Page 2219 - Politics
Kamal Nath expected to be next MP CM, leaves for Bhopal
Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath, who is expected to be the next Chief Minister of the state, left for Bhopal on Thursday evening afer meeting party President Rahul Gandhi here.
Delhi BJP to hold 'Mahila Hunkar Rally' on 'Nirbhaya' case anniversary
The Delhi BJP announced Thursday it would hold 'Mahila Hunkar Rally' at the Ramlila Groud in the city on December 16, the sixth anniversary of the 'Nirbhaya' gang rape case. Addressing a press conference here, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari hit out at the Aam Aadmi Party government, alleging that it has failed to provide protection to the women. The North East Delhi MP said that party's women workers will raise their strong collective voice in the rally to be held at the Ramlila Ground on Sunday. "The Arvind Kejriwal-led government has not fulfilled any of the promises made during the elections. The CM had promised that marshals will be deputed on the buses for the security of women, and CCTVs will be installed, but these remained mere promises ..." Tiwari told reporters. The 23-year-old paramedical student was gang-raped on December 16, 2012 in a moving bus in Delhi, and later died in hospital. The incident triggered outrage and protests across the country, and she subsequently came to
Shah meets BJP office bearers, focusses on social engineering
Days after being defeated in Assembly elections, BJP President Amit Shah on Thursday held a meeting with party office bearers, state BJP chiefs and other officials to galvanize the party's frontal organisations in view of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Akali Dal condemns Congress move on Kamal Nath as CM
Opposing the move by the Congress to name former union Minister Kamal Nath as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, the Shiromani Akali Dal said on Thursday that the Congress was "rewarding the perpetrators of genocide against the Sikhs".
SC to pronounce judgment over requirement of probe in Rafale deal
The court on Friday will give its decision on the pleas seeking a court-monitored probe into the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets.The apex court on November 14 had reserved its judgment in the case. The three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi, Justice S. K. Kaul and K. M. Joseph of the apex court heard petitioners and the government lawyers before reserving the verdict in the case.During the arguments, the top court was informed by former union ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie and senior advocate Prashant Bhushan that the decision making process for acquisition of 36 Rafale aircrafts and the consequent increase in price and grant of offsets to Reliance was "not bonafide" and "requires investigation by the CBI."Representing the government, Attorney General of India, K.K. Venugopal had said: "There is no sovereign guarantee from the French Government on the delivery of 36 Rafale jets but there is a Letter of Comfort from the French Prime ...
BJP national council meeting on Jan 11-12
The BJP national council, the party's largest organisational body, will meet here on January 11-12, while its key wings will hold meetings across the country in the coming weeks as it steps up its campaign for the Lok Sabha polls in 2019. The dates were finalised at a meeting, which was chaired by BJP president Amit Shah, of the party's office bearers and key leaders from states but there was no discussion on its defeat in the five state polls, party general secretary Bhupendra Yadav told a press conference. The state poll results were not on the agenda, he said. The BJP suffered a big blow in the polls as it lost power in three states, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, ruled by it. Party sources said there could be an informal discussion on the matter during the meetings between Shah and chiefs of the state units concerned. Yadav said the meeting was scheduled long in advance and preparations for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls were its agenda. Dates of the meeting of the seven ...
S Korean foreign minister to visit India on Dec 18-19: MEA
South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-wha is slated to visit India next week, during which she will hold talks with her counterpart Sushma Swaraj on the progress in multifaceted cooperation between the two countries, the MEA said Thursday. On an invitation by External Affairs Minister Swaraj, Kang will visit India on December 18-19, the ministry said in a statement. "During the visit, External Affairs Minister and the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea (ROK) will co-chair the ninth meeting of the India-ROK Joint Commission," it said. "They will review the progress in multifaceted cooperation under the Special Strategic Partnership between the two countries, including follow-up action on decisions taken during the visit of ROK President Moon Jae-in to India in July 2018, and will explore new areas of cooperation," the MEA statement said. They will also exchange views on regional and global issues of common interest, it added. President Moon, accompanied by a Korean
10-day Combined Guided Weapon Firing exercise CROSSBOW-2018, concludes
A Combined Guided Weapon Firing exercise named 'CROSSBOW-18' ended on Thursday.The ten-day exercise was held from December 3 to December 13 at the Air Force Station Suryalanka under the aegis of Southern Air Command. Various surfaces to Air Missile systems like the indigenously developed AKASH, SPYDER, OSA-AK-M, and IGLA carried out drills and live firing for the first time on maneuverable aerial targets.Live firing by night added to the uniqueness and complexity of the exercise. Participation of SU-30 fighter jets made the exercise operationally realistic. Air warriors from over 20 participating surface to Air Guided Weapon squadrons actively participated in the exercise.Furthermore, the live firing helped Indian Air Force in validating the Air Defence philosophy by integrating both legacy and modern Surface to Air Guided Weapon Systems and the Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS).The Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa, Air Marshal B Suresh, ..
Pilot, Gehlot call for peace among party workers ahead of CM appointment
Congress leaders Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot on Thursday called for the party workers to maintain peace amid a prolonged wait for the appointment of the chief minister for the three newly-elected Congress governments in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.Speaking to ANI, Gehlot, a former Rajasthan Chief Minister, said, "The decision will be taken soon, there is nothing to worry about. The decision has to be taken for chief ministers of three states so naturally, it takes time. The party president will take a call, whatever decisions will be taken will be binding on all. Rahul ji is talking to and consulting all leaders"."Sometimes party workers become over-excited; I appeal to the workers to maintain peace. A process is underway, they should not indulge in anything that raises questions on the party. Also, in times like these, people other than party workers join in the commotion, so it projects an image that Congress workers are doing this (quarrelling with each other), ...
BJP's defeat due to people's anger against Modi govt's polices: Yechury
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said Thursday the Bharatiya Janata Party's defeat in three state assembly polls was a clear indication of the people's discontent and anger at the policies of the Narendra Modi government. "The basic issues in the states that went to elections were rural distress and attacks on Dalits. This was the main reason behind the defeat of the BJP. The lesson from this elections is that people want alternative pro-people policies," Yechury said, while addressing a session of the All India Forward Bloc's (AIFB's) 18th Party Congress here. The defeat in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan to the Congress in the just-concluded assembly polls is a clear indication of the people's discontent and anger at the policies followed by the Modi government, the CPI(M) leader said. Yechury said the BJP-led central government needed to be defeated in the 2019 general election and an alternative secular government established "in order to save the country". To ..
Irregularities in AAP govt proposal to install CCTV cameras in Delhi, HC informed
The Delhi High Court was informed on Thursday that "irregularities" were found in the AAP government's proposal to procure and install CCTV cameras in the entire national capital, including schools run by it. The submission was made before a bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao during hearing of a PIL opposing the Delhi government's plan to install closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras in its schools. Urging the court to put on hold the process of installing cameras in classrooms, advocate Jai Dehadrai, appearing for the petitioner, said that the Principal Secretary of the Public Works Department (PWD) had noted in the file related to the matter that there was "serious irregularity" in the procurement process. Dehadrai said he wants to place the note before the bench and sought that the Delhi government be urged not to go ahead with its project. The court, however, declined to pass any interim orders, saying it wants to see the note first. The Principal ...
Rahul huddles with Sonia, senior party leaders over Raj, MP CMs
Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Thursday held marathon consultations with senior party leaders, including Sonia Gandhi to select chief ministers for newly-won Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh apparently stymied by a tussle between the old and the young guard. Gandhi's official residence in became a revolving door as four main chief ministerial claimants and AICC observers for the three Hindi heartland states which also included Chhatisgarh made repeated visits to hold several rounds of discussions to assist the party president to untie the gordian knot. "The two most powerful warriors are patience and time," Gandhi quoted Leo Tolstoy in a curious tweet along with a picture of him flanked by Jyotiraditya Scindia and Kamal Nath, the two top contenders for Madhya Pradesh. Rahul's sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also visited his house while intense parleys were on, but there was no confirmation whether she was a participant. As hours went by without an announcement, tension and sloganeering rose .
2 Israelis killed in West Bank gun attack
Two Israelis were killed and two others were wounded by a Palestinian in a gun attack in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, the Israeli Army reported.
Man immolates self; BJP claims it is over Sabarimala issue,
A 55-year-old man, said to be an Ayyappa devotee, died after setting himself afire near the venue of the BJP's protest over the Sabarimala issue here Thursday. Calling a state-wide hartal on Friday over the death, BJP claimed the man immolated himself protesting the "adamant" stand of the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government in Kerala over the issue of continuing prohibitory orders and restrictions at the Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala. Venugopalan Nair of Muttada near here, who suffered 90 per cent burns, succumbed at the Government Medical College Hospital in the evening, police said. Chanting 'Swamiye saranam Ayyappa' mantra, Nair set himself afire after dousing him with petrol near the venue in front of the state secretariat in the early hours. He tried to run toward the makeshift tent where BJP leader C K Padmanabhan is on an indefinite fast demanding lifting of prohibitory orders in force in and around Sabarimala hill shrine, police said. Party activists and police ..
Arrangements for panchayat elections in Punjab reviewed
Punjab State Election Commissioner Jagpal Singh Sandhu Thursday held a video conference here with all deputy commissioners (DCs) and senior superintendents of police (SSPs) of the state to review arrangements for the panchayat elections slated to be held on December 30. Punjab DGP (nodal officer for election) V K Bhawra, IG (Headquarters) Jatinder Aulakh and Kamal Kumar Garg, Secretary, State Election Commission, also participated in the video conference. A spokesperson of the state election commission said detailed discussions were held in connection with arrangements for the panchayat polls. Sandhu issued instructions to the DCs and the SSPs of all districts to maintain law and order to enable voters exercise their franchise without fear, he said. He asked the SSPs to make special security arrangements, the official said. The elections to 13,276 panchayats in Punjab will be held on December 30. The notification will be issued on December 15, he added.
EU, five others voice 'deep concern' over Pak's move to terminate operation of 18 INGOs
The European Union (EU) and five other foreign missions in Islamabad Thursday expressed "deep concern" over Pakistan's move to terminate the operation of the 18 international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) in the country. According to the media reports, the interior ministry in October ordered them to cease their operations and leave the country within two months. Among the 18 INGOs, nine have association with the US, three with the UK and two with the Netherlands. Others have connections with Italy, Switzerland, Denmark and Ireland. "We fully respect the Government's right to maintain an INGO registration policy but we share a deep concern over the way in which it has been implemented...," said a joint statement issued by the EU Delegation, Heads of Mission of EU member states in Pakistan, and Heads of Mission of Australia, Canada, Japan, Norway and Switzerland. They said that the group strongly believed that a vibrant civil society is indispensable for good governance and ...
Pilot supporters hold protests, block roads
Sachin Pilot supporters tried to block roads and held demonstrations in Rajasthan on Thursday, demanding his appointment as the next chief minister. As the Congress leadership in Delhi deliberated over the chief minister's post, police dispersed groups of people trying to stop traffic at places in Dausa, Ajmer and Karauli districts, police said. In many cases, the protesters were from Pilot's Gujjar community. The protests prompted Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee president Sachin Pilot to issue an appeal on social media, seeking calm. Pilot and two-time chief minister Ashok Gehlot are vying for the top post in Rajasthan, following the party's victory in the assembly polls. Bharatpur Inspector General of Police Malini Agrawal said people had initially gathered at Hindaun and nearby areas in Karauli district, but were dispersed by police. We want Sachin Pilot as the next chief minister of Rajasthan. The party high command should declare his name as soon as possible, Sugar Singh, ...
Dissolution of Sri Lankan Parliament by President Sirisena 'illegal': Supreme Court
Sri Lanka's Supreme Court Thursday unanimously ruled that the dissolution of Parliament by Maithripala Sirisena was "illegal", in a body blow to the embattled President, whose controversial decisions plunged the island nation into an unprecedented political turmoil. A seven-member apex court bench said that the President cannot dissolve Parliament till it completes its 4 1/2 year term, triggering demand for the impeachment of Sirisena as well as ex-strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa. "I make order that the November 9 Gazette sacking Parliament has no force or effect in law and declare its operation illegal," Chief Justice Nalin Perera said as he delivered the landmark judgement to a packed courtroom. Fearing trouble, authorities beefed up the security around the Supreme Court and deployed the elite special task force. United National Front (UNF) Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa said that the ruling was unanimous by the seven judge bench. The decision has laid to rest one of the many ...
Sri Lanka: SC overturns Sirisena's decision to dissolve Parliament
The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka here on Thursday said that the decision of President Maithripala Sirisena to dissolve the country's Parliament was unconstitutional and illegal.According to Daily Mirror, a seven-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Nalin Perera passed a unanimous verdict over-ruling the President's decision and noting that a resolution needs to be passed by a two-thirds majority if the President Siresena wants to dissolve the Parliament before completing a term of four and half years.In its verdict, the top court of the island nation also termed the Sirisena's decision to call for snap polls in January next year as "illegal", Al Jazeera reported.The Court's verdict came as a blow to President Sirisena. It was much anticipated by the people of the country, especially after Sirisena sacked Ranil Wickremesinghe from his Prime Ministerial duties and replaced him with former President Mahinda Rajapaksa on October 26.The verdict also reinstates the possibility that the next ...
Shivraj Chouhan dismisses prospects of joining Central politics
Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday dismissed the prospect of being included in the Union Cabinet, saying he is emotionally attached with the people of his state and therefore will never leave them.Following a nerve wrecking election battle in the state, which eventually resulted in BJP's defeat, rumours of Chouhan joining the Union Cabinet ahead of the crucial General Elections next year started doing the rounds."I will live for them and die for them," he said while addressing the media here, adding, "That is why I can't leave Madhya Pradesh; I can't leave the seven and a half crore people of the state. They love me and I love them, until my last breath, I will serve them in any way I can"."If the public wants me to serve as the opposition, I will serve them in that capacity. I will not retire, I will not stop. Madhya Pradesh is everything for me, I will not go anywhere else," he added.Further, replying to questions about the 'aabhar yatra' ...