Page 2345 - Politics
No development took place in Telangana under TRS: Rajnath Singh
Attacking the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government in Telangana, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday and said that no development took place in the state after its bifurcation from Andhra Pradesh in the past four-and-a-half years.Citing the bifurcation of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh under the rule of late former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Union Minister said that all the states divided during that time have been developed, as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government is in the power in these states."Atal Bihari Vajpayee made three states - Chhattisgarh from Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand from Bihar and Uttarakhand from Uttar Pradesh. Today they are in a queue of developed states. But has development taken place in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh after state division?" Rajnath questioned while addressing a rally here for the forthcoming assembly polls.He further questioned Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and Andhra Pradesh Chief ...
Rahul visits Telangana only during elections: TRS MP
Nizamabad MP and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leader Kalvakuntla Kavitha on Friday launched a scathing at Congress President Rahul Gandhi alleging that he only visits and loves the state at the time of elections."When election approaches, you (Rahul Gandhi) start loving Telangana. You attend a rally here and question state development in the last four years. You are an MP from Amethi since last 15 years, but today everyone knows about the condition of Amethi, whereas Telangana is number 1 state on many aspects," said Kavitha, the daughter of Chief Minister of Telangana K Chandrasekhar Rao.She further attacked the Congress president as she claimed that his surname is Gandhi but his work does not have Gandhi. "When your work reflects Gandhigiri then the people of this country will benefit. There is no point of lying in the state of Telangana," she added.Further sharpening her attack, she questioned Gandhi if he would stand with the MPs of Telangana in the upcoming parliamentary ...
Maharashtra Guv signs Maratha reservation bill
Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao on Friday signed the Maratha reservation bill which was passed by both Houses of the state Assembly on Thursday.The Bill was passed by both Houses of the state Assembly in less than an hour after it was tabled by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in the Legislative Assembly.The Bill gives 16 per cent reservation to the members of the Maratha community in government jobs and admission in government institutions, under the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes of Citizens (SEBC). The state already has 52 per cent reservation for OBCs, SCs, and STs in government jobs and admission in academic institutions.With 16 per cent reservation for Marathas, the total quota percentage in Maharashtra goes up to 68 per cent, the highest in the country after Tamil Nadu where the quota is up to 69 per cent.On November 18, the Maharashtra government had approved the Maratha Reservation Bill, for which the community has been protesting since 2017.In .
Environment of fear prevailing in country: Kapil Sibal
Asserting that an environment of fear is prevailing in the country, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Friday said whenever someone speaks against Prime Minister Narendra or his government he or she is labelled as anti-national.Speaking at an interactive session organised by All India Professional Congress (AIPC), a unit of Indian National Congress (INC) here Sibal said, "Which mind is without fear today? Some businessmen came to me saying that things are not good. Why it's happening because there is fear that anything can happen anytime. That's the kind of environment we are living in. If you say anything against RSS, the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) and Government, you are anti-national."Sibal also alleged that Governors are helping Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in order to install their government in different states while expressing hope that Congress would get a chance to "set things right in 2019." "Heart of the problem is that BJP and RSS have taken over the government. ...
Even chameleon doesn't change colours as quickly KCR does: Sidhu
Congress leader and Punjab Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Friday fired a fresh salvo at Telangana caretaker Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and said that "even a chameleon does not change colours as quickly as he does"."Even a chameleon does not change colours as quickly as KCR (Rao) does. He backstabbed and ditched United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi," Sidhu said while addressing a rally here."He keeps sitting in his Rs. 300 crore bungalow and doesn't even go to the Secretariat," he added.The Punjab Minister further said that his government has always worked for the people, but the Telangana government has worked only for family members of chief minister during its four-and-a-half year tenure.He even alleged that Rao did not fulfil the promises he made to the people regarding employment opportunity and development of the state.The Legislative Assembly election in Telangana is scheduled to be held on December 7, while counting of votes will take ...
Agri Minister attacks Congress for ignoring farmers
Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh Friday attacked Congress party for ignoring farmers during its rule and asserted that his government has taken number of steps to boost their income. The minister also said the Congress government did not take any step to implement the recommendations made in the 2006 Swaminathan report. "Today, Congress party has realised that our country is agriculture-based economy. The Congress party should give an answer why its government was apathetic towards farmers for many years," Singh said in a statement amid farmers' protest in the national capital where thousands of farmers from across the country have gathered to press for their demands. The minister said that the Modi government, in the last four and half years, has taken number of steps for the growth of farmers and the overall agriculture sector. He highlighted that the government has announced e-NAM programme to electronically link all 545 wholesale mandies across the country, besides launching
'Not possible for KCR to give 12 pc reservation for Muslims'
: Former Congress MP Mohammed Azharuddin, the party's working president in Telangana, Friday said that Chief Minister and TRS leader K Chandrasekhar Rao can never get 12 per cent reservation for Muslims as it was not legally possible. "KCR (as Rao is popularly known) should give an answer on 12 per cent reservation for Muslims. People will ask (on the reservation promise). He should answer. He can never get 12 per cent. If you (KCR) cannot achieve, then why did you promise it? When you promise something, then you will have work for it," he said addressing a press conference. The Telangana Legislature last year passed a bill, enabling 12 per cent reservation for Muslim minorities and sent it to the Centre for assent. In his election speeches, Rao has been levelling charges against Prime Minister Narendra Modi of not clearing the proposed reservations for Muslims. Replying to a query, Azharuddin said that he would contest the Lok Sabha elections if the party says so. He ...
Putin hits back as Trump fuels G20 tensions
G20 leaders opened annual talks on Friday stalked by the deepest divisions since their first summit 10 years ago, with US President Donald Trump under fire for destroying the group's past consensus on trade and climate change. Russian President Vladimir Putin, under pressure himself after his security forces seized three Ukrainian ships, set the tone by condemning the "vicious" use of sanctions and trade protectionism. The target was clear, as Trump -- who cancelled a planned meeting with Putin in Buenos Aires -- tears up the stability promoted by the G20 powers when they first convened in November 2008 in the grip of financial crisis. Putin's attack, and similar criticism of Trump's isolationist stance by French President Emmanuel Macron, capped an incident-packed buildup to the G20 that included flare-ups over Ukraine and Saudi Arabia. Putin grinned broadly and welcomed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman like a long-lost friend with a high-five ahead of a group photo where Trump
Maha: No election for deputy chairman as Council adjourned
The Shiv Sena could not stake claim to the post of deputy chairman of Maharashtra Legislative Council Friday. Election to the post could not take place as Chairman Ramraje Nimbalkar adjourned the upper house sine die. Shiv Sena leader Anil Parab termed the development as "unfortunate". Had the election been held, his party would have won the post on its own strength, he said. A source in the office of Leader of Opposition Dhananjay Munde said that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had requested NCP chief Sharad Pawar to help get the Sena candidate elected to deputy chairman's post. However, NCP leader and Leader of Opposition in the Council Dhananjay Munde skipped the last week motion in the House Friday to avoid election, a source in Munde's office claimed. The post is vacant for the last four years. The BJP offered the post of deputy Speaker of the Assembly to its ally Shiv Sena. Vijay Auti, three times MLA, was elected unopposed Thursday. A Congress source said the ...
KCR attacks Rahul Gandhi for comments on irrigation projects
: TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao Friday hit out at Congress Chief Rahul Gandhi over his comments that irrigation projects in Telangana have been redesigned for commissions. Rao, who addressed election rallies at Illendu and other places, said that the state government has taken up redesigning of Sitarama and other irrigation projects in the interests of the state. He alleged that Congress leaders have not been able to serve Telangana's interests in the irrigation sector. "Whether that Rahul Gandhi has intelligence or not, God has given intelligence or not, speaks like a joker. (He says) we have redesigned (irrigation projects) for commissions. Rahul Gandhi, would you come, do you have guts, shall we go to Rudramakota. Shall we see...named after your father, how Rajiv Sagar, Indira Sagar are. I will take you there....Not making worthless allegations," he said. Alleging that Congress leaders in previous governments (in undivided Andhra Pradesh) have put in place ...
Fishermen facing problems as BJP govt did not operationalise coastal security scheme: Cong
The Congress Friday expressed concern over the detention of fishermen by Pakistani authorities off the coast of Gujarat and said the BJP government in the state had not operationalised the coastal security scheme of the Centre due to which fishermen were facing problems. Congress spokesperson Shaktisingh Gohil said the scheme was prepared by the UPA government in 2005 and funds were allocated to the Gujarat government for putting in place a monitoring system. This, he alleged, could not happen as then chief minister Narendra Modi did not pay heed to it and ignored the scheme. He claimed the Mumbai terror attack had also happened due to laxity in marine security and the task of terrorists became easier. Twenty two Indian fishermen were arrested Thursday by personnel of the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) for allegedly straying into the country's territorial waters. Gohil said his party did not want to indulge in petty politics on the sensitive issues like national security and
World leaders welcome Saudi prince at G20, avoiding isolation
World leaders welcomed Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Friday at the G20 summit, showing he was no pariah less than two months after the kingdom killed a dissident journalist. The 33-year-old heir apparent was seen chatting with US President Donald Trump and his daughter Ivanka and shaking hands with French President Emmanuel Macron at the start of a two-day meeting of the world's top economies in Buenos Aires. Prince Mohammed and Russian President Vladimir Putin both grinned broadly and shook hands robustly as leaders converged for a group photo. British Prime Minister Theresa May also said she would meet Prince Mohammed. She said she would press the crown prince both on the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the Saudi-led offensive in Yemen, where millions are on the brink of starvation in what the United Nations calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis. "The Saudi Arabians need to ensure that their investigation is a full investigation, that it's ...
Rahul Gandhi sent me to Pakistan, says Sidhu
Punjab cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Friday said it was Congress President Rahul Gandhi who sent him to Pakistan to attend ground breaking ceremony of the Kartarpur corridor.
Zimbabwe starts building new parliament, paid by China
Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Friday laid the foundation stone for huge new parliament to be built with Chinese funds outside the capital Harare. The imposing circular complex will be built over 32 months by the Shanghai Construction group at Mount Hampden, 18 kilometres (11 miles) north-west of Harare, the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation reported. Officials say the current colonial-era parliamentary building in the city centre is too small to accommodate lawmakers. Mnangagwa said at the ceremony that China had provided a "grant, not a loan, to build a new parliament", without giving a figure. "Other facilities like banks, hotels will be built around this place," Mnangagwa said adding that a "modern, smart city" was planned. Mnangagwa took over from long-time ruler Robert Mugabe who was ousted by the military in November 2017. He has vowed to revive Zimbabwe's economy that has been in ruins for nearly two decades. China has funded and provided loans for many ...
Within 48 hours of quitting, former Guj minister back in BJP
Two days after quitting the BJP and joining the Congress, former Gujarat minister Sundersinh Chauhan has done a U-turn. Chauhan, four-time MLA from Mahemdabad in Kheda district, joined the Congress on November 27, claiming that he was being ignored by the present BJP leadership. On November 29, he changed his mind and returned to the BJP fold at the ruling party's Nadiad office in Kheda in the presence of Lok Sabha MP Devusinh Chauhan. The former state minister claimed that he was tricked into joining the Congress. "I went to Congress office to meet someone on November 27. Some Congress workers surrounded me and tricked me into joining the party," said Chauhan. He had served as the minister of state (MoS) for social justice and also as MoS labour and employment in the BJP government earlier. He lost to Congress' Gautam Chauhan in 2012 Assembly polls and was not given a ticket in 2017. After joining the Congress on November 27, he had claimed that he had quit the BJP ...
Modi meets Chinese President, says this year was good, next will be better
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 summit here and said this year had been very good for bilateral ties and that the coming year will be better.
Want to see promises being implemented: Farmers in Delhi
Promises made by political leaders at a farmers' protest here Friday were met with scepticism from several participants, who said they will believe them once they see a change on the ground. Dubbed as the largest farmers' congregation in Delhi, around 35,000 farmers, from across India, converged at the Parliament Street police station Thursday after their march was stopped by the administration. Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Samajwadi Party leader Dharmendra Yadav, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury, CPI leader S Sudhakar Reddy, AAP MP Sanjay Singh and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah were among the leaders who joined the farmers at Jantar Mantar. Kumud, a farmer from West Bengal's Sunderbans, demanded middlemen be removed and loans waived, and said all her life she has heard promises of opposition parties, but she will believe them only if they stay true to their word. She was among the farmers, who marched to the Ramlila ...
Modi interacts with Trump, Putin and May on sidelines of G-20
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday interacted with US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin and British Prime Minister Theresa May ahead of the G-20 summit here. The brief exchange of views came ahead of the first trilateral meeting between Modi, Trump and the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe later Friday. According to a picture tweeted by External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar, Modi was seen clasping the hand of Trump and talking to the US president. Prime Minister Modi also interacted with President Putin. "Catching up with other #G20 leaders from Russia, Italy and UK at the Leaders' Lounge," Kumar tweeted, referring to prime minister's interactions with President Putin, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and British Prime Minister May. Earlier, Prime Minister Modi held separate bilateral meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
People don't trust Cong, other Oppn parties on agrarian distress issue: BJP
The BJP Friday accused the Congress and other opposition parties of misleading farmers on the issue of agrarian distress, asserting that people no longer support those who have had their "eyes shut for 70 years" on the problem and have now decided to side with Narendra Modi. The BJP's reaction came after thousands of farmers, backed by Left parties and organisations, marched through the streets of Delhi for debt relief and remunerative prices for their produce. Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury, CPI leader S Sudhakar Reddy and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah were among the political leaders who joined the farmers at Jantar Mantar. Hitting out at opposition parties, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra asked why their leaders did not take measures to reduce the problem of farmers in the past 70 years when they governed India. On Kejriwal and Gandhi sharing a stage during the rally at Jantar Mantar, ...
Diplomats struggle for agreement on G-20 summit statement
Diplomats from the Group of 20 countries were haggling hard over a final summit statement Friday, with deep divisions over what language to use on the Paris climate accord and the World Trade Organisation, according to two European officials involved in the discussions. Facing the prospect of a no-statement summit, European delegations were trying to create a common front and may come out with their own separate declaration if they can't get the US or others on board. European leaders were meeting in the morning at the summit venue in the Argentine capital to stake out common positions on trade, climate and the killing of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. France is seeking to build coalitions on certain issues or "ad hoc partnerships" to try to salvage the spirit of the G-20 even if all countries can't agree, according to a French official. The officials weren't authorised to be named speaking about the closed-door discussions and spoke on condition of anonymity. The G-20 ...