Page 2431 - Politics
TMC criticises decision to dissolve J&K assembly
The Trinamool Congress criticised the sudden dissolution of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly on Wednesday night and accused the BJP of having no respect for the constitution. Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satyapal Malik dissolved the state assembly, which has been in suspended animation, shortly after rival alliances staked claim to form the government. "The BJP have no respect for the constitution and destroying every institution in the country," TMC national spokesperson and leader of Rajya Sabha parliamentary party Derek O' Brien told PTI. After governor's rule was clamped in Jammu & Kashmir, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee had proposed that the National Conference, the Congress and the PDP should come together to form the govt in J&K, a senior TMC leader, who did not wish to be named, said. Earlier, former chief minister and PDP patron Mehbooba Mufti staked the claim to form a government with the support of the Congress and the National
RJD workers vandalise buses and cars ahead of visit by Nitish
Opposition RJD workers here on Wednesday went on a rampage, vandalising buses and cars and tearing down posters of the ruling JD(U) ahead of Chief Minister Nitish Kumars scheduled visit, police said. The RJD workers were staging a demonstration in Lohianagar locality of the town in protest against alleged reneging by the chief minister on his promise of setting up an AIIMS-like hospital. They also exchanged blows with workers of the JD(U) who protested when the opposition party workers damaged their posters and banners, police said. Police made lathi charge to disperse the mob and clear the way for the cavalcade of the chief minister, who reached the venue for addressing a meeting of party workers belonging to the Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs). At the conference, Kumar expressed satisfaction over the "awareness" that he saw among the newly-empowered EBCs and underscored the measures taken by his government to bring about womens emancipation, which included ban on ...
Capitalist Avenue? "Nein Danke!" say Karl Marx Allee tenants in Berlin
BERLIN (Reuters) - Tenants are up in arms over the sale of apartments on the most prominent boulevard in old Communist East Germany to Berlin's largest property company, the latest in a wave of protests over skyrocketing rents in the German capital.
Cong leader refutes allegations of stopping 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' slogans
Congress leader B. D. Kalla on Wednesday hit back at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for fabricating controversies, accusing them of promoting an edited video to make it look as if he was halting slogans of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai'.Speaking to ANI, Kalla said, "The viral video is edited and morphed to make it seem like I was stopping those slogans. In reality, along with 'Bharat Mata ki Jai', there were 'Zindabad' slogans being raised in my name, thus creating a lot of noise. I signalled them to be quiet for a while, but they have made me look in a bad light."Kalla's clarification comes in the wake of BJP president Amit Shah's allegations that the party was belittling 'Bharat Mata' by interrupting the slogans in favour of slogans for the Congress leadership.Addressing a rally in Madhya Pradesh's Dewas on Monday, Shah said, "A video is doing rounds and if it is true, then a Congress candidate who was chanting 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' was asked to chant 'Sonia Gandhi Ki Jai' instead. Congress .
India supports Russian-Chinese proposal at OPCW
India voted in favour of the Russian-Chinese proposal regarding Syria at the 23rd session of the Conference of State Parties (CSP) to the Organisation for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) which concluded here on Tuesday.The Russian-Chinese proposal sought to establish a working group to consider various proposals relating to the implementation of the decision on an Attribution Mechanism on the use of chemical weapons in Syria.At the same time, India abstained from voting on the overall budget proposal of OPCW for 2019.The Permanent Representative of India to OPCW Venu Rajamony made two separate Explanations of Vote (EOV).India had previously voted against the decision to set up an Attribution Mechanism at the 4th Special Session of the Conference of States Parties."India believes the decision on the Attribution Mechanism has adversely impacted this finely crafted balance in the Convention by endowing unprecedented powers to the Technical Secretariat headed by the ...
Shah equates Cong-ruled India to 'cancer-stricken' democracy
With assembly polls in the state inching closer, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President Amit Shah is leaving no stone unturned to campaign for his party to retain power in the state.Upping his ante against the Opposition on Wednesday, Shah claimed that the Congress Party destroyed democracy with three "cancers"- casteism, nepotism and appeasement.While interacting with youth under the 'Yuva Ri Baat Amit Shah Re Saath' in Rajasthan's capital city Jaipur, Shah said, "The Congress has ruled more than 50 years after independence but the party infected the nation with three cancers: casteism, nepotism, and appeasement. The three maladies have eaten the merits of growth and development."He further said that the Congress party left a budget of only Rs 94,000 crore for Rajasthan, but as soon as the BJP came to power, the budget was increased to Rs 12,60,000 crores."Rahul Gandhi is a daydreamer. Since the time Narendra Modi government came into power in 2014, the Congress has gone ...
President Kovind's visit to give impetus to Australia-India business ties
The first ever visit by an Indian President to Australia from November 21 to 23 is expected to bolster business ties between the two countries.On the second day of his three-day visit to Australia on Thursday, President Ram Nath Kovind will participate in the Australian Financial review business summit following which he will head to the Australia-India business council meet.President Kovind's participation at both these events is a signal to business leaders of both countries that the Indian government is looking to forge new partnerships and open up bottlenecks to increase trade and commerce between the two countries. India is Australia's 5th largest trading partner, with bilateral trade in goods and services at approximately USD 20 billion while Australia's investment in India stands at USD 10.4 billion.Former Australian diplomat Peter Varghese recently released a report on how Australia could forge closer economic and security ties with India. The report sets targets for ...
AAP's Raghav Chadha nominated to Delhi Hindi Academy governing body
The Delhi government has nominated Aam Aadmi Party leader Raghav Chadha as member of the governing body of the Hindi Academy. Chadha was nominated by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, according to a notification of the department of art, culture and language. "Deputy Chief Minister, Government of NCT of Delhi is pleased to nominate Raghav Chadha as member of the Governing Body of Hindi Academy," stated a notification issued last month. Chadha, who is AAP's national spokesperson, is also south Delhi's in-charge for the Lok Sabha elections scheduled to be held next year. Delhi Hindi Academy was formed in 1981. According to the Academy's website, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is the chairman of governing body which has 25 members.
J-K Governor Satyapal Malik dissolves state assembly
With talks of an alliance ready to take shape in Jammu and Kashmir between the National Conference (NC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Congress, Governor Satyapal Malik has issued an order to dissolve the state assembly.Malik's decision came shortly after PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti expressed her desire to stake claim to form the government in the state under the aegis of the alliance."By virtue of powers vested upon me in terms of Proclamation No. P-1/18 of 2018 dated 20 June 2018 issued under sub-section (1) of section 92 and in exercise of the powers conferred upon me by clause (b) of sub-section (2) of section 53 of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, I hereby dissolve the Legislative Assembly," read an official statement from the state governor's office.In a letter addressed to Malik, Mufti had sought an appointment from the governor to stake a claim for formation of the state government."As you are aware that Peoples Democratic Party is the largest party in the State ...
Will make efforts to see that non-Cong, non-BJP govt is formed
TRS president and caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao Wednesday alleged that both the Congress and BJP tried to wield control on states by usurping their rights and said he would make efforts to see that a non-Congress, non-BJP government was formed at the Centre. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi chief was addressing a campaign rally for the December 7 state assembly polls. "BJP and Congress are brothers. One is saffron flag and another is tricolour flag. There is no other difference. By converting states into municipalities, by usurping state's rights, they are wielding control in a such a way that justice is not done to people in the states," he said. "If that situation is to be changed, regional parties' influence will have to increase on Centre. Definitely, nobody can stop even if they come in the way. Let us make an effort after this elections to get a non-Congress, non-BJP government at the Centre," he said. Such an effort would not only help the state but also
EC to examine whether model code can be imposed in J& K immediately
The Election Commission will examine whether the model code of conduct can be imposed in Jammu and Kashmir even before fresh elections are announced there, a senior official said Wednesday after the governor dissolved the state assembly. The poll panel had recently decided that in states where assemblies are dissolved prematurely, the model code will come into force immediately. The poll code, which bars the caretaker government and the party in power from taking policy decisions, otherwise comes into force the day polls are announced by the EC. Telangana was the first state where the model code of conduct had come into effect before the assembly polls were announced. "Model code was imposed there (Telangana) as the elected government had dissolved the assembly. Here (Jammu and Kashmir), the case is different. Here the assembly could have been dissolved out of compulsion... There was no government ... We will examine in the coming days whether the model code can be imposed in Jammu ...
HP to organise first global investors meet in Dharamshala: Bikram Singh
The Himachal Pradesh government will organise first global investors meet at Dharamshala in June next year to present the state as model industrial hub before investors, Industries Minister Bikram Singh said. The minister was speaking as chief guest during cultural evening organised Wednesday at Indian International Trade Fair-2018 on the occasion of Himachal State Day in New Delhi. Himachal Pradesh has various advantages like easy access to the government, transparent functioning, better law and order situation, and uninterrupted power supply, which make the state as favourite destination for investment, he added.
EU unveils policy paper on boosting ties with India
The European Union Wednesday unveiled a policy document, outlining the broad contours of significantly scaling up ties with India in a plethora of areas like trade, investment, infrastructure, defence, security and counter-terrorism, and proposed a military-to-military cooperation in the Indian Ocean. Releasing the document, the European Union's Ambassador to India Tomasz Kozlowski said it lays the foundation to take the relationship to the next level, besides seeking to work together for a rules-based international order as well as to jointly deal with pressing regional and global challenges. The strategy paper, which replaces a similar document issued in 2004, said the EU has an "interest" in strengthening its political, economic and defence cooperation with India as a strong partnership with New Delhi was key for a balanced EU policy towards Asia as a whole. "The strategy illustrates a very important fact that India is on the top of our agenda in the field of external relations. We
J-K Assembly dissolved after rival alliances stake claim to form govt
In a sudden development, the Jammu and Kashmir Governor tonight dissolved the state assembly, which has been in suspended animation, shortly after rival alliances staked claim to form the government. Governor's rule was clamped in J and K on June 19 for a 6-month period following the collapse of the PDP-BJP coalition government after the saffron party withdrew support. The state assembly was also kept in suspended animation so that political parties could explore the possibility of forming a new government. The decision by Governor Satyapal Malik to dissolve the state assembly under the relevant provisions in the state constitution was announced in an official communique. The state is now headed for another spell of central rule beyond December 18 when the governor's rule comes to an end. Earlier, former chief minister and PDP patron Mehbooba Mufti staked the claim to form a government with the support of the Congress and the National Conference. Shortly thereafter, People's ...
BJP approaches EC against Kamal Nath, demands action
Hours after a video viral about Congress leader Kamal Nath asking Muslim workers to ensure "90 per cent polling" in the community-dominated booths, the BJP on Wednesday asked the Election Commission to act against Nath for inciting religious sentiments by appealing to a particular community.
Mehbooba stakes claim to form govt in JK with NC, Cong support
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and PDP patron Mehbooba Mufti Wednesday staked claim to form a government with the support of the Congress and the National Conference. In a letter to Governor Satyapal Malik, Mehbooba said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is the largest party in the state assembly having a strength of 29 MLAs. "You might have gathered from the media reports that the Congress and the National Conference have also decided to extend support to our party to form a government in the state. The National Conference has a strength of 15 MLAs and the Congress 12. That takes our collective strength to 56. "Since I am presently in Srinagar, it would not be possible for me to call on you immediately and this is to keep you informed that we would be seeking your convenience shortly to stake claim for forming the government in the state," Mehbooba said in her letter. In a tweet later, Mehbooba said that the fax machine at Raj Bhavan was not working. "Have been trying to ...
Day after attack on Kejriwal, AAP workers hit streets, say BJP wants party chief eliminated
The AAP kept up its attack on the BJP and Delhi Police on Wednesday, a day after a man flung chilli powder on party chief Arvind Kejriwal, alleging the saffron party's leadership wants the Delhi chief minister eliminated and terming Delhi Police a "biased" force which protects "anti-social elements". As the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers and leaders hit the streets and staged a protest outside BJP headquarters in the city, the party legislators also asked Kejriwal to remove Delhi Police from the list of his government's scheme where kin of martyred security personnel are provided Rs one crore as compensation, for its alleged "betrayal" with people in the backdrop of the attack. Listing the attacks on the AAP chief in the run-up to the 2013 Delhi Assembly election and the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari, however, rubbished the allegations and said the attack on Kejriwal was "scripted" by AAP and that it was the ruling party's "modus operandi" before every ...
'Rafale deal a clear money line of corruption': Yechury
The multi-billion dollar Rafale fighter aircraft deal was a clear case of corruption, CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury alleged Wednesday. Reacting to a media report on 'benchmark' price for negotiating the Rafale deal which was increased from 5.2 billion Euro to 8.2 billion Euro, the CPI (M) leader questioned why PM Modi "directly intervened" to increase the price to be paid via the CCS (Cabinet Committee on Security). "3 billion Euro. Why was Modi via CCS directly intervening to increase the price to be paid? If there was ever a clear money line of corruption, this is it. #RafaleScam", tweeted Yechury. India signed an agreement with France for the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft in a fly-away condition as part of the upgrading process of Indian Air Force equipment. The estimated cost of the deal is Rs 58,000 crore. The Rafale fighter is a twin-engine Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) manufactured by French aerospace company Dassault Aviation. The Congress has ..
Sajad Lone stakes claim to form govt in JK with BJP support
Sajad Lone, leader of the People's Conference, on Wednesday staked claim to form a government in Jammu and Kashmir with the support of the 25-legislator strong BJP and "more than 18" other lawmakers. In a letter to Governor Satya Pal Malik, Lone, whose party has two MLAs, including himself, said he has the support of more than required number of legislators in the assembly to form a government. "Following our telephonic conversation regarding government formation in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, I hereby formally stake claim for the government formation in the state with the support of the BJP and more than 18 other elected members of the J&K state legislature...," he said. Lone said he would submit the letter of support from the BJP legislature party and other members supporting the government headed by him as and when asked to do so. "I assure your excellence that with the support I have from the BJP and other members of state legislature, I will form a strong and politically .
Age is just a number for Barmer BJP MP
The age of the Barmer BJP MP, who is contesting the Rajasthan Assembly election, has remained constant at 73. As per the details mentioned by Sonaram Choudhary in the affidavits for the 2014 Lok Sabha and the upcoming Assembly election, he has mentioned his age at 73. The affidavits are available on the election department's website. Sonaram had contested the 2008 Assembly election from Baytu seat, in which he had mentioned his age as 65. In the 2013 state election, his age, as per the affidavits, was 72. Sonaram could not be contacted for his comments as he was busy in campaigning in his Barmer Assembly constituency.