Page 2423 - Politics

Dissolution of J-K Assembly illegal, unconstitutional: Left parties

Left parties Thursday termed the dissolution of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly as "illegal and unconstitutional" and said it would further worsen the situation in the state. "The action of the J&K Governor, dissolving the assembly at the behest of the Centre, is an illegal and unconstitutional step," the CPI(M) said in a statement. Its general secretary Sitaram Yechury slammed the BJP over the issue and alleged that the governor's action violated all norms, rules and the Supreme Court's orders. "Shameless of the BJP to thwart a popular government from assuming office in a sensitive border state like J&K. Against all norms, rules and Supreme Court orders. Blatantly illegal and unconstitutional position of the Governor is clear to all," he tweeted. The CPI(M) said the governor has no business to decide that parties with "opposing ideologies" cannot form a suitable government. "All that the governor can do is to ask the leader who is staking claim with majority support to prove ..

Governor should have given PDP-led alliance chance to prove majority: Legal experts

Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik should have given a chance to the PDP-led alliance to prove its majority on the floor of the House as per constitutional mandate before dissolving the state assembly, legal experts said on Thursday. "The constitutional mandate and the Supreme Court guidelines were not followed while dissolving the assembly in the face of two persons staking claim for government formation," former advocate general of Jammu and Kashmir Mohammad Ishaq Qadri told PTI. Qadri said the Governor should have satisfied himself by seeking additional documentation in support of the claims made in letter for government formation. "Both PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and (People's Conference chairman) Sajad Gani Lone had sent letters. The Governor should have satisfied himself by seeking more documentary evidence in support of the respective claims and then given them a chance to prove their majority on the floor of the House," he added. Qadri said the assembly was kept in ..

SAD, AAP hail Centre's move to build Kartarpur corridor

Akali Dal and AAP Thursday hailed the Centre's move to build and develop the Kartarpur corridor to provide easy passage to Sikh pilgrims visiting a historic gurudwara in Pakistan. Kartarpur Sahib, located just across the International Border, is the final resting place of Guru Nanak Dev and one of the holiest shrines of Sikhs. India will build and develop a corridor from Dera Baba Nanak in Punjab's Gurdaspur district to the International Border to facilitate Sikh pilgrims visiting Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur on the banks of the Ravi river in Pakistan, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said Thursday. Welcoming the Centre's initiative, SAD patron and former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said, "This is indeed a befitting tribute to the great Guru Nanak Dev ji's cosmic vision transcending all kinds of barriers among human beings of different castes, creeds and countries. India Thursday also urged the Pakistan government to build a corridor to Kartarpur Sahib to facilitate easy ...

Traders' body writes to Rajnath, urges to bring ordinance to stop sealing drive in Delhi

Traders' body CAIT has urged Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to bring an ordinance to provide relief to people hit by the ongoing sealing drive, officials said Thursday. In a statement issued here, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT ) said it has sent a letter to Singh urging him to bring an ordinance to "stop sealing in Delhi or categorically declare that the central government was not bringing any ordinance". CAIT Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal said a letter has been sent to the home minister in this regard. "The Delhi government has failed to protect traders from sealing and despite continuous demand, no action has been taken by it to stop sealing in the city," the CAIT alleged in the letter. Under these circumstances, the home minister should now intervene and bring an ordinance to protect traders, it said. The CAIT has also sent a similar communique to Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Khandelwal said.

Delhi calls special Assembly session after chilli attack on CM

Two days after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was attacked with chilli powder, the Delhi Cabinet on Thursday announced a day-long special session of the Assembly on Monday to discuss the attitude of the Centre and the Delhi Police on the issue.

Sovan Chatterjee resigns as Kolkata mayor on Mamata's direction

Senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Sovan Chatterjee resigned from the post of the mayor of Kolkata Thursday on the directions of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Chatterjee, who was also the housing and fire services minister, had resigned from the cabinet Tuesday evening. Banerjee has ruled out any crisis in the government following Chatterjee's resignation. He sent his resignation letter through a messenger to Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Chairperson Mala Roy on Thursday. Roy, accepted the resignation letter and held a high-level meeting at her office later. "Received Mr Sovan Chatterjee's resignation from the post of mayor through his messenger. I have accepted it. The other formalities will be followed as per rules, after a Trinamool Congress councillors' meeting convened by party supremo Mamata Banerjee is held this evening," Roy said. Chatterjee also told newsmen that he was ready to quit as KMC councillor and also as an MLA of the TMC if the party wanted him to. "It ..

EU, UK agree Brexit text, but gaps remain before summit

BRUSSELS/LONDON (Reuters) - Britain and the European Union agreed a draft text setting out a close post-Brexit relationship, officials said, though wrangles over fish and the future of Gibraltar must still be settled before leaders meet on Sunday.

Dissolution of J-K assembly amounts to 'killing' of democracy: Sharad Yadav

Opposition leader Sharad Yadav Thursday alleged that the dissolution of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly after three major parties had come together to form government in the state amounted to "killing" of democracy. In a statement, he accused the BJP of neither caring for the Constitution nor having any respect for institutions. The BJP had Wednesday said the best option in the state is to have fresh assembly polls at the earliest as it slammed the proposed alliance of opposition parties as a "combination of terror-friendly parties". Yadav said, "Democracy has been killed in Jammu and Kashmir by dissolving the assembly. I oppose and condemn it." The holding of local body polls in the state recently despite two major regional parties, the National Conference and the People's Democratic Party, boycotting it made a mockery of democracy, he claimed Yadav asked the central government and the ruling BJP to adhere to the norms laid down in the Constitution and to "not play petty politics ...

PDP hasn't decided yet whether to challenge decision to dissolve assembly in court: Party leader

The PDP, which had staked claim to form government in Jammu and Kashmir with the support of the NC and the Congress, said Thursday it has not yet decided whether to challenge in court the governor's decision to dissolve the assembly. Governor Satya Pal Malik had dissolved the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Wednesday night, cutting short the Peoples Democratic Party's bid to stake claim to form government with the National Conference and the Congress. "Just for information; @jkpdp has not met formally to build any consensus on the issue of approaching the court. No meeting regarding the same," PDP spokesperson Rafi Ahmad Mir said in a tweet. Mir was responding to speculation that the party might challenge the governor's decision of dissolving the state assembly in the Supreme Court. Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Gani Lone had also staked claim for government formation, minutes after Mehbooba, claiming support of 45 members including 25 of the BJP and 18 other MLAs. However, Malik ...

Cabinet expansion talks have not taken place due to Gandhi's

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara Thursday said the discussion on cabinet expansion has not taken place because of congress president Rahul Gandhi's busy election schedule in five states. Gandhi is busy with elections in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Mizoram, and Telangana. "The discussion over cabinet exansion has not taken place with Rahul Gandhi as he is busy with elections in five states," he told PTI here. Talks on expansion gained pace last week following AICC general secretary incharge of Karnataka Venugopal's discussions with KPCC President Dinesh Gundu Rao and other state leaders. The state party leadership, Parameshwara said, had urged the high command to expand the cabinet before the winter legislature session beginning at Belagavi from December 10. "We have already conveyed this to K C Venugopal..he is supposed to discuss the matter with Rahul Gandhi," he said. Asked when can the state leaders expect a discussion on the issue, ...

Adding zeros to a zero cannot produce a hero: Javadekar on anti-BJP front

Adding zeros to a zero cannot produce a hero, Union minister Prakash Javadekar said Thursday, referring to a proposed anti-BJP joint front of the opposition parties for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. He said the alliance lacked an agenda and its sole objective is to oust Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Neither there is any ideological basis of the alliance nor does it have an agenda for the people. Its only aim is to remove Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Javadekar said at a press conference here. "Adding several zeros to a zero cannot produce a hero. The alliance is a non-starter and will not start even if you kick several times," he said, referring to the postponement of a meeting of opposition parties scheduled for Thursday in Delhi. The Human Resource Development Minister rebuffed Congress leader Manish Tewari's allegation that Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik dissolved the state assembly on directions of Modi and the Prime Minister's Office. Javadekar said the governor is .

Governor defends Assembly dissolution

Governor Satya Pal Malik on Thursday defended his decision to dissolve the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, saying an impending alliance between the PDP, Congress and the National Conference was "opportunistic".

Brus in North Tripura to vote in Mizoram's Kangmun village

Bru voters residing in North Tripura would exercise their franchise at Kanhmun village in Mizoram's Mamit district during the Assembly polls, the Election Commission said Thursday. The EC took a decision in this regard on Wednesday.While 15 polling stations have been set up for them in a playground, six have come up inside the indoor stadium across it, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Mizoram, Ashish Kundra, said. Six officers have been deployed there, the CEO said, adding that all sector magistrates and booth-level officers would reach the polling premises by Friday morning. Strict security arrangements have been made in the area, he said. Village leaders and civil societies have pledged that the Bru voters would be welcomed with food and drinks at the polling stations, the CEO said. A total of 12,037 Bru voters are residing in six relief camps in North Tripura, election officials said. The Brus had fled Mizoram following ethnic clashes in 1997. The place of voting for Bru voters

Turkey's Erdogan could meet Saudi Crown Prince on G20 sidelines: spokesman

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan could meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the sidelines of a G20 summit in Argentina next week amid tensions between Ankara and Riyadh, the Turkish presidential spokesman said Thursday. "We are looking at the programme," spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said in Ankara. "There could be" a meeting between the two men, he said. Saudi Arabia and Turkey are clashing over the murder of Riyadh critic and Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi, 59, inside the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul last month. Such a meeting would be the first face-to-face encounter between Erdogan and the crown prince since the killing that tainted the image of Prince Salman, known as MBS, who is seen as the driving force in day-to-day rule of the kingdom. The two men previously spoke on the phone last month where they discussed joint efforts to shed light on what happened to Khashoggi. Khashoggi, a US resident and Saudi citizen, was lured to the Saudi consulate in ...

Mehbooba hits out at Ram Madhav on 'instruction from Pakistan' remark

Pained at Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ram Madhav's comment on stitching together of a proposed alliance in Jammu and Kashmir at the behest of Pakistan, the state's former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti expressed her anguish at the "baseless allegations".In series of tweets, Mehbooba said: "Shocked to see baseless allegations against mainstream parties in JK following dictates from Pakistan levelled by @rammadhavbjp ji.""Sad to see what the political discourse of our country has been reduced to. How does one define a party's nationalistic credentials? Nationalistic and patriotic only if you are with the Centre and Pakistan sponsored and anti nationalistic otherwise?" she reacted in another tweet.Having staked claim to form government with the support of Congress and arch rival National Conference (NC), Mehbooba in normal course was expected to stay away from controversies. Instead, she threw her hat into the ring raising the debate of why PDP and NC's credibility were not questioned .

SC declines early hearing on plea by Kerala MLA challenging disqualification

The Supreme Court Thursday declined urgent hearing on a plea by Indian Union Muslim League legislator K M Shaji, challenging his disqualification by the Kerala High Court on the ground that he made communal remarks in the run-up to the assembly polls in the state in 2016. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said the matter will come up for hearing in regular course. In the petition, Shaji, who was disqualified as MLA of Azhikode, had sought a stay on the high court verdict. "Do you want to continue as an MLA by virtue of a stay order (of this court)," asked the bench, also comprising justices K M Joseph and M R Shah. The high court on November 9 disqualified Shaji for six years and directed the Kerala Assembly speaker and the Election Commission to take appropriate action. The high court had delivered the judgement on a plea filed by LDF candidate M V Nikesh Kumar, who contested the election against Shaji. The IUML is a partner of the opposition United Democratic Front that ..

Gujarat: Jasdan Assembly by-poll on Dec 20

By-election for Jasdan Assembly constituency in Gujarat will be held on December 20, state's Chief Electoral Officer S Murli Krishna said Thursday. Counting of votes will take place on December 23, he said. "With this announcement, the model code of conduct comes into effect from today," Krishna told reporters here. Notification for the election will be issued on November 26 while the last date of filing nominations is December 4. Last date of withdrawing nominations is December 6, he said. The by-election was necessitated after sitting Congress MLA Kunvarji Bavaliya resigned from the party and also as a legislator on July 2. On the same day, he was inducted as a cabinet minister in the BJP government in the state. To continue as minister, Bavaliya will have to get elected as MLA within six months of assuming the office.

Assembly dissolution over "opposing political ideologies" for govt formation unprecedented: expert

Citing "opposing political ideologies" of parties staking claim to form a government as a factor for dissolution of a state Assembly is unprecedented, a constitutional expert said Thursday, as the legal fraternity remained divided over the validity of the abrupt decision of the Governor to dissolve the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly. Governor Satyapal Malik Wednesday night cited four main reasons for dissolving the Assembly with immediate effect, including "extensive horse-trading and possible exchange of money" and the "impossibility" of forming a stable government by parties with "opposing political ideologies". Some constitutional and legal experts supported the governor's decision shortly after the PDP and arch rival National Conference(NC) along with the Congress staked claim to form the government which was followed by another bid from the two-member People's Conference which claimed the support of the BJP and 18 legislators from other parties. They said the governor is "well within

Abdullah, J-K governor face off over decision to dissolve assembly

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah Thursday questioned the Jammu and Kashmir governor's rejection of a PDP-NC-Congress government on grounds of "different political ideologies", a decision Satya Pal Malik defended by saying such a coalition could not have led to stability. Addressing the media in Srinagar a day after Malik abruptly dissolved the state assembly, Abdullah also asked the governor to make public reports about the use of money and horse trading in government formation in the state. People had a right to know who was buying MLAs and who was funding it, he said. In Jammu, the winter capital of the state, the governor held a press conference at almost the same time to back his decision to not accept the claims of the PDP-Congress-NC alliance. His surprise move Wednesday night came hours after the PDP staked claim to form a government with the backing of rival NC and the Congress. This was followed by another bid from the two-member People's Conference which claimed the .

By-polls in Gujarat, Jharkhand on Dec 20

The Election Commission on Thursday announced the schedule for by-elections to fill the two vacant Assembly seats of Jasdan in Gujarat and Kolebira (ST) in Jharkhand on December 20.