "gifted" Dassault Rs 186 crore more per aircraft at the cost of the public exchequer in the deal it signed with France.
Govt 'wronged' country on Rafale, only JPC can probe deal: Chidambaram
Firing a fresh salvo on the Rafale issue, the Congress on Friday alleged that the NDA government has wronged the country by reducing the number of aircraft bought under the deal as it "denied" the IAF the fighter jets it "desperately" needed and gave a "windfall" to Dassault Aviation by paying more per aircraft. Addressing a press conference, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said the government did not buy the 90 more aircraft needed by the Air Force and paid Rs 186 crore more to French firm Dassault, maker of Rafale, for 13 India-specific enhancements in the medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA). The former finance minister reiterated his party's demand for a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the Rafale jet deal, saying the decision is not amenable to court but to a parliamentary panel. The Congress has alleged earlier that the prime minister increased the Benchmark Price' of Rafale deal from 5.2 billion Euros to 8.2 billion Euros and that the NDA government paid
RSS swipes at BJP over soldier deaths, temple delay
Taking a swipe at the BJP-led government at the Centre, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Monday wondered why soldiers were dying on the country's borders though there is no war and on the delays in constructing the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
Big govt announcement for farmers soon: BJP farmers' wing chief
A senior leader of the ruling BJP on Friday said the Centre will soon announce a "very big decision" aimed at boosting the income of farmers. Addressing a press conference,Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) farmers' wing president Virendra Singh Mast said the government had taken a number of "historic" decisions for rural development and the agriculture sector. In the near future, a big decision will be taken for the prosperity of farmers, he told reporters here. There has been speculation that the Union government may announce a scheme to give some kind of an input cost to farmers, depending on their individual land-holdings. Mast, however, declined to share any details of the likely decision. He also said loan waiver was not a permanent solution to the problems facing the farmers of the country. Mast added that the farmers' wing of the BJP will hold its national convention at Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh next month and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address its concluding session on ...
China's Communist Party should learn from Soviet collapse, avoid mistakes: key CPC leader
As China grapples with the continued slowdown of its economy amid the trade war with the US, an influential member of the ruling Communist Party of China has reminded the CPC of the collapse of the former Soviet Union and warned against repeating mistakes that led to its demise. "One of the fatal errors (made by the Soviets) is that they followed a political system with highly centralised power. Not every socialist country does that," said Hu Deping, son of late reformist CPC general secretary Hu Yaobang whose death ultimately led to the infamous Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989. "Another (mistake) was their rigid economic system. By the same token, not all socialist countries must practise a planned economy," Hu, who belongs to the liberal group of the CPC, was quoted as saying at a seminar by the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post. Significantly in his speech Hu called on the party to "actively explore political reforms" without elaborating, further signifying the rumblings .
Bankruptcy of Yukos Oil in Russia not recognized in the Netherlands - Supreme Court
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - The bankruptcy of Yukos Oil in Russia will not be recognized in the Netherlands, the Dutch Supreme Court ruled on Friday, upholding a decision in 2017 by a lower appeals court.
Israeli minister reassures U.S. over Chinese telecoms investment
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel is taking U.S. concerns about possible cyber-security risks posed by Chinese investments into account and is in any case skilled at protecting itself from information theft, a senior Israeli official said on Friday.
Chandrababu Naidu hits out at Prime Minister
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu Friday said the country is witnessing dictatorship in the form of BJP and "autocracy" in Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Telugu Desam Party, hence, is fighting a 'just war' against the BJP, he said and asked the party cadre to gear up for the ensuing general elections that were 100 days away. Addressing a teleconference of the TDP rank and file on the occasion of party founder N T Rama Rao's 23rd death anniversary, Naidu said NTR taught them how to fight dictatorship and autocracy. "We are now witnessing dictatorship in the form of BJP, and autocracy in Narendra Modi. So, we launched a dharma poratam (just war) against them," he added. Referring to the anti-BJP parties' rally in Kolkata scheduled for Saturday, the chief minister claimed that the Telangana Rashtra Samiti and the YSR Congress were in the pro-Modi front as they were not attending it. "There are only two fronts in the country now. One is pro-Modi and the other is ...
Raj Cabinet decides to pass resolution for 33pc reservation for women in assembly
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said Friday the state cabinet has in principle decided to pass a resolution seeking 33 per cent reservation for women in legislative assembly. "In principle, it was decided yesterday to pass a resolution in legislative assembly for 33 per cent reservation for women. Congress president wants that resolution is passed in five Congress-ruled states," Gehlot told reporters outside the assembly. However, he did not say whether the resolution will be passed in this assembly session. Gehlot said former Congress president Sonia Gandhi had been fighting for reservation for women in Parliament and legislative assemblies. After a long struggle, the bill was passed in Lok Sabha but it was pending in Rajya Sabha. Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot said the bill granting reservation to women was introduced in parliament and Congress has been committed to the matter. He said it is the party's intention to pass a resolution in state assemblies where Congress has .
Odisha Cong MLA Jogesh Singh resigns amid reports of expulsion
Congress Sundargarh MLA Jogesh Singh tendered his resignation from the party on Friday on moral grounds after being suspended from the party on Thursday. He also resigned from the post of a member of Odisha Legislative Assembly.Singh was suspended from the party after allegations of anti-party activities surfaced against him. In the resignation letter submitted to the party president Rahul Gandhi, Singh stated that he was astonished by the party's decision.He wrote, "I am quite astonished about the decision taken by the disciplinary committee of the Odisha Congress Party without any show cause notice and explanation."Elaborating upon the allegations, he said: "I came to know about the so-called allegations against me, out of which one is praising Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and the second one is regarding my non-participation in an upcoming party meeting (called) by the president, AICC, to be held on Jan 25."Earlier, Naba Kishore Das, who was the Congress' Odisha working ...
Cong govt in MP will complete tenure, get re-elected: Minister
Madhya Pradesh Minister Harsh Yadav Friday said the BJP should stop "daydreaming" about returning to power in the state and claimed the Congress-led government would complete its five-year tenure and also get re-elected. The Madhya Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Minister was talking to reporters after praying at the Peetambara Peetha here, a popular Baglamukhi temple established in the 1920s. "The BJP should stop daydreaming. The Madhya Pradesh chief minister (Kamal Nath) is a management guru and the Congress government in the state will last for 10 years," Yadav said. He also claimed "many BJP MLAs were in contact with us and they en masse are going to join the Congress". Yadav's statement comes a day after BJP MLA Gopal Bhargava, the Leader of Opposition in the MP Assembly, had Thursday said the state government would collapse after general elections slated for this year. Bhargava, speaking in Damoh, had said, "This Congress government will fall own its own three ...
Will protest if Parrikar 'dodges' Assembly committee meet: Congress
Accusing ailing Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar of avoiding meeting legislators from the Opposition, state Congress President Girish Chodankar on Friday said if Parrikar continues this, the Opposition party would raise a ruckus in the forthcoming state Assembly session.