Page 2263 - Politics
CPI(M) will not attend Brigade meet on January 19: Biman Bose
The CPI(M) will not take part in the proposed mega anti-BJP rally to be organised by the Trinamool Congress at Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata on January 19. Left Front Chairman, Biman Bose on Monday told reporters at Tarapith that it would not join the meet even if the TMC invites them. "There is no question of attending the meet. How can we attend a programme called by those who we want to defeat?" he said. Bose also said that the "anti-BJP alliance" is not possible with a party that maintains "secret understanding" with the BJP. The Left Front organised a harmony rally at Tarapith on Monday to oppose the proposed 'save democracy yatra' (rath yatra) of the BJP, which had to be postponed following a Calcutta High Court ruling.
Let govt take over RBI: Sena's jibe after Patel's resignation
The Shiv Sena took a jibe at ally Bharatiya Janata Party over the resignation of Reserve Bank of India Governor Urjit Patel on Monday, saying the Union government should take over the central bank. "Everyone was expecting this. Today, Urjit Patel finally stepped down," Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said. "Instead of searching for a new head for the country's central bank, the Union government should bring all such institutions under its control," Thackeray said in a sarcastic note. Patel, who had a run-in with the Centre over RBI's autonomy, resigned from his post earlier in the day with immediate effect.
RBI guv resignation: Oppn accuses govt of 'assault' on institutions; PM lauds Patel's contribution
Opposition parties on Monday attacked the government over RBI Governor Urjit Patel's resignation, alleging that institutions like the central bank were under "assault" and there was a "financial emergency" in the country. After Patel announced he was stepping down due to personal reasons, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded his contribution and legacy, saying he steered the banking system "from chaos to order" and ensured discipline. Patel was hand-picked by the BJP-led government after his predecessor Raghuram Rajan was denied a second-term. His resignation came amid widening rift between the government and the RBI on several key issues including the central bank's autonomy. Patel had more than eight months left in his three-year tenure. Congress president Rahul Gandhi, addressing the media after a meeting of top leaders from over a dozen opposition parties, said that in the middle of the meet "we were told that RSS-BJP agenda is progressing further". The RBI chief has resigned ...
Terrorists don't deserve 'privilege' of human rights: Naqvi
Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi Monday said terrorists who kill innocent people do not deserve the "cover or privilege" of human rights. Addressing the Human Rights Day Function organised by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), he said advocating the human rights of those who kill innocent people, terrorise them and violate their rights, was not right. "It is unfortunate that some organisations and people are more interested in raising their voice for the human rights of these terrorists who challenge the national security and kill innocent people. "Such terrorist organisations and some anti-social elements consider killing of civilians, attacking security forces, spreading terror and conspiring to disturb peace of the world, as their human rights and do not deserve any cover or privilege of human rights," Naqvi said. The minister said the "social, economic, religious and other human rights" of every community are more safe and secure in India than any .
Patel's resignation will be bad for the country, economy: Subramanian Swamy
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy has raised concern over the resignation of the RBI Governor Urjit R. Patel on Monday while asserting that it will be bad for the Indian economy.Commenting on the abrupt resignation of Patel, about 10 months before the end of his tenure, Swamy said: "His resignation will be bad for our economy, RBI and the Government. He should at least stay till July until the next government comes to power. Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi should call him and find out the reason and dissuade him from leaving in the larger public interest."RBI central board member S Gurumurthy also expressed surprise over the sudden resignation of Patel and said, "Surprised at the news that RBI Governor has resigned. The previous meeting was held in such a cordial atmosphere that it comes as a shock. All directors said media had created a wrong perception while inside it was different. That makes it even more surprising."Patel in his resignation cited personal ...
Dy Guv Vishwanathan may be made interim head of RBI: Sources
N S Vishwanathan, senior most deputy governor, may be made interim head of the RBI following the unexpected resignation of Urjit Patel, according to sources. Vishwanathan was appointed as RBI Deputy Governor on July 4, 2016 for a period of three years. If appointed interim head, Vishwanathan would head the central board meeting scheduled this Friday, the sources said. The Friday meeting is considered crucial as it is going to take up governance issue and concerns on liquidity and credit flow to productive sectors, especially Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME). According to the sources, the important institution like the RBI cannot be headless for long and the government will soon initiate the process for finding replacement of Patel. The other three deputy governors are Viral Acharya, B P Kanungo and M K Jain. Both Vishwanathan and Kanungo are career central bankers. Patel, who had a run in with the government over autonomy of the central bank, resigned Monday from his post .
Chhattisgarh polls: Counting of votes on Tuesday; BJP rules
Counting of votes will be held on Tuesday for the Chhattisgarh Assembly polls, being viewed as a prestige battle for three-term Chief Minister Raman Singh of the BJP and the opposition Congress' fight for resurgence. BJP and the opposition Congress' fight for resurgence. This time, the coalition between Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), former chief minister Ajit Jogi's Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J) and Communist Party of India (CPI) has added another dimension to the electoral politics of the state which has been dominated by the BJP and the Congress. Several exit polls have predicted a neck-and-neck fight between the big two while some have projected victory for the Rahul Gandhi-led party. While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is seeking a fourth straight term in office, the Congress is aiming to stage a comeback after being out of power for the last 15 years. Tight security arrangements have been made at the counting centres in all 27 districts, particularly the ...
Theresa May delays Brexit vote in House of Commons
British Prime Minister Theresa May has delayed the parliamentary vote on the Brexit deal that was scheduled for December 11.Quoting sources, CNN reported that an official confirmation regarding the postponement is yet to be given.The British Prime Minister may have taken the decision amidst fears that the deal would not be able to garner the required votes in the House of Commons and may affect her leadership.Debate on the Brexit deal has been ongoing in the British Parliament since December 4, the culmination of which was supposed to be a parliamentary vote on the Brexit deal on December 11.Meanwhile, May is set to address the Parliament on Monday afternoon which will be followed by a statement by the Leader of the House Andrea Leadsom. The Brexit secretary, Steve Barclay, is also expected to speak.For long, May has been pushing for the Brexit deal to be accepted by the Parliament, with Conservative Members of Parliament (MP's) like Liam Fox backing the deal. She has repeatedly ...
Urjit Patel quits as RBI Governor, sets off a crisis (Roundup)
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Urjit Patel resigned on Monday with immediate effect, citing "personal reasons", setting of a major crisis in India's politico-economic sphere, even as his various predecessors hinted that the move was rooted in the recent controversy involving the government and the central bank.
Top oppn leaders meet, vow to forge united front to fight BJP but BSP and SP skip
Top leaders of 21 opposition parties, barring the BSP and the SP, Monday met here and vowed to forge a united front to fight and defeat the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, alleging "systematic denigration of democracy" and assault on the Constitution and institutions like the RBI under the BJP government. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP), who are major players in politically crucial Uttar Pradesh, skipped the meeting held on the eve of the winter session of Parliament starting Tuesday but no reason was given. It is for the first time that AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Andhra Pradesh counterpart and TDP supremo Chandrababu Naidu attended a joint opposition meet. The meeting held in Parliament House annexe also came a day ahead of the results of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram Assembly polls. After the meeting, the opposition leaders said their parties decided to get together irrespective of ...
Kovind arrives in Myanmar for high level engagements
President Ram Nath Kovind arrived here on Monday on a five-day visit to Myanmar during which he will hold talks with his Myanmarese counterpart U Win Myint and state counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Several agreements are expected to be signed during the visit from December 10 to 14. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said that President Kovind and First Lady Savita arrived at Nay Pyi Taw International Airport where they were welcomed by U Kyaw Tin, Union Minister for International Cooperation and Myo Thein Gyi, Union Minister for Education. The president's visit will continue India's high level engagements with Myanmar under the rubric of 'Act East Policy' and 'Neighbourhood First Policy', Kumar said. President Kovind's Myanmar visit comes amid China's foray into the southeast Asian country with which it has signed a mega port deal. Kovind will have his first engagement on Tuesday during which he will hold talks with U Win Myint and Suu Kyi, Foreign Secretary Vijay .
TRS to once again reach out to regional parties to forge unity
: The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) chief K Chandrasekhar Rao would once again reach out to regional parties to forge unity among them and promoting the idea of a non-Congress, non-BJP federal front, a key party leader said Monday. "After formation of the government (in Telangana), the TRS will once again broach the concept of a federal front to all regional parties", the deputy floor leader of the party in the Lok Sabha B Vinod Kumar told PTI. "There is no need for us regional parties to align either with the Congress or with the BJP...That concept, that idea we will try to sell", added the Karimnagar Lok Sabha member. He made the comments when asked for TRS view on the opposition meet in Delhi to forge a united front to fight the BJP in the 2019 polls. "This idea (non-Congress, non-BJP front) we will sell in the coming days to these parties which attended today's meeting also", Vinod Kumar said. Rao had a few months ago met Trinamool Congress Chief Mamata Banerjee, ...
Former Left Front minister joins Congress
Former CPI(M) leader and minister Abdus Sattar on Monday joined the Congress, stating it is the only party which can fight against the "communal onslaught" of the BJP. Sattar, who joined the Congress in presence of the party's state president Somen Mitra and in-charge of Bengal Gaurav Gogoi, said he has not renewed CPI(M) membership since 2017 and stayed away from politics for the last two years. "I joined the Congress, as I feel it is the only party which can fight against the communal onslaught of the BJP," Sattar, who was West Bengal Minister of State for Minorities Development during the Left Front regime, said. Mitra said Sattar joining the Congress would strengthen the party in the days to come.
Election results in five states on Tuesday
The results of assembly polls in five states will be declared on Tuesday in what is seen as a major test of popularity of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Congress pledges to defeat communal, divisive elements in J&K
Jammu and Kashmir Congress president G A Mir Monday vowed to defeat the communal and divisive forces" in the state who were creating an "atmosphere of discord". "Congress will defeat the designs of communal and divisive forces creating atmosphere of discord and will not allow them to play with the emotions of people for political gains," Mir said at the party headquarters here. Addressing the newly-elected councillors of Jammu at the function, Mir said the Congress was a vibrant force in the three regions of Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh and the people were viewing the policies and programmes of the party in a positive light. "My perception and understanding of the situation is that Congress will emerge as the largest party in the next assembly elections," he said. "The Congress is the only secular and unifying force and it will continue to safeguard the secular fabric of the country and the state," he added. Mir said his party always stood for equal development of all the regions of the .
A person with self respect can't work in NDA govt : TMC on
The sudden resignation of RBI governor Urjit Patel is an "omnious sign" for Indian economy and said a person with self respect can't work in NDA government, senior TMC leader Sukhendu Sekhar Roy Monday said. "The BJP regime functions arbitarily. No person who has self respect can work in the NDA government. Be it the decision on demonetisation or GST the BJP government has taken steps to destroy the economy," Roy said. Patel's resignation is an "omnious sign" for Indian economy, Roy, also the deputy leader of the party in Rajya Sabha said without elaborating. Party supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is in Delhi, had in a tweet described Patel's resignation as "unprecedented" and said that economic emergency in the country has begun. "This has never happened before. This is unprecedented. We are deeply concerned. The RBI is the custodian of public money. The credibility of all institutions is being destroyed. This is a financial and economic ...
Patel resigned to protect RBI; opposition united to stop BJP's assault: Rahul Gandhi
Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday said Urjit Patel resigned as Governor of Indian's central bank because he wanted to protect the institution RBI."There is an assault from the BJP on the institutions like RBI and CBI among others. RBI Governor is resigning because he is protecting the institution of RBI," said Gandhi.Flanked by leaders of various opposition parties, Rahul was speaking to media here, after a crucial meeting of 18 parties on the eve of Parliament's Winter Session, beginning Tuesday."RBI Governor is resigning because he is protecting the institution. Taking away reserves from the RBI to save your skin is an act against this nation. I am very proud that people from all walks of life and institutions are standing up to it," Gandhi said.Earlier in the day, RBI's 24th Governor Urjit Patel resigned from the post, citing personal reasons.Outlining the opposition unity to fight against the BJP's onslaught on institutions like RBI, Rahul further said, "Urjit Patel ...
RBI chief Patel should not have resigned: board member
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) Governor Urjit Patel should not have resigned "at a time when most of the controversial issues have been discussed and decided", an RBI board member told Reuters on Monday.
Israel says Oman will open its airspace to Israeli carrier
Israel's prime minister on Monday announced that Oman will open its airspace to Israel's national airline. The move appears to have no immediate practical effect because carrier El Al is still barred from flying over Oman's northern neighbour, Saudi Arabia. But it marks another sign of warming ties between Israel and Gulf Arab states, as Israel's behind-the-scenes dealings with its former foes become more public. Benjamin Netanyahu told a gathering of Israeli ambassadors that Oman's Sultan Qaboos bin Said granted El Al permission to pass through its airspace during the Israeli leader's surprise visit to the country in October. The two states have no formal diplomatic relations. Israel only has peace agreements with two Arab states Egypt and Jordan. El Al said the news of Oman's permission took the airline by surprise, but that it "welcomes the prime minister's political activity to achieve every possible flight shortcut to and from Israel." Saudi Arabia broke a decades-long ban on ...
Rebel PDP MLA quits party, likely to join Lone-led People's Conference
Former PDP MLA from Tangmarg Mohammad Abbas Wani Monday resigned from the basic membership of the party, a development expected following his support to a rebel group led by former minister Imran Ansari. In a letter to party president Mehbooba Mufti, Wani informed her about his decision to resign from the basic membership of the party, a close aide of the former MLA said. Led by Ansari, Wani was among the five MLAs who revolted against Mehbooba's leadership in the wake of the PDP-BJP coalition government falling apart in June. He is the fourth PDP leader to have announced his resignation from the party. Besides Wani and Ansari, others who have resigned include his uncle Abid Ansari and former finance minister Haseeb Drabu. Wani is likely to join the Sajad Gani Lone-led People's Conference. Lone had made an unsuccessful attempt to form a government with the support of the BJP and rebel PDP MLAs last month before Governor Satya Pal Malik dissolved the Assembly.