Page 2193 - Politics
Pakistan: Iran Ambassador summoned to register protests against border attack
Pakistan Foreign Office summoned Iran Ambassador Mehdi Honardoost here on Saturday to lodge a strong protest against a border attack on Friday.The Dawn quoted a statement issued by Foreign Office as saying, "The Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan was called to the Foreign Office to lodge a strong protest against the ghastly incident. The government of Iran was urged to carry out an effective operation against the terrorist group responsible for the attack on its side of the border."A statement released by the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on Saturday confirmed that around 30 terrorists ambushed a Frontier Corps convoy on patrolling duty along the Pakistan-Iran border.As many as six Pakistani soldiers were killed and 14 injured in the incident. MoFA further stated that four terrorists were killed during the exchange of fire.Islamabad also urged Iran to carry out an effective operation against the terrorist group responsible for the attack on its side of the border, the MoFA ..
PM inaugurates command and control centre for Kumbh Mela
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday inaugurated the state-of-the-art command and control centre for the Kumbh Mela here. He performed Ganga Pujan and visited the Swachh Kumbh exhibition. Modi also visited the 'Akshayavat' in Prayagraj before proceeding to Andawa to dedicate to the nation various development projects to clean the Ganges and ghats ahead of the Kumbh Mela, which begins on January 15. The prime minister then left for Bamrauli Airport, Prayagraj, to inaugurate the new terminal building of the airport, before returning to Delhi.
Haasan leaves question of poll deal in TN to guesswork
Makkal Needhi Maiam chief Kamal Haasan said Sunday his party has started preparing for the general election but declined to speak on possibilities of forming an alliance with other parties. Haasan has been touring Tamil Nadu as part of his efforts to strengthen his new party. Asked if he would go it alone or ally with other parties for next year's Parliament election and bypolls to 20 assembly constituencies, he said, "Such things cannot be said now and it cannot be disclosed to the media. Some sections of media are imagining things." The MNM leader, before his visit to the villages hit by Cyclone Gaja in November, told reporters at the airport here: "We will do only what is good for people." Eighteen assembly constituencies were declared vacant following the disqualification of rebel AIADMK legislators who represented these seats. Two more seats became vacant after the death of legislators M Karunanidhi (Tiruvarur) and A K Bose (Tiruparankundram). On the Sterlite issue, Haasan sought
Bhupesh Baghel is Chhattisgarh's new CM (Third Lead)
State Congress President Bhupesh Baghel was on Sunday named the new Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh and he vowed in no time to cancel within 10 days bank loans taken by farmers -- a campaign promise that led to the BJP's rout in Assembly elections.
PM takes 'Quattrocchi mama' jibe at Sonia Gandhi, says Cong upset over transparent defence deals
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday tore into the Congress in Sonia Gandhi's home turf, saying the party was "agitated" and telling "lies" as there was no "Quattrocchi uncle" or Christian Michel in BJP government's defence deals and slammed it for trying to create "distrust" against the judiciary. This was the prime minister's first public comments after the Supreme Court gave a clean chit to the BJP government on the Rafale deal. It was also the prime minister's first public meeting in Sonia Gandhi's home turf after the BJP lost the three heartland states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the Congress and its allies. In all out attack on the Congress, Modi accused the Congress of aligning with forces which do not want to see India's defence forces becoming strong. "There are two facets before the country...one is of the government which is making every possible effort to augment the strength of defence forces, and the second is of those forces which want to weaken the .
Vijay Diwas celebrated in Tripura
Tripura observed the 47th anniversary of Vijay Diwas by paying tributes to Indian soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice during the 1971 India- Pakistan war, resulting in the creation of Bangladesh. Vijay Diwas is celebrated every year to mark the victory of the Indian Army over the Pakistan Army.
KTR to assume charge as TRS working president on Monday
K T Rama Rao would formally take over as working president of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) on Monday. TRS supremo and state Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had on Friday appointed his son and former minister Rama Rao as the outfit's working president. Rama Rao, the MLA from Sircilla seat and popularly known as KTR, would assume charge as the TRS working president at his new chambers in the Telangana Bhavan here at 11.56 am (muhurat) on Monday, party sources said. "He would shortly take up district-wise tours and interact with TRS leaders and party workers as part of measures towards strengthening the party from the grassroot," a source said. The TRS state executive committee meeting, chaired by Rama Rao, had on Saturday decided to set up a public grievance cell at the Telangana Bhavan to receive complains of the public. According a press release issued earlier by the chief minister's office, Rama Rao's appointment was necessitated as Chandrasekhar Rao will have to ...
AAP, Cong understood to be in touch for alliance in Delhi
Bitter rivals Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress are understood to have been in touch to explore the possibility of an electoral alliance for the seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital. AAP sources said backchannel talks are currently on between the two parties. However, there is no official word on the alliance between them. The buzz got traction after the AAP, for the first time, took part in an opposition meeting last week, which was attended by the Congress. From the Aam Aadmi Party's side, talks are being held by a senior party leader and member of the AAP's apex decision-making body, the Parliamentary Affairs Committee, the sources said. Interestingly, the AAP and the Congress have been at loggerheads in Delhi and Punjab. Until August, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said that voting for the Congress was akin to voting for the BJP. The AAP had boycotted the poll for electing deputy chairman to the Rajya Sabha in August, stating that it was upset over the Congress not ...
PM blames Cong for agrarian crisis in country
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday blamed the Congress for agrarian crisis in the country and said despite being in power for 10 years, the party did not implement the recommendations of the Swaminathan Committee report. Attacking the Congress at a public meeting at UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi's home turf, Modi said the party neither "bothered about jawans nor farmers". "Why did the Congress not implement the recommendations of the Swaminathan Committee report despite being in power for 10 years. The Congress will never answer this," Modi said. The NDA government implemented the Swaminathan committee report on Minimum Support Price (MSP) to increase the income of farmers, he said, adding the MSP has been ensured for 22 rabi and kharif crops. "The Congress eco-system will never tell you that this decision will enable the farmers of the country to get Rs 60,000 crore," he said. Hitting out at the Karnataka government where the Congress is an alliance partner, Modi said, "The Congress .
Internal security improved vastly in last 4 years: Rajnath
Home Minister Rajnath Singh Sunday said the internal security scenario in the country has vastly improved ever since the NDA government came to power in 2014. Addressing a 'Vijay Diwas' function here, Singh said the left-wing extremism- affected districts have shrunk from 90 to just about 12, while there has been an 80 per cent decline in insurgency in the northeast. "The internal security scenario has vastly improved during the last four years," he said. The home minister said the Border Security Force (BSF), which guards the Indo-Pak border, has been given complete freedom to retaliate effectively to ceasefire violations by Pakistan. Singh said the ex-servicemen can play a key role in inculcating a sense of national pride among the youths. Recalling the heroics of Brigadier Mohammad Usman, Maha Vir Chakra awardee and Major Somnath Sharma, India's first Param Vir Chakra, Singh said some youths today have their idols in cricketers and film stars, but if someone asks them to name Param
Macron's ratings fall further after month of protests
A month of "yellow vest" protests have taken a further toll on the popularity of French President Emmanuel Macron, a new poll showed Sunday, with analysts saying he will be forced to change his style of governing. Around 66,000 protesters turned out again on Saturday on the fifth round of anti-government demonstrations, which sprung up over diesel taxes last month. The figure was about half the number of the previous weekend, suggesting momentum was waning and the most acute political crisis of Macron's 19-month presidency was coming to an end. "It is calming down, but what remains of it all is a strong feeling of hatred towards Macron," said veteran sociologist Herve Le Bras from the School of Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (EHESS). A major poll by the Ifop group published in Journal du Dimanche newspaper showed Macron's approval had slipped another two points in the last month, to 23 per cent. The proportion of people who declared themselves "very dissatisfied" by his ...
Israel says 4th 'attack tunnel' found from Lebanon
Israel's army said Sunday it has uncovered another Hezbollah "attack tunnel" leading from Lebanon into its territory, the fourth since it started a search-and-destroy operation this month. Israel says the Iranian-backed Shiite militant group has dug the infiltration tunnels for use in a future conflict, and the military has been working to eliminate them. The latest tunnel crossing into northern Israel was exposed at the weekend, the army said in a statement. As with the other tunnels, soldiers placed explosives in it to keep out militants from the Lebanese side, it said. The military refused to give the exact location, stressing the tunnel did not "pose an imminent threat". On December 4, the army announced an operation dubbed "Northern Shield" to destroy tunnels it said have been dug under the border by Hezbollah. Israel fought a devastating war against Hezbollah in 2006 that was halted by a UN-brokered truce. Hezbollah is the only group in Lebanon not to have disarmed after the ...
Victory for democracy, says reinstated Sri Lankan PM Wikremesinghe
Ranil Wickremesinghe Sunday staged a triumphant comeback as Sri Lankan Prime Minister to end the unprecedented political turmoil in the country, 51 days after he was sacked by his bete noire and President Maithripala Sirisena, who also dissolved Parliament, controversial decisions which were nullified by the Supreme Court. Wickremesinghe, the 69-year-old United National Party leader, was administered the oath of office by President Sirisena, who had sacked him on October 26 and installed former rival and ex-strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa in his place. The UNP leader had refused to step down asserting that his sacking was illegal. His re-appointment comes a day after Rajapaksa resigned Saturday, after two crucial Supreme Court decisions made his efforts to cling to premiership untenable. "Today marks a victory not for myself or for the UNP. It is a victory for Sri Lanka's democratic institutions and the sovereignty of our citizens. I thank everyone who stood firm in defending the ...
Raje was 'careless' in fulfilling people's expectations in Rajasthan: Gehlot
Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot, who will be taking oath as chief minister of Rajasthan Monday, said outgoing chief minister Vasundhara Raje was "careless" in fulfilling people's expectations despite a huge mandate in the last elections. Holding Raje responsible for the financial condition of the state, Gehlot said she could have done more work if she wanted. "What is the financial condition of the state is known by all. The BJP got a huge mandate in the last elections and people had expectations from Raje, but she was careless and passed five years in carelessness," Gehlot told reporters Sunday at Albert hall where he reviewed the preparations for the oath-taking ceremony to be held Monday. "We were not responsible for her differences with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah, she should have resolved the issues with them," he said. On December 11, the Congress emerged as the single largest party by winning 99 out of 199 seats in Rajasthan.
PM Modi should be named as Mr "Gumrah": Congress
Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should be better named as "Gumrah" for misleading the Supreme Court and the nation on Rafale deal and other issues."The way in which Prime Minister mislead all, a new name comes in my mind for him. His name is "Gumrah" for misleading Supreme Court, for misleading the whole nation, misleading the farmers and misleading the youth," said Tiwari.Adding that country got nothing from Prime Minister Narendra Modi except being mislead.A day after the Supreme Court verdict in the Rafale fighter deal case, the government on Saturday filed an application before it, seeking a correction in the order to make it clear that the pricing aspect, examined by the CAG, has not been looked into by Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) as yet."BJP has betrayed the nation, Armed Forces, Supreme Court and people. They must apologize to Supreme Court and people of this country," he said.The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed petitions .
Will do our work, BJP should do theirs, says Ghelot
Rajasthan Chief Minister designates Ashok Gehlot on Sunday cornered the BJP over its consistent demand for farm loan waiver and asserted that Rajasthan government will do its work while urging the BJP to concentrate on their duties .Speaking to media, he said, "Congress will do its work. They should do theirs, if they don't, public will question them. The responsibility they have today is what we had in the last election and we worked. Now it's their duty to work."Gehlot also attacked the past government-led by former chief minister Vasundhra Raje and said, "Good days haven't come. There have been big talks but nothing has happened on the ground. Vasundhare Raje government had got euphoric mandate in 2013 but her government did not work. She might have her issues with her party but that was an internal matter and people only wanted development. Despite having prior experience she couldn't work for the people."He also asserted that the swearing in ceremony will be attended by Congress .
One year for Rahul as president, three states for Congress!
Rahul Gandhi on Sunday completed his first year as the Congress president which was capped by the party's victory, by edging out rival BJP, in three states Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.The first anniversary of Gandhi scion as party chief comes at a time when three of his party leaders are to be sworn-in as chief ministers.In a time when the political discourse is being dominated by the slogans of 'Congress Mukt Bharat', Gandhi's first year story at the helm of party affairs was not only of survival but also of the revival of the party.It was last year on this day that he was elected unopposed as the party's president, succeeding his mother and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.The 48-year-old is the fifth person from the Gandhi-Nehru family to head the Grand Old Party.Under his leadership, the Congress registered the first victory in January 2018, when the party won the bye-elections for Alwar and Ajmer Lok Sabha constituency, both of which were previously held by BJP.He, ...
Army asks people not to march to its Srinagar HQ
The Army on Sunday advised people not to march to its headquarters here on Monday in response to a call by separatists following the killing of seven civilians a day earlier.
Bhupesh Baghel will be the new chief minister of Chhattisgarh
Senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel was Sunday appointed the new chief minister of Chhattisgarh, ending the suspense after days of intense deliberations with top party leadership headed by president Rahul Gandhi. Congress central observer Mallikarjun Kharge made the announcement after the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting here. . Baghel will take oath as the the chief minister at 5 pm on Monday, Kharge told media persons in the state capital. No other minister will be taking oath on that day, he said. The 57-year-old OBC leader, who steered the party to a stupendous victory with a two-thirds majority in Chhattisgarh pipped party colleagues T S Singh Deo, Tamradhwaj Sahu and Charan Das Mahant to the top post, as Congress chief Gandhi decided on his candidature to lead the state government. "It was a tough decision because all the four leaders worked equally for the party and they all are equal," Kharge said. After having discussions with the four aspirants, Gandhi decided to .
British government is not planning for second Brexit vote - minister
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - British education minister Damian Hinds said on Sunday the government was not planning for a second referendum, denying reports that ministers were looking at such a vote to break the deadlock over Brexit.