Page 2205 - Politics
Farmers serve ultimatum to Odisha govt; CM restructures party wing
An agitating farmers' body Friday served an ultimatum to the BJD-led Odisha government to solve their problems by January 31 or face the wrath of peasants in the next election. The threat came after the farmers under the banner of Naba Nirman Krushak Sangathan (NNKS) were stopped by police from marching towards Bhubaneswar from Raghunathpur, around 15 km away from here. Ahead of the Lok Sabha and assembly elections due next year, BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Friday restructured its farmers' wing, appointing two senior leaders at its top positions. NNKS convener Akshaya Kumar said the recent results of the five state assembly elections indicated that farmers were now "united" and if the Odisha government did not make its stand clear on the farmers' demands by January 31, the agitation will be intensified from February 1. "The Odisha government may also face the same situation, if it ignores farmers' demands," he said and threatened that the state government ...
Macron says EU can 'clarify' not renegotiate Brexit deal
European Union member countries could find a way to "clarify" the terms of Britain's divorce deal from the EU but cannot renegotiate them, French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday. "There is an agreement, the only and best deal possible and we cannot renegotiate it. But we can clarify and reassure," Macron told reporters after an EU summit. British Prime Minister Theresa May had asked EU leaders for further reassurances to help her steer the deal through a sceptical British parliament.
Zimbabwe to release election shooting probe next week
Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa said Friday that a report probing deadly election violence when soldiers opened fire on protesters would be released next week. The shootings triggered international outrage and undermined Mnangagwa's attempts to present the July election as a fresh start for Zimbabwe after the brutality of his predecessor Robert Mugabe. Addressing the ruling ZANU-PF party's annual conference, Mnangagwa deplored the protests, which he has blamed on the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party. "I have since received the report of the commission of inquiry and will be making it public next week," Mnangagwa said, adding that he and his two deputies were analysing the report written by a panel that he instituted. Six people were killed and several others were wounded when soldiers opened fire on August 1 at protesters demonstrating in Harare against delays in announcing the vote results. Officials previously said the report might not be ...
EU leaders agree on scaled back eurozone budget plan
EU leaders on Friday agreed on a series of reforms to the eurozone that includes plans for a specific budget for the single currency bloc, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said. After a "controversial discussion" at an EU summit, leaders agreed on reform measures that "includes a budget for the eurozone," Merkel said after 27 EU leaders, not including Britain, discussed the measure in Brussels. The EU heads of state and government, minus Britain, were working from proposals thrashed out by ministers during marathon talks last week, capping 18 months of stop-start negotiations. "This comprehensive package paves the way for a significant strengthening of the European Monetary Union," a statement from the leaders said. The proposals are meant to strengthen the financial plumbing of the European economy, but ignore far grander visions such as designating a eurozone finance minister or setting up a European version of the International Monetary Fund. France considers the eurozone budget the
Govt rules out JPC probe in Rafale deal
Bolstered by the Supreme Court verdict on the Rafale deal, the government on Friday ruled out the possibility of a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the contract and mounted a strident counter-attack on the Congress, saying the "deaf" will never hear an answer. At a joint press conference with Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley called the allegations relating to Rafale jet deal as "fiction writing" that compromised national security, while adding that falsehood is bound to fall apart and "disrupters" have lost on all counts. His comments were seen as an apparent reference to Congress president Rahul Gandhi who has been accusing the government of corruption in the Rs 58,000-crore deal for procurement of 36 Rafale aircraft from France. The Congress has been demanding a probe by a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to the deal. "Falsehood is bound to fall apart. Indeed it has. Falsehood always has short life. In this case it was a few months. And .
JD(U) not in favour of ordinance for Ram temple: RCP Singh
Key NDA constituent JD(U) on Friday made it clear that it was not in favor of promulgation of an ordinance to facilitate the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya, demand for which has been made by the sangh parivar and a section of the BJP. JD(U) national general secretary Ram Chandra Prasad Singh said the party will stick to its earlier stand it had taken on the issue in its earlier avatar as the Samata Party which was -- the issue either be solved by mutual consent between the affected communities or decided by a court of law. There should be no confusion in the minds of the people with regard to our stand on Ram temple issue at Ayodhya. If an ordinance is promulgated to facilitate construction of the temple, our party will not support it, he said. "Since the Samata Party days, we have been in favour of a resolution of the dispute by mutual consent or through a court order. We brook no third alternative," Singh, who is also the party's leader in the Rajya Sabha and a confidant of ..
No proof of Kamal Nath's involvement in 1984: Capt. Amarinder
Claiming that Kamal Nath's reference in Justice Nanawati Commission report is not a proof of his involvement in 1984 riots, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday came down heavily on the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) for politicising the sensitive issue.Kamal Nath has been selected Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister after the Congress dethroned the BJP in the state in the just ended Assembly elections.The issue was raised by SAD legislator Bikram Singh Majithia by bringing a call attention motion in the state assembly on Friday.Intervening during the same, Captain Amarinder Singh said the law was taking its due course as far as allegations against the former union minister were concerned.Citing that Nath was a central minister for over 10 years even after the allegation surfaced, Singh asserted that a mere reference about the senior Congress leader in the Justice Nanavati Commission report could not be construed as his involvement in the case."The law alone could decide the ..
SC not forum to decide sensitive Rafale deal contract: Randeep Surjewala
After the Apex Court found no irregularities in the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets by the NDA government, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala on Friday said that "the Supreme Court is not the forum to decide such sensitive defence contract.""The verdict of the Supreme Court today is a validation of what the Congress party stated months again, that Supreme Court is not the forum to decide such sensitive defence contract," Surjewala stated."Article 136 and 32 are not the forum to decide the issue, the pricing, the process, the sovereign guarantee and the corruption in the Rafale contract. Only forum and media together can form a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), which can probe the entire corruption in Rafale deal," he added.Surjewala also criticised the Prime Minister for not initiating JPC probe in the matter and challenged him to allow the Congress party to conduct the investigation into the case. "What the government presented to the Supreme Court was one-sided, ...
Agriculture sector, employment for youth top priorities: Kamal Nath
The newly elected Madhya Pradesh government's top priorities would be agriculture sector and employment for the youth, said Congress leader Kamal Nath, who will take oath as Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister on December 17.Expressing his gratitude towards the people of the state, 72-year-old Nath said, "I would like to thank people of the state and we will live up to the expectations that they have from the Congress. The priorities of our government will be agriculture sector and generating employment for the youth."Nath, who went to meet the state Governor, Anandiben Patel, stated: "I've shown the Governor the proposal of legislative party."Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee chief, Nath, on Thursday confirmed that there will not be a deputy chief minister in Madhya Pradesh.The announcement was made after a prolonged delay following the nail-biting drama which saw the Congress dethroning the former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led three-term BJP government in the state.With 114 ...
BJP must accept SC's Ram Temple verdict like Rafale case dismissal order: Mehbooba
People's Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti on Friday asserted that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) should welcome the Supreme Court's verdict in the Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid case just the way it hailed the order on the Rafale deal."I hope that the manner in which the decision over Rafale deal has been welcomed and no fingers have been pointed at it, similarly when the decision over Babri Masjid comes, it will be similarly awaited and people will not start pointing fingers at the Supreme Court".Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi-headed bench, which also included Justice SK Kaul and KM Joseph, today dismissed all petitions pertaining to the Rafale deal stating that there is no need to conduct an investigation. "We are satisfied that there is no occasion to doubt the process. Joint exercises have taken place and there is no element of financial benefits," CJI Gogoi said.BJP president Amit Shah, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Defence Minister Nirmala
Nepal's ban on Indian currency may impact tourism
The Nepal government has banned the use of Indian currency notes of Rs 2000, Rs 500 and Rs 200. The government has asked the citizens to abstain from keeping or carrying Indian currencies higher than Rs 100 which cease to be legal tender.According to Nepal's Information and Broadcasting Minister Gokul Prasad Baskota, the government has informed the public about the new decision of banning Indian currency notes above Rs 100.As many as 2,60,124 Indian tourists have visited Nepal in the last 10 months, taking the number of tourists visiting the neighbouring country to a whopping one million.A local resident said, "Whenever tourists from India visit Nepal, they want to spend money here. Nepal government should have looked into all the aspects before making such a decision that will affect both tourism and economic growth of Nepal. This will only curtail the growth of Nepal as people from India will refuse to come to the country."He further added that both the Indian government and the ...
Already considering vendors for 110 fighter jets: Sitharaman
The government has "not forgotten" the IAFs requirements and is already considering the bids received through a Request for Information (RFI) for procurement of 110 fighter jets, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said here on Friday.
Chhattisgarh CM likely to be announced on Saturday
The Congress is likely to announce the Chief Minister for Chhattisgarh on Saturday with the contenders to the post -- state party chief Bhupesh Baghel and Ambikarpur MLA T.S. Singh Deo -- meeting party President Rahul Gandhi in the national capital on Friday.
Flight timings to be extended at Jammu, Srinagar airports
The state administration has decided to extend the timings of evening flights at the Jammu and the Srinagar airports from January 1, a senior official said on Friday. The Air Force authorities have been asked to extend watch hours (from 8 am) till 9 pm at the Jammu Airport and (from 8 am) till 8 pm at the Srinagar airport to facilitate operation of flights during late hours, Principal Secretary (Civil Aviation) Rohit Kansal said at a high-level meeting here. Presently, the last flight from the two airports are at 5 pm. Kansal asked the directors of the two Srinagar and Jammu airport to ensure that airlines provide early morning and late evening flights on Srinagar and Jammu sectors. To ease connectivity with regions affected by weather vagaries, he also reviewed helicopter services of all the 10 approved routes and directed restoration of services for Ladakh within a week. The administration has also directed authorities concerned to ensure wide publicity of helicopter route schedules
Top dissident warns Bangladesh at 'critical juncture'
Fresh from jail for dissent, and celebrated by Time magazine for fearless journalism, Shahidul Alam is not hiding as his native Bangladesh approaches an election he fears could be rigged. More than 100 million voters are registered for the December 30 poll in the South Asia nation -- one of the world's largest democratic exercises. But Alam, an award-winning photojournalist and activist, says a climate of fear gripping Bangladesh could keep many away from the ballot box and encourage self-censorship by the country's browbeaten free press. "I hope for a free and fair election," he told AFP in an interview in Dhaka. "But I am pretty certain that is not how it is going to be, based on how things are shaping up." The opposition says its candidates have been disqualified and supporters jailed in a pre-election crackdown, and political rallies turned violent almost as soon as campaigning began. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is seeking a third-straight term, has been accused of ...
SC ruling on Rafale enhanced Modi govt's 'clean' image: Rupani
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani Friday said the Supreme Court ruling on Rafale deal has enhanced Modi government's "clean image" globally. Rupani also accused the Congress of running a misinformation campaign against the Centre on the fighter jet deal. "The clean image of the Narendra Modi government has got a boost following the Supreme Court order on the Rafale fighter jet deal," Rupani told reporters here. "Congress party president Rahul Gandhi and other leaders of that party ran a misinformation campaign and created a bubble that the BJP has indulged in corruption in the deal, but that bubble has burst," Rupani said. "All the past defence deals by the Congress involved middlemen, but this was a government-to-government deal...it is the Modi government that removed middlemen from defence deals," he claimed. He also accused the UPA government of ignoring the requirement of the defence forces by not finalising the Rafale deal from 2007 to 2014. In a major relief to .
Grace shown by Pilot, Scindia has won hearts of Cong workers across the country: Maken
Sachin Pilot and Jyotiraditya Scindia, among the young turks in the Congress, came in for praise from the party's Delhi chief Ajay Maken, who said the "grace and commitment" shown by the duo at this "critical juncture" has won hearts of the party workers across the country. Both young leaders were in the running for the chief ministerial post in their respective states. "Grace shown by @SachinPilot & @JM_Scindia at this critical juncture, has won the hearts of @INCIndia wokers across the country!," Makan tweeted. The Congress on Friday named Ashok Gehlot as Rajasthan's next chief minister and Pilot his deputy after party president Rahul Gandhi successfully brokered peace between the veteran leader and his younger colleague following several rounds of discussions. In Scindia's case, history repeated itself, as almost 30 years after his father, late Madhavrao Scindia was denied the post of Madhya Pradesh chief minister, the "so near yet so far" fate befell his son too, with senior ..
Himalayan nation Nepal gets first modern train tracks
The competition between two Asian giants, India and China, for influence over tiny Nepal is yielding a bonanza in the form of the Himalayan mountain nation's first modern railway and possibly more to come. New shiny rails connecting the 34 kilometers (21 miles) between Janakpur in southeastern Nepal and Jay Nagar in the Indian state of Bihar are raising hopes for more business and pilgrimages. The railway is India's latest bid to keep its foothold in South Asia, a traditional sphere of influence, as China spends billions on its massive Belt and Road Initiative, an infrastructure project that aims to expand trade across a vast arc of 65 countries from the South Pacific to Africa and Europe. Biswombar Sah, a 62-year-old farmer, is among hundreds of people in Janakpur visiting the still-under-construction rail station daily to check on its progress as workers polish the marble floors, lay tiles on the platform and paint local art on the walls of the waiting room. "These train tracks are
CPI(M) urges removal of Justice Sen from judicial duties
The CPI(M) Friday urged Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi to remove Justice Sudip Ranjan Sen of the Meghalaya High Court from judicial duties alleging that his recent utterances in a judgement was against the basic structure of the Constitution. Justice Sen on December 12 had passed a judgment with remarks that India should have been declared a Hindu nation at the time of partition in 1947. The Left party vowed to consult other parties in Parliament to move impeachment motion for removal of the judge. "The recent utterances of Justice Sudip Ranjan Sen of Meghalaya High Court, in the form of a judgement is against the basic structure of our Constitution," the CPI(M) said in a politburo statement. The party alleged that Justice Sen reflected his political faith "akin" to the RSS ideology of Hindu Rashtra and added he has lost his moral right to continue in the office. "The Supreme Court had earlier given a verdict that secularism, amongst others, is a fundamental feature of our ...
Jharkhand CM accuses Rahul of spreading 'lies' on Rafale
Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das Friday accused Congress president Rahul Gandhi of spreading "lies" on Rafale deal and demanded an apology from him and his party to the people of the country for spreading "misinformation". Das was reacting on the Supreme Court order on the Rafale fighter plane case. The Supreme Court today made it crystal clear on the deal, giving a clean chit pertaining to Rafale deal, Das told a press conference here. He demanded Rahul Gandhi and the whole Congress to apologize to the people of the country as "the curtain of lies against Prime Minister Narendra Modi was ripped apart". Das said that Rahul Gandhi should tell who had misinformed him about the Rafale deal and what was the source for leveling such baseless allegations? Rafale deal was a project of (the previous) UPA government. The process of the deal began in 2007 and the Congress government was there from 2007 and 2014. Why did it keep silence on the Rafale deal? Why former Prime ...