Page 2406 - Politics
Observe Babri Masjid demolition as day to defend Constitution, secularism: CPI-M
Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) on Saturday urged all left parties to commemorate December 6 -- the day the Babri mosque in Ayodhya was demolished -- as "Defend the Constitution and Secularism Day".
BJP ex-servicemen press for demands in protest rally
The BJP ex-servicemen cell on Saturday organised a sit-in demonstration in central Kolkata, accusing the ruling Trinamool Congress government of not doing enough for former army personnel in the state. "We demand that there should be formation of soldier boards in all districts. There should also be proper allotment of ex-servicemen quota in government jobs, at least 10 per cent like in other states," said N Mohan Rai, convenor of BJP ex-servicemen cell, West Bengal. In other states, government allots shops or land to the widows or family members of martyrs, but in Bengal, there is no such provision, he said. "We demand that the state government immediately look into these issues," Rai added.
MP polls: BJP chief Shah unhurt after fall during roadshow
BJP president Amit Shah stumbled and fell while alighting from a vehicle after his roadshow here in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh Saturday. One of his bodyguards quickly offered support and Shah managed to get up unhurt immediately. The incident happened at the Tulsi Park. Later, addressing a public meeting in Shivpuri district, Shah continued to fire salvos at the Congress like his previous election meetings and said the chief of the opposition party, Rahul Gandhi, was daydreaming about winning the November 28 Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls. The state is being ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since 2003 with Shivraj Singh Chouhan occupying the chief minister's post since 2005. "While waiting to board a flight at an airport, I saw Rahul baba on a TV channel, claiming that his party was going to come to power in Madhya Pradesh," Shah told the gathering. "Rahul baba is dreaming in the day that his party is going to form the government in Madhya Pradesh," he said in a retort to ...
India, China vow for fair solution to boundary issues
India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met here on Saturday for the 21st round of Special Representatives' talks between India and China where they agreed to look for "fair solution" to border issues.The two sides focused on intensifying efforts to achieve a fair and mutually acceptable solution to the boundary question, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar wrote on his Twitter handle.According to a statement by the MEA, the talks were constructive and forward-looking and focussed on taking forward the India-China Closer Developmental Partnership in pursuance of the guidance provided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping at their informal summit at Wuhan in April this year.The Special Representatives (SR) undertook a comprehensive review of earlier rounds of talks under the SR mechanism. Recalling the strategic guidance and support to their work provided by the leaders at the Wuhan summit, they ...
Maldives' Foreign Minister arrives in India on maiden visit
Abdulla Shahid, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Maldives, arrived in the national capital on Saturday, on a four-day visit to the country. This is Shahid's maiden official visit since taking office last week."Together we prosper! Foreign Minister of #Maldives @abdulla_shahid arrives in Delhi on a two-day official visit, his first foreign visit since taking office. Both countries share ethnic, linguistic, cultural and commercial ties steeped in antiquity," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar wrote on his Twitter handle.On November 26, the Maldivian Foreign Minister will meet his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj at the Jawaharlal Nehru Bhawan. On the last day of his visit (November 27), Shahid will meet President Kovind before his departure in the evening.Shahid's visit assumes significance for India, following the swearing-in of Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih at a ceremony in Male last week, which was also attended by Prime Minister ...
Some people shout 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' just for political gains: Gehlot
Targeting the BJP in poll-bound Rajasthan, senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot alleged Saturday that some people use the slogan 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' for political gains and remember Lord Ram only before elections. Polls in the state are scheduled to be held on December 7 and counting on December 11. Gehlot's reaction came a day after Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje said the BJP treats the country as its mother, but "the Congress' mother is Sonia Gandhi". "Who will hesitate in saying 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' but there are people who shout this slogan for political gain, while some say this from the heart. Raje comes from a 'Jamaat' or section where the name of Ram is used in elections," he said at a press conference here. Referring to sloganeering in Bikaner where a Congress leader allegedly asked workers to raise slogans of 'Sonia Gandhi ki Jai' instead of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai', Raje had also said, "She (Sonia) is more than Mother India for the party (Congress)." On the issue of Ram temple .
J&K parties condemn civilian's killing in firing
Political parties on Saturday condemned the killing of a civilian in a firing incident near an Army camp in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam district and called for a probe into the incident. Ishfaq Ahmad Ganaie was injured in the firing near the camp of the 50 Rashtriya Rifles at Chattergam area of Budgam in central Kashmir on Friday. He succumbed to injuries at a hospital here on Saturday morning, police said. Local residents have accused the Army of opening unprovoked firing that led to Ganaie getting injured. However, defence spokesperson Col Rajesh Kalia said the Army did not open fire and the civilian was injured in a "terrorist-committed atrocity". Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti expressed deep shock and anguish over the incident. She asked the administration to strictly ensure that the security agencies were made accountable on protecting civilians and avoiding collateral damage during operations. In a statement, National Conference .
Union Minister Kushwaha seeks PM's intervention in Bihar seat-sharing
Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) chief and Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha on Saturday sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention to settle the issue of seat-sharing in the National Democratic Alliance in Bihar for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
'Maha-aartis' in Maharashtra as Thackeray, family visit Ayodhya
Coinciding with Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray's high-profile visit to Ayodhya on Saturday, party activists and leaders performed 'maha-aartis' in different parts of the state and prayed for the success of the Ram temple construction mission.
Udit Raj to organise rally to raise issue of 'less representation of Dalit and OBC' in higher courts
BJP MP Udit Raj said Saturday a rally will be organised to raise the issue of "less representation of Dalit and backward castes" in higher courts in the country. The North West Delhi legislator, who is also the chairman of All India Confederation of SC/ST Organisations, said the rally will be held at Ramlila Ground on December 3. "Some incompetent and corrupt politicians have paved the way for the judiciary to act as extra constitutional authority," he said in a statement. He also criticised influential petitioners saying they approached courts not for peoples' rights but for their own agenda. Citing ongoing sealing drive in Delhi, under supervision of a Supreme Court mandated committee, he said, "It is for the government to monitor the administration and not the judiciary." Raj also expressed dissatisfaction over the manner his party colleague and Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari was treated in a contempt of court matter over breaking of seal on a premises shut down by the Veterinary ...
Centre will wait till Ram temple matter comes up in SC: MG Vaidya
Amidst mass gathering being organised by the Shiv Sena, Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and some Hindu groups in Ayodhya, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ideologue MG Vaidya on Saturday said the central government will wait till January when the Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit case will come up in the Supreme Court."Currently, it is difficult to tell what will happen after the Dharma Sabha in Ayodhya. But saints and devotees who go there are certain that the Ram temple should be built. I think the government will wait till the matter comes up in the Supreme Court in January and then it will decide whether to bring in an ordinance or a law in this matter. People in the government can only talk about this, but if they (government) want they can bring in an ordinance like the Shah Bano case," said the nonagenarian RSS ideologue.On Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray's visit to Ayodhya, Vaidya said: "Despite being a part of the BJP-led government, Shiv Sena speaks and writes against ...
Cong comes out with 'people's charge sheet" against TRS
The Congress Saturday came out with a "people's charge sheet" accusing TRS chief and caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao of failing to keep his promises to the people of Telangana. Racheting up the attack on the Telangana Rashtra Samithi ahead of the December 7 state assembly polls, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala described KCR as "BJP stooge" and "King of Corruption and Rhetoric" and said the TRS should be renamed "Telangana Ravaged by Self-Interests." Surjewala alleged that KCR (as Rao is popularly known) and TRS provided family rule, coupled with "unbridled and rampant corruption." "The four-years-three-months of TRS government is corruption and utter misrule. KCR's single point agenda is family and coterie rule. KCR-led TRS government should be given a place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most corrupt government of India," he said at a press conference here, after releasing the "charge sheet on anti-people rule of TRS in ...
Modi targets Indira Gandhi, says 'garibi hatao' was false promise, bank nationalisation a fraud
Prime Minister Narendra Modi targeted the late Indira Gandhi on Saturday, saying her famous slogan 'garibi hatao' was a "false promise" and bank nationalisation was a "fraud" in the name of the poor. Were not those who promised to eradicate poverty "liars", he said in a blistering attack on the Nehru-Gandhi family at a rally here ahead November 28 Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh. He also said if he gets half the time the Congress spent in power, he would bring about a transformation in the country. Modi's remarks came in the wake of Congress president Rahul Gandhi's constant criticism that the BJP made "false promises" to the people in the run up to the 2014 polls. Modi said the four generations of the Nehru-Gandhi ruled the country, but did not waste a single opportunity to "hoodwink" the people. "Grandmother of the'Namdar' (dynast), Shrimati Indira Gandhi, was prime minister of the country. Didn't she give the slogan of removing poverty 40 years ago?" he asked the ...
Modi's words mean nothing, no promises fulfilled: Vaghela
Former Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela came down heavily on Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday, accusing him of fulfilling none of his election promises. Vaghela, who addressed a gathering of supporters in Gandhinagar, also attacked Modi for "weakening" the institutions such as the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Reserve Bank. Four-and-a-half years after Modi became prime minister by promising "Acchhe Din", creation of two crore jobs per year and Rs 15 lakh in everyone's bank account, none of the assurances have been fulfilled, Vaghela said. "You deliver speeches, but your words have no meaning. Give us results. If you cannot deliver results in four-and-a- half years, people of the country are going to say, come on, its your turn now (to deliver). Who are you fooling?" he said. The former BJP leader attacked the Central government for "seeking Rs 3.5 lakh crore from the RBI", and appointing "corrupt officials" to the CBI "to hide your sins and harm your ..
Former MP Kharabela Swain beaten up in Rayagada district
Former Lok Sabha MP and state president of Utkal Bharat party, Kharabela Swain, was abused and roughed up while speaking at a street corner meeting at Rayagada district on Saturday, police said. Swain has not lodged any formal complaint but the police has taken suo motu cognizance of the incident. The attacker, identified as Sumanta Nayak (35), has been detained, police said. "Nayak attacked Swain in an inebriated condition. He has been detained for interrogation. Whether Nayak attacked Swain on his own or he was directed by someone to do so is under investigation. Necessary action will be taken once we complete our interrogation," said Raj Kishore Das, SDPO, Rayagada. According to the police, the incident took place at around 4 pm while Swain, along with few of his partymen, was speaking at a street corner meeting at Kasipur. Minutes after Swain started speaking, a group of locals started objecting to it and Swain was forced to cut short his speech. Swain had just ...
EU 'closer' to agreement with Spain over Brexit
The European Union appeared to be close to reaching an agreement Saturday with Spain to ease Madrid's concerns about the future of Gibraltar in a draft Brexit agreement, a key obstacle ahead of Sunday's EU summit. EU spokesman Preben Aamann said on Twitter that after a phone conversation between Spanish Premier Pedro Sanchez and EU Council President Donald Tusk, "we are closer" to a deal ahead of the Brussels summit, when EU leaders are supposed to sign off a divorce agreement between Britain and the EU. The tiny territory of Gibraltar ceded to Britain in 1713 but still claimed by Spain was the only dispute left hanging ahead of the summit and had turned into an obstinate stumbling block. On Friday, Spain said it wouldn't back the divorce deal unless it gets a cast-iron guarantee of its say over Gibraltar's future. British Prime Minister Theresa May, on her way to Brussels, hopes to leave Brussels on Sunday with a firm agreement on the withdrawal terms for Britain's departure from ..
India, China pledge to resolve border dispute at earliest
India and China on Friday pledged to resolve their decades-long boundary dispute by intensifying their efforts to find a mutually acceptable solution to the vexed issue at the earliest.
Modi, Rajnath, Yogi to address series of rallies in Raj
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a slew of public meetings in poll-bound Rajasthan over the next two days, a party leader said Saturday. On Sunday, Modi will address a rally in Alwar followed by three more in Bhilwara, Dungarpur and Kota on Monday, the leader said. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath too will be campaigning aggressively in the state where voting will take place on December 7. Rajnath Singh will address public meetings in Dholpur and Jaipur districts on Monday and Jhunjhunu, Bikaner and Jaisalmer on Tuesday. Similarly, Yogi Adityanath will address rallies in Nagaur, Sikar, Churu, Bikaner and Jaisalmer districts on Monday and Alwar and Jaipur on Tuesday.
BJD submits memorandum to President on post-matric scholarship scheme
A delegation of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), headed by Odisha Finance Minister Shashi Bhusan Behera, submitted a memorandum to President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday appealing to restore the original funding pattern of the post-matric scholarship scheme for the Scheduled Caste students.In its memorandum, submitted through the Governor of Odisha, the BJD claimed that the revised pattern has given a "severe jolt" to the scheme. While requesting his intervention in the matter, the party urged the President to direct the Centre to reconsider the revised pattern and restore the original funding pattern of 90:10 for smooth implementation of the programme.The BJD pointed out that the post-matric scholarship is a centrally sponsored scheme, wherein until 2016-17 the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment was providing about 90 per cent, while the state government was bearing the remaining 10 per cent of the actual expenditure. In 2016-17, the Centre's share was Rs 215.80 crore while the ...
Iran, Russia deliberate on nuclear deal
Foreign Ministers of Iran and Russia deliberated on the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, apart from other issues, on the sidelines of a conference in Italy's capital Rome on Friday.The two sides discussed on the state of bilateral relations, regional issues and current developments in Syria and Yemen on the sidelines of a Mediterranean Dialogues conference in the city, according to the Iranian Foreign ministry, Anadolu News Agency reported.The Iran nuclear deal or the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was inked between five countries-the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China, Russia, and also the European Union. Under the agreement, the US and others agreed to lift sanctions on Iran in exchange for it agreeing to control its development of nuclear weapons programme.However, in May this year, US President Donald Trump had announced that Washington would exit the pact, terming it as "defective" and the "worst ever deal" leading to a spike in tensions between the US and ...