Page 2173 - Politics

Govt did not ask for Urjit Patel's resignation as RBI Guv

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Tuesday said the government did not seek resignation of Urjit Patel as RBI Governor over differences on some issues, and went on to cite how central bank heads were made to resign under prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi and when Yashwant Sinha was finance minister. Defending his government's demands from the Reserve Bank to address certain issues including liquidity or fund problem in certain sectors, he said that there is no threat to the autonomy of the central bank. Patel, who was brought in by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-government in 2016 after a second term was denied to outspoken former IMF chief economist Raghuram Rajan, in a surprise move resigned as RBI Governor on December 11. Many blamed the pressure brought by the government on the central bank to ease lending restrictions and release more of its capital to bolster the economy for Patel's resignation. "Sarkar ki unse koi istife ki apeksha nahi thi (The government did not ...

Modi govt 'lied' before SC on Rafale deal issue: Cong MP Selja

Congress leader and MP Kumari Selja Tuesday lashed out at the BJP-led government at the Centre, accusing it of "lying" before the Supreme court in the Rafale aircraft deal case. Selja insisted that Congress had always demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the deal as it felt that the apex court was not the appropriate forum to decide the issue. "The Modi government has a habit of lying. Earlier, they lied in public domain and now, they have lied before the Supreme Court on the Rafale deal," Selja said while addressing the media here. "The Congress party has always said that the Supreme Court is not the appropriate forum to decide on the issues of corruption, pricing, specifications, crony capitalism in the Rafale case. The apex court cannot summon and examine all the file notings, examine witnesses on oath, including questioning the prime minister, as also Defence Ministry officials or accept other evidence. This can only be done by a Joint Parliamentary Committee .

Pak's Senate passes resolution condemning violence in Kashmir's Pulwama

Pakistan's Senate or upper house on Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution condemning the violence in Kashmir's Pulwama district on Saturday that resulted in the death of seven civilians. The resolution moved by Pakistan People's Party leader Sherry Rehman also reiterated Pakistan's commitment to continue its "moral and diplomatic support" to the Kashmiris, Radio Pakistan reported. It also asked the government to implement earlier resolutions passed by the Senate seeking the appointment of Special Envoys to raise the Kashmir issue at all international fora. Separately, President Arif Alvi said on Tuesday that "Jammu & Kashmir is an unfinished agenda of partition and Pakistan will continue to extend moral, diplomatic and political support to the legitimate struggle" of the Kashmiris. The President said that peace in the region will remain elusive without resolution of the Kashmir issue.

Ending disbursement of subsidised sugar anti-people move: Farooq

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah Tuesday hit out at the Governor's administration in Jammu and Kashmir for ending disbursement of subsidised sugar to the state's BPL consumers, saying it will adversely affect the poor. He also demanded that the administration roll back its decision for the benefit of the people. "It is an anti-people move and will put an extra burden on daily wagers and the economically challenged classes of our society," Abdullah said in a statement. The National Conference (NC) leader also alleged that people were already paying "heavily" as the last PDP-BJP government had withdrawn subsidy on rice and cooking gas. "The PDP-BJP government, soon after coming to power, took no time to do away with the subsidy on rice and cooking gas. An APL (above poverty line) consumer had to pay less than Rs 1,000 per quintal, but after the subsidy was removed by the then BJP-PDP government, consumers were paying Rs 1,500 per quintal, the Lok Sabha member from Srinagar .

Rahul: Government running away from Rafale debate, demonetisation biggest scam

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday accused the government of running away from discussion on the Rafale deal while calling demonetisation as the "biggest scam in the world."

DMK's proposal on Rahul Gandhi as PM continues to create a flutter

DMK chief M.K. Stalin's pitch for Congress President Rahul Gandhi as candidate for the prime minister's post in the 2019 elections continued to keep the feathers ruffled in the opposition camp with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav saying it may not be the opinion of the alliance.

UK ministers meet to step up no-deal Brexit plans

British ministers met on Tuesday to intensify plans for leaving the European Union without a deal -- a prospect that is becoming more likely as Prime Minister Theresa May plays for time with just 101 days to go until Brexit. The opposition Labour Party meanwhile faced refusal over its request for a no-confidence motion in May and growing pressure to table a binding vote against the government. May on Monday said the government was preparing for a no-deal Brexit and "the cabinet will be discussing the next phase in ensuring we are ready for that scenario". She will be refereeing between ministers who want the government to step up preparations for a no-deal scenario and those that want parliament to have a final say in a series of votes on potential options for Brexit. One option is the prime minister's own Brexit deal, but that is hanging by a thread after she was forced to pull a vote on it last week in the face of huge opposition from within her Conservative Party. Opposition leader

Prabhu hails SC order on Rafale deal, says Cong's 'lies' exposed

Haling the Supreme Court verdict on the Rafale deal, Union minister Suresh Prabhu said Wednesday the Congress's "lie" was once again exposed and it was "victory of truth". He said the Congress insulted not only the people of the country but also the Army by "lying" on the Rafale aircraft deal. The Supreme Court had last week dismissed the pleas challenging the deal between India and France for procurement of 36 Rafale jets, saying there was no occasion to "really doubt the decision making process" warranting setting aside of the contract. The Congress has repeatedly criticised the deal for the 36 Rafale jets, alleging that the government was procuring each aircraft at a cost of over Rs 1,670 crore as against Rs 526 crore finalised by the UPA government. The government has, however, denied any irregularity in the deal. "The Congress is living in an imaginary world where there is no possibility for truth and justice. The country cannot run with such mindset," he told reporters ...

Stalin's pitch for Rahul as PM is his opinion, not of alliance: Akhilesh

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday seemed to disagree with DMK president M.K. Stalin on projecting Rahul Gandhi as prime ministerial candidate of a united Opposition, terming it as "his own opinion".

Rahul Gandhi ratchets up pressure on PM Modi to waive farm loans

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi pressed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday to write off farm loans to help growers reeling from lower food prices, ratcheting up demands for debt write-offs ahead of a general election that must be held by May.

Rashid thanks Amnesty, OIC for condemning Pulwama killings

Former MLA from Langate in Jammu and Kashmir, Sheikh Abdul Rashid, Tuesday welcomed the statements by the Amnesty over the killing of seven "civilians" in security forces' firing in Pulwama on Saturday, but said such international institutions need to move beyond words and play their role in "ending bloodshed in the valley. We, the people of Kashmir, thank OIC and Amnesty International for condemning the Pulwama killings. But let me make them a humble request that they need to move beyond words. Our wounds cannot be healed with words, Rashid told reporters here. The Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) chief said the international community should see the sufferings of Kashmiris through humanitarian prism and play their role in ending bloodshed by moving beyond words. Rashid said Governor S P Malik, his advisors and security apparatus must own the moral responsibility of Pulwama killings. Seven "stone-peltors" died Saturday when security forces opened fire at a mob that had thronged the site of .

BJP mocks at DMK's Rahul for PM pitch, says post not vacant

The BJP Tuesday mocked at DMK over its pitch for Rahul Gandhi as the Opposition's prime ministerial candidate, with party general secretary Ram Madhav asserting the PM's post was not vacant for another 10 years. He said DMK chief M K Stalin's proposal had not found resonance even within the parties the Congress wants in the proposed grand alliance. On the Rafale deal, Madhav challenged the opposition to a debate in Parliament in the presence of all its members instead of seeking an "escape route" of a Joint Parliamentary Committee, which would comprise only 25-30 members. Madhav said the Congress and other opposition parties were trying to stitch together a grand alliance by "propagating lies" over the Rafale deal. "We are challenging the Opposition. If they are ready, let us debate it (the Rafale issue) in Parliament. They cannot take an escape route in the name of JPC and try and continue their propaganda of lies....this shall not be allowed." "JPC is not more powerful .

Ex-Sri Lankan President named opposition leader amid objections

Former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who resigned from the prime ministerial position on December 15, was appointed Leader of Opposition by Speaker Karu Jayasuriya on Tuesday amid a row.

Cong govts corrupt since Nehru regime, alleges Assam CM

Congress governments at the Centre were involved in corrupt practices since the time of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal alleged Tuesday. The BJP leader's accusations came when he said the Supreme Court verdict on Rafale deal showed that there was no scam in it and that Congress president Rahul Gandhi has been spreading lies about the Narendra Modi government. The Congress got the opportunity to rule the nation for more than five decades, but it proved to be the most corrupt party in the country, Sonowal told a press conference. "Right from Pandit Nehru regime to the last Manmohan Singh regime, if you go through the history of Congress, in every tenure you will discover corrupt practices, either in this deal or that deal," Sonowal alleged. However, he did not specify any corrupt practice allegedly involved by Congress governments. The chief minister claimed that the NDA government led by Narendra Modi has been providing good governance and

Afghan thanks US for exempting Chabahar port from biting Iran sanctions

Afghanistan has thanked the US for exempting Iran's strategic Chabahar port from its tough sanctions, saying the project, being developed by India, was an important commercially viable gateway for the land-locked country's access to the sea. Last month, the Trump administration exempted India from imposition of certain sanctions for the development of the strategically-located Chabahar Port, along with the construction of a railway line connecting it with Afghanistan. The US has imposed "the toughest ever" sanctions on a defiant Iran, aimed at altering the Iranian regime's "behaviour". The sanctions cover Iran's banking and energy sectors and reinstate penalties for countries and companies in Europe, Asia and elsewhere that do not halt Iranian oil imports. However, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had said that eight countries -- India, China, Italy, Greece, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Turkey -- were temporarily allowed to continue buying Iranian oil as they showed "significant ...

4 years back no one thought Congress leaders will get punished for '84 Sikh massacre: PM Modi

"No one had thought four years ago that Congress leaders accused of 1984 anti-Sikh riots will get punished and people will get justice," said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, while making his first comments in the wake of Delhi High Court verdict convicting Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in a 1984 anti-Sikh riot case.Prime Minister Modi made these remarks while delivering a key note address at Republic Summit organised by the Republic News channel.Prime Minister Modi also attacked Congress over the Rafale issue and outlined that it is for the "first time that a charge of corruption on a government was rebuked by the court"."It has been a psychology here, that whenever someone approaches the court with an acquisition on the government, it is considered that the government must be wrong and the complainant must be right. Whether it is a scam or a corruption charge, the mentality has been same. However, this is for the first time when some people approached the court, levying ...

Triple talaq, Rafale, 1984 riots dominate BJP parliamentary party meet

Triple talaq, Rafale, and 1984 anti-Sikh riots were some of the issues which dominated BJP's parliamentary party meeting on Tuesday, Rural Development Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said.Briefing media persons after the parliamentary party meeting, Tomar said: "Triple talaq, Rafale deal, and ant-Sikh 1984 riots were discussed during the meeting. Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad briefed the meeting about Triple talaq.""The bill that we introduced in the form of an ordinance has to be passed. It is a major priority for our government. The recent verdict by the Delhi High Court on 1984 anti-Sikh riots and the Supreme Court's verdict on Rafale deal were also discussed during the meeting," he said."The previous proceedings of the ongoing Winter Session of the Parliament were also reviewed and all the parliamentarians of the party were asked to ensure their maximum attendance during the Parliament session," Tomar further said.This was the second Parliamentary party meeting of the BJP ..

Won't let Modi sleep till he waives farm loans: Rahul

Bolstered by the victory in the just-concluded Assembly elections, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday warned Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the Congress and other opposition parties will not allow him to sleep but force him to waive the loans of farmers across the country.

Ram temple should be built by mutual consent: Gadkari

The Ram temple should be built in Ayodhya through mutual consent, and is not a "communal or religious" issue, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said Tuesday. The senior BJP leader also said that the issue is linked to India's rich culture, heritage and history. "Ayodhya issue is not a communal issue and is not religious as well. Lord Rama is symbol of our history, culture and heritage. It has been proven that temple was there. If Ram temple cannot be built at birth place in Hindustan then where should it be? Crores of people's sentiments and desire is that Ram temple should be built there," Gadkari said at a conclave by Aaj Tak news channel. The minister said this sentiment was earlier also in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) agenda and remains at present as well. "There are three ways for it - matter is in court, it can be through mutual consent or by any decision in Parliament through 2/3rd majority. But I believe it should happen through mutual consent. our fabric is 'sarvadharma sambhav'.

Parrikar favoured cheaper Sukhoi SU-30MK1, why did Modi buy Rafale, asks Goa Congress

As Defence Minister, Manohar Parrikar was in favour of buying Sukhoi SU-30MK1, which were cheaper and as good as French Rafale jets, then why did Prime Minister Narendra Modi strike an expensive deal for the latter aircraft, Goa Congress spokesperson Ramakant Khalap said on Tuesday.