Page 211 - Politics
JD(U) was denied its share in Modi govt: Sanjay Singh
Senior Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh Tuesday charged the BJP with having "denied" an honourable share in the Union Council of Ministers to its alliance partner JD(U), headed by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The AAP Rajya Sabha member and state in-charge said his party had "ideological differences with Nitish Kumar" but, nevertheless, was of the view that "JD(U) should have been granted a representation in the Union council of ministers that was commensurate with its standing in the Parliament." "We hold the view that the BJP speaks about nationalism but practices Gujaratism. The PM and the Union Home Minister are from that state and so are their favorite industrialists like Ambani and Adani. The BJP seems to be working on the agenda of bringing the control of the country's politics and its economy into the hands of a coterie from Gujarat", Singh alleged. He claimed that had the JD(U) been represented in the Union council of ministers, the demand for special ..
Austria set for early elections on September 29
The date for early elections triggered by the so-called "Ibiza-gate" scandal which brought down Austria's government has been fixed for September 29, following a decision by a parliamentary commission Tuesday. The snap poll was prompted by the decision of centre-right Chancellor Sebastian Kurz to end his coalition with the far-right Freedom Party (FPOe) after a video emerged last month of FPOe leader Heinz-Christian Strache appearing to offer public contracts in return for campaign help from a fake Russian backer. While Kurz and President Alexander Van der Bellen favoured a date in early September for the elections, the FPOe and the centre-left Social Democrats (SPOe) pushed for the September 29 date. Together the FPOe and SPOe have a majority in parliament, which will now have to formally confirm the date. Both parties lost vote share at May's European elections and have made no secret of their wish for more time to prepare themselves for national elections. Kurz and his People's ...
Nripendra Mishra appointed Principal Secretary, P K Mishra Additional Principal Secretary to PM Modi
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet on Tuesday approved the appointment of Dr Nripendra Mishra, IAS (Retired) as the Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi with effect from May 31.A 1967 batch IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, Mishra is currently serving as the Prime Minister's Principal Secretary.P K Mishra, IAS officer (Retired) has been appointed the Additional Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister.During the term of their office, both the officers will be assigned the rank of Cabinet minister in the order of precedence, a government notification said on Tuesday.Their appointment will be co-terminus with the term of Prime Minister.
AIADMK meeting on Wednesday may decide to maintain status quo for now
Even though voices have been raised about the efficacy of dual leadership and demanding single leadership in the ruling AIADMK, a meeting of party leaders called here on Wednesday may decide on maintaining the status quo, said political analysts.
Delhi BJP intensifies attack on AAP govt over water, power supply; holds DJB CEO captive' in office
A Delhi BJP delegation launched an indefinite dharna and held the DJB CEO "captive" at the utility's headquarters here Tuesday, as the party sharpened its attack on the Arvind Kejriwal government over water and power supplies in the city. The delegation led by former Union minister Vijay Goel came to meet DJB CEO Nikhil Kumar, who took charge on June 6, at around 5 pm. The DJB headquarters, however, soon turned into a protest venue as the delegation started raising slogans against the Kejriwal government, alleging the utility headed by the chief minister had no plan to deal with the "water crisis" in the national capital. Goel told PTI that the delegation had "held the CEO captive and he would not be allowed to leave till he promises to organise special camps and issue advertisements publicising its grievance redressal system". BJP MLA OP Sharma said the DJB staff had locked the doors on the ground floor to prevent other BJP supporters from moving up to the CEO's room. Goel, a former .
Act impartially in allotting lands for construction of offices
The BJP in Telangana demanded that the state government act "impartially" in allotment of government lands to recognised political parties for construction of office buildings. The BJP has applied to district collectors in almost all districts in view of the state government's policy to allot government lands to recognised party offices but no effort has been made for allotment of land to BJP anywhere, BJP leader Malla Reddy said in a letter to the state Chief Secretary. But, the ruling TRS has been allotted lands in all districts, he alleged, urging that the collectors be directed to examine BJP's applications and allot lands in districts for party offices, he said.
Thawar Chand Gehlot appointed Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha
Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot has been appointed the Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha.Gehlot had on June 4 took charge as Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment. He was holding this ministry as a Cabinet minister even during the NDA's first term.Gehlot represents Shajapur reserved Lok Sabha constituency in Madhya Pradesh.The Rajya Sabha has been convened to meet for the Budget Session from June 20, the day President Ram Nath Kovind will address the joint sitting of Parliament.The session will continue till July 26. In all, there will be 27 sittings of the Upper House of Indian Parliament.The Lok Sabha has already been convened from June 17. Newly elected members will take oath on June 17 and 18. The Speaker's election will be held on June 19.The Union Budget will be presented on July 5.
Deadlock over Rahul's resignation continues, so does uncertainty over leadership
The stalemate over Rahul Gandhi's offer to quit as the Congress chief continued Tuesday amid the deepening fissures in the party's state units over its debacle in the Lok Sabha polls. Sources said there has been no change in the situation since Gandhi offered to quit during the Congress Working Committee meeting on May 25. The CWC had unanimously rejected his offer to quit but Gandhi is apparently firm on his stand, they added. There have also been speculations on the need to put in place an interim arrangement for the decision making, specially in the run-up to assembly elections in Haryana, Jharkhand and Maharashtra later this year, if Rahul Gandhi does not relent. A party source said most of the leaders, however, are hoping that Gandhi will continue to lead the party as the Nehru-Gandhi family acts as a "glue" that binds the party together. Meanwhile, rumblings within the state units of the party are growing louder over the massive defeat of the Congress in the Lok Sabha elections .
Thawarchand Gehlot appointed Leader of Rajya Sabha
Union Minister Thawarchand Gehlot was appointed on Tuesday the Leader of the Rajya Sabha, a position occupied in the previous Narendra Modi-led government by senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley who has had health issues and is currently recovering, official sources said. Gehlot, the social justice and empowerment minister, is an experienced parliamentarian and a Dalit face of the saffron party. The appointment for the Leader of the Rajya Sabha is made by the party in power at the Centre. The 71-year-old leader from Madhya Pradesh has almost four decades of legislative experience. He was a member of the state assembly for several terms and has served in the Lok Sabha as well as the Rajya Sabha.
Modi to chair first council of ministers' meeting on Wednesday
The first meeting of the Union council of ministers after allocation of portfolios will be held on Wednesday and is likely to discuss the agenda of the government both in the short and long term.
Govt will reconsider decision on sale of land to JSW Steel:CM
Caught in a row over the controversial Jindal Steel land deal, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy Tuesday said the government's decision on sale of 3,667 acres toJSWSteelin Ballari will be reconsidered and placed before the cabinet once again for discussion. "I have discussed about the sale of land to Jindal with deputy chief minister G Parameshwara and Industries minister K J George. I have instructed to reconsider it and place it before the cabinet once again for discussion," Kumaraswamy tweeted. The Karnataka cabinet had recently decided convert the lease of 3,667 acres toJSWSteelin Ballari into sale, in accordance with the initial agreement. Opposing the move, state BJP president B S Yeddyurappa on Sunday had alleged the ruling coalition of getting "kickback", for the sale of land. Accusing the government of selling the land to the company at a throwaway price, the BJP has announced that it will stage a three-day protest in Bengaluru from June 13. Causing ...
Sikkim chief minister meets PM
Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, the prime minister's office said. The PMO released a photograph of the two leaders meeting. Tamang led the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha party to victory in the recently held Assembly elections, ending near 25-year reign of Pawan Kumar Chamling as the state's chief minister.
Defence minister pays respects to Army jawan killed in shelling in J-K
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Tuesday paid respects to an Army jawan who was killed in the shelling by the Pakistan troops along the Line of Control in Poonch, saying his gallant deeds and devotion to duty will never be forgotten. Lance Naik Mohammad Jawed, 28, from Marrar village in Khagaria district of Bihar, is survived by his wife. Singh laid a wreath on his body at the Palam Air Base here. "I salute India's brave son and soldier, Lance Naik Mohammad Jawed who made the supreme sacrifice while serving the nation. His gallant deeds and devotion to duty will never be forgotten. We stand in solidarity with his bereaved family," the minister tweeted. Jawed was killed and three others were injured when Pakistan troops resorted to mortar shelling and small arms firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district Monday, officials said. "Lance Naik Mohammad Jawed was a brave and sincere soldier. The nation will always remain indebted to him for the supreme ...
Odisha CM calls on President Kovind, apprises him about progress of relief works for cyclone victims
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday called on President Ram Nath Kovind and briefed him about the devastation caused by cyclone 'Fani' in the state.The Chief Minister also apprised the President about the progress of relief and restoration works.President Kovind expressed his solidarity with the people of Odisha in dealing with the aftermath of cyclone 'Fani' and wished early restoration of normalcy, a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique said.The cyclonic storm 'Fani' had made landfall along Odisha coast on May 3."The total loss to the public properties and requirement of funds for relief measures have been estimated at Rs 9,336.26 crore," a state government official had said on June 6.
SC orders status quo over road widening in Greater Kailash traffic bottleneck
The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered status quo for eight weeks on a project to widen the road near Savitri Cinema intersection in Greater Kailash, south Delhi. A few hundred-meter patch is a traffic bottleneck, which is hanging fire for nearly a decade, and often leads to traffic jam for hours, especially during peak traffic hours.
BJP demands NIA probe into killings during Saturday clashes in Sandeshkhali
Senior BJP leader Mukul Roy Tuesday blamed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for the clashes in North 24 Parganas' Sandeshkhali on Saturday that claimed three lives, and demanded an investigation into the violence by anti-terror probe agency NIA. After the clashes in North 24 Parganas district's Sandeshkhali on Saturday night, bodies of three persons were brought to Basirhat Hospital. BJP leaders had claimed that two of them were supporters of their party while the TMC said the third one was its active worker. Both the warring parties claimed that several of their supporters have gone missing following the violence. The police and North 24 Parganas district authorities have remained tight-lipped about the clashes since Saturday and have not made any statement on the number of deaths. "We demand an NIA investigation into the killing of two of our supporters," Roy told reporters in Kolkata after visiting a village of Sandeshkhali area where, he claimed, the people are still ...
3 killed in post-poll violence in WB in last 24 hrs; TMC, BJP blame each other for killings
At least three persons were killed in post-poll violence incidents in West Bengal in last 24 hours even as both the ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP blamed each other for these killings with chief minister Mamata Banerjee claiming that the saffron party was "planning to turn Bengal into Gujarat" but she will not allow it to happen. Banerjee also claimed that 10 people have been killed in the state in violence following the Lok Sabha elections, and of them eight belonged to her party and the rest were BJP supporters. She, however, did not give details of the 10 deaths. In fresh incidents of violence, three persons were killed since late Monday night, police said Tuesday. While two people were killed when bombs were hurled at them in Kankinara area of North 24 Parganas district, another died after being allegedly beaten up by unknown miscreants in Purba Burdwan district, both incidents taking place on Monday night, they said. The TMC and the BJP claimed the victims were their ...
Attacks on TDP workers;"No wait& watch policy towards YSR Cong
: Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu Tuesday said his party would not adopt a 'wait and watch' policy towards YSR Congress government in Andhra Pradesh in view of the growing attacks on TDP workers. "We initially wanted to give the new government of Y S Jaganmohan Reddy six months time. But we can't remain silent now when our party workers are being threatened and attacked ever since the election results," Naidu said. A release said he made these remarks while addressing TDP members of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council at the government-owned Praja Vedika here this evening. Naidu alleged that the YSRC was acting with the objective of (physically) attacking TDP workers on the one hand and indugling in mud slinging on the leaders on the other. He referred to the alleged attacks on TDP workers in Anantapuramu, Prakasam, Guntur and East Godavari districts in the last 15 days and strongly condemned them. "We have to hit back at them if they are indulging in ...
Japan premier hopes to ease US-Iran tensions in Tehran visit
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's trip to Tehran represents the highest-level effort yet to de-escalate tensions between the US and Iran as the country appears poised to break the 2015 nuclear deal it struck with world powers that America earlier abandoned. But while Abe's trip to Iran marks the first visit of a sitting Japanese premier in the 40 years since the Islamic Revolution, it remains unclear if he'll end up going home with any success. Iran is threatening to resume enriching uranium closer to weapons-grade level on July 7 if European allies fail to offer it new terms. While President Donald Trump says he wants to talk to Tehran, the U.S. has piled on sanctions that have seen Iran's rial currency plummet along with its crucial oil exports. The US also has sent an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the region, along with hundreds more troops to back up the tens of thousands already deployed across the Middle East. The U.S. blames Iran for a mysterious attack on oil tankers
DMK president thank voters in Coimbatore city, Sulur
DMK president M K Stalin Tuesday visited Coimbatore Lok Sabha constituency and Sulur assembly constituency to thank voters for supporting the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance in the recent polls. He mingled with a large number of people, shook hands with them and thanked them for their support. Stalin, accompanied by MP-elect from Nilgiris A Raja and former minister Pongalur N Palanisamy, posed for selfies and photographs. The DMK chief also enquired the voters the reason for the defeat of DMK candidate Palanisamy, who contested the by-poll in Sulur. Stalin would address a thanksgiving meeting at Vadakkipalayam near Pollachi, as part of birthday celebrations of the former chief minister M Karunanidhi, party sources said.