Page 2204 - Politics
BJP using Raj Bhawan for 'rotation of seats' in J&K: Cong
The Jammu and Kashmir Congress Friday lashed out at the BJP claiming it failed to fulfil its promise of implementing delimitation of Assembly constituencies and was now allegedly using the governor's office for rotation of seats. "The BJP utterly failed to fulfill its much talked about commitment of delimitation (of constituencies in J&K)," Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) Chief Gulam Ahmed Mir told reporters here Friday. Mir chaired a meeting of senior leaders to take stock of the current issues and the latest political development in the country and in the state. Ahead of the 2014 assembly polls, the BJP had been batting strongly for delimitation of constituencies in J&K. The Kuldip Singh Commission initiated the delimitation exercise in the country in 2002. The BJP-led NDA government, which had appointed the commission, had agreed with other political parties at that time that Jammu and Kashmir should be exempt from the delimitation process. "Now they ...
Would focus on farmers, youth: Rajasthan's deputy CM designate Sachin Pilot
Rajasthan's Deputy Chief Minister-designate Sachin Pilot on Friday asserted that the government will priortise issues of farmers and youth soon after taking oath on December 17.Pilot will be taking oath along with the Chief Minister-designate Ashok Gehlot on December 17.When asked specifically about their major election promise to waive farmer loans within ten days of coming to power, Pilot said that soon after the swearing-in ceremony their focus would be on farmers and youth of the state."People have given us a complete mandate. Whatever promises have been made by Congress in the manifesto, will be fulfilled. After the swearing-in ceremony, our priority will be farmers and youth," Pilot said while talking to media outside governor's house.The name of Gehlot as Chief Minister and Pilot as Deputy Chief Minister was announced on Friday afternoon after more than two days of deliberations.The party leadership seemed to be in a dilemma as to whether hand over the charge in Rajasthan to an
Rafale deal: French Minister refuses to comment on SC verdict
French Minister Jean Yves Le Drian on Friday refused to comment on the Supreme Court's verdict on the Rafale fighter jet deal, which was pronounced earlier in the day.Le Drian, who is on a two-day visit to India, was participating in an event here when scribes asked him about his opinion on the controversial Rafale deal. He, however, refused to comment on the same.Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court refused to intervene in the Rafale fighter deal, saying there is "no occasion to really doubt the process", delivering a major victory to the government and lending a setback to the Congress which has been alleging corruption in the agreement.
Prasad slams Rahul for questioning SC's Rafale verdict
Union Minister of Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad on Friday launched a scathing attack on Congress president Rahul Gandhi for questioning the Supreme Court's verdict, in which it dismissed all petitions pertaining to the controversial Rafale deal.Addressing a presser here, Prasad said, "Rahul Gandhi made disgraceful remarks on Prime Minister whose honesty is known to all. The SC judgement (on Rafale deal) exposed the lies of Rahul Gandhi and we expected him to accept the judgment. Now, Rahul Gandhi is condemning the SC as well. Is he and the Congress above the SC?"He further asked the Congress president as to why the deal was not finalised during the previous UPA government."Rahul Gandhi has asked us several questions. Today, we want to ask him one question. Between 2006 and 2011, when there was a lower tender in Dassault, why didn't you finalise the deal (Rafale)? What was stopping you?" Prasad asked.The Union Law Minister also claimed that Rahul's comments on the Rafale deal are
Trump's inaugural committee under criminal investigation over fund wrongdoing: Report
President Donald Trump's 2017 inaugural committee is being investigated by federal prosecutors in New York over allegations that it misspent funds or accepted donations in exchange for access to his administration, according to a media report. The inauguration committee had raised a record USD 107 million for expenses for Trump's inauguration and events associated with it. The Wall Street Journal on Thursday reported that the US Attorney's office in Manhattan is also investigating whether the committee accepted donations from individuals looking to gain influence in or access to the new administration. "The criminal probe by the Manhattan US attorney's office, which is in its early stages, also is examining whether some of the committee's top donors gave money in exchange for access to the incoming Trump administration, policy concessions or to influence official administration positions, some of the people said, the financial daily reported. The daily said that "giving money in ...
Oath-taking ceremony in Rajasthan on December 17
The oath-taking ceremony of Rajasthan Chief Minister-designate Ashok Gehlot and Deputy Chief Minister-designate Sachin Pilot will take place on December 17, confirmed Gehlot on Friday.
Ease of doing business: 75 services in J&K now 'online only'
The Jammu and Kashmir government Friday declared 75 services in various departments to be 'online only' as a part of Business Reforms Action Plan (BRAP) under ease of doing business (EoDB), an official spokesman said. "The Government has decided to provide services having direct bearing on the business environment in 'Online Mode', to the extent possible, so that the stakeholders can avail such services in a hassle-free manner," an order issued by the General Administration Department said. It said the initiative is aimed at providing transparent, efficient and hassle-free services to the people and to regulate business environment in the government departments, under the Jammu and Kashmir Public Services Guarantee Act, 2011.
U'khand CM demands apology from Rahul Gandhi for 'misleading' nation on Rafale deal issue
Uttarakhand Chief Minister and BJP leader Trivendra Singh Rawat Friday said the Supreme Court dismissing the pleas challenging the Rafale fighter aircraft deal proves that Rahul Gandhi has "misled" the nation by "spreading a lie" and demanded that the Congress president apologises to the nation. In a relief for the Narendra Modi government, the Supreme Court on Friday 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 Supreme court's verdict proves that Rahul Gandhi and the entire Congress party has been relentlessly spreading a lie on the Rafale deal. Unlike the defence agreements struck during Congress regimes, this was a government-to-government deal carried out in a transparent manner without the involvement of middlemen and by following all procedural requirements," Rawat said at a press conference here. He said
Punjab Cong MLA leaves own party's govt red-faced in Assembly
Congress' Gurdaspur MLA Barindermeet Singh Pahra left his own party embarrassed in the assembly when he raised some questions as the Punjab Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Bill was placed in the assembly, giving the opposition benches an opportunity to take a dig at the Amarinder Singh-led regime. When the bill was tabled, Pahra trained his guns on Rural Development and Panchayats Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa asking as to who had ordered merging two notified panchayats in to one. Pahra said that in his area, there were two notified panchayats -- Babehali and New Babehali. "But now there is only one Panchayat," he said, asking whether the minister or the director of the department concerned gave the orders ahead of the panchayat elections in the state on December 30. He said around 200 people from his area had come along with him to protest against the move. Sensing an opportunity, Opposition SAD MLA Bikram Singh Majithia took a swipe at the Amarinder Singh government, saying if the .
Attempts being made to create disturbance in state: Partha
West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee Friday said attempts were being made from some quarters to create disturbances in the state. Speaking on the incident of gunning down of three Trinamool Congress activists at Joynagar in South 24 Parganas district on Thursday, Chatterjee said the TMC had been the target "everywhere". "We are the target of those people who want to create disturbances in the state, for those who had been rejected by the masses in earlier elections. They foment trouble, then conjure up the theory of factional feud to shift responsibility to others," the Education minister said on the sidelines of a programme here. Taking a dig at the opposition, who have been putting the onus of the shootout on TMC feud, the minister said those leaders who are now issuing such statements had themselves never visited the area in the past and discovered by themeselves "the spree of development undertaken by our government in the area." Chatterjee, who is also the ...
BJP surges in Assam rural polls, Sonowal thanks voters
The BJP continued its winning streak in Assam panchayat polls, marching ahead of its closest rival Congress and alliance partner Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) which contested independently, as counting of votes continued for the third day on Friday. Minority dominated All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) came third and AGP fourth in the local election held in two phases on December 5 and 9 to elect 21,990 gaon panchayat members (GPM), 2,199 gaon panchayat presidents (GPP), 2,199 anchalik panchayat presidents (APM) and 420 zila panchayat members (GPM) across the state registering an overall 82 per cent voting. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal thanked the people for taking part in the election in large numbers and voting for "development and good governance". Amid reports of clashes between the BJP and Congress on alleged rigging, the counting of paper ballots for the four categories of election was on in the 16 administrative districts where the hustings were held. As ..
Business worries for France ahead of new 'yellow vest' protests
Fears grew about the economic impact of France's month-long "yellow vest" protests on Friday ahead of a decisive weekend for the grassroots opposition movement and President Emmanuel Macron. The survey of businesses released by the IHS Market research group on Friday showed a surprising dip in activity in December linked to the disruption caused by the nation-wide demonstrations. "The latest flash data pointed to an outright contraction in France's private sector for the first time in two-and-a-half years," IHS Market economist Eliot Kerr warned. Macron's centrist government is hoping that concessions announced on Monday, a terror attack in Strasbourg on Tuesday and freezing weather this weekend will deter demonstrators from taking to the streets again. France "needs calm, order and to go back to its normal functioning," President Emmanuel Macron said in Brussels in Friday. But many of the "yellow vest" figureheads, so called because of the florescent high visibility vests they wear, .
TPCC demands formation of JPC to probe into 'irregularities'
Telangana Congress which suffered a huge defeat in the recently concluded Assembly elections held a review meeting here Friday. In the meeting attended by senior leaders, Chief spokesperson of TPCC, Sravan Dasoju said the party "noticed" that as many as 22 lakh names were missing from the voters' list. He also alleged that election officials were "acting on the behest" of TRS, which won 88 seats in the 119-member assembly and returned to power in the state. "We will demand that ajoint parliamentary committee be constituted to probe into the irregularities in the recently concluded elections for the Assembly. We will reveal the flaws we found with regard to the Electronic Voting Machines (EVM)at an appropriate time," he said. The Congress would approach the Chief Election Commission with "evidences to show how results were manipulated by the local poll staff," he added.
Rahul chooses experience over youth in Raj, MP
With an eye on 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Congress president Rahul chose to play safe by going with the old guard in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh as he selected veterans Kamal Nath and Ashok Gehlot for the posts of chief minister. Sources said amid a clear tussle between the old guard and the young turks in the party for the top slot in the states, Gandhi opted for experience as the Congress merely touched the simple majority mark with the help of allies and independents in both the states. Despite the stiff challenge to the veterans from Sachin Pilot and Jyotiraditya Scindia, who had led the campaigns in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh respectively, the Congress chief finally passed the test of brokering peace. After hectic deliberations and several rounds of negotiations with the four CM-aspirants, Gandhi finally posted pictures of the smiling leaders in both the states. Gandhi tweeted a picture with Nath and Scindia on Thursday, while quoting Leo Tolstoy to say that the two most ...
'India wants equitable, balanced outcome of fisheries subsidy negotiations'
India wants an equitable and balanced outcome in the negotiations of fisheries subsidy as the country provides support to its fishermen who depend on the sector for sustenance, an official said Friday. India stated this during the meeting of heads of WTO member delegations in Geneva. Some members wants to intensify negotiations on fisheries subsidies so that an agreement can be agreed upon by end of 2019. "India stated that it wanted an equitable and balanced outcome. As a developing country, it provides minimal subsidies to fisherfolk who depend on the sector for sustenance. A WTO agreement should consider needs such as these," a geneva based official said. Rich nations want significant reduction in subsidy on fisheries. In the ministerial decision on fisheries subsidies taken at the ministerial conference in Buenos Aires in December 2017, members agreed to continue to engage constructively in fisheries subsidies negotiations, with a view to adopting an agreement by the next ...
SAD hits out at Cong over reduced winter session of Pb Assembly
SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday accused the Congress government in Punjab of violating democratic norms by reducing the legislative business to only one sitting in the winter session. Addressing the media in the press lounge of the assembly, he alleged the government has "failed" every section of society. "The Congress party led by the Gandhi family is also shamelessly promoting the perpetrators of the 1984 Sikh genocide as per its old policy by deciding to nominate Kamal Nath to the post of chief minister of Madhya Pradesh," he said. The government has said the session had been curtailed due to a lack of business. But Badal said it was strange that at a time when Punjab was facing "burning" issues, the Congress government did not have any work to do. "This itself is a reflection on the government. It amounts to admitting that it has not done any work," he added. Punjab Assembly Session was curtailed by one day and it was wrapped on December 14 instead of December ...
Rahul hits back at govt, says CAG report on Rafale deal cited by SC not tabled before PAC
Unfazed by the Supreme Court verdict on the Rafale deal, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Friday maintained that corruption had taken place in the contract which he asserted will be proved by his party and claimed that the basis of the court judgement is a CAG report that has neither been seen by anyone, nor shared with Parliament's Public Accounts Committee. He also trained his guns on Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying he cannot escape action and only two names of Modi and businessman Anil Ambani will come out whenever a JPC probe is conducted into the deal. Gandhi used the barb of "chowkidaar chor hai" (wathcman is a thief) against the prime minister, alleging that "massive corruption" has taken place in the defence contract and that Rs 30,000 crore of farmers has gone to Anil Ambani's Reliance group. Both the government and Anil Ambani's Reliance Group have rejected Gandhi's allegations of wrongdoing in the defence deal. Addressing a press conference at the Congress headquarters, ..
Punjab House passes resolution on Kartarpur corridor, suggests land swap with Pak
The Punjab Assembly passed a resolution on Friday, suggesting the swapping of land with Pakistan to bring the historic Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara across the border within the Indian territory. The resolution was initially aimed at praising the efforts of the Punjab government and the Centre for opening a cross-border passage to facilitate Indian Sikh pilgrims in visiting the gurdwara on the banks of Ravi river in Pakistan. But Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, during a discussion on the resolution in the House, demanded that land swap with Pakistan be made a part of the resolution. The House accepted it and passed the resolution unanimously. Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, MLA from Dera Baba Nanak, from where the corridor is proposed to start, suggested land from his constituency could be handed over to Pakistan in the swap. The assembly also urged the Centre to complete the work for opening the corridor before the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev in November 2019. The founder of
V Senthil Balaji could've better joined AIADMK instead of DMK says Dhinakaran
After V Senthil Balaji's joined Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagham (AMMK) president TTV Dhinakaran on Friday said that Balaji's resignation came as a surprise, however, he could have better joined the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).Earlier in the day, close aide to Dhinakaran, Balaji quit AMMK and joined MK Stalin's DMK."Balaji could have better joined the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) instead. Our party has always opposed the DMK. We are in support of those who have followed Amma (Jayalalithaa). I am surprised how he could change his colour overnight to join the DMK," said TTV Dhinakaran.Dhinakaran further said that he has no regrets over Balaji's resignation and holds no grudges against him."I know Senthil Balaji since 2006 and I have no regrets over his resignation as I can't hold anybody's hand and compel them to do anything. It's his decision and I wish him good luck wherever he goes. I don't have any problem ...
Shah seeks Rahul's apology on Rafale allegations, Congress chief sticks to his guns
BJP president Amit Shah Friday seized on the Supreme Court's verdict dismissing petitions seeking a probe into the Rafale deal to seek apology from Rahul Gandhi but an unimpressed Congress chief maintained that there was massive corruption in the contract. Accusing Gandhi of misleading people and endangering national security with his allegations about the Rs 58,000 crore deal, Shah said the verdict was a slap on the face of those who levelled such charges. In his counter-offensive, Gandhi said the CAG report "cited by the Supreme Court" to arrive at its order was not yet been shared with the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament and reiterated his "chowkidar chor hai" (watchman is thief) against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Chowkidar chor hai, and we will prove it," he claimed. Shah likened Gandhi's allegations against Modi to throwing mud at the Sun, saying it cannot dim its fire and the mud falls on those who throw it. Top ruling party leaders, including Finance Minister Arun ..