Page 2351 - Politics
Azharuddin appointed working president of Telangana Congress
The Congress on Friday appointed former cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin as the working president of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee, a week ahead of the legislative assembly elections in Telangana.The former Congress Member of Parliament (MP) will be assisted by B.M Vinod Kumar and Jaffer Javed, who will jointly hold the post of vice-president in the Telangana unit of the party.The names approved for the post of general secretary include S. Jagadeeshwara Rao, Nagesh Mudiraj, T. Narsa Reddy, Manavatha Roy, Faheem, Kailash, Laxma Reddy, and Krishank. The post of secretaries, on the other hand, will be filled by Durgam Bhaskar, Daruvu Ellanna, Vijay Kumar and Bala Laxmi.Meanwhile, Congress has also approved the name of Lingaraju as the president of Karnataka Pradesh Fishermen Congress.Former Congress MP Sandeep Dixit, on the other hand, has been appointed as the secretary of All India Congress Committee (AICC).
Centre did not implement a single major initiative for farmers: Activists
Social activists and political leaders slammed the Union government Friday, alleging it has not implemented a "single major initiative" for farmers in the past four and a half years and that demonetisation worsened the agrarian distress in the country. Addressing a rally of nearly 3,500 farmers, gathered from across the country in the national capital, Narmada Bachao Andolan activist Medha Patkar alleged the government from the "very beginning has been adopting pro-corporate policies and not a single major initiative for farmers has been launched by it". "The target of the BJP government is to handover farmers', adivasis' land to industrialists, corporate," Patkar claimed. Rajaram Singh, general secretary of All India Kisan Mahasabha (AIKM), alleged the government tried to "turn blackmoney into white" through demonetisation. "Demonetisation's impact falls on farmers across the country," he said, adding that the exercise to suddenly render a bulk of Indian currency in circulation hit ..
Pak bowled googly at India with Kartarpur corridor: Pak FM
Shah Mahmood Qureshi, the Foreign Minister of Pakistan, claimed that Prime Minister Imran Khan has "bowled a googly at India by opening the Kartarpur corridor".He made these remarks at a ceremony held in Islamabad to observe the 100-day performance of the Imran Khan-led Pakistani government.Xinhua also reported Qureshi as saying: " Pakistan will take two steps forward for every one step India takes," with regard to relations between the neighbouring nations."Bowling a googly" in cricketing terms means making a deceptive delivery to put the batsman in a difficult position.Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had earlier remarked that the opening of the corridor could not be taken as the resuming of dialogues between India and Pakistan as terror and talks cannot go together. She also turned down Pakistan's invitation for the SAARC summit citing that there would be no dialogue until Pakistan ceases terror activities in India.The EAM had sent Harsimrat Kaur Badal, the Minister ..
YS Chowdary approaches Delhi HC, seeks quashing of ED summons
The Delhi High Court on Friday directed former union minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader YS Chowdary to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday in connection with allegations of money laundering and financial irregularities.The High Court further said no coercive steps can be taken against him in the case. The direction came after Chowdary approached the Delhi High Court on Friday seeking quashing of summons issued against him by the ED.The ED had issued summons to Chowdary on November 24 and 27, after the investigative agency raided residential premises of Chowdary. During the raids, the ED seized six high-end cars (Ferrari, Range Rover, Benz), which are allegedly registered in the name of dummy companies. These vehicles were seized under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA), the ED had said in a statement.Chowdary, however, alleged that he was being harassed due to political vendetta by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led ..
World leaders set to convene Argentina summit clouded by disputes
BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - A summit of the world's top economies will open on Friday with leaders struggling over fallout from a U.S.-China trade war that has roiled global markets and bracing for the kind of divisive geopolitical drama that President Donald Trump often brings to the international stage.
Tense 1st meeting of South Sudan armed leaders since peace
Stepping out of a helicopter last week, South Sudan armed opposition commander Ashab Khamis came face-to-face with his rival in a crushing five-year civil war, army Gen. Keer Kiir Keer. The meeting, witnessed by The Associated Press, was their first attempt at reconciliation since the conflict began and a crucial test of a new peace agreement ending a war that has killed nearly 400,000 people. The governor of Wau state where the meeting occurred called it a "historic event", while the atmosphere around the table was tense. Surrounded by bodyguards, the regional commanders glared at each other as words of encouragement were laced with accusations. While they eventually pledged to work together, deep-seated distrust lay behind the handshakes as South Sudan's warring sides, blamed for vicious abuses against civilians and each other, are now under international pressure to get along -- and eventually merge. After the meeting, opposition commander Khamis told the AP that South Sudan's ...
TRS, AIMIM friendship blossoms in poll-bound Telangana
This is one friendship that seems to have really blossomed in poll-bound Telangana where campaigning is in full swing. Caretaker Chief Minister and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao described the AIMIM, led by Lok Sabha MP from Hyderabad Asaduddin Owaisi, a "friendly party" on September 6, the day the 119-member Assembly was dissolved. It is not as if Rao was saying anything new; just a reiteration of what was in full display during his tenure. The All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM), which counts Old city area as its stronghold and won seven seats in the 2014 Telangana Assembly elections, has fielded eight candidates for the December 7 polls, and has made no secret that it is backing the TRS in other constituencies. Incidentally, Owaisi had addressed a campaign meeting supporting the TRS at Nirmal town. "I feel that the TRS has a very good chance of coming back (to power) and I see KCR (as K Chandrasekhar Rao is popularly known) becoming chief ...
Gabbard to hear from Indian-Americans on possibility of a Hindu running for US presidency in 2020
Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu lawmaker in the US Congress, is seeking views from eminent Indian-Americans from across the country on the possibility of a Hindu running for American presidency amid reports that she is considering to run for the White House in 2020. Those familiar with the 37-year-old Democratic lawmaker from Hawaii said that a formal announcement could be weeks away or even before the end of the year. If she announces her candidature, she would be the first ever Hindu to be seeking presidential ticket from either of the two major political parties of the US Democratic and the Republican. On Thursday, over half-a-dozen eminent Hindu-Americans wrote an email to some of the top members of the community from across the country to share their "thoughts" with Gabbard on "the possibility of a Hindu running for the US Presidency" for the first time in history and the "impact" that could have on the Hindu-American community at large. According to a copy of the email accessed .
PDP, People's Conference spar on social media over Centre's decision to extend rail link
Mainstream politicians in Kashmir have welcomed the Centre's decision to extend the Banihal-Baramulla railway link in the valley to the frontier district of Kupwara, but the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the People's Conference jostled on the social media seeking credit for the decision. "Congratulations to people of Kupwara, as the railway link from Baramulla to Kupwara finally approved. Hope soon Chenab valley and Pir Panchal too will get connected by train," PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said in a tweet Thursday. The official Twitter handle of the party thanked Mehbooba and its Rajya Sabha member from Kupwara, Mir Fayaz Ahmad, for pursuing the Kupwara rail link with the Centre. The PDP claiming credit for the Centre's decision did not go down well with People's Conference chairman Sajad Gani Lone. "Railway line a reality and now parties who call us agents of Delhi want to take credit for it. Hilarious," he tweeted. National Conference (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah thanked ..
UP CM under attack over Hanuman remark
The Congress has urged the Election Commission to take action against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for calling Hindu god Hanuman a Dalit.
Azharuddin named Telangana Congress working president
The Congress on Friday appointed former Indian cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin as the working president of the party's Telangana unit.
File 100 cases against me, won't stop regularising unauthorised colonies: Satyendar Jain
Delhi Public Work Department (PWD) and Urban Development Minister Satyendar Jain on Friday said that he is being hounded for trying to regularise the unauthorised colonies in the national capital. However, he asserted that no amount of cases can deter him from doing the same."I accept the Modi Government's charge that I am working round the clock for the regularisation and better living conditions in the unauthorised colonies of Delhi. Even if they file 100 cases against me, I won't be cowed down and I will keep working in the same manner," Jain said in a statement.Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Jain said the former wants to raze down unauthorised colonies in Delhi and render poor people homeless."Being the Urban Development Minister of Delhi I am under oath to get the unauthorised colonies authorised. It's my duty to provide the residents with basic facilities like roads and drains. It is the democratic right of the people staying in these colonies," Jain added.The ...
Two policemen killed in Lanka;suspicion on LTTE's former deputy leader Karuna
Two policemen were shot dead while manning a road block in eastern Sri Lanka after which a leader of the main Tamil party alleged that banned LTTE's former leader Karuna could be involved in the incident. The incident happened on Thursday night when four policemen manning a roadblock at Vavunathivu in Batticaloa district were shot at, killing two of them, the police said. Ranjith Madduma Bandara, the minister in charge of the police in the ousted government, said that one of the policemen killed was a Tamil from the north and the other was a Sinhalese from the south of the island. The police chief has ordered an investigation into the policemen's murder. MA Sumanthiran, spokesperson of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has raised doubts about the hand of the former LTTE deputy leader Karuna, who was a deputy minister during the previous regime of Mahinda Rajapaksa between 2010-2015. "Since the events of October 26, Karuna Amman has come out of the cold and started speaking. According to ..
Gujarat: Minister Bavaliya files nomination for Jasdan bypoll
Gujarat minister Kunvarji Bavaliya on Friday filed his nomination for the Jasdan Assembly by-election scheduled for December 20. The by-election was necessitated after Bavaliya, who won from Jasdan on a Congress ticket in the 2017 Assembly polls, resigned as MLA on July 2 this year. On the same day, he was inducted as a cabinet minister in the BJP government led by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. He was alloted portfolios of Water Supply, Animal Husbandry and Rural Housing. Bavaliya filed his papers with the election officer at Jasdan town in Rajkot district in the presence Gujarat Energy Minister Saurabh Patel and Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya as well as supporters. After filing his nomination papers, Bavaliya expressed confidence that he would win the poll with a big margin. As per rules, in order to continue as minister, Bavaliya needs to get elected as MLA within six months of assuming office. The opposition Congress has not yet announced its candidate for the ...
Ukraine bars male Russians from entering country
Ukraine will not allow Russian men aged 16-60 into the country during martial law, the head of the State Border Service has said amid fears of a Russian invasion.
Parties in one-upmanship game to woo voters in Telangana
Major parties appear to be engaged in a game of one-upmanship in poll-bound Telangana to woo the electorate with farmers and unemployed youth being among key sections getting extra weightage. The ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) led by caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, has promised farm loan waiver of up to Rs one lakh, if the party returns to a second term in office. The Congress, leading the "Prajakutami" (People's Alliance) that comprises TDP, Telangana Jana Samiti and CPI, and the BJP, going it alone in the December 7 elections, have said they would waive farm loans up to Rs two lakh. The Congress has promised a dole of Rs 3,000 per month for the unemployed youth, while the TRS and BJP are quoting a figure of Rs 3,016 and Rs 3,116, respectively. All parties have sought to reach out to various sections of society in the "battle for Telangana". The BJP has promised free distribution of one lakh cows for people every year and enactment of a legislation to prevent ...
NCST chairman says Lord Hanuman was a tribal
Days after a legal notice was served to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for claiming that Lord Hanuman was a Dalit, the Chairman of National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NSCT), Nand Kumar Sai on Friday said that Lord Hanuman belonged to a tribal group."Lord Rama's army consisted of monkeys, vultures and bears, there are various tribal groups in our country and I feel Hanuman belonged to one of them and he used to live in the forest," stated Nand Kumar Sai."This is why even Ram was called vanvasi Ram and his army was recognized as vanar sena, which means they all were forest dwellers," he added.During a poll rally in Malakheda of Rajasthan's Alwar district on Tuesday, Adityanath said: "Bajrang Bali was a tribal, a forest dweller, a Dalit and was deprived. He worked to connect all Indian communities together, from north to south and east to west." He added that those who are Ram Bhakts would vote for the BJP while those who worship Ravana would vote for the Congress.The
BJP MLA in Odisha Dilip Roy, senior leader Bijoy Mohapatra resign from party
Former Union Minister and Odisha MLA Dilip Roy, and senior BJP leader Bijoy Mohapatra resigned from the party on Friday. Besides sending a joint resignation letter to BJP president Amit Shah, Roy, who represents Rourkela constituency in the Odisha Assembly, also resigned as legislator. Roy said he called on Assembly Speaker Pradip Amat Friday morning and tendered his resignation from the membership of the House. "It is with deep anguish that I have decided to quit as the member of State Legislative Assembly as well as from the membership of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)," Roy said in a twitter post. Both the leaders had for a long been alleging delay in construction of a second bridge over the Brahmani river, establishment of a super-speciality hospital in Rourkela and lack of job opportunities for local youths in Paradip oil refinery. Mohapatra told reporters that the interest of the state is important and their future course would be announced after about a fortnight. He also alleged
Farmer suicides, unemployment biggest issue in Rajasthan: Congress Leader of Opposition
With farmers "regularly committing suicide" and jobless youth taking their lives, an unprecedented agrarian crisis and unemployment are the two biggest issues that will power the Congress to dethrone the Vasundhara Raje led-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Rajasthan, asserts Congress leader Rameshwar Lal Dudi.
Sri Lanka Parliament bars ministers from using state funds
Sri Lanka's Parliament on Friday barred ministers and their private staff from using state funds amid a political standoff in the country after President Maithripala Sirisena in a controversial move sacked Prime Minister Ranil Wickeremesinghe. The move comes a day after Sri Lankan Parliament overwhelmingly passed a motion to suspend the expenditure of the Prime Minister's Office. Lanka is witnessing a political crisis since October 26 when President Sirisena sacked Wickeremesinghe and replaced him with former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa. Sirisena later dissolved Parliament, almost 20 months before its term was to end, and ordered snap election. The Supreme Court overturned Sirisena's decision to dissolve Parliament and halted the preparations for snap polls. Friday's motion, submitted by Wickeremesinghe's United National Front (UNF) to curtail funds to the Cabinet ministers, deputy ministers and state ministers, was passed in Parliament with 122 MPs voting in favour of it. No vote was