Page 2207 - Politics
Blair urges UK government, EU to prepare for second referendum
Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair on Friday called on the British government and the European Union to prepare for the eventuality that Brexit could be pushed back in favour of further negotiations or a second referendum.
Punjab CM slams Pak Army, warns against its ulterior motives in opening Kartarpur corridor
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday slammed the Pakistan Army raising questions on its intentions to open the Kartarpur Corridor between the two countries and for trying to revive terrorism in the border state. Participating in a discussion in Punjab Assembly on a resolution on the corridor, Singh warned political parties in the state to be wary of the "ulterior motives" of the Pakistan Army. "Do you really think that the Pakistan Army is our sympathiser when it is continuously killing our soldiers at the border with the ultimate aim of destabilising the border state," he said, referring to the leaders in the assembly and urged them to contribute to maintaining peace in the state. "Why did Pakistan Army chief broke news about the corridor even before the swearing-in ceremony of Imran Khan? What was his interest," he said. Singh had refused to visit Pakistan for the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the Kartarpur Corridor across the border on November 28, citing terrorist
Disputed Lanka PM Mahinda Rajapaksa to resign on Saturday to end political crisis: Son
Signalling an end to the nearly two-month power tussle in Sri Lanka, disputed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa will resign on Saturday, his son said Friday, soon after the Supreme Court refused to stay a court order that restrained the embattled former strongman from acting as the premier until it fully heard the case next month. Rajapaksa, 73, was appointed as the prime minister on October 26 by President Maithripala Sirisena in a controversial move after sacking Ranil Wickremesinghe, which plunged the island nation into a constitutional crisis. "To ensure stability of the nation, Former President @PresRajapaksa has decided to resign from the Premiership tomorrow after an address to the nation," Rajapaksa's son Namal tweeted. The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) with former president, Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and others will "now work to form a broader political coalition with President Sirisena", Namal Rajapaksa, a lawmaker, added. Wickremesinghe's camp was hopeful that ...
Punjab Assembly passes resolution pressing for Women's Reservation Bill
The Punjab Assembly Friday passed a resolution pressing the Centre to ensure the passage of a bill to provide 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and legislative assemblies. The resolution was moved by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and was passed by voice vote. Congress president Rahul Gandhi had recently written to chief ministers of Congress-ruled states to move the resolution. The Women's Reservation Bill, pending in Parliament because of lack of consensus among parties, lapsed when the 15th Lok Sabha was dissolved in 2014. The resolution reminded that the Punjab government has already reserved 50 per cent seats in urban local bodies and the panchayati raj institutions for women. Amarinder Singh said reservation in legislatures would fulfil a legitimate and long-pending demand of women to ensure their empowerment. Singh said the Congress government had ensured passage of the Bill in Rajya Sabha but it lapsed in the Lok Sabha due to the indifferent attitude of the ...
CPI-M may move impeachment motion against Justice SR Sen
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Friday said that it is considering an impeachment motion against the Meghalaya High Court Justice SR Sen on his recent comments that India should also have been declared a Hindu country.Justice Sen, while disposing of a litigant's plea who was denied a domicile certificate by Meghalaya government, on Monday said: "Since the partition of the subcontinent, during Independence, was done on the basis of religion, Pakistan declared that it was an Islamic country. India should also have been declared a Hindu country."Condemning Justice Sen's controversial remark, the CPI(M) said: "The CPI(M) is of the opinion that Justice Sen has lost his moral right to continue in the office as a Judge of the High Court. The party (CPI-M) will consult other parties in Parliament to consider moving an impeachment motion for his removal. Meanwhile, we request the Hon'ble Chief Justice of India to keep Justice Sen off judicial functions.""The CPI(M) condemns in ...
RBI Central Board meet: Governance Framework among key issues discussed
The Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) Central Board on Friday deliberated on the banks's Governance Framework during its meeting here and concluded that the matter required further examination, the central bank's Chief General Manager, Jose J. Katoor confirmed.In a statement, Katoor said that during the meeting under the Chairmanship of newly-appointed Governor Shaktikanta Das, the Board reviewed, inter alia, the current economic situation, global and domestic challenges, and matters relating to liquidity.The meeting comes in the wake of tensions between the RBI and the government regarding the former's 'independence', with former Governor Urjit Patel abruptly resigning from his post on Monday citing "personal reasons".The recent rift between the RBI and the union government was widely debated after Deputy Governor Viral Acharya stressed the need to ensure the central bank's independence.Questions were also raised on the alleged interference in RBI after the government invoked the ...
Sri Lanka: Rajapaksa to step down as PM to 'ensure stability'
Mahinda Rajapaksa will on Saturday step down as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka "to ensure stability of the nation", his son Namal confirmed on Friday.Taking to his Twitter account, Namal said, "To ensure stability of the nation, Former President @PresRajapaksa has decided to resign from the Premiership tomorrow after an address to the nation. The SLPP with Frm President, SLFP & others will now work to form a broader political coalition with President Sirisena."Political turmoil ensued in the island nation after President Maithripala Sirisena, on October 26 abruptly sacked then-Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and instated Rajapaksa, the country's former President, as the new premier.President Sirisena later dissolved Parliament, almost 20 months before its term was to end, and ordered a snap election.However, the country's Supreme Court overturned Sirisena's decision to dissolve Parliament and halted the preparations for snap polls.On December 3, Sri Lankan court had issued an
SC's Rafale judgement 'based' on PAC report, Kharge unaware: Rahul
Congress president Rahul Gandhi claimed that the foundation of the Supreme Court judgement on the controversial Rafale deal on Friday was based on pricing issue 'discussed' in the PAC whereas its chairman Mallikarjun Kharge is not aware of any such report."When somebody lies, it comes out somewhere. Now the government has to make clear to us as to where is this CAG report? Where is this PAC? In today's time, it is possible that the Prime minister has some other PAC at PMO. The institutes are in shambles," he said."We will prove this that India's Prime Minister is friends of Anil Ambani and he has helped him in the theft. The day there is an inquiry on this issue, two names will come out, Narendra Modi and Anil Ambani," claimed the Congress president.Saying that the Congress wants to present a case in front of the country and government has to answer them, Rahul reiterated his previous charges saying, "We want to ask few questions from the government. Why was Aircraft worth 526 crores .
Only JPC probe will bring out truth in Rafale fighter jet deal: Left parties
Left parties Friday said that only a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the Rafale fighter jet deal can bring out the truth, hours after the Supreme Court dismissed petitions challenging the multi-billion defence pact between India and France. "The truth about the Rafale scam will only come out through the mechanism of a JPC. We reiterate our long-standing demand for a JPC. Modi's refusal to have a JPC is the biggest evidence of guilt (sic)," CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury wrote on Twitter. The party posted on its official Twitter handle that the SC verdict was not a clean chit to the Narendra Modi government. "SC has merely stated that it doesnt have Jurisdiction under Article 32 of the Constitution. Only a JPC can uncover the truth about #RafaleScam," it tweeted. D Raja, national secretary of the CPI, said that Parliament was supreme in a democracy and the government should agree to a JPC probe into the defence deal to ensure that the truth is ...
Gehlot to be sworn in as CM on Dec 17
Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot will be sworn in as chief minister and deputy chief minister of Rajasthan on Monday. Congress president Rahul Gandhi will also attend the ceremony, Congress Legislature Party leader Ashok Gehlot told party MLAs here. The MLAs held a meeting here soon after the two leaders arrived from Delhi, where the party had announced that Gehlot would be the state's next chief minister. A party delegation then left for the Raj Bhawan to meet Governor Kalyan Singh. It included Gehlot, Pilot and AICC general secretary Avinash Pande.
Gehlot to become fourth leader to be Raj CM for at least three terms
Ashok Gehlot will be the fourth leader to become chief minister of Rajasthan for a third time. Mohan Lal Sukhadia was the chief minister of the state for four times, while Hari Dev Joshi and Bhairon Singh Shekhawat were three-time chief ministers in the state. Both Sukhadia and Joshi were Congress leaders while Bhairon Singh Shekhawat was from BJP. Mohan Lal Sukhadia served the state as chief minister in 1954-57, 1957-62, 1962-1967 and 1967-71 terms. Joshi was the CM of the state in 1973-77, 1985-1988 and 1989-1990 terms. Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, who later served the country as its vice president, held the reins of the state for three times - 1977-1980, 1990-92 and 1993-98. Gehlot has been the chief minister of the state in 1998-2003 and 2008-13 terms.
Rajapaksa to step down as PM, says son
Sri Lankan former President Mahinda Rajapaksa will step down from the disputed position of premiership on Saturday, his son and legislator Namal Rajapaksa said on Friday.
J&K govt approves videoconferencing as admissible method for presence of accused in trial
The Jammu and Kashmir government Friday approved an amendment to the Code of Civil Procedure Bill, 2018, making videoconferencing an admissible method for presence of accused during trial. The State Administrative Council (SAC) under the chairmanship of Governor Satya Pal Malik approved the 'Code of Civil Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2018' Friday, an official spokesman said. The Bill seeks to introduce the use of videoconferencing as an admissible method for the presence of accused in criminal trials, he said. This will ensure speedy trial and remand, the spokesman said, adding it would also reduce security requirement for taking the accused from jails to courts.
Mizoram official transferred by EC back in earlier position
Mizoram government official Lalnunmawia Chuaungo is back in his earlier position - Principal Secretary, Home and Finance departments - from where he had been transferred by the Election Commission (EC) before the state assembly polls. A government notification on Friday said the allotment of the departments to Chuaungo was with immediate effect. The EC on November 2 had directed the Mizoram government to remove Chuaungo on the charge of interfering with the poll process. He was then attached to the Ministry of Home Affairs. The IAS officer has been working in Mizoram on inter- cadre deputation on loan from Gujarat since April this year. Shortly after his transfer, an umbrella organisation of major civil societies and student bodies of the state demanded the removal of Mizoram Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) S B Shashank, claiming that he has lost the trust of the people. The NGO Coordination Committee intensified its agitation and the EC removed Shashank on November 15, ..
'BJP would have won in all five states if SC's Rafale ruling had come earlier'
The BJP would have won the elections in all five states if the Supreme Court's ruling giving a clean chit to the Central government in the Rs 58,000 crore deal for Rafale fighter jets had come a few days before the voting process, Goa BJP spokesperson Subhash Phaldessai said on Friday.
Rafale deal: Empowerment of defence forces matter of vital importance, says SC
Empowerment of defence forces with adequate technology and material support is a matter of vital importance, the Supreme Court said Friday while refusing to interfere with the government decision to procure 36 Rafale fighter jets from France. The top court also noted that the procurement of the Rafale jet, which has been sought to be challenged, has its origins in the post-Kargil experience which saw a renewed attempt to advance the strategic needs of India's armed forces. In relief to the Modi government, the Supreme Court 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 deal is estimated to be Rs 58,000 crore, or about USD 8 billion. In its judgement, a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, said judicial scrutiny of the Rafale deal has to be done keeping in view that "adequate military strength and ...
From being an MBA graduate to TRS working Prez, KTR's meteoric
The elevation of Kalvakuntla Taraka Rama Rao as the Working President of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi Friday cements his position as the second top leader in the party after his father and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. Its been a meteoric rise for 42-year old Rama Rao, popularly known as KTR, since he took the political plunge in 2009, quitting a lucrative job in the U.S He was appointed to the newly created post in the 20-year old TRS, days after the party led by Chandrasekhar Rao swept the Telangana assembly elections. Though Rama Rao was long considered the No.2 in the party, his elevation formalises his powerful position. After doing M.Sc.Biotechnology from the University of Pune, Rao went on to obtain MBA degree in Marketing and E-Commerce from City University of New York, US. KTR had worked in the US for six years from 2001 before entering the political arena during the separate Telangana agitation spearheaded by the TRS. Rao, won from Sircilla ...
#MeToo: Sona Mohapatra asks Delhi govt to withdraw invitation to Kailash Kher
Singer Sona Mohapatra has urged the Delhi government to withdraw an invitation to Kailash Kher for a cultural event in view of the #MeToo allegations levelled against him by her and other women. The singer started a petition on change.org where she has reiterated her allegations of sexual harassment against Kher "That is why I am shocked to learn that Kailash Kher has been asked to headline a performance at the Delhi Government's Mayur Utsav that begins today. "Action needs to be taken against perpetrators. Sign my petition asking the Delhi Government to withdraw Kailash Kher's invitation from the Mayur Utsav being hosted in Delhi," she said. The singer others to sign the petition to stop Kher's performance at the event on Sunday, December 16. "I am hopeful that the Delhi Government which is keenly aware of women's safety as a critical issue will listen to #MeToo survivors and their citizens when we ask them to drop Kailash Kher. That is why I am asking you to sign and support this ...
Lanka crisis: Mahinda Rajapaksa to resign from premiership on Saturday, says son
Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was appointed prime minister in a controversial move, will resign on Saturday, his son announced Friday, shortly after the Supreme Court refused to stay a court order restrained the embattled former strongman from holding the office until it fully heard the case next month. Rajapaksa was appointed as the premier on October 26 by President Maithripala Sirisena after sacking Ranil Wickremesinghe, plunging the nation into a constitutional crisis. "To ensure stability of the nation, Former President @PresRajapaksa has decided to resign from the Premiership tomorrow after an address to the nation," Rajapaksa's son Namal tweeted. The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) with former president, Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and others will "now work to form a broader political coalition with President Sirisena", Namal, who is also a lawmaker, added. The apex court's latest ruling came a day after it unanimously declared that the dissolution of Parliament by President ...
WB BJP to wait till Saturday for state govt permission for 'rath yatra'
The West Bengal BJP will "wait and watch" till Saturday for permission from the state government for the party's rath yatra campiagn in the state, top leaders of the saffron party said Friday. A division bench of the Calcutta High Court had directed the state chief secretary, home secretary and the director general of police to hold a meeting with three representatives of the BJP by December 12 and take a decision on the rally by December 14. "We had met government officials yesterday. Now we will wait and watch till tomorrow as the state government officials have told us they will inform us on Saturday. Let's see what happens, then we will decide our next course of action," Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh said. "Our schedule is already in place and as soon as the government grants us permission we will announce the new dates," he said. The BJP Thursday said it will stick to its 'rath yatra' programme in West Bengal but will launch it only after hearing from the state government on ..