Page 2375 - Politics

Bomb attack kills 3 US soldiers in Afghanistan: Report

Three US soldiers were killed in a roadside bomb explosion in eastern Afghanistan, the Washington Post reported on Tuesday.

HC expresses displeasure over CBI director's failure to submit probe report on teacher selection

On the failure of the CBI director to furnish the progress report pursuant to its earlier order asking him to hold a probe in connection with the selection procedure pertaining to 68,500 assistant basic teachers in Uttar Pradesh, the Allahabad High court has expressed displeasure over the dilly-dallying attitude of the central agency. The Lucknow bench of the court, in its order, Monday said, "The CBI director holds a very responsible post. He should understand the seriousness of the order passed by this court and act promptly to serve the nation in these serious matters." The remark was made by Justice Irshad Ali in the course of the hearing of a bunch of petitions, which was fixed for perusing the progress report on the probe. Justice Ali had, on November 1, directed the CBI director to hold the probe into the alleged anomalies within six months and had summoned the progress report Monday. Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) counsel Bireshwar Nath told the court, "The CBI director

Finally, the cat is out of the bag: CPI(M) on guv's remark

The CPI(M) said Tuesday Governor Satya Pal Malik's comments on the government formation in Jammu and Kashmir confirmed the apprehensions of the people that the BJP was desperately trying to impose its government on the state by hook or crook. "The statement of Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik in Gwalior that Sajad Lone would have become chief minister of the state had he sought the opinion of New Delhi before dissolving the legislative assembly confirms the apprehensions of the people that BJP was trying desperately to impose its govt on Jammu and Kashmir by hook or cook", the J&K CPI(M) said in a statement here. The CPI(M) had been saying it from Day I that the BJP-led Centre's intentions for keeping the Assembly in suspended animation were not clear and finally the cat is out of the bag, the statement said. They were trying to encourage defections and indulge in horse-trading to form a government in the state. Now, the nominee of the Centre, the governor has himself ...

Minister meets Uddhav, seeks support for Maratha quota Bill

Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patil Tuesday called on Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and sought his party's support for the Maratha reservation Bill. Patil, a senior BJP leader, met Thackeray at the latter's residence 'Matoshree' in suburban Bandra as part of the government's efforts to drum up support for the Bill in the legislature that is currently having its winter session in Mumbai. The minister said Thackeray has assured the support of his party, a member of the BJP-led ruling coalition in the state, for the Bill that the government proposes to bring to pay the way for quota for the Marathas in jobs and education. Speaking to reporters after an hour-long discussion with Thackeray, Patil said he has been meeting with state chiefs of all political parties to seek their support for the Bill. "I've met (state Congress chief) Ashok Chavan and (NCP president) Sharad Pawar in the last few days. I, therefore, mer Uddhav Thackeray today and spoke about the ...

Four-member BJP delegation to visit Sabarimala

A four-member BJP delegation formed by party chief Amit Shah will visit the Sabarimala shrine in Kerala to meet the public and party workers in order to assess the atrocities allegedly being committed against the "satyagrahis". The delegation was constituted by Shah Tuesday to get a first-hand account of the ongoing agitation at the famous hilltop shrine in the southern state. It will submit its report within 15 days to the party chief, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said in a statement. BJP general secretary Saroj Pandey, national president of the party's SC morcha Vinod Sonkar, MPs Pralhad Joshi and Nalin Kumar Kateel are the members of the delegation. The delegation will assess the atrocities allegedly being committed to the "satyagrahis", the indiscriminate assets being made by the police during the agitation and meet the public and party workers, the statement said.

CPI-M to lead farmers' march from Singur to Raj Bhavan

Attempting to regain the ground from the very rural hamlet where the seeds of their ouster from power after a 34-year rule in West Bengal were sown following peasant protests around a decade back, the Communist Party of India-Marxist's farmer arms would take out a march from Singur in Hooghly district from Wednesday.

Naval officers of India, Myanmar discuss bilateral issues

Senior officials of the naval forces of India and Myanmar held talks and discussed bilateral issues Tuesday, the Navy said. "#BridgesofFriendship VAdm P Ajit Kumar VCNS hosts a delegation led by RAdm Moe Aung, Chief of Staff, Myanmar Navy at New Delhi. Bilateral issues (Navy to Navy) were discussed at the meeting @SpokespersonMoD @DefenceMinIndia @nsitharaman @MEAIndia," the Navy's spokesperson said in a tweet. The naval forces of the two countries had participated in the Indo-Myanmar Coordinated Patrol Exercise in March.

Kartarpur Corridor may become harbinger of Indo-Pak peace initiative: residents

A religious corridor linking a revered Sikh shrine on the bank of Ravi river here with India's border district of Gurdaspur has the potential to bring "hope and peace" between the two countries, feel people on both sides of the border on the eve of its ground-breaking ceremony. The foundation stone laying ceremony of the corridor between Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, the final resting place of Sikh faith's founder Guru Nanak, and the international border with India will be held here Wednesday. Prime Minister Imran Khan, senior politicians of Pakistan's Punjab province and a host of top officials will be attending the event at Narowal - around 120 kilometres from Lahore. The foundation stone of the corridor on the Indian side, from Dera Baba Nanak in Punjab's Gurdaspur to the international border, was laid on Monday by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu. The corridor, which will facilitate the visa-free travel of Indian Sikh pilgrims to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, is ...

WTO agrees in principle to keep Britain in procurement deal - envoy

GENEVA (Reuters) - Britain said it had secured agreement in principle on Tuesday to continue as an independent member of the World Trade Organization's Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) after it leaves the European Union.

Government allows 'small nature' construction around border areas

Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Tuesday allowed construction in certain activities of "small nature" around border area, hitherto restricted under 'Security Restrictions Guidelines' issued in 1990 and later in 2017.

Kovind praises Modi government for 'inclusiveness'

Receiving the first copy of book 'Making of New India: Transformation under Modi Government', President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday remarked that the term 'inclusiveness' is no more a slogan, but an idea on the make, due to the Narendra Modi government's role in "giving shape and form to an all-inclusive idea of 'New India'".

Over 2-lakh stranded NRIs brought back since 2014: Swaraj

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said Tuesday over two-lakh stranded non-resident Indians (NRIs) were brought back to India in the last four-and-a-half years. According to her, the Narendra Modi government had given priority to national interests in its foreign policy and India had maintained good relationship with other countries, even as some of them share troubled relations with each other. Swaraj was speaking at an event organised by the Shree Shakti Peeth, an affiliate of the Rashtra Sevika Samiti, the women's arm of the RSS. "There have been many foreign ministers earlier, but was the safety of its citizens abroad ever the priority of the external affairs ministry? Never. I initiated 'pardes mein apka dost, Bharatiya dootavas' (your friend overseas, the Indian Embassy). "There are people (to help) and several other options when a person gets into trouble in his own country. But, he has no one to rescue when he lands into trouble abroad due to fraud and several other ...

Rahul faking his identity, making joke of himself: BJP on Cong chief's 'gotra'

The ruling BJP attacked Congress chief Rahul Gandhi Tuesday over reports about his "gotra", saying he was faking his identity and making a joke of himself. Dinanath Kaul, a priest at the Pushkar lake in Rajasthan who performed a "puja" for Gandhi Monday, claimed that the Congress president's "gotra" was "Duttatreya" and he was a Kashmiri Brahmin. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao said the entire caste-communal narrative of the Congress in the ongoing Assembly elections (in five states) showed that the opposition party was "bereft of issues and its leader Rahul Gandhi is faking his identity and making a joke of himself". He went on to compare Gandhi with controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, who has been staying abroad to evade arrest in various cases in India, saying the Congress chief was swinging from being a "Hindu basher" to being "sold" as a "devout Hindu" and it was as farcical as "Islamic bigot" Zakir Naik claiming to be a "paragon of peace". "In .

LG orders bureaucratic reshuffle in Delhi

In a bureaucratic reshuffle in the Delhi government, Lt. Governor Anil Baijal on Tuesday ordered transfer and posting of six senior IAS officers, including shifting of Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Manoj Parida to Delhi Financial Corporation (DFC) as chairman-cum-managing director with immediate effect.

India is our most trusted friend: Maldives

Foreign Minister of Maldives Abdulla Shahid on Tuesday said that India is the "closest and most trusted friend and neighbour" of his country. "We are committed to re-igniting India-Maldives friendship and relationship, reaching new horizons, exploring new avenues while strengthening existing links," Shahid asserted during a press conference here.He also stated that the first official visit of the Maldivian officials and Ministers was to India as the two countries have a close partnership. Talking about the newly sworn-in President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's government, Shahid said, "Our government will not try to play one country against the other. We have a strong India-first policy, but we will also get engaged with all countries and we will be ready to do business with them,"He also said that to deal with the monetary constraints which were passed on to them by the previous government of former President Yameen, the south-Asian island nation sought India's help and also received a ...

Asked Sidhu to reconsider decision to visit Pak: Amarinder

Amid controversy over Punjab cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu's visit to Pakistan for Wednesday's foundation stone laying function of the Kartarpur Corridor, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday said he had asked Sidhu to "reconsider" his decision.

Can't stop anyone from undertaking personal visit: Punjab CM on Sidhu

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday said he had asked Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu to reconsider his decision to go to Pakistan for the groundbreaking ceremony of the Kartarpur Corridor but had acceded to latter's request as "he did not believe in stopping anyone from undertaking a personal visit".Speaking to media here, the Chief Minister said Sidhu was in Madhya Pradesh when he told him to reconsider his decision. "Sidhu told me he had already committed himself to going. When I informed him of the stand I had taken on the issue, he said it was his personal visit but he would get back to me. But I did not hear from him," said the Chief Minister, adding that Sidhu sent him a request for Pakistan visit and he approved it."I do not stop anyone from going anywhere on a private visit. It (Sidhu's trip) is not an official visit," said the Chief Minister.Standing by his own decision to decline Pakistan's visit, the Chief Minister said he believed in saying what ..

Delhi: Six IAS officers transferred

Six IAS officers of Delhi government were reshuffled by Lt Governor Anil Baijal on Tuesday.Manoj Parida, 1986 batch officer, who was serving as the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) has been appointed as the Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) of the Delhi Finance Corporation (DFC), an official statement said.Renu Sharma, a 1988-batch IAS officer previously holding the post of Principal Secretary (Finance) and, has been given the additional charge of Principal Secretary (Home). She was also the Chief Nodal Officer.Rinku Dhugga, who was also the CMD of the DFC and the Finance Commissioner, has been transferred and posted as the Secretary (Art, Culture and Language). Dhugga will continue to serve as the Finance Commissioner.Health and Family Welfare Secretary Sanjeev Khirwar has been given the additional charge of Secretary, Public Works Department, while, Power Secretary Varsha Joshi has been given the additional charge of Secretary General Administration Department.Also, CEO of the ..

Guv acted in objective, impartial manner: J-K Raj Bhavan on Assembly dissolution

Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik acted in an objective and impartial manner while making the decision to dissolve the state's Legislative Assembly, the J-K Raj Bhavan spokesperson clarified in a statement on Tuesday."There was no pressure or any kind of intervention from the Centre in the entire matter and some News Channels are misinterpreting Governor's statement and putting them out of context to convey that there was pressure from the Central Government," the statement read.The Governor had dissolved the Assembly late on November 21, hours after arch-rivals National Conference (NC) and People's Democratic Party (PDP) allied together with the Congress Party and staked a claim to form the government in the state. The three-way alliance claimed to have the numbers to form the government in the state.The Governor Malik's decision garnered huge flak from a number of political leaders, who alleged Centre's involvement in the decision and termed the move ...

Harsh Vardhan slams Delhi CM over objectionable reference to Rajnath

Union minister Harsh Vardhan Tuesday slammed AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal for his "objectionable" reference to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. He also asked Kejriwal to stop attacking the central government for the latter's "failed" and "dirty" politics. Speaking at the foundation day of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday, the Delhi chief minister had claimed that the man who attacked him at the Secretariat with chilli powder was sent by the Centre. Referring to a phone call from the home minister after the incident, Kejriwal had said, "I said either you are worthless or colluding". Vardhan expressed displeasure over the AAP leader's choice of words. "Kejriwal ji what is this style to address Rajnath Singh? Why are you trying to demean the Home Minister of the fourth most powerful country in the world?" he tweeted in Hindi. The BJP leader also asked Kejriwal to realise his responsibilities as the chief minister and stop abusing the Centre for his own "failed" politics.