Page 204 - Politics
12 Congress MLAs collectively decided to merge into TRS: Rega Kantha Rao
The 12 MLAs, who defected from Congress party, have collectively decided to merge into the TRS party, said Rega Kantha Rao, one of the lawmakers."We have collectively decided to merge into the TRS party. Though there are many reasons behind this, the main reason is lack of Congress leadership and group politics in Congress party. This made us take this collective decision and plead the Speaker desk after meeting Chief Minister Rao and requested him to identify us as TRS MLAs," he said."Even though the Speaker approved (our request), till now we have not joined the TRS party. And now they (Congress party) are blaming that TRS has purchased us. Now if Congress will continue to do the same, we will file a defamation suit against Congress party leaders in High Court and we are also ready to approach Supreme Court if needed," Kantha Rao asserted.Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy, another defector MLA, said, "We are ready to resign from our post from the Congress party... Congress does not have ..
Cabinet clears triple talaq bill
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday cleared a fresh bill to ban the practice of instant triple talaq, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said. The bill will replace an ordinance issued in February by the previous BJP-led NDA government. The fresh will be introduced in the budget session of Parliament, beginning Monday, Javadekar said.
Indian woman among 26 injured in Saudi airport attack
An Indian woman was among the 26 people injured in a missile attack by Yemen's rebel Houthi militia on Saudi Arabia's Abha International Airport on Wednesday, a spokesperson of the Saudi-led Arab coalition involved in the war in Yemen said.
Detained opposition leaders allowed vetted TV: Iran media
Iranian opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi have been allowed limited satellite television after more than eight years of house arrest for leading mass protests, reports said Wednesday. Mousavi, 77, and Karroubi, 81, were reformist candidates in the controversial election of 2009, which was won by hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. They claimed the vote was rigged, triggering months of mass protests, particularly in Tehran. Hundreds of thousands took to the streets in the biggest challenge to the system since the Islamic revolution of 1979. "Security forces ... have said we can install satellite (dishes) for the detainees," Iran's ILNA news agency quoted Mehdi Karroubi's son, Mohammad Hossein as saying. "But they have left very few channels open. These are limited to only some Persian-language news channels," he added. Mousavi's daughter, Narges, told reformist news agency Jamaran on Monday that his parents had been granted the same access. The pair were placed under
Normal life in J&K hit as transporters strike against GPRS on vehicles
Normal life was hit in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday due to the state-wide strike by transporters to protest against the administration's decision on the installation of location-tracking devices in vehicles as a security measure in the militancy-infested state. No commercial vehicle like private buses, mini-buses, trucks, taxis and auto-rickshaws plied on roads from Lakhanpur to Kashmir to Ladakh as all transport associations in the state joined the protest. Commuters, especially the Vaishno Devi pilgrims, faced a tough time due to non-plying of commercial vehicles. The government, however, had pressed state-owned SRTC buses into service to address the worries of commuters. Officials said government employees were late for work due to the strike in many of the offices in Srinagar and elsewhere in the Kashmir valley. More than hundred transporters took out protest marches in capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar to press the government to withdraw installation of GPRS on transport ...
Congress delegation unable to provide basis of complaint on power pricing: AAP
A Congress delegation led by former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit met Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday to discuss electricity rates in the city but failed to provide the basis for complaint, said AAP's spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj."When the chief minister asked Sheila Dikshit, what was the basis of her calculations on electricity pricing in the city over which she had come to meet him, she could not explain what her cause for concern was."She looked to her colleague and former Power Minister of Delhi Haroon Yusuf for support, who in turn looked to Devendra Yadav, who then looked at Rajesh Lilothia. Unfortunately, none of them could explain what was the basis of their concerns," Bhardwaj said at a press conference here.Delhi Power Minister Satyendra Jain presented the facts and figures to counter the Congress delegations accusation."In 2010, during the Congress government, for a 1 kW meter reading 50 units, the bill generated was of Rs 153. In 2013, this escalated to Rs ..
Sans Gandhi family, Congress leaders meet ahead of Parliament session
New Delhi [India], June 12 (ANI): In the absence of members of the Gandhi family, senior Congress leaders on Wednesday informally met to take stock of the political situation, sources said.The Congress party is in dilemma as to who will take over and lead the party, sources said.After the meeting, a senior leader said that there may be or may not be any new setup. It is undecided whether any new arrangement will take place, sources said.Sources said UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi as the Congress Parliamentary party chairperson will devise strategy for the upcoming Parliament session.But since Rahul Gandhi has offered to quit from the post of Congress president, leaders are silent on the issue. The question of whether Rahul Gandhi will continue as the party president or not is still unanswered.Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala reiterated that Rahul Gandhi is still the party president.Congress leaders are worried about the upcoming session of Parliament that it may cause ...
Moldova's police chief fires 6 officers in power struggle
Moldova's police chief has dismissed six officers who publicly backed a rival government, reflecting a continuing power struggle that has heightened political tensions in the impoverished ex-Soviet nation. Alexandru Panzari fired the officers on Wednesday after they expressed support for the new coalition government of Prime Minister Maia Sandu. Panzari is loyal to the previous leadership, which refuses to cede power. Sandu's government was formed last weekend after months of political deadlock that followed an inconclusive election in February. But the former ruling Democratic Party, controlled by powerful oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc, has refused to concede defeat. It has been backed by Moldova's Constitutional Court. Sandu has warned that anyone obstructing the new government will face legal action.
Modi will not overfly Pakistan to attend SCO summit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not take the Pakistani air space for flying to the SCO summit in Bishkek in Kyrgystan later this week and instead will fly by the circuitous route through Oman and Iran."Government of India had explored two options for the route to be taken by the VVIP Aircraft to Bishkek for the SCO Summit. A decision has now been taken that the VVIP Aircraft will fly via Oman, Iran and Central Asian countries on the way to Bishkek," a statement by the External Affairs Ministry said on Wednesday.Last week, India had requested Pakistan to let Modi's aircraft fly over its airspace to the Kyrgyzstan capital to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit scheduled to be held on June 13-14.Pakistan had fully shut its airspace on the eastern border with India after an Indian Air Force (IAF) carried out aerial airstrikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror camp in Balakot on February 26. Since then, it has only opened two of eleven routes; both of them pass ...
Johnson plays down no-deal Brexit as he launches bid to become PM
Boris Johnson said Wednesday he would only take Britain out of the EU without a deal as a "last resort", officially launching his campaign to be prime minister with a promise to unify a country still deeply divided over Brexit. The former foreign minister is the favourite among 10 candidates vying to succeed Theresa May, who is stepping down after twice delaying Britain's departure from the European Union. At a launch event packed with senior members of the ruling Conservative party, he insisted Brexit must happen on October 31, the latest deadline agreed with Brussels, but failed to provide detail on how this could happen. He said Britain must prepare to leave with no new arrangements but softened his previous rhetoric, suggesting that this was "a last resort, not something that anybody desires". He also avoided a question about his drug use when a student and dismissed criticism about past comments that have provoked offence among women, ethnic minorities and gay people, saying ...
NCP MP Kolhe meets MNS chief, thanks him for LS poll rallies
Newly-appointed NCP MP from Shirur in Maharashtra, Amol Kolhe, Wednesday met MNS president Raj Thackeray here to thank him for holding rallies in the run-up to the recently-held polls, which he said had a bearing on the electoral outcome in his favour. The actor-turned-politician defeated Shiv Sena veteran Shivaji Adhalrao by a margin of 58,483 votes in his maiden contest. "His (Raj Thackeray's) rallies had a bearing on the poll result. Hence, I called on him to thank him for the same," Kolhe told a news channel. Kolhe, who had switched to the NCP from the Sena ahead of the 2019 general elections, said he and the MNS chief didn't discuss politics during the meeting, which was held at the latter's residence in Dadar. Though the MNS didn't contest the elections, Thackeray addressed a string of rallies in which he appealed to people to vote out the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The BJP has been accusing the MNS chief of doing the bidding of the Congress and the NCP .
Comedian arrested for satirical review of movie in Nepal, triggers criticism of Oli govt
A popular comedian was arrested in Nepal for posting a "satirical" comment about a film on a social media platform, triggering a criticism of the K P Sharma Oli-led government. 24-year-old Pranesh Gautam was arrested on Friday last week under the Electronic Transaction Act on a complaint filed by film maker Milan Chamling after the comedian posted a "satirical review" of his movie 'Birbikram-part two' on his YouTube channel 'Meme Nepal', the Kathmandu Post reported. The arrest ironically was made three days before Prime Minister Oli's address to the Oxford Union in London where he spoke on the importance of democracy, freedom and human right. PM Oli's speech highlighted the importance of democracy, while back home his government has been criticized for what is seen as an authoritarian rule, stifling freedom of speech and encroaching on human rights, the report said. In his speech, Oli said a person who had spent over five decades fighting for democratic rights and served 14-year jail .
Ambedkar University sanitation workers meet Gopal Rai over loss of jobs
Sanitation workers, who were removed from their jobs at Ambedkar University, met Delhi Labour Minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday over the issue. They claimed they were ousted on May 31 without any due notice from the administration. They said they were forced out of the gates, two hours after being apprised of the decision by the administration. "These safai karamcharis who worked for AUD, were contracted by Sulabh International. The ostensible reason for their job loss cited by the administration is the termination of Sulabh's contract," the Safai Kamgar Union said. It said the Delhi government had passed an order concerning employment of all contract workers in Delhi government departments, which stated that they were to be employed directly by the respective departments. In another decision, the state government had laid down that minimum 80 per cent of the workers were to be retained even if the contractor was changed, the union said. AUD being a university run by Delhi government ...
NSSC to visit violence-hit Sandeshkhali on Friday
The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NSSC) will Friday meet the family members of those killed in post-poll violence in Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, the commission said. A five-member team of the NSSC will meet the three families who belonged to scheduled castes, Commission Chairman Prof Ram Shankar Katheria, a member of the team, told PTI. Senior state government officials, including Chief Secretary Malay Kumar De, Director General of Police Virendra and Home Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay were directed to be present there on Friday with reports in connection with the killings. Three men were killed on Saturday in North 24 Parganas district's Sandeshkhali area after clashes broke out between the Trinamool Congress and BJP workers. Post-poll violence has been reported from various places of West Bengal after the BJP secured 18 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state, just four less than that of the TMC.
Uddhav to take call on son Aaditya's poll plunge, says Raut
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray will take a call on whether or not his son and the saffron outfit's youth face Aaditya will contest the upcoming assembly polls in Maharashtra, party leader Sanjay Raut said Wednesday. Raut, a Rajya Sabha MP and spokesman, was responding to speculation that Aaditya Thackeray, chief of the Yuva Sena, the party's youth wing, may enter the poll fray. Assembly polls in Maharashtra are scheduled later this year. The 28-year-old Thackeray scion is playing an active role in the Sena's preparations for the assembly polls to ensure the party, founded by his grandfather Bal Thackeray, wins the maximum number of seats, he said. No member of the Thackeray family has ever fought an election in the 53-year-old history of the party. "Aaditya is involved in the Sena's preparations for the assembly elections to ensure maximum candidates of the party win. "He himself has clarified that any decision regarding his entry in the poll arena will be taken by ...
J-K : 3 CRPF personnel killed; 2 injured in Anantnag attack by terrorists
Three Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed and two others injured when their patrol party were attacked by terrorists here on Wednesday.One terrorist has been neutralised.The attack took place on K P road in Anantnag district.SHO Anantnag has also been critically injured in the attack.Firing between the security forces and terrorists was still on.Further details are awaited.The attack comes months after the deadly attack on a CRPF convoy in Pulwama on February 14 this year, in which over 40 CRPF soldiers were killed.
Punjab to invite 550 NRIs for 550th Parkash Parb
The Punjab government will invite 550 Non-Resident Indian (NRI) Punjabis for the 550th Parkash Parb to be celebrated in November, NRI Affairs Minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi said on Wednesday.
Shah to meet key state leaders on Wednesday to discuss organisational polls
The BJP is set to kick in its organisational elections, which may culminate in the election of its president Amit Shah's successor, in a meeting he will hold with the chiefs and general secretaries of the party's state units on Thursday. Party sources said the meeting will decide on the schedule for organisational elections in its units, from both-level upwards, and membership drive, a customary exercise during the internal polls. A party leader said it may take several months before the organisational polls are over. A new party president can be elected only after the process is over, he said, adding that it may stretch till October-November. Though the party's parliamentary board, its apex decision making body, can appoint a new president during this period, the leader added, noting that it will mostly depend on how Shah, who is now home minister at the Centre, will like the exercise to continue. With assembly polls in three BJP-ruled states- Haryana, Jharkhand and Maharashtra- due .
Cong extends support to Patnaik over special status demand,
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's demand for 'special focus state' status for calamity-hit states has evoked mixed response from opposition parties, with the Congress Thursday extending its support to the move and the BJP terming it a "political drama". Senior Congress leader Narasingha Mishra on Wednesday said the chief minister's demand of 'focus state' status for Odisha is a "justified one". "I fully agree with the demand made by Patnaik. Odisha becomes a victim of natural calamity every year. The CM has rightly placed the demand for 'special focus state' status (before the Centre)," Mishra told reporters. He, however, flayed the CM for not pursuing the matter during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee's rule, when Patnaik was a minister in the cabinet and his party an ally of the BJP. "Naveen Babu was once a Union minister in the NDA-led government, and the BJD was a partner of the coalition government. He should clarify why he had not raised this demand at that time," ...
Rajnath Singh named deputy leader in Lok Sabha
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday constituted the parliamentary party executive committee appointing Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the leader and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh as the deputy leader in the Lok Sabha.