Page 2198 - Politics
Farmers suffered when Cong was in power: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday fired a fresh salvo at the Congress party, accusing them of not fulfilling promises made to farmers and ignoring them when the party was ruling the country or any state.Interacting with BJP's booth-level workers from Tamil Nadu via video conferencing, the Prime Minister said: "Farmers asked for urea, but all they got was sticks. Farmers asked for higher minimum support prices (MSPs), but all they got was empty promises.""Farmers asked for increased income, but all they got was insensitivity. We are not like Congress, which will only pay lip service to the farmers but ignore their well-being. Wherever Congress is in power, farmers suffer. They have suffered when the Congress was in power," he added.The Prime Minister ridiculed the Congress, saying that they took national security and defence sector either as a "punching bag or funding source." "Sadly, for the Congress, national security and defence sector is either a punching bag or a funding ...
Rahul to attend oath-taking ceremony in Rajasthan
Congress President Rahul Gandhi, along with several senior party leaders, will be present on December 17 at the oath-taking ceremony of Rajasthan Chief Minister-designate Ashok Gehlot, party sources said on Saturday.
Top opposition leaders to attend Gehlot's swearing-in
Leaders from several non-BJP parties, which figure in opposition unity attempts ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha elections, are expected at the swearing in of Ashok Gehlot as Rajasthan chief minister here on Monday. Sachin Pilot will also be sworn in as the state's deputy chief minister at the 10 am ceremony to be held on the grounds of Albert Hall Museum, an iconic 19th century building. The guest list is headed by Congress president Rahul Gandhi and includes former prime minister Manmohan Singh. Senior party leader Mallikarjun Kharge is also likely to be there. Others expected at the ceremony include Janata Dal (Secular) chief and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, Loktantrik Janata Dal leader Sharad Yadav, National Conference's Farooq Abdullah and Telugu Desam Party's N Chandrababu Naidu. Rashtriya Janata Dal's Tejashwi Yadav, DMK's M K Stalin and Kanimozhi, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha's Hemant Soren, Janata Vikas Morcha's Babulal Marandi and All India United Democratic Front leader Badruddin
Congress demands dismissal of Goa Governor
The Congress in Goa demanded Saturday that Governor Mridula Sinha be sacked for being a mute spectator when the state is undergoing a "constitutional crisis" because of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's illness. State Congress chief Girish Chodankar alleged that Sinha has failed to perform her Constitutional duty. He was addressing the party's 'Jan Akrosh' rally at Vasco Saturday evening. "The governor has failed to perform her Constitutional obligations. We demand that President dismiss her for her dismal performance and inability to intervene when the state is going through a Constitutional crisis due to the ailing chief minister," he said. Parrikar, suffering from a pancreatic ailment, is recuperating at his residence since October 14. The Congress had petitioned governor Sinha thrice staking claim to form government, claiming that the BJP-led coalition does not have a majority in the Assembly any longer. "The governor has been a silent spectator for the last eleven ...
Rafale judgement: Govt's swift move to approach SC to check Oppn offensive
The government moved the Supreme Court swiftly Saturday seeking correction in the Rafale jet judgement about reference to CAG and PAC as it felt any delay would escalate confusion and give fresh ammunition to the opposition, sources said here. The Centre told the top court that reference in its order on the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report and Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC), was "misinterpretation" of its note and has "resulted in a controversy in the public domain". A marathon meeting involving top brass of defence and law ministries and Attorney General K K Venugopal was held Saturday where it was decided to move application in the SC today itself, the sources said. They said, any delay in moving the apex court would escalate confusion and give fresh ammunition to the opposition to attack the government in the ongoing winter session of Parliament. PAC chairman Mallikarjun Kharge has denied seeing the CAG report on Rafale jets. The opposition has also ...
Sean Spicer says he never deliberately lied at White House
Controversial former White House press secretary Sean Spicer denied on Saturday that he ever deliberately lied while working for US President Donald Trump, but admitted he made errors. "I've made mistakes, there are days when I wish I could have had more information or could have answered a question... more accurately," Spicer said at the two-day Doha Forum conference in Qatar. "But I never ever got up and knowingly lied." He added: "There are days and things that I did that I wished I could have known more at the time." Spicer was the White House press secretary from January to July 2017, at the beginning of Trump's tenure as US president. He proved a controversial figure, clashing with the press corps over the size of Trump's inauguration and said Adolf Hitler did not use chemical weapons. Even his White House colleagues said he used "alternative facts". Spicer added that he made mistakes, as journalists do, and claimed he was held accountable for his comments while reporters are ...
Kushwaha's RLSP heading for 'split'
Rift within the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) appears to be widening with the party MLAs-Lalan Paswan and Sudhanshu Shekhar-having declared to stay with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)."Ours is the real RLSP," said Lalan Paswan, while pitching for a ministerial birth for Sudhanshu Shekhar, a first time MLA of the party. "We represent the real RLSP. We are all together. The party is ours," he told ANI on Saturday.Paswan's comment coincides with former Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha, who claims to be RLSP president, meeting Congress heavyweight and MP Ahmed Patel at his (Kushwaha's) residence in New Delhi. It is being claimed that Kushwaha is likely to join the Congress along with his supporters."We have demanded that Sudhanshu Shekhar should be made a minister in the NDA government. I have been saying right from the beginning that we are in the NDA since the inception and will remain with it," said Paswan."We want to make Narendra Modi the Prime Minister again in 2019. We ..
Wanda inks $1.7 billion 'red tourism' site in China's Communist heartland
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Wanda group has signed a deal to build a sprawling complex for patriotic tourists to visit a site where the ruling Communist Party's traces its revolutionary roots in northwestern Shaanxi province.
Cong leader Ahmed Patel meets RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha
Congress leader Ahmed Patel Saturday met RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha, who severed ties with the BJP recently, at the former Union minister's residence, fuelling speculation the Bihar leader may join the opposition grand alliance in the state to take on the ruling combine. Rashtriya Lok Samta Party spokesperson Fazal Imam Mallick said it was the first round of talks between Kushwaha and the Congress and his party is hopeful of a "positive" outcome. Patel, a key leader of the Congress, met the former Union minister at the latter's residence. The RLSP had fought the 2014 Lok Sabha polls in an alliance with the BJP and had won three seats. However, the ties between the two parties strained after the BJP joined hands with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and offered Kushwaha only two seats to contest in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Northern army commander visits Karakoram Pass
Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh, the Northern Commander of the Indian Army, visited the historic and strategic Karakoram Pass along the Indo-China border in Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) sector of Ladakh on Saturday.
Now comes the hard part for the Congress (Column: Political Circus)
Winning, although narrowly in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, was the easy part for the Congress.
Didn't say anything against secularism, says Meghalaya HC judge on controversial order
Facing flak over his recent controversial order, Meghalaya High Court judge S R Sen on Friday issued a "clarification", saying neither was his judgment politically motivated nor did he say anything against secularism and that his order had been "misinterpreted". In the 'clarification from the bench' posted on the high court website, Justice Sen said he does not belong to any political party and does not dream of getting a political berth after retirement. He said he had written the judgement based on truth, history and ground reality "to save the citizens of India, irrespective of caste, creed, religion or language". The judge's observations in the December 10 judgement that India should have been a Hindu country after independence just as Pakistan became an Islamic country and that nobody should try to make India into an Islamic country had stoked a controversy. The CPI(M) had urged Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi to remove him from his judicial duties and had alleged that his ..
Youth Congress workers march to India Gate demanding JPC on Rafale deal
A day after the Supreme Court's verdict in the Rafale jet deal, Indian Youth Congress workers on Saturday marched to India Gate demanding the constitution of a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to probe the issue.On Nov 14, Supreme Court dismissed batch of petitions calling for a probe into the controversial Rafale Deal, by which the Centre procured 36 fighter jets for Rs. 58,000 crore from French company Dassault Aviation."Perception of individuals cannot be the basis of fishing and roving inquiry by this court, especially in such matters," said a three-judge bench, while dismissing all the writ petitions which sought a Supreme Court-monitored probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the deal.The court said it does not find any substantial material on record to show that this is a case of commercial favoritism to any party by the Government of India.The Congress party, however, continued to raise their demand for the JPC by saying that 'Supreme Court was not the forum to ...
US sanctions won't change Iran policies says FM
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Saturday said US sanctions will have no impact on the policies of the Islamic republic at home or abroad. "It is obvious that we are facing pressure by the US sanctions. But will that lead to a change in policy? I can assure you it won't," Zarif told the Doha Forum policy conference in Qatar. "If there is an art we have perfected in Iran and can teach to others for a price, it is the art of evading sanctions," he added. The US imposed two sets of sanctions on Iran this year, after earlier unilaterally pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal with global powers. Discussing the Yemen conflict, Zarif denied Tehran had ever armed the Huthi rebels battling pro-government forces in the country. "We have never provided weapons to Huthis," he said when challenged on what arms it had supplied. "They have enough weapons, they don't need weapons from Iran," Zarif said. He said there were only "allegations" that Iran had sent weapons to Yemen, whereas .
Cong, BJP will not be able to get majority in LS polls, claims
Newly-appointed TRS Working President K T Rama Rao Saturday claimed that neither the Congress nor BJP would be able to get a majority after the general elections next year and said Telangana can get its interests safeguarded if his party wins 16 of the 17 Lok Sabha seats in the state. BJP would not be able to get more than 150-160 seats and Congress, even if the 44 seats it won in last Lok Sabha polls doubles, would not secure more than 80-90 seats in 2019, he maintained. Even their combined tally would not cross 270, he claimed adding in such a situation every MP seat becomes important in the election. "If TRS wins 16 seats with people's blessings, it would be dictating to the government in Delhi (Centre) with those 16 seats," he said indicating a crucial role for the party. Telangana was not able to realise the assurances given to it in the Andhra Pradesh Re-organisation Act like setting up a steel plant in the state with the NDA government at the Centre having a ...
Ethiopia sentences 66 soldiers who marched on PM's office
Local media in Ethiopia say a court has sentenced 66 soldiers to prison after they marched on the prime minister's office earlier this year in what he later described as an attempt to derail dramatic reforms. The state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporate cites Col. Meshesha Areda, a justice official with the defense forces, as saying the sentences range from four to 14 years of "rigorous imprisonment." Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed defused the situation in October by joining the scores of armed soldiers in push-ups but later said "there were some sides who regretted I was not killed." Abiy also has survived an assassination attempt since taking office in April and announcing sweeping economic and political reforms. Rebellious soldiers are a rare sight in Ethiopia, a key US security ally.
PoK 'PM' proposes Kartarpur-like corridor for Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist pilgrims
"Prime Minister" of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir Raja Farooq Haider Khan Saturday said he has submitted a proposal to the Pakistan government for opening the religious sites for Sikhs, Hindus and Buddhists in PoK on the pattern of the Kartarpur Corridor. PoK had more than 600 pilgrim sites of Hindu, Sikh and Buddhism like Sharda and Ali Baig and authorities were planning to renovate and recondition these places to open them for pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir, Haider said at a reception in Mirpur. Tourism would get a big boost in the territory besides strengthening the confidence between the people and governments of two countries to resolve conflicts peacefully in the region, he added. Haider said he has asked the government of Pakistan to open all the traditional routes between PoK and Jammu and Kashmir for religious visitors like the Kartarpur corridor, recently opened in Punjab for Sikhs. On November 28, Pakistani premier Imran Khan laid the foundation stone for the Kartarpur ...
No competition to Modi as PM: Jaitley tells Yuva Morcha members
As the recent assembly election results highlighted the increasing challenge from the opposition in 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley asserted Saturday that there is no comparison or competition to Narendra Modi as prime minister. Addressing Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha workers, he said the youth wing of the BJP should ensure the party again forms the government at the Centre under the "dynamic and able leadership" of the prime minister. "In today's political scenario, there is no comparison or competition to Narendra Modi ji as prime minister leading India on the road to development," a BJYM statement quoted Jaitley as saying. Taking a dig at the opposition for not putting forth a PM candidate yet, he said let them first sort out the leadership issue and project the leader against Modi. "It is indeed an honour to have a decisive prime minister, Narendra Modi, who works with the sole agenda of India First," Jaitley added. He emphasised the need to publicise the work .
Rafale verdict: Congress attacks Modi government for 'lying', Centre seeks correction of 'errors' (Roundup)
The Congress on Saturday turned the heat on Narendra Modi government for "lying and misleading" the Supreme Court leading to "factual bloomers" in the Rafale judgment even as the Centre scampered to the top court seeking "correction of the errors" in the verdict.
TN to challenge NGT order; DMK slams AIADMK govt
The Tamil Nadu government Saturday said it would challenge in the Supreme Court the NGT order setting aside the closure of the Vedanta Ltd's Sterlite Copper plant in Tuticorin on pollution grounds in the wake of protests by locals. The opposition parties hit out at the state government, holding it responsible for the development with the DMK alleging that the 'negligent' attitude of the Palaniswami ministry resulted in the 'embarrassment'. The Vedanta group said it would take all steps required to restart the unit as per the guidelines of the tribunal and that the company would continue to adopt "best practices followed globally" in its operation. The National Green Tribunal Saturday set aside the order of the state government to permanently close the Sterlite Copper plant, holding that it was "non-sustainable" and "unjustified". Allowing an appeal by Sterlite, a bench headed by NGT Chairperson A K Goel asked the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) to pass a ...