Page 2402 - Politics
'Shivraj, BJP's USP in Madhya Pradesh elections: Uma Bharti'
Rallying behind Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Minister Uma Bharti said he is BJP'S USP in the state assembly elections to be held on Wednesday. Bharti, the former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh was replaced by Chouhan in 2004, just an year after she was elected to the top post. As far as Shivraj Singh Chouhan is concerned, he is BJP's USP (unique selling point) in Madhya Pradesh, she told PTI. Confident of party's victory in the upcoming assembly elections, Bharti said there is pro-cumbency also for the party in the state assembly elections. She further said the party will continue with its winning run in the state assembly elections as well under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Responding to question on the BJP facing a resurgent Congress in Madhya Pradesh she said:The Congress is a divided house. It has no vision for the state. People of the state are with us, we will win the election. Bharti said she felt Modi's leadership and party's .
Another terror attack in India similar to 26/11 with footprints in Pak will lead to war: Experts
Another major terrorist attack in India of the magnitude similar to the 26/11 strike originating from Pakistan could easily escalate into a regional war, scholars, former diplomats and US officials have warned ahead of the 10th anniversary of the deadly Mumbai terror attack. Some 166 people, including Americans, were killed in the attack carried out by Pakistan-based 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists. Nine of the attackers were killed by police while lone survivor Ajmal Kasab was captured and hanged after handed down death sentence by an Indian court. Perpetrators of the 26/11 attack, including its mastermind and banned Jamat-ud Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed, continue to roam freely in Pakistan, indicating that Islamabad is not serious in bringing them to justice. The US has offered a USD 10 million reward for information that brings Saeed to justice. The 26/11 attack case has entered into the 10th year but none of its seven suspects in Pakistan has been punished yet, showing that ...
Let's delink 26/11 and Pak's proposal on Kartarpur corridor: V K Singh
Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh has called for delinking the Mumbai terror attack and Pakistan's Kartarpur corridor proposal even as he asserted that there has been no change in the government's policy that "talks and terror cannot go together". Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan is located across the river Ravi, about four kilometres from the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Punjab's Gurdaspur district. It was established by the Sikh Guru in 1522. The first Gurdwara, Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib, was built here, where Guru Nanak Dev is said to have died. Both India and Pakistan have announced that stretches would be developed in their respective areas. Singh, who is currently on a three city US trip to inaugurate 'Passport Seva' projects in New York, Washington DC and Atlanta, was felicitated at a Baltimore Gurdwara in Maryland in recognition of some of the decisions being taken by the Indian government for the Sikh community. Asked if India can believe what Pakistan has promised on ..
Cong may form post-poll alliance with like-minded parties in Mizoram: Lal Thanhawla
With just three days left for the Mizoram Assembly elections, Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla Sunday said the Congress is open to form a post-poll alliance with like-minded parties, excluding the BJP and MNF, if the ruling party falls short of majority. He, however, claimed that such a situation will not arise as the Congress will get full majority on its own. In Mizoram, support of 21 MLAs is needed to form a government in the 40-member Assembly, which is going to polls on November 28 and the counting will take place on December 11. "If like-minded parties come to me and want to support my leadership, then they may (be) welcomed," Thanhawla told PTI during an interview when asked if the Congress is willing to form a post-poll alliance if it does not get a simple majority. Asked with whom the Congress is comfortable to form an alliance, he said, "I don't know at this moment. But certainly not the BJP, certainly not the MNF. Let the time come." Refusing to predict a number, the senior ...
Never condemned Sidhu for Kartarpur corridor: VK Singh
Minister of State for External Affairs General (retd) VK Singh on Sunday clarified that Punjab Minister and Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu was never condemned for advocating for the opening of the Kartarpur corridor, a new border entry and road to allow pilgrims from India to visit a Gurudwara in Pakistan.The Minister in an exclusive interview to ANI, while responding to the question if Sidhu's critics must apologise, said that "criticism was not on Kartarpur. It was on certain things and do not deserve comment at the moment."He added, "Anything happening for good of country and community, people are in it, they will get a commendation. If they do not go by that, people will criticise."The corridor made headlines in August after Congress party politician Sidhu, on returning from the oath-taking ceremony of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, said that the neighbouring country had decided to open the corridor of Kartarpur Sahib.In a landmark decision, after many weeks of internal ..
Congress leader Jaffer Sharief passes away at 85
Senior Congress leader and former union minister CK Jaffer Sharief passed away at the age of 85 in Bengaluru on Sunday. He died due to cardiac arrest.Sharief was admitted to Fortis Hospital in Bengaluru last week following a cardiac attack. He was suffering from asthma and had breathing problems as well.The Congress leader was also a former Union Minister for Railways. During his tenure as the Railways Minister, he got all the tracks converted into broad gauge. He was also instrumental in bringing in the wheel and axle plant to Bengaluru.Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy paid tribute to the departed leader at the residence of departed leader, where his body was brought from the hospital. Actor turned politician Rajnikanth was also present there.Taking to Twitter, Congress president Rahul Gandhi condoled the death of the seasoned leader."It is a day of tragedy for the Congress party, with another senior, loved & respected member of our family in Karnataka, Shri Jaffer Sharief
Uddhav's Ayodhya visit is for votes, says Congress
Calling Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray's visit to Ayodhya a gimmick to attract votes, senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday said that on one hand Shiv Sena is friends with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) while on the other it is claiming to pressure the government over the Ram Temple issue.Speaking to ANI, Kharge said, "Everyone is going there due to elections. Who stopped Uddhav Thackeray from going there in last four-five years? On one hand, they are friends with the BJP and on the other, they want to tell people that they are interested in the construction of the Ram Temple and are pressuring the government. People would not be fooled by this."Quoting a proverb in Kannada, Kharge asserted that people remember God only when they are in trouble."Everyone remembers Ram only during elections, there is a saying which means people remember God only when they are in trouble. Now, since the BJP is in trouble they are remembering God. They want to polarise the votes," added
Nobody knows PM Modi's father: Cong leader's personal attack on PM Modi
Senior Congress leader Vilasrao Muttemwar launched a personal attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi by saying that while everybody knows Congress president's Rahul Gandhi's ancestors, no one is aware of Prime Minister Modi's father.Addressing a gathering here, Muttemwar said, "Who knew you (Prime Minister Modi) before you became the Prime Minister? Even today, no one knows your father's name. Everyone knows Rahul Gandhi's father was Rajiv Gandhi and his mother was Indira Gandhi, who was Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru's daughter and his father was Motilal Nehru. Everyone knows five generations of the Gandhi family, but this Narendra, no one knows his father, let alone his grandfather and he is asking for a record (of our work)."This comes just three days after Raj Babbar, the Congress party's Uttar Pradesh chief compared the rupee's slide with the age of Prime Minister Modi's mother.The comments sparked furore by Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, with Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani ...
Shivpal Yadav meets UP Governor over Ayodhya developments
President of the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) Shivpal Singh Yadav met Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik on Sunday and expressed his concern over the "large and unlawful" gathering of people in Ayodhya.
US mobilised special forces to neutralise LeT terrorists during 26/11 attack: former US official
The then Bush administration had mobilised special forces to neutralise Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists holding people hostage in hotels during the deadly Mumbai terror attack in November 2008, a former White House official has revealed. But, before the Indian authorities gave the necessary clearances and the special forces could take off for Mumbai from an overseas regional location, Indian commandos had already completed their job, said Anish Goel, who was part of the White House's 26/11 crisis management group. "I'm a bit hazy on the details now. It's 10 years out. But, we were offering to send like commando teams to Mumbai to infiltrate the hotels and root out the terrorist cells that were there," Goel, the director of South Asia in the National Security Council of the White House at the time of the 26/11 attack, told PTI. Some 166 people, including Americans, were killed in the attack carried out by 10 LeT terrorists. Nine of the attackers were killed by police ...
Ram temple construction not a political issue: Fadnavis
Ram temple is not a political issue, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said Sunday and expressed hope that Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, who is in Ayodhya, would get the blessings of Lord Ram. A senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader also said that the Sena, which is its ally at the Centre and in Maharashtra, will remain its partner for the Maharashtra and the Lok Sabha polls due next year. Thackeray, who offered prayers at the Ram Lalla temple in Ayodhya on Sunday, said the BJP government at the Centre "may not last" if Ram temple is not constructed in the Uttar Pradesh city, and demanded that an ordinance be brought to pave for its way. "The construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya is not a political issue. Shri Ram is the deity for entire India, Thackeray would get his blessings too," Fadnavis told reporters at Karad in Maharashtra's Satara district. He was speaking after paying tributes at the memorial of late Y B Chavan, the state's first chief minister. Nationalist ...
Delhi BJP welcomes partymen expelled during civic body polls last year
In the run up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Delhi BJP has opened doors to rebel partymen who were expelled during civic body polls last year, after taking an undertaking from them that they will not indulge in any anti-party activity in future. The party had fielded fresh faces in the elections for the three municipal corporations in 2017, denying tickets to all sitting councillors. Protesting the move, many sitting councillors and those who did not get ticket had revolted against the party and contested elections independently. Taking action, the Delhi BJP had expelled over 80 partymen. "We have allowed rejoining of such rebel leaders and workers after taking an undertaking from them that they will not indulge in anti-party activity and obey decisions of top leadership," Delhi BJP general secretary Ravinder Gupta said. The party is taking an undertaking from the rebels to ensure that they genuinely want to join the party, said Gupta, the in charge for the task of rejoining ...
Employment a big issue in Betul, the bellwether seat of MP
Unemployment has emerged as the biggest issue in the Betul Assembly constituency in Madhya Pradesh, which has earned the reputation of being a bellwether seat as to which party would win the elections in the state.
Telangana: Poll campaign set to hit feverish pitch; Modi, Rahul to hold rallies
Campaigning for the upcoming Telangana Assembly polls is set to reach its crescendo with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and other senior leaders scheduled to hold rallies in the state this week. Modi will address public meetings at Nizamabad and Mahabubnagar on November 27, state BJP president K Laxman said on Saturday. He will address another campaign meeting at the Lal Bahadur stadium in Hyderabad on December 3, ahead of the state polls scheduled on December 7, he said. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah, who is taking part in the campaign on Sunday, would again visit the state on November 28 and December 2, Laxman said. Rahul Gandhi would participate in a road show at Parigi and Chevella near Hyderabad on November 29, according to former Congress MLA T Rammohan Reddy. The Congress chief had attended a public meeting at Medchal on the outskirts of Hyderabad along with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on November 23. The tour schedule of ...
BJP seeks votes in Lord Ram's, needs to be stopped: Yechury
The BJP and its allies are now seeking vote in Lord Ram's name, inciting religious sentiments, creating Hindu-Muslim divide, CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury said on Sunday, adding that his party aims to defeat their divisive politics and set up a secular state.
PM Modi blames Congress for delayed Ram Temple verdict
Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Congress party of interfering in the Supreme Court's proceedings on the Ram Temple-Babri Masjid case, saying that their Rajya Sabha leaders intimidate Supreme Court judges with the threat of impeachment if they don't stall the case until after the general elections of next year."When their shameless tactics fail, they use the threat of impeachment to bend the judges to their will. This is a dangerous play. The Congress is committing a crime by using impeachment to stop lawful procedures. They are enslaving the country using their power in the Rajya Sabha," Prime Minister Modi said.Addressing a campaign rally here, the Prime Minister said, "They give Rajya Sabha tickets to prominent Supreme Court advocates, who attend proceedings in the court all day and then sit in the Rajya Sabha. We don't have a majority in that House, so they are using it to their advantage. Those Congress members in the Rajya Sabha have told to Supreme Court to not restart .
Ex-Union Minister Jaffer Sharief dead
Former Union Minister and veteran Congress leader from Karnataka Jaffer Sharief died at a private hospital here on Sunday following a heart attack, a party official said. He was 85.
Cong indulging in caste politics: PM
Hitting out at the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today accused it of indulging in caste politics and said the party has touched a "new low" and forgotten all courtesies. Addressing an election rally in Rajasthan's Alwar district, the prime minister also accused the Congress of using the threat of impeachment to "scare" judges. The Prime Minister said Congress did not remember B R Ambedkar and members of only one family were honoured with Bharat Ratna. Accusing the Congress of dragging the judiciary into politics, he alleged that if a Supreme Court judge does not work as per their "politics" then Congress MPs start "scaring" them in the name of impeachment. This is a dangerous game. Congress has no faith in the judiciary. They are working to scare judiciary on the grounds of their numbers in the Rajya Sabha but I we will not let this 'kala karnama' happen in the temple of democracy," he said. "I would also like to tell judges that do not be afraid and keep going on the path of
Uddhav warns BJP over Ram temple delay, predicts 2019 loss
Mounting pressure on the BJP government at the Centre over the construction of a grand Ram temple in Uttar Pradesh here, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said if the Narendra Modi government dithered this time, it will not come to power in 2019.
May urges Britons to get behind Brexit deal
British Prime Minister Theresa May has written a letter to the public pleading for their support for her Brexit deal, as the EU prepares to formally sign it off.