Page 2445 - Politics
BJP is backing Kejriwal's attackers: AAP
After Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was allegedly attacked with chilli powder at the Secretariat, Aam Aadmi Party spokespersons Raghav Chaddha and Saurabh Bharadwaj on Tuesday claimed that the attackers were backed by the BJP's Central government.Talking to media persons, Bharadwaj said, "Bharatiya Janata Party's Central government has created an atmosphere where anti-social elements are being instigated to attack Chief Minister Kejriwal. Attackers know they will get all protection from the Central government."Raghav Chaddha alleged that the Delhi Police had no intention of taking action against the attacker. "The attackers are being provided full protection by the Delhi Police. The police have no intention to take firm action against the attacker on the Chief Minister," said Chaddha.Chaddha claimed to be present at the time of the incident and alleged that nobody attempted to stop the accused from entering Kejriwal's office with something in his hand."I am an eyewitness to ...
Amit Shah accuses Cong-led Mizoram govt of misusing central funds
BJP President Amit Shah Tuesday accused the Congress-led Mizoram government of misusing the funds the Centre gave it for developmental projects. Addressing an election rally in southern Mizoram's Lawngtlai town, Shah also said his party would create 50,000 jobs for educated tribal youths and repair all bad roads within six months if voted to power. He said the party has prepared several programmes to uplift minority communities of Mizoram. He said the Narendra Modi government left no stone unturned to develop the northeast and that Union ministers have visited the region more than 200 times in four-and-a-half years of the NDA rule so far. Shah promised that Mizo language would be included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. The promise is part of the BJP's manifesto released for the state. The BJP chief said that communication, health and education sectors would be the priority of the BJP. Election to 40-member Mizoram Assembly is slated for November 28.
PDP betrayed workers by boycotting local body polls: Beigh
Founding member of PDP Muzaffar Hussain Beigh Tuesday hit out at his party for boycotting the civic bodies and panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir saying he will "seriously consider" joining a third front if it emerges. "The PDP betrayed the workers, denying them a chance to connect with the people, by boycotting the elections. They left a vacuum and that space has now been occupied. Politics does not wait for people who boycott," Beigh told reporters at his residence here. Beigh, the Lok Sabha member from Baramulla , said he was not consulted when the party took the decision to boycott the local bodies polls. "I was in Delhi, just a phone call away. I remained quiet because I did not want the PDP to fall asunder," he said. Reacting to speculations that PDP and arch rival National Conference might join hands to form a government in the state to foil BJP's attempts at government formation, Beigh said the PDP was formed to end the family rule and bring in democracy. "Now this talk .
Ajay Chautala's party to contest assembly, LS polls next year
Former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala's elder son Ajay Chautala Tuesday said his new party will contest next year's assembly elections and the Lok Sabha polls from all 10 seats in the state. Ajay Chautala new party is being launched next month following a split Saturday in the Indian National Lok Dal, a result of the power struggle between him and his younger brother Abhay Chautala. He said the name of the new party will include 'Jan Nayak', an apparent reference to the Chautala brothers' grandfather and former deputy prime minister Devi Lal. It's time to follow the path shown by Chaudhary Devi Lal, Ajay Chautala, who was recently expelled from the INLD, said. Ajay Chautala, who is undergoing a 10-year jail term with father Om Prakash Chautala since 2013 in a teachers' recruitment scam, said the new party will hold a rally in Jind on December 9. We will contest on all Lok Sabha seats (from Haryana) as well as the next state assembly elections, he told reporters at his ...
Punjab Speaker calls for restraint over Amritsar terror attack
Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Rana KP Singh on Tuesday urged all political parties to exercise restraint over the issue of the Amritsar terror attack. He appealed to all political parties across the board to let the investigation agencies do their job.In an informal interaction with some reporters at his residence here, the Speaker said, "It is a serious matter and any attempt to make political capital out of this situation will not only be unfortunate but will also be disastrous for the state."At least, three people were killed and 20 others were injured in a grenade attack on a gathering at Nirankari Bhawan in Rajasansi village on Sunday.He expressed his displeasure over the way certain leaders of various political parties were trying to politicize the event. "This is reflective of the overall decline and degradation in the political discourse that we have seen over past several years," he said."This is a fight we have to fight together against the enemies of the state and the country
Smriti takes on Rahul with 'desi' banana jibe
Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani took a swipe at Congress president Rahul Gandhi for distributing foreign seeds of banana in his constituency. "I have come to know that Rahul Gandhi is getting foreign banana seeds distributed among farmers, but he doesn't know that the poverty can't be wiped out by planting a couple of banana saplings," she said."Rahul has been criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the RSS, but he is treading the RSS path of planting banana trees," she said, claiming that the RSS had already distributed 50,000 saplings of fruit plants in the constituency.Inaugurating a three-day Job Mela here on Monday, Irani said, "The Gandhi family did nothing for Amethi and what the Congress couldn't do in the last 60 years, BJP managed to do that in these four years." "The Congress is a party dedicated to one family. How can it work for the development of the country or Amethi," she added.She also inaugurated 'Digital Village' at the Common Service Centre of the ...
Xi visits Philippines to cozy up to historical US ally
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in the Philippines Tuesday for a key state visit to a long-time US ally, aiming to boost blossoming ties with potentially billions in backing for mega- projects. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has proven a willing recipient of Beijing's attentions, declaring shortly after his election in 2016 his nation's "separation" from former colonial master the US. Since then Beijing has promised billions of dollars in investment and loans for major infrastructure that the developing nation of 105 million deeply needs, but over two years later nearly none of it has arrived. Xi landed in Manila to a red-carpet welcome at the airport for the first visit from a Chinese president in 13 years, which Manila hopes will finally net those investment deals. China has dispersed tens of billions of dollars in loans since 2013 as it expands its political influence globally, countering the American hegemony that characterised the post-World War II order, especially in
MGP moves HC against former Cong leaders who joined BJP
The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) has moved the Goa bench of the Bombay High Court seeking disqualification of two former Congress MLAs, who quit the state assembly and joined the BJP, from contesting any fresh election. The MGP, an ally of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Goa government, in its petition claimed that owing to the ill health of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and two other former ministers, the political situation in the state was "fluid". Goa leaders Subhash Shirodkar and Dayanand Sopte had last month resigned from the opposition Congress and also from the state assembly to join the ruling BJP. Shirodkar is currently chairman of the state-run Economic Development Corporation (EDC) and Sopte heads the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC). MGP leaders Satyawan Palkar and Vikas Prabhu filed the petition before the high court bench here on Monday, urging it to quash and set aside the Goa assembly speaker's order of October 16, wherein ...
BJP colluding with Delhi Police in hatching conspiracy to attack CM: Sisodia
The BJP, in collusion with Delhi Police, is hatching a conspiracy to attack the chief minister, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia alleged Tuesday after a man flung chilli powder at Arvind Kejriwal outside his office in the Delhi Secretariat. Sisodia said the party and its members are not going to be cowed by the BJP's "petty" tactics. The Aam Aadmi Party has described the incident as "politically motivated". "The attack surprisingly took place at a high security area. Recently, BJP Delhi chief Manoj Tiwari reached near stage during the inauguration of signature bridge. BJP in collusion with Delhi Police is hatching a conspiracy to attack the chief minister," Sisodia told reporters. "We are not going to be cowed by the BJP'S petty tactics," he added. The man, Anil Kumar, who has been detained, was targeting the bespectacled chief minister's eyes, officials said. Kumar, whose Aadhaar card has been recovered, brought the chilli powder to the secretariat in packets of 'khaini', or ...
121 UP sugar mills to be operational this year: Adityanath
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said 85 out of 121 sugar mills in the state have been made operational this year, and the rest will start functioning by November 25. Adityanath also said that in Pipraich and Munderwa sugar mills, cane crushing will start in February 2019. A state government spokesperson Tuesday said the UP chief minister made the remarks while chairing a review meeting pertaining to sugarcane purchase late yesterday night. The CM directed the officials to initiate communication with private sugarcane mills and expedite the payment of dues to the farmers. "The farmers will not be exploited, and the state government will encourage the sugar industry and provide every possible help," Adityanath said. He also said that in the 2017-18 crushing season, a payment of Rs 28,633 crore has been made. The rest of Rs 6,830 crore will be made soon.
2nd phase of Panchayat elections in J&K end
Polling ended peacefully on Tuesday in the second phase of Panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir, with an overall voter turnout of 69.4 per cent although Anantnag saw a bare 0.9 per cent voting.
Ladakh MP says 'false' promises, unwise decisions behind quitting BJP
Days after resigning from the BJP's primary membership, Lok Sabha MP Thupstan Chhewang has said "false" promises and unwise decisions were the reason behind his decision, and not the desire to pursue "spiritual life" as projected. In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Ladakh MP revealed his reason to quit the BJP and resign from the Lok Sabha ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections. Chhewang's resignation is yet to be accepted by the party and the Speaker. "I have decided to keep my resignation from the party and the Lok Sabha a low-key (affair) as my intentions were never to score political points. However, I am constrained to give vent to my feelings now in view of the propaganda being indulged by the state party president about my writing (a) letter to the party's central leaders 'for the past around one year' expressing my willingness to quit active politics and opting for spiritual isolation. This is far from truth," Chhewang said in his letter. Last ...
Demonetisation was a bitter medicine to treat corruption: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday said he used the "bitter medicine" of demonetisation to bring back money into banking system and to give "proper treatment to deep-rooted corruption system" in the country. He also asked people to vote "intelligently" in the November 28 Assembly poll, asking them to ensure that "not even a single Congress candidate" is elected. Addressing a poll rally at Jhabua for the November 28 Assembly elections, Modi said, "We use poisonous medicine to eradicate termite. Similarly, I used note ban as a 'tez' (bitter) medicine to treat corruption in the country". "People who used to hide their money under beds, in their houses, offices and factories are now paying tax of every single penny and we are using this money for the right schemes for the common man," Modi said. Modi said his government has so far disbursed loans to 14 crore people, "that too without guarantee", under the ambitious Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana. "The amount of work we ...
Gowda, Kumaraswamy "most opportunistic" politicians:
Karnataka BJP president B S Yeddyurappa Tuesday accused Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda of being the "most opportunistic" politicians in the country, as he attacked the JDS-Congress government in the state on the farmers' issues. Extending his party's full support to the farmers' cause by calling for a state wide agitation on Wednesday, Yeddyurappa alleged that Gowda and Kumaraswamy were synonymous with "betrayal". Yeddyurappa also hit out at Kumaraswamy for a remark he made against a protesting woman farmer at Belagavi Sunday. "It is shameful on the part of the chief minister to make a disgraceful remark against a woman farmer. It is also arrogance to call the protesting farmers goondas and dacoits," Yeddyurappa said. Describing the chief minister's remarks against the woman "derogatory", he lashed out at Kumaraswamy for trying to defend it. He said those in public life should gracefully accept criticisms. Farmers protested the ...
BJP condemns chilli powder attack on Kejriwal
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday condemned the chilli powder attack on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, saying such acts are not acceptable.
Odisha Assembly adjourned till 3 pm after demonstration by BJP
The Odisha Assembly Tuesday witnessed a noisy scene as BJP legislators demonstrated in the Well of the House and accused the Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra of having a secret pact with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Unable to run the House, Speaker P K Amat adjourned the proceedings, thrice, till 3 pm. The issue was raised by the BJP lawmakers as soon as the House assembled for the Question Hour. They rushed to Well of the House and raised slogans against both the chief minister and the opposition leader. Even an all party meeting convened by the Speaker to resolve the matter failed to yield any result. The members of the BJP led by Rabi Naik claimed that Odisha's interest has been compromised due to the nexus between the leader of opposition and the chief minister. "This is something like 'Chor Machae Shor' (thief raising a hue and cry). All of us know that the BJD and the BJP are brothers. They are two sides of the same coin. The Congress has all along opposed ..
AP CM launches Bhu-Seva land reforms programme
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday launched Bhu-Seva programme on Tuesday.Under the programme, each land in the state would be allotted a unique 11 digit identity number, which would be called 'Bhudhar'. All revenue land-related transactions, like mutation, registration etc, will be carried out through the Bhudhar card."No state in the country has thought of such a policy. We have dedicated officers, highly able technocrats who worked so long time. Thus we are able to introduce Bhudhar for the first time in India. This is an initiative towards bringing corruption-free governance. We have designed this as a full proof system," said Chief Minister Naidu at the inaugurating the programme.Hailing the achievements of his government he added, "With the technological penetration, we are able to stand no. 1 in the country in many aspects be it safeguarding the lands, laying cement roads, fixing LED street lights etc. This month we got 76% satisfaction on the ...
Rs 20 lakh expenditure limit for Haryana Mayor poll
As per the provision made in Section 8B of the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act, 1994, the Haryana State Election Commission has prescribed Rs 20 lakh as the limit of expenditure for the candidates contesting the election of Mayor of Municipal Corporation.While stating this, State Election Commissioner Dr Dalip Singh said in a press statement on Tuesday that the other instructions issued vide notification dated May 18, 2017, would remain unchanged.It may be recalled that the State Election Commission had prescribed the election expenditure limit for contesting candidates for the member of Municipal Corporations vide its notification dated May 18, 2017.Haryana Municipal Corporation Act, 1994 has been amended by the Government according to which Mayor in the state will be chosen through the direct election by the electors of all wards of the concerned Municipal Corporation.
Russia denounces 'interference' in Interpol leadership vote
The Kremlin on Tuesday denounced "interference" in the election for a new Interpol president after critics including US senators objected to a Russian becoming chief of the global police body. "This is interference in the election process of sorts, in the election to an international organisation," President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, commenting on a statement from several US senators. "What else can you call it? This is a vivid example." Delegates from Interpol member countries will vote on Wednesday to elect the next president of the France-based body, at a general assembly in Dubai. A growing chorus of critics is calling on Interpol to reject a Russian interior ministry official, Alexander Prokopchuk, to lead the organisation, over fears Moscow could abuse the presidency to target political opponents. Current Interpol vice president Prokopchuk is seen as the favourite for the position. In a statement on Monday, US senators Jeanne Shaheen, Roger Wicker, Chris ...
J-K guv greets people on Eid-i-Milad-un-Nabi eve
Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik Tuesday greeted the people of Jammu and Kashmir on the eve of Eid-i-Milad-un-Nabi. He expressed hope that the occasion would be the harbinger of harmony, peace, progress and prosperity in the state. In his message, the governor observed that Islam teaches people the values of brotherhood, simplicity, compassion and morality, all of which need to be followed wholeheartedly in every day life.