Page 248 - Politics
Prahlad Joshi meets UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi ahead of Praliament session
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi met UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi at her residence here on Friday, ahead of the upcoming parliament session.MoS Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal and Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar were also present at the meeting.The first session of the 17th Lok Sabha will be convened from June 17 to July 26 during which the Union Budget will be presented by the new government on July 5. The first two days of the session will be earmarked for members to take the oath. Followed by the speaker's election the next day.The President will make his customary address to parliament after elections on June 20 followed by discussion and present vote of thanks to the President.An interim budget with a vote on account was passed during the budget of the outgoing house in February-march.
'State actor' behind oil tanker attacks off Emirati coast: probe report to UNSC
A "state actor" was most likely behind the attacks on four oil tankers off the Emirati coast which and bore the hallmarks of a "sophisticated and coordinated operation", an international investigation has informed the UN Security Council. Of the four commercial ships targeted in the May 12 attack, one was flying a UAE flag, two were tankers owned by Saudi Arabia, and the fourth was a Norwegian tanker. There were no casualties but Saudi Arabia has said two of its ships suffered "significant" damage. The US has accused Iran of being behind the attacks on the oil tankers, which came amidst escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington. The US has sent warships and bombers to the region as part of its response. "While investigations are still ongoing, these facts are strong indications that the four attacks were part of a sophisticated and coordinated operation carried out by an actor with significant operational capacity, most likely a state actor," said a statement from the UAE, ...
BCCI should stand with Dhoni: Kiren Rijiju
Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday said the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) should stand with M S Dhoni on the gloves controversy as it has nothing to do with politics."I am hopeful that BCCI will take up this matter with ICC and will solve this matter. M S Dhoni's identity is country's identity, army's identity and it is not politics. So, BCCI should stand with Dhoni," he told reporters.Rijiju said the government does not intervene in the affairs of the sports bodies as the bodies are autonomous and independent."I would like to say very clearly that the government does not intervene in the affairs of the sports bodies. BCCI or any sports federation, they are autonomous and they run their affairs independently," he added.Dhoni was seen donning a regimental dagger insignia of the Indian Para Special Forces on his wicketkeeping gloves during India's World Cup 2019 opening match being played against South Africa in Southampton on Wednesday.Rijiju also urged BCCI that ...
Uddhav Thackeray, new Sena MPs to visit Ayodhya on June 16
Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, accompanied by all the 18 newly-elected Lok Sabha MPs of his party, will visit Ayodhya on June 16 to offer prayers to Lord Ram. This will be Thackeray's second visit to the temple town in Uttar Pradesh in the last seven months and the first after the declaration of the Lok Sabha poll results. "Uddhav Thackeray will visit Ayodhya on June 16," party's Rajya Sabha MP and spokesperson Sanjay Raut tweeted Friday. The party, a BJP ally, had earlier announced Thackeray and the new MPs will visit Ayodhya before the start of the Parliament session to make a fresh pitch for construction of a am temple at the disputed site in the holy city. A statement issued by the party had said Thackeray will offer prayers to "Ram Lalla" on June 16, a day ahead of beginning of the Parliament session. The Sena chief had visited Ayodhya in November last year and reaffirmed his party's commitment to the construction of a Ram temple. At that time, the Shiv Sena .
Major ISI plot to revive militancy in Jammu foiled, 6 arrested
A major plot by Pakistani spy agency Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) to revive militancy in Jammu region has been unearthed with the arrest of six persons from whom photographs and videos of strategic locations have been seized, officials said Friday. The six spies were in direct contact with their handler, a colonel-level officer at ISI Kashmir cell, identified only by his first name Iftikhar, and with the terrorist group Hizb-ul-Mujahideen across the border. Initially two of the spies were arrested in May for shooting videos and taking photographs outside the Ratnuchak Military Station in Jammu. Militants have tried to target the sensitive military station, most recently in December when they opened fire on a sentry posted at an outpost. During interrogation, Mushtaq Ahmed Malik (38), from Doda district, and Nadeem Akhter (24), from Kathua district, revealed to security officials that they were also being guided by their handlers in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. They also disclosed .
Theresa May officially steps down as Tory leader
Outgoing British Prime Minister Theresa May will officially step down as the leader of the Conservative Party on Friday, but will retain the post of premiership until her successor is chosen, which is expected to be at the end of July.
BJP leaders meet Sonia to seek cooperation in Parliament
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders on Friday met UPA Chairperson and senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi to seek her party's cooperation in the upcoming session of Parliament, which will commence from June 17.
Police raids on Aussie media fuel calls for journalist protections
Australia's democratic credentials have been called into question following police raids on major media organisations this week, sparking urgent calls for greater protection of journalists and their sources. Police searched the home of a prominent Canberra journalist on Tuesday, hunting for information linked to a story she wrote last year on secret government plans to spy on Australian citizens. The following day they raided the headquarters of the country's venerable national broadcaster, the ABC. Agents spent eight hours trawling through emails, article drafts and journalist notes relating to an investigative report that showed Australian special forces had killed unarmed civilians in Afghanistan. They walked away with scores of documents on two USB sticks, sparking a political uproar and accusations that eroding government accountability had reached a tipping point. "It's revealing that Australia is one of the most -- if not the most -- secretive administrations of the democratic .
Bangladesh airlines pilot flying to bring PM back home caught without passport at Qatar airport
A Bangladeshi pilot, who flew a special plane to bring Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina back from Finland after her three-nation visit, was caught without his passport at Qatar's international airport, according to media reports. Captain Fazal Mahmud of Biman Bangladesh Airlines was denied entry at the immigration of Doha International Airport in Qatar on Thursday after it was found that he travelled without passport, the airline officials said. The flag carrier sent the passport of the pilot in another flight to Qatar later, Civil Aviation Secretary Mohibul Haque told bdnews24. The airline is now sending another pilot to bring Prime Minister Hasina back to Bangladesh, he added. The prime minister is in Finland as part of her official trips to three countries. She had earlier visited Japan and Saudi Arabia. She is scheduled to return home on Saturday. Fazal flew a Boeing 787 Dreamliner from Dhaka to Qatar on Wednesday night to bring Prime Minister Hasina back home. The issue of him ...
'Fruitless' to attend Niti Aayog meeting, Mamata writes to PM
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Friday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing her inability to attend the scheduled Niti Aayog meeting on June 15, saying it was "fruitless" as the body does not have the power to support state plans. "Given the fact that the Niti Aayog has no financial powers and the power to support state plans it is fruitless for me to attend the meeting of a body that is bereft of any financial powers," Banerjee said in a letter to the prime minister. The chief minister also suggested that focus should be shifted to the Inter-State Council (ISC) to deepen cooperative federalism and strengthen federal polity. "The experience of last four-and-half years we had with Niti Aayog brings me back to my earlier suggestion to you that we focus on Inter-State Council constituted under Article 263 of Constitution, with appropriate modifications to enable ISC to discharge its augmented range of functions as the nodal entity of the country," she said. "This ..
Kremlin says 'won't change' behaviour to improve ties with Britain
The Kremlin said Friday Russia will not change its behaviour to improve ties with London after a spokeswoman for British Prime Minister Theresa May urged Russia to do so. "No, we won't change (behaviour) because the only thing Russia wants is beneficial relations that are based on each others' interests," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, Interfax news agency reported.
Theresa May to formally resign, act as PM until new leader elected
Prime Minister Theresa May will formally resign as the leader of the UK's ruling Conservative Party on Friday, paving the way for a keen contest to decide a new British premier who will take charge of the Brexit negotiations. May, who had stepped down amid mounting pressure over her repeatedly defeated Brexit deal, will continue as acting prime minister until the party has elected her successor, who will then take charge as the premier. The formal Tory voting process will be triggered on Monday morning, with a new leader expected to be in place by next month. "It is, and will always remain, a matter of deep regret to me that I have not been able to deliver Brexit," May said in her emotional speech on the steps of Downing Street on May 23. "It will be for my successor to seek a way forward that honours the result of the referendum. To succeed, he or she will have to find consensus in parliament where I have not. Such a consensus can only be reached if those on all sides of the debate ..
Fruitless to attend NITI Aayog meet: Mamata
In an indication that she would skip the June 15 NITI Aayog meeting, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying it was "fruitless" for her to attend the deliberations as the body has no financial powers and the power to support state plans.
Fruitless to attend NITI Ayog meet: Mamata
Continuing on a collision course with the Centre's Narendra Modi-led NDA dispensation, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written to the Prime Minister saying it was "fruitless" for her to attend the June 15 meeting of the NITI Ayog as the body had no financial powers and the power to support state plans.
Karnataka: Congress hasn't learned any lesson yet, says Congress leader N. Cheluvarayaswamy
Amidst ongoing political slugfest in Karnataka, senior Congress leader N. Cheluvarayaswamy on Friday said hid has not learned any lesson even after the recently held Assembly polls."The Congress party, which has been in coalition with the JDS hasn't learned any lesson even after the recently-held Lok Sabha election and the party will have to pay if it decides continue ties with JD-S," said Cheluvarayaswamy.The former JDS leader, who joined the Congress a year ago, said, "Whatever the party decides, I will obey and respect its decision. However, it is a very difficult phase for the Congress and the leaders have to decide accordingly to fix it. There is no future with JD-S in the state and some of us are convinced by the fact that the situation has remained the same since the coalition.""The people of Karnataka have already taught JD-S a lesson in the recently held Lok Sabha election and the HD Kumaraswamy-led government hasn't learned a lesson yet. If Congress continues to support ...
Mamata writes to PM Modi, says fruitless to attend NITI Ayog governing council meet
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday declined the NITI Aayog's invitation to attend a meeting of its Governing Council to be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.In a letter written to Modi, Banerjee said that NITI Ayog has no financial powers to support the state-run schemes and it is fruitless for her to attend the meeting."Given the fact that the NITI Ayog has no financial powers and the power to support State Plans, it is fruitless for me to attend the meeting of a body that is bereft of any financial powers," the letter reads.The NITI Aayog has called a meeting of its Governing Council on June 15. Letters to the various heads of the state had been written by the CEO of NITI Aayog for the same.Mamata asked the Centre to give additional powers to the Inter-State Council (ISC) and make it the "nodal entity of the country" by adding the role of National Development Council to it."The experience of the last four and a half years we had, with the NITI Aayog, brings ..
Mamata writes to PM, expresses inability to attend Niti Aayog meeting
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Friday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing her inability to attend the Niti Aayog meeting on June 15, saying it is "fruitless" as the body has no financial powers to support state plans. "Given the fact that the Niti Aayog has no financial powers and the power to support state plans it is fruitless for me to attend the meeting of a body that is bereft of any financial powers," Banerjee said in a letter to the prime minister. Earlier too, Banerjee had skipped meetings of the policy think-tank, expressing her displeasure over the dissolution of Planning Commission and creation of a new structure. Modi is set to chair the fifth meeting of the Niti Aayog's Governing Council on June 15 to discuss various issues regarding the country's development.
TRS defends 12 Congress MLAs joining its ranks in Telangana
The TRS on Friday defended the action of 12 Congress MLAs in joining forces with the ruling party in Telangana, saying they have done so keeping in mind their political future, and blamed the Rahul Gandhi-led organisation for failure to keep its flock together. The Assembly Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy Thursday recognised the 12 defectors as members of the ruling party, hours after they requested him to do so, in a big blow to the Congress. TRS spokesperson Abid Rasool Khan claimed Friday the 12 MLAs decided to become part of the Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao-led outfit because of the development and welfare programmes of the government and "positiveness" of voters towards the ruling party. "Allegations of (Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president) N Uttam Kumar Reddy saying money-power, coercion or blackmailing (to win over these MLAs)...just show the weakness of the Congress party which cannot hold their own MLAs," Khan told PTI. "(These) MLAs are not school children. .
Andhra CM Jagan to have five deputy CMs
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday said he will have five deputy chief ministers.
Outcome budget biggest achievement of AAP govt in the field of governance: Sisodia
The biggest achievement of the AAP the government in the field of governance is the "successful" implementation of outcome budget, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said Friday. The outcome budget, introduced in 2017-18 as a novel idea of the ruling AAP , has helped in removing bottlenecks to improve delivery of services and goods to people of Delhi, Sisodia said. The outcome budget tracks performance of 567 schemes and programmes of Delhi government through nearly 2,000 quantifiable indicators. "I consider outcome budget as the biggest achievement of our government in past 4.5 years in the field of governance," the deputy chief minister said. He was speaking at a national conference on outcome budgeting organised by Dialogue and Development Commission of Delhi. Sisodia also released the outcome budget of the Delhi government for 2019-20. He said outcome budget is the force behind big ticket reforms by the Delhi government in power and water supply, education and health services ...