Page 2452 - Politics

Hindi is language of common people: Rijiju

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju, while attending the official language conference of the northern region here on Monday, said Hindi is a language of the common people across the country.The Central government officials from Delhi, Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand participated in the conference that was organized by the Department of Official Languages.Rijiju said Hindi was the national language as crores of people around the country think and express their ideas in this language. He added that Hindi was not only the language of freedom struggle but is also the language of social interactions.Rijiju, who was the chief guest on the occasion, also gave away awards to winners of various Central government offices, banks, PSUs and Town Official Language Implementation Committees (TOLICs) situated in various regions, which work towards the implementation and promotion of the Official Language ...

India one of Vietnam's top trading partners, major jump witnessed in investment relations: President Kovind

President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday said that India is one of Vietnam's top trading partners and the two countries have seen a major jump in bilateral trade and investment relations.President Kovind made this remark while addressing Indian diaspora here at an event organised as part of his state visit to the country.Expressing delight over his visit to Vietnam, President Kovind outlined the deep ties shared by the two countries saying, "India-Vietnam friendship is civili-zational. Our relations have been exceptionally warm and cordial. Our people have stood by each other during most difficult times. Our founding fathers -- Mahatma Gandhi and President Ho Chi Minh -- have guided us on a shared path. I have come here to deepen those enduring ties."He also thanked the government of Vietnam for providing him with a special opportunity to address the Vietnamese National Assembly.Invoking shared Buddhist history of the two countries and touching upon how monks have actively promoted ...

Congress issues jumbo list of over 400 office bearers for Guj

The Congress Monday released a jumbo list of over 400 office-bearers and executive committee members for its Gujarat unit who have been assigned different roles with an eye on 2019 Lok Sabha polls, a party official said. The list includes names of party's vice presidents, general secretaries, spokespersons, secretaries, joint secretaries, executive committee members, a treasurer, as well as permanent and special invitees to the state executive committee. "The Congress has made the list keeping in mind the upcoming Lok Sabha elections next year. The list includes names of several members who come from local levels and have been chosen on the basis of their performance in the 2017 Assembly elections," said a party official. He said the Congress has given opportunity to young members as well as seniors to play an active role for the upcoming elections. "While 22 persons have been made vice-presidents, another 43 persons have been made general secretaries. Moreover, 11 ...

Korean dancers to perform in Chandigarh

Dance groups from South Korea will present traditional dances from both North and South Korea here on November 29.

Gujarat to study Maharashtra quota decision and decide on Patidars: Rupani

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Monday said the state government had sought details from its Maharashtra counterparts about its decision to grant reservation benefits to the Maratha community to find out if the Patidar community could be given a quota here.

CM urges SGPC chief to join hands to celebrate Guru Nanak's 550th birth anniversary

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh urged SGPC President Gobind Singh Longowal on Monday to join hands with the state government to make the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev a "grand success". Amarinder Singh urged Longowal during a brief meeting when the latter had called on him at his residence to extend an invitation for the celebrations being launched by the SGPC on November 23, as per an official release. The chief minister said the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, the apex gurdwara body, should also be a part of the mega-scale celebrations being planned by the government befitting the historic occasion. The commemoration of the event is a lifetime opportunity for all, cutting across political, social and religious lines, to get together to espouse the cause and principles scripted by the first Sikh Guru, the chief minister said. "It calls for collective and active participation of one and all, in the spirit of harmony that the Guru has prompted," .

Pak is facing hybrid conflict, needs comprehensive response to deal with it: Gen Bajwa

Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa said on Monday that his country was facing a "hybrid conflict" which needs a comprehensive national response to deal with it. Addressing the National Security Workshop, organised by the Pakistan Army at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, Gen Bajwa said Pakistan had been subjected to various threats especially during the last two decades. "But Pakistani nationals and its armed forces bravely and successfully stood up to the challenges and the country is on a positive trajectory to defeat it effectively," the Army said in a statement. The National Security Workshop is an annual event, organised by the Army-run National Defence University, in which the participants are representatives of all segments of the society. The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) also warned of a fresh challenge faced by the nation. "We are now confronting hybrid conflict where focus is shifting to subversion on religious, sectarian, ethnic and social issues. This needs .

TRS will strive for 'federal front' after polls: KCR

The TRS would play a role in national politics after the December seven state Assembly elections towards the formation of a "federal front" that enhances the powers of states, party president and caretaker chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said Monday. Both the Congress and the BJP have miserably failed to rise to the expectations of people, he alleged, addressing an election campaign meeting at Khammam. "...Narendra Modi was given power with lot of hopes, there is nothing great he has done. (He) has not done anything for people," he said. The two parties, while in power at the Centre, had centralised powers, encroaching on powers of states, he alleged. "A definite 'federal front' that resists and stops them and enhances powers of states needs to come..I have made some effort for it... But, TRS will do politics, after these polls, that keeps Delhi under check," he said. Rao, who resumed his election campaign after a gap, said the state government was implementing as ...

Jana Sena to contest Lok Sabha polls in Telangana

Actor-politician Pawan Kalyan on Monday said that the Jana Sena will contest the Lok Sabha elections in Telangana.

HP CM alleges previous govt of neglecting development of state

Previous Himachal government failed to prepare detailed project reports for over 68 national highways sanctioned by the Union government, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said Monday. Addressing a public meeting at Jassur in Kangra district Monday, Thakur without naming anyone, alleged several ambitious projects kept on hanging fire due to lack of interest in development by the previous Congress government in the state. Eying the last assembly elections, the previous Congress government had made mere announcements of setting up of various projects a few months before the polls without any budget provisions, he added. Thakur said the present government in the state was paying special attention on development of those areas which had been remained neglected so far. Earlier in the day, he laid foundation stone of an inter state bus stand at Jassur to be constructed at a cost of Rs 7.50 crore. This bus stand would have three storey commercial complex and six ticket counters and other civic ..

Chiras pushes BJP for early announcement on seat-sharing in LS polls, criticises Kushwaha

Lok Janshakti Party leader Chirag Paswan Monday asked the BJP to announce at the earliest the seat-sharing deal for Lok Sabha polls among the NDA partners in Bihar and also criticised sulking RLSP leader Upendra Kushwaha over his recent comments. Paswan met BJP general secretary Bhupendra Yadav, who is his party's in-charge for the state, and told PTI later that seat-sharing talks among the BJP, Janata Dal (United), and his party have been positive. He told Yadav the BJP should make an announcement regarding the division of seats among these three National Democratic Alliance (NDA) parties at the earliest, he said. In a sign of Kushwaha's isolation within the NDA, Paswan disapproved of his recent outbursts, which have been aimed at Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar, and also the ultimatum given to the BJP that it should make an announcement regarding the seat-sharing arrangement by November 30. "Such talks only weaken the alliance. He (Kushwaha) also said that he ..

Indian Army's Adjutant General Kumar calls on Nepal Army chief Thapa

Indian Army's Adjutant General Lt Gen Ashwani Kumar on Monday called on Nepal Army chief Gen Purna Chandra Thapa here and discussed defence cooperation between the two countries. During the meeting, Army chief Thapa and Adjutant Gen Kumar discussed matters relating to mutual interest and bilateral cooperation, according to Nepal Army headquarters.

Nominations close in Telangana; CM's son Rama Rao, Cong

Telangana caretaker Ministers K T Rama Rao and Jagadish Reddy and state Congress Working President Revanth Reddy were among the prominent leaders who filed their nominations for the December 7 assembly elections Monday, the last day for the process. PCC chief Uttam Kumar Reddys wife Padamavathi also filed her nomination. Filing of nomination which had opened on November 12 came to a close Monday with officials expected to make the announcement on the total number nominations later. Scrutiny of papers has been fixed for Tuesday while the last date for withdrawal is November 22. Polls are scheduled to be held for the 119-member assembly on December 7 and counting on December 11. Rama Rao, son of caretaker Chief Minister and TRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao, filed his nomination from Sirsilla constituency in Rajanna Sircilla District. Congress fielded K K Mahender Reddy against Rama Rao. Revanth Reddy filed his papers from Kodangal in Vikarabad district. The TRS is going it ...

No confrontation between Centre and RBI: Piyush Goyal

Union minister Piyush Goyal Monday denied any confrontation between the Centre and country's central bank - Reserve Bank Of India (RBI). Goyal also said that there was nothing objectionable in discussions among the members of RBI's board of directors (BOD) about the central bank's responsibilities towards the country. In reply to a question amid the important meeting of RBI's BOD, Goyal said, "We are not seeing any tension between government and the RBI. Only Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and you people (media) are showing the signs of tension." He said, "The government has already clarified that it has not asked for even a single rupee from RBI's reserve fund." However, Goyal said that as an important national institution, the RBI has some responsibilities towards the country. No person should have any objection, if the central bank's board discusses these responsibilities in the national interest. The minister refused the Congress chief's allegations that the Narendra ..

HDK trains gun on PM for his Chhattisgarh remarks

Karnataka Chief Minister H DKumaraswamy Monday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi accusing him of misleading the country by claiming that the state government was issuing warrants and arresting farmers in debt. The chief minister he did not expect such a comment. "Yesterday, in his election speech in Chhattisgarh, the Prime Minister had commented that the Karnataka government isissuing warrants and arresting farmers against whom debts arepending. I did not expect such a comment from the Prime Minister. By saying this, he has misled the country," he told reporters here. On the contrary, Kumaraswamy alleged, the Modi government was issuing warrants with the help of the central government-controlled institutions. The Prime Minister had alleged that the Congress had madefalse promises to farmers during Karnataka elections, but even after a year, the promise remains unfulfilled. "Instead, the (Karnataka) government is issuing warrants and arresting farmers against whom ...

RBI board agrees to improve liquidity - sources

MUMBAI/NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The board of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Monday agreed to ease liquidity for the financial sector and increase credit to small businesses, two sources present at the meeting said.

Attack on Nirankari Bhawan a "terrorist" act; says CM, hints at Pak hand

The attack on Nirankari Bhawan here is a case of "terrorism", Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said on Monday and hinted at the involvement of Pakistan in the blast, in which three people were killed and over 20 injured. After visiting the attack site along with his senior ministers, the chief minister said certain "leads" have been found which are being pursued aggressively and assured that culprits would soon be arrested. The chief minister has also announced a reward of Rs 50 lakh for anyone providing information on those involved in the blast. "The grenade attack at the Nirankari Bhawan seemed to carry Pakistan's signature, with initial investigations indicating that the grenade used was similar to the ones being manufactured by the Pakistani Army Ordinance factory," Amarinder said. He said the police had recovered similar HG-84 grenades from a terror module busted by the Punjab Police last month, indicating a high probability of the involvement of inimical forces from across

BSF trooper killed in J&K blast

A Border Security Force (BSF) trooper was killed and three others were injured in an accidental explosion on Monday at a border outpost in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district, officials said.

Address public grievances first, Kejriwal tells officials

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday directed all the Heads of Departments (HoDs) of the Delhi government to make redressal of public grievances a "top priority" and that no complaint should be left unresolved.

Naidu, Mamata assert Oppn is united, evasive on who will be face of anti-BJP coalition

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee asserted on Monday that all parties opposing the BJP were united in their endeavour "to save the nation" and will chalk out a strategy to take on the saffron party ahead of the winter session of Parliament. Naidu, who met Banerjee here days after their governments withdrew the 'general consent' to the CBI to conduct probe and raids in their states, told reporters that the November 22 conclave of opposition parties which was to be held in Delhi has been postponed due to ongoing assembly elections and a fresh date for the meeting will be announced soon. The two leaders, were, however evasive on who will be the face of the proposed anti-BJP front, with Naidu quipping that "compared to Narendra Modi ji, we all are seniors", while Banerjee said "all are the face of the coalition". Flanked by the Trinamool Congress chief, Naidu attacked the NDA government at the Centre alleging that institutions