Page 2477 - Politics

India, UK vow to strengthen cooperation to deal with counter-terror challenges

India and the UK Friday agreed to strengthen cooperation to deal with terrorism-related challenges such as countering radicalisation and terror financing as well as preventing the use of internet for terrorist purposes. At the 12th meeting of the India-UK joint working group on counter-terrorism here, the two sides also shared assessment on the prevailing terror threats globally and in their region, including cross-border terrorism in the Af-Pak region, the Ministry of External Affairs said. Both sides condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations at the meeting in which the Indian delegation was led by Mahaveer Singhvi, Joint Secretary (Counter-Terrorism), MEA, while the UK delegation was headed by Jane Marriot, Director of the Joint International Counter-Terrorism Unit. "They exchanged views on current counter-terrorism challenges, including countering radicalisation and violent extremism, combating financing of terrorism and preventing use of internet for terrorist ...

Delhi CM Kejriwal supports Andhra decision on CBI

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Friday supported the Chandrababu Naidu government's move to withdraw the "general consent" accorded to the CBI to conduct raids and carry out investigations in Andhra Pradesh. He also said AP Chief Minister Naidu should "not allow Income Tax officials to enter" the state. The reason to withdraw the consent was recent allegations against the top officials of country's premier investigation agency, Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister (Home) N China Rajappa told reporters. Kejriwal, the national convener of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), accused the Modi government of misusing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Income Tax department. "Chandrababu did the right thing. (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi ji is misusing the CBI and the Income Tax department. Why did not the CBI catch scamsters of notebandi (demonetisation), Vijay Mallya, Rafale, Sahara Birla diary etc. Naidu ji do not allow Income Tax officials also to enter your state," Kejriwal

Andhra decision on CBI: Bengal follows suit, BJP sees 'grand alliance of corrupt parties'

The Andhra Pradesh government's decision to withdraw the "general consent" accorded to the CBI to conduct raids and carry out probe in the state drew support from opposition parties with West Bengal government following suit even as the BJP alleged that it was an attempt by a "grand alliance of most corrupt parties" to ensure that its "corruption" was not exposed. Escalating its confrontation with the Union government, the Chandrababu Naidu dispensation in Andhra Pradesh withdrew its consent to the CBI. The West Bengal government did the same this evening. BJP spokesperson G V L Narasimhra Rao described the Telugu Desam Party government's order as a "clear mala fide exercise of power" to ensure that its "corruption" was not exposed, alleging that a "grand alliance of most corrupt parties" had taken shape to protect their interests. Leaders of the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal and the Gandhi family of the Congress were facing probe in "corruption" cases, he said, adding .

Migrants refuse to disembark in Libya, fearing torture: Amnesty

Dozens of migrants and refugees aboard a merchant vessel at a Libyan port are refusing to disembark for fear of "detention and torture", rights watchdog Amnesty International said on Friday. It said in a report that the group of at least 79 refugees and migrants, including several children, have been aboard the boat in the western Libyan port of Misrata for a week. The UN's refugee agency UNHCR said the boat had arrived in Misrata on November 10 with 95 refugees and migrants from Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Somalia. Since then, 14 have left the vessel. The others, Amnesty said, should not be "forced to disembark to be taken to a Libyan detention centre where they could face torture and other abuse". Their boat was intercepted in the Mediterranean on its way to Europe and was brought to Libya by a Panamanian flagged merchant vessel "in clear breach of international law", Amnesty said. It urged Libyan, European and Panamanian authorities to ensure the safety

J-K govt sets up panels for effective implementation of central power sector schemes

The Jammu and Kashmir government has set up panels for effective implementation of central power sector schemes in the state. The Governor's administration has accorded sanction to the constitution of divisional and district level committees for implementation of Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) in the power sector -- DDUGJY, IPDS, RGGVY-II, PMDP and SAUBHAGYA, an official spokesman said Friday. According to the order by issued by the General Administration Department (GAD), the divisional level committee shall be headed by the Divisional Commissioner of concerned division. Its members are Inspector General of Police, Chief Conservator of Forest (Central), Director, Rural Development Department, and Director, Urban Local Bodies (concerned), besides others. The committee shall hold fortnightly review of the progress of district level committees and seek resolution of inter-departmental issues requiring intervention at the divisional level, he said. The mandate of the committee is ...

After Andhra, West Bengal revokes consent to CBI for raids, investigations

The general consent was accorded to the CBI by the then Left Front government in West Bengal in 1989

BJP MP targets Naidu for barring CBI

BJP's Rajya Sabha MP GVL Narsimha Rao on Friday hit out at Andhra Pradesh government for barring the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from conducting raids in the state, calling it a "mala fide exercise to protect the corrupt".

Stop insulting 'chaiwala': Cong to PM

The Congress on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of insulting tea-sellers with his remarks and said that as someone who claimed to be a 'chaiwala' once, he "should not feel pained if anyone addresses him so". The party's reaction came after Modi attacked the Nehru-Gandhi family, saying they were still asking as to how could a "chaiwala" sit on the PM's chair "after their four generations ruled the country". Congress leader Pawan Khera said no profession is small and asked Modi "why do you consider being called a 'chaiwala' a humiliating comment". "Stop insulting a tea seller just because you are the Prime Minister. You will insult a tea seller. Sorry, this will not be acceptable," he told reporters. "Before winning the election, Modi used to say he is a 'chaiwala'. Why do you consider being called a 'chaiwala' a humiliating comment. Is any profession small. "Now that you have become the prime minister, why you have started considering this work as small and if someone ...

US judge orders White House to restore CNN reporter's access

A federal judge Friday ordered the White House to reinstate the press credentials of CNN reporter Jim Acosta, whose pass was revoked after a heated exchange with President Donald Trump. Judge Timothy Kelly issued a temporary restraining order that requires the White House to restore Acosta's access until a full hearing is held, according to the network. CNN and other media groups, including Trump favourite Fox News, backed the lawsuit, which claimed that revoking Acosta's pass violated constitutional guarantees of a free press. Kelly said that his ruling was based on "due process" for the journalist, and that he would holding additional proceedings on the constitutional issues at stake, including the First Amendment free press guarantee. "I want to be very clear that I have not determined that the First Amendment was violated," he said in the Washington courtroom. CNN lawyers argued in court Wednesday that the White House violated Acosta's First Amendment right to free speech in ...

Modi dares Congress to make a non-Gandhi party president for at least 5 years

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday challenged the Congress to make someone from outside the Gandhi family its chief for at least five years if it respected democracy, as he returned the Congress' barb that a 'chaiwala' could rise to power only because of democratic systems established by Pandit Jawahal Lal Nehru. In an apparent attack on Gandhis, Modi also said that the family whose "four generations ruled the country" cannot fathom how can the son of a poor mother could sit on the "rajgaddi" (throne). Addressing a poll rally here in Surguja district for the second phase of Chhattisgarh assembly elections scheduled for November 20, Modi also hit back at the Congress for questioning demonetisation, saying the move "still rankles" them as the money "stashed under beds and in sacks" was taken away in a single stroke. While the BJP has been ruling Chhattisgarh for 15 continuous years, the Congress was in power in the state only for three years after the state was carved out of Madhya .

Centre changing functioning of institutions, alleges Mamata

Taking a dig at the BJP for changing names of the cities, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday accused the Narendra Modi-led NDA government of trying to change the functioning of autonomous institutions like the RBI and the CBI.

BJP failed to perform, resorting to communal polarisation: Yechury

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury Friday said the BJP governments at the Centre and in Rajasthan had failed to perform and the party had no alternative but to fuel communal polarisation to win elections. He said the issues of Ram Temple, Sabarimala Temple and changing names of cities are being raked up by the BJP during election season for vote bank politics. The BJP-led governments at the Centre and in Rajasthan have failed in their policies and performance, Yechury said at a press conference here. There is strong resentment and angst among people against the party. So, the BJP is left with no alternative but to fuel communal polarisation to win elections, he said. The CPI(M) leader said the ruling party is trying to consolidate the Hindu vote bank and has already created an environment of violence and hatred. Yechury said his party's effort will be to oust the BJP from Rajasthan and it has decided to field 28 candidates from various seats in the state. Responding to a ...

Parl panel may quiz Urjit Patel on RBI's stand-off with govt on Nov 27

Tensions between the central bank and the government have escalated recently, with the Finance Ministry initiating discussions under the never-used-before Section 7 of the RBI Act

PM Modi to attend swearing-in of new Maldives president on Saturday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the inauguration ceremony of Maldives President-elect Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Saturday. This will be Modi's first visit to the Maldives as prime minister. "I will convey to the new Maldivian Government of Mr. Solih the desire of the Indian Government to work closely for realisation of their developmental priorities, especially in areas of infrastructure, health care, connectivity & human resource development," Modi said in a series of tweets. He said the recent elections in the Maldives represent the collective aspirations of the people for democracy, rule of law and a prosperous future. "We in India strongly desire to see a stable, democratic, prosperous and peaceful Republic of Maldives," the prime minister said. He also congratulated Solih on his victory in the recent elections and wished him "the very best for his tenure". Modi had recently accepted the invitation extended by Solih to attend his swearing-in ceremony.

Netanyahu battles to save weakened ruling coalition

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party denied Friday that he had decided to call a snap election, as he battled to keep the government afloat after his defence minister quit over a Gaza ceasefire. Netanyahu's ruling coalition was left with a single seat majority in parliament after the walkout on Wednesday by Avigdor Lieberman and his hawkish Yisrael Beitenu party. Netanyahu held crunch talks on Friday with his other main right-wing rival, Education Minister Naftali Bennett, whose religious nationalist Jewish Home party has threatened also to quit unless he is given Lieberman's job. But there were conflicting reports of their discussion, with a source close to Bennett telling AFP the two had agreed that "it would be senseless to continue" with the same coalition. "They will set a date for elections when they meet with the (other) coalition partners on Sunday," the source said. Within minutes, a statement from Likud said that was incorrect. "The prime minister told ..

Democracy in tatters, Sirisena pushes Lanka into deep political crisis

With the political situation highly turbulent in Sri Lanka, the parties are now waiting for the Supreme Court's verdict on December 6 to see if the House will be dissolved and Presidential elections will be announced or Ranil Wickremesinghe-led government will continue in office. Till then, political experts feel, the stalemate will continue in the country."There is a stalemate at this point of time and the situation is very fluid. The Supreme Court is expected to give its verdict on December 6. Even if the Court gives its verdict in favour of President Sirisena, the elections are not possible before February 2019," said Sugeeswara Senadhira, Director International Media and Research, in the office of Sri Lankan President.The genesis of the current problem in Lanka is the recent unconstitutional action of President Maithripala Sirisena, who dismissed the constitutionally elected Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and appointed former President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his place.Since ...

Fake degree in BJP's DNA, shortcut to ministry: Rahul

Taking pot-shots at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Smriti Irani, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday said "fake degrees" are a shortcut to ministerial births.

Cong blames Centre for Andhra Pradesh Govt order on CBI, terms it 'dangerous trend'

The Congress on Friday said it is a "dangerous trend" that states governments "no longer have faith" in the CBI and alleged that investigative agencies are being misused by the Centre. The party's reaction came after the Chandrababu Naidu Government in Andhra Pradesh withdrew the "general consent" accorded to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct raids and carry out investigations in the state. "Unfortunately, in the last four-and-a-half years, they (CBI and other agencies) have been treated like private armies of Amit Shah or the Prime Minister and to an extent of the NSA and that is why people doubt the ability of CBI to act independently, to act without pressure," Congress leader Pawan Khera alleged. The Congress leader said the recent goings-on in the CBI are a "very serious matter" and people should not lose faith in such premier agencies of the country. "If immediate remedial steps are not taken, it could prove dangerous for the country," he noted. The Andhra ...

Congress crying over note ban as it lost 'deposits of 4 generations': Modi

'Is it not right to bring back the looted money. The work will continue. Give your blessings to me for continuing my fight against corruption,' said PM Modi

Divisive discourse alienating Kashmiris: Mehbooba

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Friday expressed concern over the "divisive discourse" taking prominent space in the country, saying it contributed negatively to the situation in the Valley. "It is unfortunate that the focus is on the things other than development and inclusive politics. The fact is that the youth of Kashmir get discouraged due to such a discourse and it contributes to their alienation and anger," Mehbooba said. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president was addressing party functionaries of south Kashmir's Bijbehara and Srinagar's Zadibal here. The former chief minister asked the national leadership in the country to address the alienation of the state's people and listen to the clarion call of the present time. "The central government is duty-bound to address on priority the alienation of the people of the state, particularly the youth, and it cannot be done in the absence of a sustained political process," she said. She underscored the ..