Page 2181 - Politics
Legislators are servants, not slaves, of people: Bombay HC
Legislators are servants and not slaves of people, the Panaji bench of the Bombay High Court on Monday said.
AAP MP Sanjay Singh attends Gehlot's swearing-in
AAP MP Sanjay Singh on Monday attended the swearing-in ceremony of Ashok Gehlot as the Rajasthan Chief Minister following a surprise invitation from the Congress party.
Rafale issue: Cong gives breach of privilege notices in both Houses
The Congress on Monday gave notices of breach of privilege in both Houses of the Parliament, demanding an explanation from the Centre on why it provided the Supreme Court "wrong" information on the Rafale deal. Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad sent the notice to the Upper House chairman, while Congress' leader in the Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, gave the notice in the Lower House. "I have given a breach of privilege notice against the government and, in particular, against Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad as it was the Law Ministry that gave the go ahead for presenting the affidavit before the Supreme Court," Azad said. "It is understood that the affidavit was in the knowledge of the prime minister, which provided wrong information. This government can speak a lie even to the Supreme Court and send a wrong affidavit to it and thus mislead the Parliament and the entire country. We have no faith in such a government," he said, adding it was for the first time ..
Rupani sees political motive behind Patnaik's Guj visit
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani Monday suspected a political motive behind Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's maiden visit to Surat ahead of the 2019 general elections. While Rupani came down to the capital of Odisha to address a press conference on the Rafale fighter aircraft deal in the aftermath of the Supreme Court judgment, Patnaik flew out to Gujarat the same day to attend a festival of Odia migrant labourers in Surat. Denying it was a "coincidence", Rupani hit out saying Patnaik remembered the people of Odisha staying in Gujarat "after being in power for 19 years". However, he stressed that his Odisha visit had nothing to do with politics. "Gujarat is not going to polls but assembly election in Odisha is round the corner. I welcome him on his maiden visit," Rupani said. Patnaik's Surat visit attained political hue because the textile city houses about 10 lakh Odias including seven lakh alone from Ganjam, the home district of the chief minister. These migrant labourers ..
UK PM rebuffs growing calls for second Brexit referendum
Prime Minister Theresa May will on Monday warn MPs against supporting a second Brexit referendum, as calls mount for a public vote to break the political impasse over the deal she has struck with the EU. "Let us not break faith with the British people by trying to stage another referendum," she will tell parliament, according to extracts from her speech released by Downing Street. "Anther vote... would do irreparable damage to the integrity of our politics," May will say, adding that a second vote "would likely leave us no further forward". Britain voted to leave the European Union in a shock referendum in 2016 and is set to leave on March 29 next year, although the prime minister is struggling to persuade parliament to accept a divorce agreement she struck last month. May has said she is engaged in talks with the EU to seek "assurances" about the Brexit deal, but European Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas on Monday said "no further meetings with the United Kingdom are ...
BJP, Akali Dal lash out at Congress after Sajjan Kumar's conviction
The BJP and the Akali Dal Monday launched a broadside against the Congress after the conviction of Sajjan Kumar in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case and questioned it for picking Kamal Nath as the Madhya Pradesh chief minister, saying Sikhs consider him "culpable" in the violence. As the anti-Sikh riots came to haunt the party, the Congress said the case should not politicised, while Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said justice was done but asserted the Gandhi family's name should not be dragged into the matter. The AAP, meanwhile, blamed both the Congress and the BJP for the 34-year-long wait of the victims for justice. BJP chief Amit Shah said there was no doubt of the complicity of the Congress and alleged its "leaders and workers went on rampage raising provocative slogans" and "murdering men in cold blood". He alleged in his tweets that the victims had lost all hope of justice because those responsible for crime against them enjoyed political patronage of party leadership. BJP ...
CPI-M demands JPC probe into 36 Rafale jets deal
The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) on Monday pressed for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the 36 Rafale fighter jets deal with Frances Dassault Aviation.
Bhupesh Baghel sworn in as Chhattisgarh's 3rd CM
State Congress President Bhupesh Baghel, credited for powering the Congress to a landslide victory in Chhattisgarh, was on Monday sworn in as the third Chief Minister of the state, bringing to an end 15-year rule of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Par panel concerned over Chinese infra close to Doklam
It took 13 rounds of diplomatic discussions between India and China to resolve the face off between their militaries in Doklam last year, according to a report by a parliamentary panel. The report by the committee on External Affairs termed the Chinese intrusion at Doklam as a "blatant but unsuccessful attempt" to unilaterally change the status quo at the India, Bhutan, China tri-junction in Doklam, seriously affecting India's security interests. Complimenting the government's handling of the face-off, the committee said it remained concerned that Chinese infrastructure built "uncomfortably" close to the tri-junction has not yet been dismantled. The committee, headed by former minister of state in External Affairs Ministry Shashi Tharoor, said Doklam was not a sovereignty issue for India as the disputed territory was Bhutanese, but nevertheless it was a major security challenge for New Delhi. "The committee would like to put on record their highest appreciation for the brave and ...
Rahul should apologise for spreading lies: Yogi Adityanath
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Monday demanded Congress president Rahul Gandhi to apologise to the nation for "misleading" the people by spreading "lies and misinformation" on the Rafale fighter jet deal. Adityanath attacked the Congress for not accepting the apex court's verdict and termed it as "unfortunate". The Congress has demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe the issue. The senior BJP leader, however, did not respond to a query on whether the Congress' relentless campaign on the deal had any impact on the recent assembly elections in five states, where the saffron party suffered losses. "Congress President Rahul Gandhi should apologise to the people of India ... Congress tried to create misconceptions among the people by spreading lies and misinformation. "They (Congress) tried to push the government (Centre) to the dock and spread misinformation about the Army and country's security," Adityanath said at a press conference here. He claimed the Supreme ...
Rahul Gandhi should resign as Cong chief: Rupani
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani Monday demanded that Congress chief Rahul Gandhi resign from his post, alleging that he "mislead the nation" on the Rafale deal. Addressing a press conference here, Rupani said Gandhi made the issue concerning national security a tool to grind the Narendra Modi government. The chief minister was speaking as part of the BJP's move to hold press conferences in 70 cities across the country to attack the opposition party against the backdrop of the Supreme Court's verdict on the Rafale jet deal last week. "Even if all thieves come together and call the chowkidar a thief, the people will not accept it," Rupani told reporters here, referring to Gandhi's barb against the prime minister. Rupani said only "those who are afraid of the 'chowkidar' make repeated noise about thieves. But, the people know the truth". "The Supreme Court judgement is a slap on the face of the Congress and those misleading the nation. Now, Gandhi should quit as the president of ...
Non-BJP front will come into being post elections: Yechury
CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury on Monday said a non-BJP front will come into being on its own post elections and that the opposition was united in its resolve to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
BJP, SAD hail Sajjan conviction, don't politicise, says Congress
The BJP, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and several other parties on Monday hailed the Delhi High Court verdict holding Congress leader Sajjan Kumar guilty in the 1984 killing of Sikhs and sentencing him to imprisonment for life, while the Congress said the matter should not be politicised.
Will seek revenge for 'injustice' meted out to party workers: Bengal BJP chief
Two days after the West Bengal government denied permission for its 'rath yatra', state Bharatiya Janata Party president Dilip Ghosh said Monday he and his supporters would "seek revenge" for every "injustice" meted out to them. Addressing the BJP's "ganatantra bachao (save democracy) andolan" in Arambagh town of Hooghly district, Ghosh alleged that the Mamata Banerjee-led government had refused to give permission as it was afraid that its "wrong-doings" might get exposed at the rally. The state government had on Saturday disallowed the Bharatiya Janata Party's proposed rally on the ground that it might lead to communal tension. "We would seek revenge for each and every injustice meted out to our party workers. We will speak to them in the language that the TMC understands. The ruling party doesn't believe in democratic rights," Ghosh said. The saffron party has decided to take out rallies across the state to protest against the Trinamool Congress government's decision. Earlier in the
Chidambaram counters Jaitley's arguments against JPC probe into Rafale deal
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram Monday rejected Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's argument against a JPC probe into the Rafale deal, saying the government and Parliament have overruled Supreme Court verdicts in the past, most recently in the SC/ST Act. His counter came as Jaitley, while ruling out referring the Rafale deal to a parliamentary panel after the apex court verdict against a probe, asserted a political body cannot review what the Supreme Court has ruled and called the Congress "bad losers". Chidambaram took to Twitter to say, "FM asks 'Is a Committee of Politicians fit to review issues decided by SC?'. When Government/Parliament amended the Atrocities Prevention Act to overrule the judgment of the SC, was it not a review by politicians of a judgment of the SC?". Chidambaram also said several aspects of the Rafale deal were not decided by the Supreme Court. "Who will examine those issues? Or will they go unexamined?" he asked. The Congress has been alleging corruption in .
India commits USD 1.4 billion financial assistance to Maldives
India on Monday announced financial assistance of USD 1.4 billion to the Maldives as the island nation's President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih undertook his maiden visit here, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi said would enhance "trust and friend" between the two nations."It is a matter of great pride and honour for us that you have selected India as your first visit to any foreign country. Your visit would further help in strengthening the deep bond of trust and friendship that India shares with the Maldives," Prime Minister Modi said in a statement.Looking forward to securing the societal and economic development of Maldives, India also promised to provide budget support, and currency swap. The two countries also exchanged the documents of agreement in the presence of Prime Minister and Maldives President Solih for bilateral co-operation in the field of agri-business, culture, and visa arrangements.Noting the faith in democracy and development by the people of the two countries, Prime ...
Congress' campaign on Rafale was full of lies: Prakash Javadekar
Union Minister for Human Resource Development (HRD) Prakash Javadekar on Monday attacked the Congress for carrying out a "campaign full of lies" on the Rafale fighter jets purchase and demanded an apology from its president Rahul Gandhi.
Gujarat CM seeks Rahul apology on Rafale
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Monday said Rahul Gandhi should apologise and resign as AICC President for his lies on Rafale fighter jets deal.
Premature announcement of Rahul as PM candidate will divide Opposition: TMC
A day after DMK president M K Stalin proposed the name of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi as the prime ministerial candidate, the Trinamool Congress leadership on Monday distanced itself from the statement, saying any such announcement would be premature. A TMC leader said the decision on who should be the prime minister should only be taken following a discussion among the Opposition parties after the Lok Sabha election results were announced. He added that any unilateral announcement could send out a wrong message. "Not only the TMC, but other Opposition parties, too, are of the opinion that any decision on the PM candidate should be decided only after the Lok Sabha election results. Any announcement on the PM candidate right now would be premature as it would divide the Opposition camp," a senior TMC leader told PTI on condition of anonymity. Stalin had on Sunday made a strong pitch for the Congress chief as the prime ministerial candidate of the Opposition, saying the Gandhi scion had
Ailing Parrikar's inspection visit not a stunt: BJP
Rejecting criticism that ailing Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's visit to an under-construction bridge near Panaji was a stunt, state BJP leader Sadanand Shet Tanavde on Monday said that Congress leaders will not be allowed to meet Parrikar henceforth because of the "inhuman politics" played by it vis-a-vis his health.