Page 2388 - Politics
BJP, RSS raking up Ayodhya, Sabarimala issues to garner votes: AIKS
The Left-affiliated All India Kisan Sabha on Monday alleged that the BJP and Sangh Parivar were raking up issues like Sabarimala and Ram temple to divert people's attention from real issues. The peasant outfit, which is gearing up for a protest in the national capital by Left affiliated groups on November 29 and November 30, demanded that a special session of Parliament be convened to discuss farmers' issues. "BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have totally failed to deliver on the promises made to farmers and the toiling masses and are resorting to raking up issues like Sabarimala, Ram Mandir and whipping up communal frenzy," Ashok Dhawale, president of AIKS, told reporters. He alleged that the the saffron outfits were "seeking to divert attention from the real issues by raking up divisive issues". "Our united struggle over farmers' demands has helped in positioning this positive agenda against the divisive agenda," said Dhawale. Hannan Mollah , general secretary of AIKS, alleged ..
Process to withdraw social and political agitation cases on:
The Maharashtra government has initiated the process to withdraw social and political agitation cases, the Legislative Council was told Monday. Minister of State for Home (Rural) Deepak Kesarkar said the state government had received several requests in this regard. "The government has received requests for withdrawing cases of political and social nature. The action for the withdrawal of such cases is in progress," Kesarkar said. He was responding to a calling attention motion tabled by Shiv Sena MLC Gopikishan Bajoria. Kesarkar said the recommendations to take back such cases were received from legislators or from a "higher level". "Reports are requisitioned from the committees working in the commissionerate/district collectorates in the matter," he said. The minister said in some cases reports are not received within the time limit while in others, the local administration has recommended against taking bach such cases," he said. Kesarkar said a cabinet sub-committee ..
All arrangements made for MP Assembly polls on November 28
As many as 1.80 lakh security personnel will be deployed to maintain peace and ensure free and fair voting during the Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls scheduled on November 28, a senior official said Monday. State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) V L Kantha Rao said 3,00,782 government employees, including 45,904 women, have been deployed on poll duty at 65,367 booths set up across the state, which has a 230-member Assembly. Addressing a press conference here at the end of election campaigning in the state, he said 17,000 of these polling booths have been declared sensitive and additional vigil will be maintained on them. Rao said 1.80 lakh security personnel, including those drawn from central paramilitary forces, would be deployed to conduct a free and fair poll. He said physically challenged employees would manage 160 booths, while 3,046 polling centres would have all-woman staff. The CEO said shops and outlets selling and serving liquor have been asked to remain shut till the polling ...
Kinshasa rejects US 'terrorist threat' warning
The Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday accused Washington of sparking "needless fear" after the US embassy in Kinshasa warned of a "possible terrorist threat" against its mission in the country as it heads towards key elections. "You have to distrust information coming from people who want to spread needless fear and uncertainty among the Congolese a few days before elections," government spokesman Lambert Mende told AFP. The conflict-prone central African country heads to the polls on December 23 to elect a successor to longtime President Joseph Kabila as well as lawmakers for its national and provincial parliaments. "Now that the holding of three elections on December 23, 2018, is a certainty, those who have no control over the electoral process in the DRC are trying to distract the Congolese," said Mende, who is also the country's communications minister. The embassy on Saturday cited "credible and specific information of a possible terrorist threat against US government ...
Congress should have given Vajpayee Bharat Ratna: Farooq Abdullah
Lamenting that the political discourse in the country has hit a new low, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah said on Monday that the Congress, rather than the BJP-led NDA, should have conferred the Bharat Ratna on late former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Divorce papers signed, now Brexit battle moves to Parliament
Britain and the European Union have signed their divorce papers, but that's not the end of the 45-year relationship. It's just the start of a British political battle over the separation. Now the deal must be approved by the UK Parliament, where no party has a majority and lawmakers range from burn-the-bridges Brexiteers to reconciliation-seeking supporters of the EU. Legislators on both sides hate the deal, a compromise that keeps Britain outside the EU with no say but still subject to the rules and the obligations of membership at least until the end of 2020 while a permanent new relationship is worked out. May has promised a vote before Parliament rises for its Christmas break on December 20. Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay has admitted that winning the vote will be "challenging." There are 650 seats in the House of Commons. After the Speaker and other non-voting members are subtracted, 318 votes are needed for a majority. May's Conservatives have 315 seats, but dozens of ...
Modi must exercise due restrain in public speech: Manmohan
The quality of political discourse in the country has hit a rock bottom and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urged his successor Narendra Modi on Monday to exercise "due restrain" in public speech.
Special Assembly session called by AAP govt to divert attention from its failures: BJP
The Delhi BJP on Monday dubbed the special session of the Assembly to discuss the chilli powder attack on Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, an attempt to divert people's attention from the "failures" of the AAP government and "misbehaviour" of the ruling party MLAs. The opposition BJP also questioned the timing of the attack on Kejriwal at Delhi Secretariat last week. "Why didn't Kejriwal lodge any FIR in the matter? Why is he attacked during the time of elections?" Delhi BJP general secretary Kuljeet Singh Chahal was quoted as saying in a party statement. His party colleague Ravinder Gupta said there is never a special session on issues like pollution, deaths due to fight for water, poor health arrangements at government hospitals. "The special session for discussing the chilli powder attack on Kejriwal is nothing but a waste of public money and betrayal with the people of Delhi," Gupta said. Delhi BJP leaders and workers also staged a protest at the Vidhan Sabha against the special ...
'Nothing' justifies Russia use of force in Kerch Strait: France
France said Monday nothing appeared to justify Russia's use of force against Ukrainian ships in the Kerch Strait off the coast of Crimea. "We call on Russia to free as soon as possible the detained Ukrainian sailors and to return the seized ships," a foreign ministry spokesman said in a statement. "Given our knowledge of the facts to date, nothing appears to justify the use of force by Russia," the spokesman said. Russia said Monday it had acted strictly within international law during a confrontation this weekend between Russian and Ukrainian navy ships in the Kerch Strait, which connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused Ukrainian ships of illegally entering Russian territorial waters and not cooperating with Russian border guards. Russia fired on and then seized three Ukrainian ships in the incident on Sunday. "This situation is a direct consequence of Russia's annexation of Crimea in March 2014, in violation of international law," the French
Justice will surely be done, assures PM on 26/11 attack by Pak terrorists
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday said his government was looking for an opportunity to bring to justice the perpetrators of the 26/11 attack, as he expressed solidarity with families of the 166 people who lost their lives during the carnage. Modi was addressing an election rally in Bhilwara on the tenth anniversary of the terror strike when 10 Pakistani terrorists sneaked into Mumbai, killing scores of people in over 60 hours. Taking a dig at the Congress, he said it was involved in the game of winning election in Rajasthan and other states when the terror attack shocked the world ten years back. "The soldiers have their lives in hand and not camera, said Modi adding that when the 26/11 terror attacks took place, New Delhi was being governed by 'madam' (apparently referring to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi) through a remote control. I remember the slightest criticism over the attacks used to rile up the then ruling party", she said. On the terror attack, the Prime Minister said: ...
BSF, Pak Rangers hold flag meeting at IB in Jammu
The Border Security Force and the Pakistan Rangers Mondayheld a commandant level flag meeting here along International Border (IB) and discussedvarious issues including firing on IB, a BSF officer said. The two sides met on Sunday too, the officer said. The Monday meeting was held in Ramgarh forward area from 1230 hours to 1300 hours on the request of Pakistan Rangers, he said. BSF Commandant M K Yadav participated from the Indian side while Wing Commander Mehran led the Pakistan Rangers delegation, the officer said. "During the meeting, commanders of both the border guarding forces, inter alia, discussed various issues including firing on IB, presence of suspects in border areas and other routine issues related to border management," he said. One such meeting was also held Sunday at Marh-Gajansu area on the same matters, he said. Last Friday, the Indian and Pakistan armies also held a brigade commander level meeting at a border crossing in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch sector to adhere .
SC asks panel to look into mule dung waste management at Vaishno Devi shrine
The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Central Empowered Committee on environment to look into the management of the dung waste of over 4,200 mules used for transporting pilgrims at Mata Vaishno Devi shrine.
Modi to attend 4 rallies in Bengal during BJP's 'Rath Yatra'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to attend four public rallies in West Bengal during the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-organised "Rath Yatra" programme in the state in December, a senior state BJP leader said.
Campaigning ends in MP, polls on Nov 28
Curtains came down Monday evening on the acrimonious campaigning for the high-stakes November 28 assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, where star campaigners of the BJP, the Congress and other parties addressed a series of rallies and held roadshows to seek support for candidates. Canvassing came to a formal end at 5 pm and voting to elect a new 230-member assembly will take place on Wednesday. As many as 2,907 candidates are in the fray. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi were the star campaigners for their respective parties and addressed a number of poll rallies across the state. They freely exchanged barbs and traded charges, raising the political temperature in the central state. National and state issues, including the Rafale deal, demonetisation, development, GST, corruption, dynastic politics and the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government's performance, among others, prominently figured in their speeches. BJP president Amit Shah, too, campaigned in the state, ..
'KCR has taken political corruption to highest levels'
: TPCC president Uttam Kumar Reddy Monday alleged that Telangana caretaker Chief Minister and TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao has taken political corruption to the "highest levels in the country." Launching the attack on Rao, popularly known as KCR and his son K T Rama Rao at a Meet the Press programme here, he said that the TRS chief has 'degraded' Telangana and political standards in the country. "KCR is credited with degrading Telangana state and political standards. He is the only Chief Minister who shamelessly degraded politics in this country. But people of the state are observing it. It is a fact that there is some corruption in the political system of this country. But KCR has taken corruption to the highest level," he said. After 'assaulting' all forms of Parliamentary democracy, he launched an attack on the media by banning or luring some of them, the Congress leader alleged. He took exception to Rao's commments on UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and said a separate
UN envoy in Riyadh to lay groundwork for Yemen peace talks
United Nations envoy Martin Griffiths met Yemeni officials in Riyadh on Monday as part of efforts to kick-start peace talks next month between Huthi rebels and the Saudi-backed government. The visit comes as a tenuous calm settles over the rebel-held port city of Hodeida, a vital lifeline for imports and aid which had seen fierce clashes in a renewed offensive by a Saudi-led military coalition. Under heavy international pressure, the Yemeni government and the coalition have largely suspended their five-month battle to seize Hodeida. Griffiths, who is spearheading efforts to hold peace talks in Sweden in December, met Yemen's Vice President Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar and Foreign Minister Khalid al-Yamani in the Saudi capital, the Yemeni state-run news agency Saba said. The Yemeni leaders discussed with Griffiths arrangements for the upcoming negotiations and possible "confidence building measures" to test the "rebels' seriousness" about peace efforts, Saba reported. The UN envoy, who visited .
Need synergy among all three organs of state: Speaker
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Monday said there should be synergy among all three organs of the state -- the legislature, executive and judiciary -- to ensure faster economic progress.
PM should resign if can not protect Delhi CM: Kejriwal
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Monday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to step down if he can not ensure his safety, days after a man flung chilli powder at him inside the Delhi secretariat. Speaking at the one-day special session of the Delhi Assembly, Kejriwal alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was behind the Nov 20 attack as it was "baffled" by the "good work" done by his government in the national capital. "Narendra Modi should resign if he can not protect Delhi's Chief Minister," Kejriwal said in the house which had met to discuss the attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief and the alleged deletion of names from the voters' list. Referring to a phone call from Union Home minister Rajnath Singh after the incident outside his office, Kejriwal claimed, "I said either you are worthless or colluding". Speaking on a government resolution to ensure the accountability of Delhi Police towards the elected city government, Kejriwal said 95 per cent policemen were good ..
Terror achieves no purpose: Manmohan Singh
Remembering the innocent civilians who were butchered during the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai a decade ago on this day, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Monday that terror achieves no purpose and emphasised that friendly relations between India and Pakistan is the only way forward.
India asks Pakistan to give up double standards, says Mumbai attack planners should be punished
In a strong attack on the tenth anniversary of the 26/11 terror strikes, India on Monday asked Pakistan to give up its "double standards" and to expeditiously bring the perpetrators to justice, saying its planners still roamed the streets of the neighbouring country with impunity.