Page 226 - Politics
Formalin-laced fish still being sold in Goa: Congress
The Goa Congress on Sunday alleged that formalin-laced fish continued to be sold in the coastal state's fish markets, accusing the BJP-led coalition government of not doing enough to rein in the use of the carcinogenic cadaver-preservative in fish sold in the state's markets.
Irani meets Haryana CM to discuss progress of Poshan Abhiyaan campaign
Union minister Smriti Irani Sunday met Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar to discuss the progress of the 'Poshan Abhiyaan' campaign in the state. The Union Women and Child Development minister said both the central and the state government were committed to make Haryana by eradicating malnutrition. "I held discussions with Chief Minister (Khattar) on the progress of Poshan Abhiyan campaign in Haryana," she said. "The Centre and the state government are committed to make Haryana a healthy state by removing the problem of malnutrition in children and women," she added. Irani further said that she would soon call upon the chief minister to discuss the issue of women safety and education in the state. Khattar also met NITI Aayog and WCD ministry officials. 'Poshan Abhiyaan' is a National Nutrition Mission which aims to bring down stunting of children in the age group of 0-6 years from 38.4 per cent to 25 per cent by 2022. It additionally aims to ensure convergence of all ...
Odisha Cong forms 6 teams to find out reasons of dismal poll
Stung by its rout in recent assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Odisha, the Congress has formed six teams to find out the reasons behind its dismal show from the districts so that the party can be revived before the next polls, a senior party leader said on Sunday. A meeting of the fact-finding committee constituted by the state Congress was held here on Saturday and it was decided that the six teams will submit their reports by the end of this month, Narasingha Mishra said. Mishra, an MLA who was the leader of opposition in the previous assembly, said each of the six teams has been given the charge of five districts for thorough review. The team members will visit every constituency and meet party candidates and workers at all levels, people and intellectuals to find out the reasons behind the defeat of the party, he said. After the teams submit their reports, the 20-member fact-finding committee headed by him will finalise its report and corrective steps will be taken .
Divers search for missing soldier in Gurez sector of LoC
The Indian Army on Sunday rushed divers to trace a missing soldier, who slipped into the Kishenganga river in Jammu and Kashmir's Bandipora district on Saturday.
Venezuela says closing consulates in Canada
Venezuela has announced it will close its consulates in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal, leaving only its embassy in Ottawa to handle its affairs in Canada. The Venezuelan foreign ministry, which announced the decision Saturday, said it was in response to Canada's temporary closing of its embassy in Caracas. Canada is one of more than 50 countries, led by the United States, that recognise opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela's acting president in the country's political standoff. In a statement, it said the Canadian decision, "far from being an administrative matter, is a political decision that reflects the continued hostility of that government toward Venezuela." Canada announced the temporary closing of its embassy in Caracas a week ago, blaming President Nicolas Maduro for refusing to accredit diplomats critical to its functioning. "The regime has taken steps to limit the ability of foreign embassies to function in Venezuela, particularly those advocating for the restoration
Modi takes a jibe at Rahul; pledges support to AP, TN
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday took a veiled dig at Congress President Rahul Gandhi, saying the top opposition leader could not still come out of the impact of election results which showed "weakness." The Prime Minister asserted that his party-led government would further accelerate work for the betterment of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu people though the BJP could not win Lok Sabha polls in these two States. "Given the huge mandate we got, some people think expectations and aspirations (on the government) have increased. They also wonder what can Modi do. We should see it as India's fortune and a great opportunity. I see it as a guarantee for a brighter India," he said. Modi addressed a thanks-giving public meeting organized by the Andhra Pradesh BJP at Renigunta near here. Apparently taking potshots at Rahul Gandhi over his recent comments in Wayanad that Modi's election campaign was filled with "lies, poison and hatred", the Prime Minister remarked that some
Pope Francis appeals for peace in Sudan following military crackdown
In the wake of the recent military crackdown in Sudan that left at least 113 pro-democracy protestors dead, Pope Francis on Sunday appealed for peace and resumption of dialogue between the opposing factions in the African country."The news coming from Sudan these days evoke pain and concern. Let's pray for this people, so that the violence stops and the dialogue helps find the common well-being," the Sputnik quoted the Pope as saying.Violence erupted in Sudan's capital city of Khartoum on Monday after the military stormed the main camp of the protesters here in a bid to break up the agitation. The demonstrators had demanded that the Transitional Military Council (TMC), which toppled Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir in a coup this April, hand over the government charge to civilians.In the aftermath of the incident, Sudan's pro-military movement has called for a nationwide 'civil disobedience' movement to demand civilian rule in the country. The call to the movement comes as several ...
Shah enforces 'zero-tolerance' policy towards terrorism in J&K (IANS Special)
In a series of meetings since assuming charge, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has been focused on carrying on a "zero-tolerance" policy towards terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir with clear instructions to the security establishment to "completely eradicate" terror outfits operating in the state.
BJP offering our MLAs package deal to resign: Goa Congress
Goa Congress President Girish Chodankar on Sunday alleged that his party was unable to stop its MLAs from being poached because of a three-tier package offer from the BJP under which the biggest payout to a defecting MLA was Rs 60 crore.
Bihar Cong passes resolution urging Rahul Gandhi to continue
The Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) on Sunday passed a unanimous resolution requesting Rahul Gandhi to continue as Congress president. The decision to pass a unanimous resolution was taken at a meeting convened by the state Congress to review the Lok Sabha poll outcome. "The meeting unanimously passed a resolution requesting All India Congress Committee president Rahul Gandhi to continue as the party president," Bihar Congress' media department chairman H K Verma said. Gandhi had offered to quit as the party chief in the May 25 meeting of the Congress Working Committee after the party's Lok Sabha poll debacle. The CWC had rejected his offer but the leader is firm on quitting the post. Verma said the BPCC meeting was attended by state party chief Madan Mohan Jha, and other senior leaders. One of the main reasons behind the defeat of the Mahagathbandhan, of which the Congress was a part, is lack of coordination among the grassroot level workers of the constituents .
Iran leader pardons 691 on Eid, but Lebanese excluded
Iran's supreme leader pardoned hundreds of prisoners on the occasion of the end of Ramadan, but a Lebanese national who Beirut expected to be released was not among them, authorities said Sunday. In total, the sentences of 691 prisoners were either commuted or deferred as decided by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as a gesture for the Eid al-Fitr holidays, said the jucidiary's Mizan Online news website. Last week, Lebanon said one of its nationals condemned in 2016 to 10 years' jail in Iran after being found guilty of spying for the United States would be on the pardon list. The Lebanese foreign ministry, quoted by the country's official NNA news agency, said Nizar Zakka would be pardoned at the request of Beirut as a gesture for Eid. But Zakka's name was not on the list, said Iran's judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili. "The individual was sentenced and the president of Lebanon had -- in letters to judicial officials -- requested a conditional pardon," he said, quoted by Mizan. "This ...
Hasina accuses Myanmar of defying promise over repatriation of Rohingyas
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Sunday accused Myanmar of being reluctant in repatriating their over a million Rohingya nationals defying its promise and alleged that some international aid agencies want to keep the refugee crisis alive. Bangladesh hosts over a million Rohingyas in makeshift refugee camps in its southeastern Cox's Bazar district as the fled a Myanmar military crackdown in August 2017 generating the worst refugee crisis in the recent history. In January 2018, a deal was signed between Bangladesh and Myanmar to repatriate Rohingya refugees. Myanmar had agreed to accept 1,500 Rohingyas each week, Bangladesh said at the time, adding that it aimed to return all of them to Myanmar within two years. "The problem lies with Myanmar as they don't want Rohingya to return by any means though it signed an agreement with Bangladesh promising to repatriate them," she told a press conference at her Ganabhaban official residence. The premier feared that some international aid .
SJM asks government not to disinvest Air India
The Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) has asked the Union government to rethink its plan to disinvest Air India along with 92 other central public sector enterprises.
Punjab police proposes cash rewards for info on drugs
The Punjab police has framed a reward policy for government servants and informers as it looks to strengthen efforts to curb the drug menace in the state. The move came after Chief Minister Amarinder Singh directed the police department to draft a comprehensive policy in this regard, as per an official statement released hereon Sunday. The policy proposes to give cash rewards in the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act cases in an equitable and transparent manner to all those engaged in eradication of drug abuse. Under the policy, the informers would be suitably rewarded if their tip-offs lead to seizure of narcotics drugs, psychotropic and controlled substances, besides forfeiture of illegally acquired property. Officials of both Central or state governments who make drugs seizures or conduct successful investigation or ensure successful prosecution would also be rewarded, the release said. A three-member committee in each district would examine the cases based on ..
Surjewala alleges large-scale anomalies in govt recruitment in Haryana
Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala on Sunday alleged that "large-scale anomalies" had taken place in government recruitment in Haryana and demanded scores of all candidates who qualified for the written examination and interview must be made public.Claiming that the future of the state's youth is in darkness, Surjewala, in a statement, said, "If the BJP government is honest then it should follow the Punjab and Haryana High Court ruling of May 22, 2014 and should make public the scores of the written examination and interview of all successful candidates."He also accused the state government of delaying the inquiry into an alleged scam in the Haryana Staff Selection Commission and sought that the call details of HSSC employee arrested in this connection should be disclosed.Surjewala said, "All such issues will be probed after Congress forms government in the state.
Amid BJP-TMC war of words, police stop hearses carrying slain workers' bodies
Warring parties the BJP and the TMC Sunday continued to blame each other for Saturday's violence in Sandeshkhali, even as bodies of three persons were recovered and several others remained 'missing'. The BJP tried to take the bodies of two of its supporters to Kolkata from Basirhat in North 24 Parganas district, but the party workers were stopped by police, leading to heated exchange of words between the two sides. The BJP leadership later decided to take the bodies to the village of the two slain party workers. In an advisory to the West Bengal government, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs expressed "deep concern" over the continuing violence and asked it to maintain law and order. Chief Medical Officer of Basirhat D Mukherjee said bodies of three persons were brought to Basirhat Hospital Saturday night. The bodies have been identified as that of Sukanta Mondal, Pradip Mondal and Kayoom Mollah. While Sukanta and Pradip were BJP supporters, TMC leaders said Kayoom was an active ...
It's 'Mission 75' for BJP in Haryana polls: Khattar
After its prodigious performance of winning in all the 10 Lok Sabha constituencies in Haryana, the BJP is drawing up a strategy to bag at least 75 seats in the Assembly elections which is just a few months away. The "Mission 75", as Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar put it, aims at improving the saffron party's tally in the 90-member Haryana Assembly where it now has 48 MLAs following its victory in the Jind bypoll earlier this year. Asserting that people have rejected the opposition parties, whose "sole purpose is to grab power", Khattar Sunday said, "We are approaching the Assembly polls with 'Mission 75' seats strategy." He told this to reporters in the national capital after a BJP meeting which was presided by party chief and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Party sources said Shah held separate meetings with leaders from Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Haryana, all of which would go to polls later this year. The BJP is in power in all the three states and their chief ministers .
Democrats slam Trump's use of trade threats against ally Mexico
Democrats on Sunday slammed Donald Trump's tactics of threatening punitive tariffs to extract concessions on immigration from Mexico, saying the US president was recklessly endangering ties to a major ally and trade partner. "What the world is tired of, and what I am tired of, is a president who consistently goes to war, verbal war, with our allies," Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders said on CNN's "State of the Union." "We need a decent relationship with Mexico," added Sanders, a candidate for his party's presidential nomination in 2020. "We should not be confronting them every other day." His comments came two days after the US and Mexico, following urgent talks in Washington, reached a deal to avert the five-percent tariffs Trump had threatened on all imports from Mexico, a move economists said would have had devastating impact in both countries. The Mexican side, for its part, agreed to bolster security on its southern border and expand its policy of taking back Central American ...
JDU will remain a part of NDA, will fight 2020 Assembly polls under leadership of Nitish: KC Tyagi
Amidst controversy over JDU not joining the BJP led NDA government at the Centre, the party on Sunday made it clear that it would remain a part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)."We want to make it clear once again that we are and will remain a part of the NDA. We are going to contest the 2020 Assembly polls under the banner of NDA and the leadership of Nitish Kumar," senior JDU leader KC Tyagi said while addressing a press conference here after the national executive meeting.However, he also clarified that JDU won't be a part of the NDA government at the Centre.Rejecting media reports that JDU had forwarded the names of some leaders to be inducted into the Union Council of Ministers, Tyagi said, "JDU did not forward any names for the Cabinet.""In the first meeting between Amit Shah and Nitish Kumar, Shahji said that we have the majority but we will still give symbolic representation to all our allies. Nitish ji politely said that this is not possible."The senior JDU leader ...
In election management, branding individuals larger than issues: Sudha Pai
After Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress roped in political strategist Prashant Kishor for assistance to the party's campaign for West Bengal Assembly polls in 2021, the public debate on election management has intensified. Prominent political scientist Sudha Pai believes that like many western countries, in India too the polls have become all about "management" in the garb of "election strategy". "In the last three decades, India has seen a major change in the election process. Ultra modern techniques, social media and increasing consumerism among the middle class are the main causes for this change," Pai, a professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, told PTI. Sharing her views on the election strategies of Prashant Kishor, referred by many as the "PK formula", Pai said elections have now become all about shifting the people's focus from political ideologies to the personality of a leader and creating a perception around it. Under election management, political parties take the .