Page 2399 - Politics
Rajapaksa says fresh parliamentary polls need of hour in Lanka
Sri Lanka's controversially appointed prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa said Sunday that stability in the country could only be restored through a fresh round of parliamentary elections. The country is witnessing a political crisis since President Maithripala Sirisena last month abruptly sacked prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and replaced him with former strongman Rajapksa in a move termed by many as unconstitutional. Both Wickremesinghe and Rajapaksa have been claiming to be the legitimate prime minister since October 26. Rajapaksa, in his first televised address since becoming the prime minister, said on Sunday that the purported government, led by Sirisena, was only an interim arrangement and that stability could only be restored through a fresh round of parliamentary polls. He said that President Sirisena has entrusted him to resurrect the falling economy and living standards of the people. "It is now barely a month since the change of government on October 26. What we have now
Farooq Abdullah expresses happiness over opening of Kartarpur corridor
National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah Sunday expressed happiness over the opening of Kartarpur corridor between India and Pakistan and said he hoped the spirit would replicate itself in Jammu and Kashmir. He said the initiative would help the Sikh community to realize their long pending demand of paying obeisance at one of their holiest places located across the border. "The invitation from Pakistan to Indian leaders and legislators on the opening ceremony of Kartarpur corridor will bequeath both India and Pakistan a chance to further the cause of brotherhood and amity," he said. "The initiative will help the people from across the border to get wind of cultural similarities between the two nations," Abdullah, an MP from Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency, said. The NC president said Jammu and Kashmir appealed for such initiatives, like opening of borders and greater people to people contact across the border. "We in Jammu and Kashmir suffer immensely due to the animosity ...
J&K BJP asks state leaders to gear up for 2019 LS polls
Jammu and Kashmir unit of the BJP Sunday called upon its leaders to gear up for the next Lok Sabha polls as well as the state assembly elections, which are expected to be held together. Chairing a meeting of his state leaders in the party headquarters here, BJP State president Ravinder Raina stressed upon the leaders to double their efforts in establishing contacts with the masses and apprise them of the works done by the Union as well as the state government, which the party had partnered with the PDP till June this year. Raina also stressed upon them to expedite the setting up of party cells on various issues, saying these cells play an important role in both the Lok Sabha and the state assembly elections. "We stress upon the importance of cells in coming months and the leaders of the cells have an important role in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections as well as the assembly elections," he said. The BJP's state unit chief asked the leaders to take all the schemes initiated by Prime ...
BJP will not allow reservation for minorities: Amit Shah
The Bharatiya Janata Party will not allow the Telangana government to implement a 12 per cent reservation for minorities, party President Amit Shah said on Sunday.
Many opposition leaders to be present at common platform on Constitution Day
A host of opposition leaders including of the Left, JD(S), NCP and other parties will be present at a common platform at a function here on Monday to commemorate Constitution Day. The All India Congress Committee's SC Department has organised 'Samvidhan Diwas Samaroh' on November 26 which aims to sensitise people about the socio-political philosophy of Dr B R Ambedkar as reflected in the Constitution. The decision was taken in the first executive committee meeting of the department chaired by Nitin Raut. The function, he said, would help remind the nation as to how Ambedkar, as the chairman of the Drafting Committee, and the Congress party worked in close partnership in drafting the country's Constitution. Raut said steps taken by the Congress in past 70 years to fulfil Ambedkar's dream of creating social democracy and several others measures to bring economic equality would also be highlighted. He alleged that the present dispensation is out to "destroy" the constitution without ...
Jitendra Singh denies BJP role in J&K assembly dissolution
Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Jitendra Singh on Sunday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) did not have any role in the dissolution of Jammu and Kashmir Vidhan Sabha. "BJP does not believe in interfering in the work of constitutional organizations," he said after the BJP faced flak for allegedly prevailing upon J&K Governor Satyapal Malik to dissolve the state assembly."After the dissolution of the Assembly, several parties like the Congress said that it was an order from the Centre. I want to say that BJP does not do anything unconstitutional. We don't interfere in the decision of the Governor. It is the Congress that was abusing Constitutional institutions for their benefit. If the alliance had the numbers, the BJP has nothing to do with it. It is the decision of the Governor," Singh told ANI.Singh further said that if the Congress and other parties do not approve of the Governor's decision, then they are free to approach the courts. "It is a ...
Foreign investment in Haryana stalled under Khattar government: Surjewala
Senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala Sunday alleged that foreign direct investment (FDI) in Haryana has been completely eroded due to the "poor functioning" of the present M L Khattar-led BJP government. "Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and his cabinet colleagues had wasted crores of rupees of hard-earned money of the people on a number of foreign tours one after another. At the same time, not a single FDI has been invested in the state during the last two years," Surjewala, MLA from Kaithal, alleged in a statement here. In the statement, the Congress leader referred to the information provided by the Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) in response to an RTI query filed by a Gurugram-based activist. Surjewala, a former Haryana industries minister, said during the first two years of the second term of the Congress government, i.e., 2009 to 2011, the state received Rs 1,086 crore as FDI, which more than doubled to Rs 2,495 crore in ..
Ram temple should be constructed after SC's order and popular consensus
Union minister Piyush Goyal said Sunday a magnificent Ram temple should be constructed in Ayodhya after the Supreme Court's judgment and with popular consensus. At a press conference here, the Railway minister said the BJP has always made it clear that a Ram temple should be constructed at the birth place of lord Rama. "The party has clarified its view that there should be a decision on the matter as soon as possible with the consensus of all," he told reporters here. He said that whatever the Shiv Sena, the Vishva Hindu Parishad and the RSS have said on the issue is something which the people of the country want.
Modi not prime ministerial in his poll campaign: Ramesh
The BJP is practicing a frightening level of communal polarization in election-bound states and this is a huge challenge for the Congress, its strategist and former minister Jairam Ramesh has said. In an exclusive interview to PTI, parallel to the Ram Temple buildup in Ayodhya Sunday, Ramesh said for every Amit Shah, the BJP chief, there are 10 Amit Shahs of the RSS practicing covert polarization. He said the modern name of 'tanashaahi' was Amit Shah and that Narendra Modi was "not prime ministerial" in his election campaign as he indulged in "falsification of history and abuse of political rivals". He said Modi should not demand respect but should command respect of people as prime minister. The senior Congress leader also noted that "false news" was the biggest enterprise in "Make in India" under the Modi government, as he accused the BJP of "manufacturing" issues out of non-issues. "There is a high degree of communal polarization that the BJP is doing in every election and in these
Yechury calls for unified movement to oust BJP in LS polls next year
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury Sunday called for a unified movement for ouster of the BJP-led NDA from power in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and prescribed a three-pronged action plan for it. Addressing an open session at the 22nd CPI(M) Tripura state conference here he asked the people to strengthen the party and other Left parties in mobilizing anti-BJP votes across the country to set up a secular government. Yechury also accused the saffron party of spreading hatred and intolerance in the country. "There are three things that have to be done--BJP and its ally political parties should be defeated. The number of MPs from the CPI(M) and other Left parties in Parliament should be increased and an alternative government with pro-people policies should be established at the Centre. "All these can be possible with the strengthening the CPI(M), Left forces," he said. Attacks on Dalits, women, youth are also on the rise under the BJP rule, Yechury alleged. "We need to unite all ...
Cong will return to power in 2019 with thumping majority: Virbhadra Singh
The Congress will return to power in 2019 Lok Sabha elections with a thumping majority, former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh said on Sunday. He appealed to the people to join hands with the party for their welfare and reject the BJP, which, he alleged, had ditched them time and again by giving false slogans. Speaking at a function here, Singh said the Congress should field Youth Congress leader Abhishek Rana from Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat to upset the applecart of the BJP and the family of its senior leader Prem Kumar Dhumal. He said the BJP's days are numbered and the party would face a humiliating defeat in the Lok Sabha elections. Congress leader and Punjab Assembly Speaker K P Singh Rana said though the BJP had once again raked up the issue of building a Ram temple in Ayodhya, this card would not work as people knew that it is only used during elections.
KCR calls Chandrababu 'mental', questions his development claims
The verbal attacks during the ongoing election campaign in Telangana hit a new low Sunday when Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao called his Andhra Pradesh counterpart N Chandrababu Naidu "a mental". The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief was speaking at a public meeting at Pargi in Vikarabad district ahead of the December 7 state Assembly polls. "I say Chandrababu is a mental. Why? Because he had once said goats should be banned in order to save the forests (by preventing grazing). When was the goat born (the species came into existence) and when was he born? Who are you to ban the goat, a creation of nature?" Rao asked. "He (Naidu) claims that he was instrumental in putting Hyderabad on the world map. What should we do with this man," he said, hitting out at the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo. "If he is that capable, why did he fail in building Amaravati (the upcoming capital of Andhra Pradesh)? Except graphic representations, no real building has come up there. "This kind of ..
ABB, Siemens CEOs to visit Saudi Arabia for supplier conference
ZURICH (Reuters) - The chief executives of ABB and Siemens are travelling to Saudi Arabia to attend a supplier conference, just weeks after they pulled out of an investment event in the country following the death of a journalist.
One-day special session of Delhi Assembly on Monday likely to be stormy
A one-day special session of the Delhi Assembly on Monday is likely to be stormy as AAP legislators will discuss the recent attack on Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, while the opposition BJP MLAs will seek to corner the ruling party over issues concerning people. On November 20, a man threw chilli powder at Kejriwal outside his office in the Delhi Secretariat. On November 22, the Delhi Cabinet decided to convene a one-day Assembly session on Monday to discuss the attack on the cheif minister and the alleged "mass deletion" of names in voters list in the city. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had recently said the decision to convene the special session had been taken in view of the "attitude" of the Centre and the Delhi Police over the incident involving the chief minister. On the other hand, the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Vijender Gupta, hit out at the AAP dispensation for convening the session over the issue. "Politically motivated issues such as throwing chilly ...
Covert understanding with BJP might be behind KCR's move to
Former TRS leader and Chevella MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy Sunday hinted at the possibility of a "tacit understanding" between the ruling party in Telangana and the BJP behind Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's move to dissolve the assembly before completion of its full term. The dissolution of the Assembly in September this year had paved the way for early polls in the southern state. The elections to the 119-member Assembly are scheduled on December 7. Reddy, who recently crossed over to the Congress, said the decision to hold early elections came as a "shock" to the people. Addressing reporters, he claimed that factors like the chief minister's "tacit understanding with the Bhartiya Janata Party" or "falling popularity of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti" might be behind the chief minister's move to dissolve the House. "It was a matter of shock for all the people as to why the TRS government didn't complete the five years mandate given to them. Why would any ...
Countdown has begun for BJP govt in Haryana: Hooda
Senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Sunday said the countdown for the "anti-people" BJP government in Haryana has begun as people of the state have made up their minds to vote it out. He said the "false promises" made by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have been exposed before the people. Addressing a rally at Modern Mandi in Barwala town here to start the seventh phase of his 'Jan Kranti Yatra', Bhupinder Singh Hooda called on all Congress workers to start preparing for 2019 Haryana assembly elections. "All sections of the society, including farmers, workers, traders and government employees, have been hit by the anti-people policies of the BJP," the former Haryana chief minister said. Bhupinder Singh Hooda claimed that no person in Haryana is happy or safe as the state has become a hideout of criminals. "The days of the anti-people BJP-led government in Haryana are numbered and the countdown has begun as people of the state have made up their minds to vote it out," he ..
Cong dragging my parents into politics at Rahul's behest: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed the Congress Sunday for dragging his parents into a political slugfest, alleging that it was being done at the behest of party chief Rahul Gandhi. He also justified his own tirade against the Nehru-Gandhi family, pointing out that unlike his parents, they occupied top positions in politics and the government. Congress leaders have kicked up a controversy recently by first comparing the falling value of the rupee to the advanced age of Modi's mother and then claiming that the father of the prime minister was not someone illustrious. "What has happened to the Congress party? Naamdar (referring to Rahul Gandhi) is tacitly supporting it, and therefore, its leaders are dragging the name of my father, who passed away 30 years ago," Modi said, addressing a rally here in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh. "The Congress is running out of steam in this election, so they have started dragging my parents into politics. "No Congressman would make such a statement ...
How Ireland beat Britain in the Brexit divorce battle
The Brexit deal marks a clear victory for Ireland -- one no-one in Britain saw coming and one which has raised the Irish government's standing at home and abroad. Ireland is tethered to Britain through a common history, enmeshed economies and a border with the British province of Northern Ireland that held up negotiations for months. Some British hardliners had argued that Ireland would simply follow along in any exit deal -- a sentiment that caused outrage among many Irish and helped harden resolve. At the centre of the dispute was a legal guarantee to keep the Irish border open, known as the "backstop", which Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar and his EU allies insisted on and Britain eventually and very reluctantly agreed to. Ireland was opposed to Brexit and is fearful both of the impact on trade with biggest economic partner Britain and any destabilising influence on the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which ended three decades of sectarian conflict. When the draft accord was ...
Cong confused over its CM candidate in Raj: PM
Targeting Congress in poll-bound Rajasthan, Prime minister Narendra Modi Sunday said the party is confused over its chief ministerial candidate in the state. The entire Congress party is confused over its chief ministerial candidate. The party is making its CM candidates roaming in streets. When the leaders are confused, it is obvious for the party to be confused, he said, addressing an election rally here. He said the BJP has only one 'mantra' - the mantra of development, and the party takes care of the Dalit, farmers, women and youths, while arrogance is the main problem of the Congress. Modi said the Congress leaders have been left with no courage to debate on the issue of development.
Modi, Rajnath, Adityanth, Rahul to address public meetings in poll-bound Rajasthan Monday
Campaigning for the December 7 Assembly election in Rajasthan is set to hit top gear on Monday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Congress president Rahul Gandhi addressing pubic rallies in various parts of the state. While Modi will be addressing rallies in Bhilwara, Dungarpur and Kota, Rajnath Singh will be covering Rajakheda, Basedi (both in Dholpur) and Virat Nagar (in Jaipur) Assembly constituencies. Gandhi will begin the tour of the state by paying obeisance at the dargah of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti in Ajmer, followed by a visit to Pushkar Sarovar. After that he will leave for Pokhran in Jaisalmer where he will address a public meeting. Adityanath will also address a public meeting in Pokhran. Besides this, he will speak at public rallies in Makrana (Nagaur), Fatehpur (Sikar), Ratangarh (Churu) and Dungargarh (Bikaner).