Page 1920 - Politics
In battleground Bengal, Modi & Shah's rallies to counter Mamata's mega Opposition show
The BJP will kick-start its election campaign in West Bengal with a series of rallies beginning with a public meeting by party chief Amit Shah on January 20, a day after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's mega show featuring prominent Opposition leaders. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also likely to attend a rally at the Brigade Parade Ground here on February 8, state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Dilip Ghosh said. The announcement comes a day after the Supreme Court had put the BJP's proposed "rath yatras" on hold, but allowed the saffron party to hold public meetings. "We will start organising our month-long public rallies from January 20. Amit Shah will address the first rally on January 20 in Malda," Ghosh said. On January 21, Shah will address two rallies in Suri in Birbhum district and Jhargram. The next day, he will address rallies at Krishnanagar in Nadia district and Jaynagar in South 24 Parganas district. The rallies in various parts of the state will continue till ..
Jharkhand increases maximum limit for GST registration to Rs
Jharkhand government Wednesday announced that the maximum limit of Goods and Services Tax (GST) for registration has been increased to Rs 40 lakh from the current Rs 20 lakh per annum. A total 80,000 small and medium traders would benefit from this decision as they would come out from the tax range, an official release said here. During a review meeting here, Chief Minister Raghubar Das issued the necessary orders to the Commercial Taxes secretary. In the January 10 meeting of GST Council, it was left on the state governments to decide upon increasing the limit from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 40 lakh and in this context the Jharkhand government decided to give relief to the traders, the release said.
US tax, safety workers called into work without pay as shutdown continues
US President Donald Trump's administration has called in tens of thousands of tax and aviation safety employees back to work without immediate payment as the longest partial government shutdown entered its 25th day with him and the Democratic Party leaders obstinately refusing to negotiate on his demand for funding for a wall along the Mexico border in the budget.
No comparison between PM Modi and Rahul Gandhi: Telangana BJP
Telangana BJP President K Laxman Wednesday took a swipe at opposition parties over their proposed grand alliance, saying they were not able to decide their prime ministerial candidate. On the other hand, the BJP would go to the people seeking their mandate to bring back the "decisive leadership" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he told reporters here. There can be no comparison between the leadership of Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Modi, he claimed. Noting that previous experiments of forming fronts at the national level had failed, he also said regional parties come together without a national prospective. Though BJP did not fare well in the December 7 assembly elections in Telangana, the outcome of the Lok Sabha polls would be different, he added.
BJP spent over Rs 122 crore for Karnataka poll campaign, Rs 14 crore in 3 Northeast states
The BJP has spent over Rs 122 crore to contest assembly elections in Karnataka and another Rs 14 crore in three Northeast states, according to expenditure details submitted by the party to the Election Commission. The party recently submitted 'election expenditure statements' for polls in four states and said it has spent Rs 122.68 crore during the Karnataka polls that took place in May last year. JDS-Congress coalition formed government in the state after the polls. The party also sent in a similar report of expenses, made by its central office and state units, to the Commission for contesting polls in Northeast states of Meghalaya, Tripura and Nagaland. The report filed by the BJP said it has spent over Rs 14.18 crore to contest polls in these states, where elections took place last year. While in Meghalaya the party spent Rs 3.8 crore, it spent Rs 6.96 crore in Tripura and Rs 3.36 crore in Nagaland. The expenses include cost incurred by the party on its star campaigners, media, ...
Three TRS MLCs disqualified from Telangana Legislative Council
The Telangana Legislative Council on Wednesday notified that three MLCs, who belong to TRS party, were disqualified from the Legislative Council.The three MLCs, who switched loyalty to the Congress party in recent elections to the Telangana Assembly, have been disqualified with immediate effect, under Para 2 (1) (a) and Sub-Para 3 of the 10th Schedule of the Constitution of India and Rule 6 of Telangana Legislative Council (disqualification on the grounds of defection).The MLCs are K Yadav Reddy, elected by MLAs, R Bhoopathi Reddy, elected from Nizamabad Local Authorities Constituency, and Sabavat Ramulu Naik, a nominated member.The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) has filed disqualification petitions against the three legislators with the council chairman K Swamy Goud recently.Speaking to ANI, Bhupathi Reddy said: "The decision taken by the Council chairman to disqualify us is one-sided and totally biased. There are many mistakes in the notice served to me.""They stated in the notice ..
Kremlin says 'stupid' to suggest Trump a Russian agent
A top Kremlin aide on Wednesday dismissed as ridiculous claims that US President Donald Trump has acted as an agent for Russia amid mounting controversy over his alleged ties to Moscow. "Why comment on something stupid? How can the US president be an agent of another country?" President Vladimir Putin's foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov told a briefing after a journalist if Trump was a Russian agent. Ushakov said Russia's relations with the US were "at rock bottom" and "nothing has happened in the context of developing them." Trump himself said on Monday that he "never worked for Russia" and told reporters: "It's a disgrace that you even ask that question." The US president was responding to a report in The New York Times that said the FBI had opened an investigation into whether he was acting on Russia's behalf soon after he became president. In addition, The Washington Post reported on what it said were unusual lengths taken by Trump to hide details of his conversations with ...
US, Canada promise 'unbiased' process for Chinese executive
The United States and Canada on Wednesday promised an "unbiased" legal process for a Chinese executive whose arrest in Vancouver at US request has riled Beijing. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland discussed the arrest Tuesday in a phone call in which they also voiced concern about the "arbitrary detentions" of Canadians in China, the US State Department said. "They noted their continued commitment to Canada's conduct of a fair, unbiased and transparent legal proceeding and US extradition request with respect to Ms. Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Huawei," a State Department statement said. Meng was detained last month as she switched planes, on a request by the United States, which says she violated Washington's sanctions on Iran. Soon afterward, China detained two Canadians, a former diplomat and a businessman, on accusations of endangering national security, moves seen in Ottawa and Washington as retaliatory. A Chinese ...
Rahul, Left not to attend Mamata Banerjee's mega rally
The Kolkata rally of Trinamool Congress (TMC) on January 19, planned to showcase pan-India unity among anti-BJP parties, will be given a miss by Congress President Rahul Gandhi as well as Left parties.The Congress will be represented by Leader of the party in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, sources in the party said.Trinamool supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been touring the country since the last one year in an effort to shore up a strong and united opposition front to fight the Lok Sabha elections against the BJP.According to sources in the West Bengal Congress, the state unit of the party wanted Rahul Gandhi and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi to skip the rally and instead send a party leader.Also, the state leadership is believed to have told the party chief that Congress workers were ready to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections alone.The West Bengal Congress leaders are annoyed over the fact that the TMC supremo did not invite any state leader for the ...
Goa minister gives ultimatum to government over Navy NOC
A Goa minister has given his own government a seven-day ultimatum to revoke an administrative circular, which makes it mandatory to obtain a 'no objection certificate' from the Indian Navy for any construction activity carried out within 20 km radius of the Dobolim International Airport located in South Goa district.
'Upskirting' becomes illegal across UK
British lawmakers have outlawed the practice of "upskirting" -- secretly taking pictures up women's skirts -- following an 18-month campaign by a victim. Those found guilty face up to two years in jail, leading campaigner Gina Martin to praise the bill as "politics and society at its best". Members of the upper House of Lords on Tuesday gave the bill the final seal of approval, and it now only requires the formality of Royal Assent. Prime Minister Theresa May personally backed the legislation, saying the practice left victims "feeling degraded and distressed". The bill was briefly held up last year when a single MP blocked it by shouting "Object!" during a parliamentary vote. Christopher Chope, a member of May's Conservative Party, claimed he was objecting to the manner in which the bill was introduced, but was met with cries of "shame" from MPs. Martin tweeted that she was "over the moon" about the vote, adding "I AM EXHAUSTED AND SO HAPPY!". From Liverpool in northwest England, ...
Modi-led selection committee to meet on Jan 24 to decide new CBI chief
The high-level selection Committee, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will meet on January 24 to choose a new CBI Director to replace the ousted Alok Verma.
BJYM chief to interact with '50 lakh youths' Thursday
The BJP's youth wing will launch its campaign Thursday for the Lok Sabha polls, with its chief Poonam Mahajan set to interact with over 50 lakh youths from over 200 locations through video-conferencing, the Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) said Wednesday. Mahajan will be present in Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh near the border to kick-start the "#VijayLakshya2019" (aiming victory in 2019), it said in a statement. The BJYM claimed that this will be the largest video conference interaction that has ever been done by a political party, with Mahajan set to interact with young volunteers from the remotest of areas such as Leh, Kutch, and Kanyakumari.
30 civilians killed, wounded in Syria blast
At least 30 civilians were either killed or wounded by a blast that rocked Kurdish-controlled Syrian city of Manbij during a US patrol on Wednesday, the media reported.
Thai PM hints polls could be delayed again
Thailand's Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Wednesday said the general election scheduled for February 24 could possibly be delayed again.
Like-minded parties must unite for KCR's federal front, says KTR
TRS party working president KT Rama Rao on Wednesday emphasised on the need for like-minded forces to join the KCR-led federal front for strengthening regional parties and interest of the states.He made this statement after meeting with YSR Congress Party chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy here on Wednesday.Both the leaders also addressed a joint press conference after the meeting.Addressing the media, Rao said: "TRS party president and Chief Minister KCR started the federal front one year back to bring a qualitative change in the country's politics. As a part of this, KCR is negotiating with different party leaders and gathering support for his struggle. We have faith that all likeminded people will come together in future to strengthen the states and the federal front will go forward to protect the rights of states".Speaking further about the meeting, he added, "Telangana Chief Minister KCR and party floor leader Kesha Rao in the Rajya Sabha and Kavitha in the Lok Sabha have already made it
Telangana cabinet to be expanded soon: TRS sources
The Chandrasekhar Rao cabinet in Telangana would be expanded soon, ruling TRS sources said Wednesday. Auspicious days had begun with the 'Sankranti' festival on Tuesday. The assembly session was beginning Thursday during which the newly elected members would take oath and the expansion of cabinet would happen soon, they said. The two-member cabinet led by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao was sworn in on December 13 after he led the Telangana Rashtra Samithi to a spectacular victory in the December 7 assembly elections. Along with Rao, Mohammad Mehmood Ali took oath and he has been allotted the Home portfolio. Opposition BJP and other parties have criticised the absence of a full-fledged cabinet. Rao has been holding meetings with officials on various issues since then and he had also inspected ongoing irrigation projects and reviewed the progress. Since taking over as the chief minister for the second time, he had also renewed efforts to form a non-BJP and non-Congress
No Pakistan delegation at Vibrant Gujarat Summit: Rupani
No delegation from Pakistan would be attending the Vibrant Gujarat Summit, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said here Wednesday. Heads of state of some countries are expected to reach Gandhinagar for the 9th edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Summit beginning January 18. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the event and hold one-on-one meetings with the leaders on the sidelines of the summit. There was a controversy when the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), while inviting global trade bodies for the investors' meet, had also invited the Karachi Chamber of Commerce for the mega event. Indo-Pak diplomatic ties have been strained in recent times over the issue of terrorism. "No delegation from Pakistan is coming for the Vibrant Gujarat Summit," Rupani said. The issue (of Pak participation) was discussed, he added. He did not elaborate. Gujarat Chief Secretary J N Singh had last week said there was nothing wrong in inviting Pakistan's trade body for the ...
Govt notifies Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Act, 2019
Act was passed by the Parliament on 3 January 2019
Rebel AAP Punjab MLA resigns from party, calls Kejriwal 'dictatorial'
Rebel AAP MLA Baldev Singh Wednesday resigned from the party's primary membership, accusing its leadership of "giving up its basic ideology and principles" and the party's national convener Arvind Kejriwal of being "dictatorial and arrogant". The AAP legislator from Jaitu tendered his resignation to Kejriwal. He is the third MLA to quit the party after after Bholath MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira and H S Phoolka, also a legislator. Khaira resigned from the party on January 6, while senior advocate H S Phoolka tendered his resignation on January 3. Phoolka has already tendered his resignation from the party as well as MLA, though Punjab Assembly Speaker is yet to take a call on it. Khaira has also resigned from the party but not as MLA. He has dared the AAP leadership to get him disqualified under anti-defection law. "I am pained to forward my resignation from the primary membership of the AAP because the party has completely given up its basic ideology and principles," Baldev Singh said in .