Page 1911 - Politics
Opposition rally will sound the death knell for BJP: Mamata
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Thursday said the mega opposition rally being hosted by her Trinamool Congress here on January 19 would sound the "death knell" for the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls and regional parties would be the deciding factor. She also claimed that the BJP's seat count in the general election will not cross more than 125. The number of seats that the state parties will win will be much more than the BJP's, further claimed. "The federal parties, that is the regional parties, will be the deciding factor after the elections," she told newsmen here. "The rally will sound the death knell for BJP ... Obviously they (BJP) will not cross more than 125 seats," she said in reply to a question. Banerjee also visited the Brigade Parade grounds to check arrangements for the rally.
Budget Session of Assam Assembly from January 28
The Budget Session of Assam Assembly will be held from January 28 to February 26, a government release said here on Thursday. The Budget session would start with the address by the Governor. Other main government business sessions, including debates on the Motion of Thanks on the Governor's Address will be held from January 30 to February one, the release said. The release said on February 4 the government business will include Voting on Supplementary Demand for grants for 2018-2019 and Introduction, Consideration and Passing of the Assam Appropriation Bill 2019.
Mayawati trains guns at TV channels, announces nephew's entry in BSP
Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Thursday trained guns at television channels for conspiring against her party and its leadership, while also announcing that she will train her nephew for paty work."Our alliance with the Samajwadi Party and increasing popularity of our party has created unrest among the anti-Dalit leaders. These leaders, instead of fighting us directly are using TV channels to make absurd and derogatory remarks against us," the BSP supremo told ANI.The BSP chief also criticized a video which went viral where BSP workers were seen attempting to grab a piece of cake during a function to celebrate her birthday."On the auspicious occasion of my birthday, the poor people ate more and more of cake, their desire to celebrate my birthday in a grand manner was portrayed by the TV channels in a negative manner by terming the action as loot," she said.She further announced the entry of her nephew Akash Anand into the party adding that she would give him a chance to ...
Shatrughan Sinha says will attend Mamata's rally as Rashtra Manch representative
Asserting that he has not received "respect" in his party, BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha said he will attend a mega rally of opposition leaders being organised by TMC chief Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on Saturday. He will attend the rally as a representative of "Rashtra Manch", a political action group launched by former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha and supported by him, Sinha told PTI on Thursday. The actor-politician has been at odds with the BJP on several decisions taken by the BJP-led Centre, including demonetisation, and has criticised it as a "one-man show". "I will be participating in the event on behalf of Rashtra Manch...," Sinha said over phone from Mumbai, and tried to justify his decision to attend the rally saying, "Even some BJP leaders participate in the programme of the RSS." "Till now my loyalty for the party cannot be questioned. I joined BJP when it was a party of two MPs and I have always worked to strengthen it," he stressed. The BJP Lok Sabha member from Patna Sahib ..
10 pc EWS quota due to political will of my govt: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday said the Constitutional amendment to provide 10 per cent reservation to economically poor in the general category was achieved due to the political will of his government and would be implemented from this academic year. Addressing a gathering after inaugurating the 1500 bed Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Institute of Medical Science and Research, Modi said the economic reservation has been given without impacting the existing social reservations. "The new reservation will be implemented in 40,000 colleges across 900 universities in the country from this academic year. The number of seats will be increased by 10 per cent," he said. Modi said his government was committed to provide equal opportunities to all sections of the society. The Institute will be linked to the Ayushman Bharat scheme so that poor people can avail medical facilities free of cost, he said. In 100 days, seven lakh poor people have received treatment under the Pradhan ...
Commemorative coins released to mark MGR birth anniversary
Two commemorative coins in the denomination of Rs 100 and Rs 5 were released Thursday to mark the 102nd birth anniversary of late Tamil Nadu chief minister and ruling AIADMK founder M G Ramachandran which was celebrated across the state. Chief Minister K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam released the coins at a function here while floral tributes were paid to the late matinee idol-turned politician Ramachandran, popularly known as MGR. As part of birth anniversary celebrations, a 66 feet wide and 52 feet tall "Dr MGR Centenary Arch", constructed across the arterial Kamarajar road, off the famous Marina beach here, was also unveiled. Palaniswami and Panneerselvam, who are the co-cordinator and cordinator of the AIADMK, along with ministerial colleagues and other senior party leaders garlanded statues of MGR and his protege J Jayalalithaa at the party headquarters in the city where hundreds of party cadres also gathered. Sweets were distributed on the ..
Nexus between Mah govt & dance bar owners led to SC order: NCP
The NCP on Thursday alleged that the nexus between the Maharashtra government and dance bar owners has led to the Supreme Court verdict that paves the way for reopening of dance bars in the state. The party also said it would ensure that the ban on dance bars returns when it comes to power in the state. The apex court Thursday paved the way for reopening of dance bars in Maharashtra by setting aside some provisions of a 2016 law imposing restrictions on their licensing and functioning. The NCP alleged that meetings were held between Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the association of bar owners at the former's official residence 'Varsha', which led to the "weakening" of the government's position on the issue before the apex court. The party, however, did not specify when the meeting took place. NCP national spokesperson Nawab Malik claimed that another meeting was held at Mayor's Bungalow (in Dadar) two-and-a-half years ago on the same issue between some BJP leaders
Cong MP Hariprasad links Shah's swine flu to alleged toppling bid by BJP
Senior Congress leader B K Hariprasad Thursday mocked the health condition of BJP president Amit Shah, saying he contracted swine flu since his party made an alleged bid to destabilise the Congress-JDS government in Karnataka. The remark by Hariprasad, a Rajya Sabha MP and Congress general secretary, sparked an angry reaction from the BJP with the party's Karnataka unit calling him a "rogue" and described his remarks as "shameless" that showed his party's "culture" and his "mental stability". The BJP also requested Congress President Rahul Gandhi to admit Hariprasad to the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences(NIMHANS) in Bengaluru for treatment. "As a few legislators have already come back, Amit Shah is shaken and has got fever. It is not a normal fever. It is swine flu," Hariprasad said in remarks made in Kannada in Bengaluru. "You should know that if you try to destabilise the Karnataka government, not just swine flu, you will get vomiting and dysentery also," he ..
Cardi B slams Donald Trump
Amidst the ongoing US government shutdown, rapper Cardi B has slammed President Donald Trump for forcing people to return to work.
Citizenship Amendment Bill: BJP reaching out to allies, says Ram Madhav
BJP general secretary Ram Madhav on Thursday said that the party is reaching out to allies who have expressed concerns over the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016 and will assure them that interest of each state will be taken care of."We're reaching out to alliance partners who have expressed concerns over the Bill, we'll reassure them that interest of each and every state will be taken care of. We're confident that those who have left (the party) will come back," said Madhav.India has always given refuge to everyone in need, said Madhav adding that India's culture has been to help the people in need in neighbouring countries.He further said that there is a lot of misinformation being thrown around, creating fear in people about the Bill.However, he stated that people have supported BJP in its pursuit as it was clear from the Panchayat election results."The whole country is almost free of Maoist and Naxal terror. The activities of urban terror and urban Naxals are still going on, we are
Five stages, LED screens, 300 volunteers at Mamata's mega rally
Five massive stages with the iconic Victoria Memorial in the backdrop, hundreds of workers busy building barricades and setting up LED screens and scores of Trinamool Congress flags fluttering all around -- the sprawling venue Brigade Parade Ground bustled with activity on Thursday, two days before West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's mega rally.
Kerala HC sets aside Karat Razak's election in 2016 assembly polls
The Kerala High Court Thursday set aside the election of Karat Razak from Koduvally Assembly constituency in Kozhikode district in 2016, for indulging in corrupt practices. Justice K Abraham Mathew passed the order on a petition by two voters of the constituency, challenging the election of Karat, who contested as Left Democratic Front (LDF) backed independent candidate during the 2016 Assembly polls. The Court, however, granted a conditional stay to its order considering Karat's plea seeking time to file an appeal in the Supreme Court. The stay has been granted for 30 days subject to condition that Karat shall not receive any emoluments as an MLA and he cannot participate in voting in the Assembly. He has been allowed to attend the Assembly proceedings during this period. When there was a prayer to declare his nearest rival M A Razak as the elected candidate, the Court declined to accept it. In their petition, K P Mohammed and Moitheen Kunji of the constituency alleged that Karat and
Modi jealous of Andhra Pradesh: Chandrababu Naidu
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was jealous of Andhra Pradesh and hence was behind the proposed Federal Front of Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao.
Dutch journalist deported from Turkey over alleged terror links
A Dutch journalist based in Turkey was deported from the country on Thursday, a day after she was arrested, on suspicion of links to terrorism, Turkish officials said. The officials said Ans Boersma's deportation was not related to her journalistic activity but that Ankara had received a tip-off from the Dutch police that she had links to a terror group. Boersma, a freelance journalist based in Istanbul who has contributed articles to the financial newspaper Het Financieele Dagblad, had announced she had been expelled. "I got arrested yesterday (Wednesday), got deported this morning. Flying out now," she said in a messaging group for foreign journalists in Turkey. Fahrettin Altun, communications director at the Turkish presidency, confirmed her expulsion but said it "was in no way related to her journalistic activities during her stay in Turkey." "The Turkish authorities have recently received intelligence from the Dutch police that Ms Boersma had links to a designated terrorist ...
Indo-US trade below potential, restrictions should be eased:
Amid bilateral trade tensions, USIBC President Nisha Biswal said Thursday that the trade between India and the US is much below its potential, and both the sides should ease restrictions and put in an "overarching" framework. Biswal, a former Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, is leading a delegation of the US-India Business Council (USIBC) at the Vibrant Gujarat Summit (VGS) which will begin Friday. The US, which was a partner country for two earlier editions of the biennial investor summit, refused to be a partner this year, citing pending bilateral trade disputes. "The biggest challenge to US-India trade relations is we have not done the hard work of creating an overarching framework for trade," Biswal, who was born and brought up in Dahod in Gujarat, told PTI in an interview. "We do not have a trade agreement, we do not have an investment treaty, we do not even have a mini agreement," she said, adding that every time the two countries negotiate,
US envoy on Afghanistan arrives in Pakistan for talks
US special envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad Thursday arrived in Pakistan for a fresh round of talks with top civil and military officials during which he is expected to seek Islamabad's help to convince the Taliban to return to the negotiating table to end the 17-year-long Afghan war. According to US diplomatic officials in Pakistan, the schedule of Khalilzad's meetings will be decided soon and the special envoy will be in Islamabad for one to four days. They said discussions will largely focus on the Afghan peace process, Pak-Afghan border management efforts and US-Pakistan relations. Khalilzad arrived in Pakistan two days later than expected. According to Foreign Office Spokesperson Muhammad Faisal, Khalilzad is expected to meet Pakistan's civilian and military leaders during his stay and that he will ask Pakistan to help convince the Afghan Taliban to come back to the negotiation table. "Pakistan has also maintained we want an Afghan-led Afghan-owned solution to imbroglio," ...
Kodanad case allegations 'a drama scripted by enemies': Thambidurai
Senior AIADMK leader M Thambidurai Thursday said the allegations made by two accused in the Kodanad estate break-in case, reportedly linking Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami to the incident was nothing but a "drama scripted by some enemies." On January 11, a former magazine editor Samuel Mathew had released a 16-minute video clip in Delhi, alleging that Palaniswami had links to a break-in at Kodanad estate bungalow (it was used by late Jayalalithaa as her camp office) in 2017. Two of the accused persons, V K Sayan, and Valayar Manoj, were reportedly seen making purported remarks linking the chief minister to the April 2017 break-in in the video. On Monday, they were brought from Delhi by police in a private flight and whisked away for further interrogation. "There is no truth in it. It is a drama scripted by some enemies," Thambidurai told reporters here after garlanding the statue of AIADMK founder late M G Ramachandran on his 102nd birth anniversary. The Congress-DMK combine .
Rafale's range is 2.5 times more than a Sukhoi: Top IAF sources
New Delhi [India], Jan 17 (ANI): At a time when critics are questioning the operational capabilities of the Rafale combat aircraft, top IAF sources said the range of the French-origin aircraft is 2.5 more than that of the Russian Sukhoi-30."The operational capabilities of the Sukhoi-30 in terms of capability and range are far superior than that of the MiG-29 while the range of the Rafale is 2.5 times that of the Su-30MKI in the same role," top IAF sources told ANI here.The sources were asked about criticism that the Air Force should have bought more Sukhoi-30s rather than getting 36 Rafale combat aircraft for meeting its requirement of multi-role combat jets."The Sukhoi-30, MiG-29 and Mirage-2000 are not MMRCA... None of these meet the Air Staff Qualitative Requirements of the Indian Air Force specified for MMRCA in 2007 for its requirements of 126 combat jets," the sources said.Explaining the combat capability and the range of the Rafale in comparison with the Sukhoi-30s, the sources
Congress MP mocks Amit Shah's illness, BJP calls it insensitive
Accusing BJP president Amit Shah of kidnapping Congress legislators, Congress party's Member of Parliament BK Hariprasad on Thursday mocked at Shah's illness while asking him to slow down.Speaking to ANI, Hariprasad said, "Bogus Chanakya tried thrice and failed. They are daydreaming. Amit Shah has kidnapped four Congress MLAs and their family members will file a habeas corpus. That's why Amit Shah is suffering from swine flu so he should calm down."Levying strong charges against BJP, he also accused the party of indulging in corruption in Rafale deal and said that the money from the deal is being used to disturb the Karnataka government."In Rafale, they (BJP) got Rs 30,000 crore. With that, they are trying to destabilise Karnataka government and it is a desperate attempt to divert the minds of people from Rafale issue. Even if they bring Rs 1 lakh crore it's not possible for them to destabilise Karnataka government."Hariprasad's comment invoked a sharp reaction from BJP leaders and ...
Mayawati announces nephew's entry in BSP, trains gun on media
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Thursday announced the entry of her nephew Akash Anand into the party and also attacked some media channels for allegedly spreading misleading information."Rise in the popularity of BSP and its alliance with SP has created unrest among parties and leaders who are anti-Dalits and casteist. Instead of fighting us fair and square they are making absurd remarks against us and conspiring with some casteist and anti-Dalit TV channels. Some channels are also involved in misleading information. Name of my younger brother's son has been dragged by channels. After my nephew Akash was spotted at some event of my birthday celebrations, his name was dragged in the issue," Mayawati told ANI.Countering nepotism charges, she said: "Recently I appointed Anand as Vice President but due to nepotism, he himself decided not to take the post. Unfortunately, after Akash was seen on my birthday, some channels dragged him and presented him as the future face of the .