Page 1917 - Politics
PM Modi's comments on Sabarimala very unfortunate: Chandy
Former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Wednesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comments on the Sabarimala issue in a rally on Tuesday were "very unfortunate".Speaking with media, Chandy said: "The Prime minister's comments on Sabarimala were very unfortunate. We expected that he will propose some solution to solve this issue, but the Prime Minister did not do like that".He further refuted PM Modi's 'double standard' accusations on the Congress, saying that his party has a definite stand on the Sabarimala issue."We gave a new affidavit, withdrawing the affidavit filed by the LDF, to protect the interests of the devotees. Our stand is very clear, we are with the devotees and at the same time we are against taking political advantage of the Sabarimala issue," Chandy said."We have no confusion, our stand is not a new stand. We took the stand when we were in power, we withdrawn of the affidavit of the LDF government and we gave affidavit in consultation of all consent ...
Action under anti-defection against MLAs who abstain from CLP: Former CM Siddaramaiah
Former chief minister of Karnataka and Congress leader Siddaramaiah said that the party would take action under anti-defection law against those MLAs who abstain themselves from attending the meeting of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) on Friday. He said that the MLAs skipping the CLP meet will face an expulsion from the party.As the allegations and counter-allegations of poaching have cast their shadow on the state government led by Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, the Congress has called a meeting of its legislators here on January 18 to take stock of the prevailing political situation."If somebody doesn't attend this meeting action will be taken against them under the anti-defection law. Also, it'll be assumed that member himself has decided to leave primary membership of the party." said Siddaramaiah.The decision to hold the meeting of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) was taken after the party leaders alleged that three of their MLAs were taken to Mumbai by the BJP in an attempt to .
Working president of Odisha Congress resigns from party, to join BJD
Odisha Congress MLA , Naba Kisore Das has tendered his resignation to the party president Rahul Gandhi expressing his interest to join hand with chief minister Naveen Patnaik-led BJD.Das who was appointed as working president of the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC), said in his resignation letter that he does not have any complain against Niranjan Pattnaik, President, PCC."But the people and the voters of my area want me to contest 2019 election as a BJD member as they want to see development in our area. Hence, I have decided to join hands with Naveen Patnaik, the Chief Minister of Odisha," read the resignation letter."All the valuable suggestion of my people, I shall place it before the Chief Minister on his visit to Jharsuguda on January 24," it read.In his letter, he stated that on the request of public and voters who pressurized him, he has decided to resign from Congress primary membership and from the post of working president PCC.
'We still have time to negotiate', Merkel reacts over defeat of Brexit deal
'We still have time to negotiate, but we would first like to see what the British prime minister proposes', German Chancellor Angela Merkel told the media on Wednesday, after Theresa May's controversial Brexit deal plan was rejected by the MPs at the House of Commons yesterday.The Independent quoted the German Chancellor, who regretted the British Parliament's decision of turning down the Brexit deal, as saying: "We will, of course, do everything to find an orderly solution, but we are also prepared if there is no orderly solution."According to CNN, the Brexit deal, that allows the United Kingdom to leave the European Union (EU), was voted down by 432 votes to 202, the worst defeat for any sitting government in the UK. Around 118 Conservative Party MPs voted against May's Brexit plan.Meanwhile, the debate over the no-confidence motion tabled against Prime Minister May by opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has begun. If the British Prime Minister wins the no-confidence vote ..
First National Sports Meet for Tribals organised in Hyderabad
The first National Sports Meet 2019 for Tribals was organised by the Ministry of Tribal Welfare here on Wednesday.Tribal children of Ekalavya Model Residential Schools from 20 states participated in the program.Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Jual Oram, Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Sudarshan Baghat, Secretary of Tribal Affairs Deepak Khandekar and other officials from various states participated in the programme."I would like to thank Telangana government and officials for organising and making this Ekalavya Model Residential Educational Institutions Games and Sports program successful. This Ministry was started in BJP government by Atal Bihari Vajpayee with a budget of 800 crores and now this ministry's budget is Rs 6,000 crores. Soon new 462 Ekalavya institutions are going to be started," Oram said."The Tribals are now performing better in all the sectors. We are now in the stage to compete with others. This Sports Meet program which was held today will be held every year .
Regional parties should join federal front for state rights: Vijay Sai Reddy
Outlining that the objective of the federal front is to fight for the rights of the states, YSR Congress Party MP Vijay Sai Reddy on Wednesday said that the process of his party joining the federal front was still on.Speaking with ANI, Reddy said: "TRS party working president KT Rama Rao and his team had an initial discussion with Jagan Mohan Reddy for the formation of a federal front. For exploring the possibility of YSRCP joining the federal front, the preliminary discussion took place on Wednesday."Sharing details behind the formation of the federal front, he said: "The objective of the federal front is to fight for the rights of the states. By forming this federal front, all the regional parties will unite and fight for the rights of their states.""Our party president has made it clear that we will support the party at the Centre that will grant special status to Andhra Pradesh. KCR has also consented and agreed for the proposal. There are many parties which are in talks to join ..
BJP offered Rs 60 crore, ministerial post to one "JDS person": JDS MLA
Amidst the ongoing row in Karnataka and allegations of BJP trying to poach JDS-Congress MLAs to join their fold, JDS MLA KM Shivalinge Gowda said that BJP allegedly offered Rs 60 crore and a minister post to a "JDS person" who reportedly turned down the offer.While addressing a press-conference in Hassan on Tuesday, Gowda said: "One person from JDS has been offered Rs 60 crore and a minister post by former Chief Minister and BJP leader Jagadish Shettar. He refused the offer and informed Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy".On the other hand as the allegations and counter-allegations of poaching have cast their shadow on the state government led by Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, the Congress has called a meeting of its legislators here on January 18 to take stock of the prevailing political situation.The decision to hold the meeting of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) was taken after the party leaders alleged that three of their MLAs were taken to Mumbai by the BJP in an attempt to
J-K admin directs agency to speed up construction of border bunkers
Amid spurt in Pakistani firing along the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir, the state administration Wednesday gave directions for early completion of underground bunkers for the safety of the border residents, an official spokesperson said. "Necessary measures should be taken for speeding up the construction work of the border bunkers which provide shelter to people living in border areas during the (Pakistani) shelling," Advisor to Governor, Kewal Kumar Sharma, said. Sharma passed the directive at a meeting convened to review the construction of bunkers in the border areas of Jammu division, including Rajouri, Poonch, Samba and Kathua districts, the spokesperson said. In December 2017, the Centre announced construction of 14,460 individual and community bunkers for people living along the LoC and the IB in Jammu region to ensure their safety in the wake of frequent cross-border shelling. The spokesperson said the meeting was informed that ..
BJP SC Morcha to hold convention in Nagpur
The SC Morcha of the BJP will hold its national convention and a massive rally in Nagpur on Saturday and Sunday, the president of the outfit said Wednesday. The event, 'Bhim Vijay Sankalp', is being held at Nagpur, where the headquarters of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) is located, to dispel "illusion" that the BJP was a party of upper castes only, BJP SC Morcha chief Vinod Sonkar told reporters. "This illusion needs to be removed from the Scheduled Caste society," he said. 'Bhim Vijay Sankalp Rashtriye Adhiveshan, 2019,' and 'Bhim Vijay Sankalp Rally' at Nagpur is relevant as it is associated with the life of B R Ambedkar, Sonkar said. The resolve to bring back the Modi government at the Centre in upcoming polls will be taken during the convention and rally, he said. Sonkar said BJP chief Amit Shah and Union minister Nitin Gadkari would be present in the programme, along with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Sonkar, who represents the Kaushambi Lok Sabha seat in .
Modi statements on Sabarimala "contempt of court": Yechury
CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury Wednesday lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for criticising the party-led government in Kerala over the Sabarimala row and claimed his statements amounted to "contempt of court". Addressing a gathering of BJP workers in Kollam Tuesday, Modi had said the conduct of Kerala's CPM-led LDF government on the Sabarimala issue would go down in the history as one of the "most shameful behaviours by any party and government". Modi had also said the Congress and Communists were talking about gender justice in the Sabarimala issue but their actions were "just opposite". Yechury condemned Modi for his remarks. "He charged the elected government in Kerala with not paying attention to public sentiments. The issue was that the Supreme Court has ordered that women (of all ages) be given equal rights as far as entry in Sabarimala temple is concerned," he told reporters here. "No elected government has any other option but to implement an SC order. Now .
Congress not a challenge for AAP: Sanjay Singh
Calling the Congress an "anti-Sikh" party, Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh on Wednesday said the Congress is not a challenge for his party in Delhi, irrespective of who its chief is.
Opposition leaders wish Jaitley speedy recovery
Several opposition leaders, including Congress president Rahul Gandhi, National Conference chief Omar Abdullah and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav on Wednesday wished speedy recovery to Union finance minister Arun Jaitley, who left for the US for a medical check-up. Gandhi was one of the first opposition leaders who wished Jaitley speedy recovery. In a tweet, the Congress chief said, "I'm upset to hear Arun Jaitley Ji is not well. We fight him on a daily basis for his ideas. However, I and the Congress party send him our love and best wishes for a speedy recovery. We are with you and your family 100% during this difficult period Mr Jaitley." Following his tweet, other opposition leaders Abdullah and Lalu wished speedy recovery for the minister. "We hope to see him back in the country & in the best of health very soon. God speed," Abdullah said. Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said he is "deeply disturbed" by the news that his fellow MP and advocate Jaitley has gone abroad for ..
Raja Krishnamoorthi appointed to key House committee
Indian-American Raja Krishnamoorthi on Monday was appointed as the member of a key US House committee handling intelligence related issues. Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, appointed Krishnamoorthi, 45, to the panel. Krishnamoorthi from Illinois, Congresswoman Val Demings of Florida, Sean Patrick Maloney of New York and Peter Welch of Vermont are the four new Democratic members of House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence for the 116th Congress. "Members of Congress take a solemn oath to protect the American people and support and defend the Constitution," said Pelosi in a statement. "Our new Members of the Intelligence Committee bring exceptional judgment, expertise and determination to our mission to honour that oath and, guided by the strong, principled leadership of Chairman Adam Schiff, will restore the long tradition of bipartisanship and integrity of this critical committee," she said. Krishnamoorthi was born into a Tamil-speaking family in New ..
Congress responsible for plight of farmers: Union Minister
Blaming the Congress for the poor condition of farmers in the country, Union Minister Krishna Raj Wednesday said the BJP-led government at the Centre has been making efforts to make cultivators self-sustained. Despite being in power for long, the Congress has failed to address the issue of agrarian distress, said the Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. "Why the farmers are still facing debt despite 70 years of the Congress rule? Who was responsible for farmers' plight? "Now, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji has set the target to double the farmers' income by 2022 and launched several schemes to make them self-sustained," Raj told reporters here. In reply to a question about the farm loan waiver implemented by the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh, she alleged the party never tried to understand the real problems of farmers and only "misguided" them. "It was the Narendra Modi government which has decided to fix MSP of crops at one-and-a-half ...
Tejashwi lashes out at Nitish for blaming Rahul for exit from Grand Alliance
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday launched a blistering attack on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for attributing his exit from the Grand Alliance on the inability of Congress president Rahul Gandhi to take a stand on corruption. "No one in Indian politics matches the standards of Nitish Kumar ji. He is not only politically, morally or socially scandalous, but 'Bhishma Pitamah' of moral corruption. You will never find him accepting his blunders. He blames partners as well as opponents for his mistakes," Yadav, whose party lost power on account of Kumar's exit, tweeted. At an event organised by a private news channel here on Tuesday night, the chief minister had accused Gandhi of not taking a stand when his state government was rocked by corruption allegations against Yadav, who was then the deputy chief minister. Kumar had alleged that Gandhi balked at issuing even a statement, which could have compelled him to have second thoughts about leaving the Grand Alliance of his Janata
NCP leader Munde claims his PRO's WhatsApp disabled suddenly
Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council Dhananjay Munde claimed Wednesday that the WhatsApp messenger service of his public relations officer was discontinued suddenly. Prashant Joshi, his PRO, used WhatsApp to circulate news and updates about Munde's political meetings and his statements, the NCP leader said. "This is unheard of. This is the first step of emergency in India where an opposition leader's PRO's phone is banned," Munde said. Joshi said his WhatsApp service stopped functioning suddenly Wednesday afternoon and when he tried to reinstall the app, he got a message that his phone number has been banned from using WhatsApp as the account's activity was in violation of the terms of service.
Carmaker JLR urges UK lawmakers to prevent a no-deal Brexit
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's biggest carmaker Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) urged lawmakers to rule out the possibility that the country leaves the European Union without a deal, to prevent companies from having to make costly contingency planning.
Fake edition of Washington Post distributed
Fake editions of The Washington Post claiming that President Donald Trump has resigned was distributed freely on Wednesday across downtown Washington DC including near and around the White House. The fake newspaper with six column large headline 'Unpresidented: Trump hastily departs White House, ending crisis' was dated May 1, 2019. "Grab this special edition of The Washington Post. This is free. You will never get this," a middle-aged lady told PTI outside the White House on the corner of 17th and Pennsylvania Avenue. She had a stack of newspaper in blue plastic bag and distributing it to passers by and office goers. The Washington Post, which has been often described as fake news media by President Trump, was quick to dismiss the newspaper. "There are fake print editions of The Washington Post being distributed around downtown DC, and we are aware of a website attempting to mimic The Post's. They are not Post products, and we are looking into this," The Washington Post said in a ...
Committed to secure 'jati, mati, bheti' of Assam people: Sonowal
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has said his government was committed to secure 'jati, mati, bheti' (community, land and base) of the people of the state without any compromise, an official release said Wednesday. "As a son of the soil, I would like to assure everybody that there is no need of being apprehensive in Assam," the release quoted Sonowal as saying at a Bhogali Bihu celebration programme in Nagaon on Tuesday. Sonowal said certain sections had cast aspersions in the last few days on the avowed objective of the government. He assured that the rights of the state's people on 'jati, mati and bheti' were secured and nobody should be under the impression that their rights would be violated under any circumstances. Securing 'jati, mati and bheti' was the poll slogan of the BJP. The chief minister said no government had taken any pragmatic steps for fulfilling the clauses of the Assam Accord even after several years. "However, the present government at the Centre under the .
No Pak presence at Vibrant Gujarat as delegation denied visas
No business delegation from Pakistan would attend the upcoming Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit as its industry members have not got visas to travel to India, the state's apex industry body said Wednesday. The Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) said it had extended an invitation to Pakistan industry representatives for the investor summit, but they will not be attending the three-day event in absence of visas. The Gujarat government is organising the ninth edition of the summit from January 18 to 20 at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar. Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani had also said no delegation from from the neighbouring country would be attending the summit, which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A controversy had erupted when the GCCI, while inviting several global trade bodies for the meet, also extended invitation to the Karachi Chamber of Commerce (KCC). The India-Pakistan diplomatic ties have nose-dived in recent years over the issue of