Page 2387 - Politics
HC notice to former U'Khand CM Khanduri on PIL
Uttarakhand High Court Monday issued a notice to former chief minister Bhuvan Chandra Khanduri for not responding to earlier notices in connection with a PIL alleging non-recovery of enough rent from former CMs for occupying government houses for years after demitting office. The former CMs named in the PIL including Khanduri have already vacated the accommodations after the intervention of the high court. Taking a strict view of Khanduri not responding to the earlier notices sent to him by registered post, a division bench of the high court comprising Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice Lok Pal Singh directed that the notice be served to him personally. The bench also gave the former CM ten days' time to respond to the notice failing which the court may have to take resort to publication of the notice in a paper, counsel forthe petitioner Kartikeya Hari Gupta said. According to the PIL, appropriate rent was not recovered from the former CMs as it was calculated "illegally" ..
Not heeding 'advice' of Constitution will result in 'descent into chaos', says CJI
Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi Monday said it is in "our best interest" to heed the advice of the Constitution and warned that failing to do so would result in "sharp descent into chaos". The assertion by Justice Gogoi came at the inaugural function of the 'Constitution Day Celebrations' here where President Ram Nath Kovind said the Constitution is the "modern scripture" of independent India and an "inspirational and living document". Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi also greeted people on the Constitution day, saying values enshrined in it must be followed in personal and public life. "We are proud of our Constitution and reiterate our commitment to uphold the values enshrined in it," Modi wrote on Twitter. Constitution Day, also known as Samvidhan Divas, is celebrated on November 26 to commemorate the Constitution being adopted by the Constituent Assembly on this day in 1949. It came into effect on January 26, 1950. Without naming anyone, ...
Will be sensitive towards strategic concerns of India: Maldives
Maldives on Monday conveyed to India that it will be sensitive towards New Delhi's security and strategic concerns as the two countries vowed to bring back momentum in their ties which came under severe strain during the previous government in Male. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj held talks with her Maldivian counterpart Abdulla Shahid here and asserted that India attaches highest importance to its relationship with the Maldives. She told the visiting minister that New Delhi stands ready to "fully support" the new government in Male. A joint statement issued after the talks said Shahid reiterated his government's "India First" policy and conveyed that his government looked forward to working closely with India on all issues. It said President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih will visit India on December 17 and both the ministers held wide consultations to lay the groundwork for the trip. India-Maldives ties deteriorated significantly under rule of Abdulla Yameen who was perceived to be .
LJP, RLSP cross swords over Kushwaha's attack on Nitish
The Lok Janshakti Party and the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party crossed swords on Monday over the latter's frequent outbursts against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and on the issue of sharing seats for next year's general election. LJP parliamentary board chairman Chirag Paswan accused the RLSP chief and Union minister Upendra Kushwaha of rowing in two boats and using pressure tactics to finalise a seat-sharing arrangement between the NDA partners in Bihar by Friday. "By setting a deadline and taking a stand that he will not talk to anybody except the prime minister, he (Kushwaha) is taking recourse to pressure tactics. Besides, he keeps on speaking against the chief minister. You cannot go on speaking against the NDA constituents while being in the coalition. It is like rowing in two boats," Chirag said. Reacting to the young LJP leader's statement, RLSP general secretary Madhaw Anand said the party had been following the coalition dharma ever since they became a part of the National .
Ukraine demands Russia release vessels as tensions build
Ukraine's president demanded Monday that Russia immediately release Ukrainian sailors and vessels seized in a standoff around Crimea that sharply escalated tensions between the two countries and drew international concern. The two neighbours have been locked in a tense tug-of-war since Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea, but the incident late Sunday, in which Russian coast guard ships fired on Ukrainian navy vessels near the Kerch Strait, directly pitted the two militaries against each other, placing them on the verge of an open conflict. The Ukrainian navy said six of its seamen were wounded when Russian coast guards opened fire on three Ukrainian ships near the Kerch Strait and then seized them. Russia said that three Ukrainian sailors were lightly injured and given medical assistance. Ukraine's president, Petro Poroshenko, chaired an emergency meeting of his Cabinet early Monday and asked parliament to introduce martial law for two months in response to what he described as Russian
Ousted PM's party vows to take over state finances
Sri Lanka's ousted prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe initiated moves Monday to take control of state finances as a power struggle with the country's president entered a second month. Wickremesinghe's United National Party (UNP) said it would call a parliamentary vote this week to block spending by the new administration installed by President Maithripala Sirisena. The UNP says that as Sri Lanka does not have a recognised government all spending powers should revert to parliament, where the UNP and its allies have a majority. Sirisena set off the constitutional crisis on October 26 by sacking Wickremesinghe, naming the country's former strongman president Mahinda Rajapakse as prime minister, and seeking to dissolve parliament. But the Supreme Court and legislators have blocked Sirisena and the parliament's speaker has declared that neither Wickremesinghe nor Rajapakse are prime minister. Wickremesinghe, who occupies the prime minister's residence, and Rajapakse, who has the premier's
Jaitley to release tomorrow BJP manifesto in Rajasthan
Ruling BJP in Rajasthan will release its election manifesto on Tuesday. Finance minister Arun Jaitley will release the 'Sankalp Patra' on Tuesday, a party spokesperson said on Monday. The Congress, on the other hand, is likely to release its election manifesto Wednesday. Polling in the state will take place on December 7 and results will be announced on December 11.
Donate money in Mayor's relief fund instead of buying flowers
The Mayor-designate of Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Firhad Hakim Monday urged his followers to donate money in the Mayor's relief fund rather than using it to buy congratulatory sweets and flowers for him. "I am thankful to each and everybody who have wished me after being elected as a Mayor of Kolkata. But I would like to request all of you that instead of spending money on buying flowers and sweets to congratulate me, please donate that money in the Mayor's or Chief Minister's Relief Fund," Hakim said. The amount may be small but when you accumulate all the funds, that can be used to help the poor people of the city. This gesture would make me more happy, he said. Hakim, West Bengal Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister, was elected the new mayor of Kolkata last Thursday by the TMC councillors after Sovan Chatterjee resigned from the post on the directions of Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee. The decision was taken at an emergency meeting of
World must come together to combat terrorism: Romanian Foreign Min
Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu said on Monday the world must come together in fighting terrorism, especially financing of terror-related activities and create conditions which do not encourage such acts. At an interactive session at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) here, he also said Romania "strongly supports" India's proposal in the UN for a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT). "We have to take measures to reduce and restrain different activities related to terrorism, especially financing of terrorism in different counties. And secondly, I believe we have to do our best to create conditions which would not encourage terrorism," Melescanu said. "In the meantime, we have to adopt a general agreement on fighting terrorism. There is an Indian proposal at the UN (on counter-terrorism) and we are strongly supporting it," he said at the session titled 'Going Global or Staying Local: Romania's Agenda as a Connector between Europe and Asia'. India ...
Delhi Assembly's special session extended till Tuesday
The one-day special session of the Delhi Assembly, called on Monday, days after the chilli powder attack on Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, was extended by a day as the scheduled business of the House could not be completed.
Four soldiers die in helicopter crash in Istanbul
Four Turkish military personnel were killed and a fifth one was wounded after a military helicopter went down on Monday over a residential area in Istanbul, officials said.
US nuclear treaty pullout to have grave consequences: Russia
Russia believes that the US plan to withdraw from the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) will have grave consequences for the world, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Monday.
Sri Lankan MPs file legal challenge against Rajapaksa
Sri Lanka's Court of Appeal on Monday accepted a legal challenge against newly appointed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and his cabinet, deepening the political crisis that enters its second month in the island country.
Kartarpur Sahib corridor: Amarinder warns Pak against terror activities
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday used the foundation stone-laying event for Kartarpur Sahib corridor across Indo-Pak border for Sikh pilgirms to warn Pakistan to stop anti-terror activities against India and said "we have a large army and we are prepared". Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, who laid the foundation stone for the much-awaited corridor, access to which is seen as a goodwill gesture by Pakistan, called it "beginning of a new chapter" in bilateral ties and said it will act as a "unifier" to build bridges across old chasms. However, Naidu also lamented that it was unfortunate that some people made terrorism their policy and India would not allow terrorism and killing of innocent on its soil. However, he didn't name Pakistan. While Punjab chief minister turned down Pakistan's invitation to participate in the inauguration there on Wednesday, his cabinet colleague Navjot Singh Sidhu, who described the Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan as an "angel" for accepting .
SAD condemns Cong minister for defacing Kartarpur corridor foundation stone
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Monday condemned the Congress party and its minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa for indulging in cheap politics by allegedly defacing the Kartarpur corridor foundation stone even before the start of the foundation stone laying ceremony at Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district.In a statement here, former minister and senior SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia said that Sukhjinder Randhawa's action was shocking and shameful and totally unbecoming of a Sikh and a Punjab government minister. "No Sikh would try to politicise and spoil such a solemn occasion associated with Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji by performing such an abominable act," he said.Majithia said that Sukhi Randhawa's actions could be understood if one was to take into account his past. "Not only does he belong to the Congress party which attacked Sri Darbar Sahab with tanks and mortars and indulged in the massacre of Sikhs in 1984, but he is also from a family which lauded Indira Gandhi for the attack
Swamy warns MEA over former Norway PM's meeting with J&K separatist leaders
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy on Monday warned Union Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) over the visit of former Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik's visit to Jammu and Kashmir where he met separatist leaders.Swamy warned the MEA to take "corrective action" over Bondevik's visit to Jammu and Kashmir or he would demand the resignation of the person concerned who initiated the visit for former Norwegian Prime Minister.Taking to Twitter, Swamy said, "Either MEA comes out with corrective action on the Norwegian ex-PM visit to J&K or I will have to demand the resignation of the person in the bureaucracy who initiated this visit."Bondevik on Friday paid 'surprise' visits to top separatist leaders in J&K including Syed Ali Geelani and Mirwaiz Umer Farooq.National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah also expressed concerns over Bondevik's visit."What are the Norwegians up to in Kashmir? Would either @SushmaSwaraj ji or Doval ji care to put ...
Army honours promise made to terrorist's mother, nabs him alive
The Indian Army is always ferocious when it comes to knocking down enemies. But when it comes to commitment and ethics, the men in olive green hold these values in high esteem.In one such incident, a Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist was intentionally not gunned down during an encounter in the Jammu and Kashmir's Bathien area of Khrew in Awantipora on Sunday but was captured alive by security forces. Reason, the militant's mother had requested them not to kill her son and the Army was committed to honour her appeal.Rajasthan Rifles's Commanding Officer Colonel Samar Raghav while addressing a press conference said, "Sohail Lone joined Jaish-e-Mohammed four months ago. His mother and sister had asked him to shun militancy and come back. We promised his mother that we won't kill him. Despite him firing at us, we exercised maximum restraint and caught him alive."In the encounter, security forces shot dead a Pakistan-origin terrorist identified as Waseem and handed over Sohail to the ...
Cong compromised country's security dy doing 'religion-based' politics: Javadekar
Union minister Prakash Javadekar on Monday accused the Congress of compromising the country's security by doing politics based on religion. Addressing a press conference here on the 10th anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, Javadekar termed the then Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government "weak". He alleged that the Congress did politics based on religion that resulted in terrorists getting shelters and more than 1,400 people have lost their lives in over 50 bomb blasts during the 10 years of UPA dispensation. Javadekar claimed that the incidents of bomb blasts had been curbed during the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government at the Centre. "The BJP government has destroyed the network of terrorists and hammered those giving them funding and providing ground support." The Union minister pointed out that the then home minister in the UPA government had talked about saffron terror during a meeting held in Jaipur and Rahul Gandhi had put forth his views before ...
Don't need Pinarayi Vijayan's certificate to prove my secular credentials: Antony
Former Defence Minister A.K. Antony on Monday said he did not require Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's certificate to prove his secular credentials.
PM likely to attend BJP rath yatra rallies in Bengal
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to attend four rallies during BJP's December "rath yatra" in West Bengal to give a thrust to the party's campaign in the state ahead of the 2019 general elections, the party's state unit said Monday. BJP president Amit Shah will kickstart the three rath yatra in the state which is scheduled to start from Coochbehar district in the north on December 7, from Gangasagar in the south on December 9, and from Tarapith temple in Birbhum district on December 14. The "rath yatra" (chariot march) would cover all 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in Bengal, where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has set a target of winning over 22 seats. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to attend four rallies in Bengal during our rath yatra campaign in the state. We have informed the party central leadership and the PMO. The final dates are yet to be fixed. Let's see what happens," West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh told reporters Monday. Besides the four rallies in ...