Page 2481 - Politics
BJP is history changer, name changer, but not game changer: Mamata
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday fired a fresh salvo at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), asserting that the party is a "history changer, name changer, note changer and institution changer, but not game changer", due to which, "the country is in danger."Addressing a party meeting here, Banerjee said, "BJP is history changer, name changer, note changer, institution changer and policy changer, but not a game changer. The country is in danger. They (BJP) project as if they have given birth to the nation but they were nowhere during independence."Accusing the BJP of "capturing" key institutions, such as the CBI and RBI, Banerjee said that the party has been misusing power, something, which according to her, was never witnessed in the country before.Continuing her tirade against the BJP-led Centre over the National Register of Citizens (NRC) issue, Banerjee urged the citizens of Assam to continue agitating against the draft list, while adding that the TMC will back such
US Senate Bill to punish Saudi over Khashoggi killing, Yemen crisis
The US Senate on Thursday introduced a legislation seeking to punish Saudi Arabia over the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and escalating the political as well as a humanitarian crisis in Yemen.Quoting sources, Al Jazeera reported that if the bill eventually becomes a law, it would suspend weapon sales to Saudi Arabia and prohibit US refuelling of Saudi-led airstrikes in Yemen.The bill would also impose sanctions on anyone blocking humanitarian access in Yemen and supporting the Houthi rebels.The move came hours after the US Department of State on Thursday imposed what are known as Magnitsky Act penalties on 17 Saudi Arabian individuals for their alleged involvement in Jamal Khashoggi's assassination at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in October.According to the US State Department, "the Global Magnitsky Act empowers the United States to take significant steps to protect and promote human rights and combat corruption around the world."Saudi Arabia initially rejected ...
PM Modi challenges Congress to appoint 'outsider' as party president
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday challenged the Congress to appoint a party president from outside the Gandhi family.Addressing a public rally here, Prime Minister Modi said: "Congress speaks about democratic ideals and say it was due to (former prime minister) Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru that Modi, a 'Chaiwala', is the Prime Minister today. But if they make someone their party president who is not from that one family, I would agree they value the democratic ideals."Training guns at the rival party, he accused the Congress of having done nothing for the people of the state and hence, have little to tell the people about their achievements. "What did the Congress governments do for the people of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh when they were in power in these states. Four generations of Congress ruled but they have nothing to tell the people. We are everyday giving a report card of what we have done in last four years," he added.Continuing his tirade against the party, the Prime ...
Cong didn't care for nation's security when it ruled: Shah
BJP president Amit Shah Friday said the Congress did not care about the nation's security when it "ruled India for 70 years", adding securing the borders was a major achievement of the Modi-led government. Addressing a poll rally, Shah credited the Modi government with giving impetus to boosting the country's security. "When the Congress was in power and Manmohan Singh was the prime minister, Pakistani terrorists used to infiltrate, explode bombs and go back," he said. There was anger across the country after the 2016 Uri attack in which 18 Indian soldiers were killed. But this was not the regime of Mauni Baba (Manmohan Singh). Modi ji ordered our jawans to conduct surgical strikes and take revenge," Shah said. "The Congress did not care about the country's security for 70 years when it was in power, but bothered only about their vote banks. For us, security is more precious than our own lives," he said. Shah said the difference between the BJP and the Congress is that
Netanyahu announces investment in areas near Gaza after criticism
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu allocated $135 million for communities near the Gaza Strip, which have been affected by the firing of rockets from the enclave, after Israeli residents criticized the acceptance of a ceasefire there, authorities said on Friday.
Goa mining closure: GMPF plans protest in Delhi from Dec 11
People dependent on the mining sector in Goa will hold a three-day protest in New Delhi's Jantar Mantar from December 11 to press for its resumption, the Goa Mining People's Front said Friday. The decision was taken after hundreds of such people gathered at Panaji Friday, said Puti Gaonkar, president of the GMPF. The mining sector in Goa has come to a standstill after the Supreme Court, in an order in February this year, quashed 88 mining leases and banned the extraction of fresh ore from March. "We will be pressing for an amendment to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation)Act2015 as well as Goa, Daman andDiuMiningConcessions (Abolitionand Declaration asMiningLeases)Act, 1987. This will help extend life of Goa mining leases till 2037," he said. GMPF leaders Friday met Goa Forward Party president Vijai Sardesai, Congress Leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar, Shiv Sena Goa vice president Rakhi Prabhudesai Naik and AAP Goa president Elvis Gomes for ...
UP MLA Raja Bhaiya to float new party
Controversial politician and six-time independent MLA Raghuraj Pratap Singh, also known as Raja Bhaiya, Friday said he will float a new party opposed to reservation in promotions and the draconian provisions of the SC/ST Act. The former minister who now represents Kunda assembly constituency said the new party will have 'Jansatta' (people's power) as its prefix. Singh said the Election Commission has been approached for the registration of the new party as "Jansatta Party", "Jansatta Loktantrik Party" or "Jansatta Dal". The group, which will hold a rally soon, and is yet to decide on contesting the coming Lok Sabha polls, he told reporters. Singh has been a minister in state governments headed by Akhilesh Yadav, Kalyan Singh and Rajnath Singh. He has faced 48 cases and has been the state's prisons minister in the Samajwadi Party government. "Today, I have completed 25 years in active politics. This is my sixth term as an independent MLA, Raja Bhaiya said. He said that among the issues
Scindia compares 'Mama' Shivraj with Kansa, Shakuni
With the poll battle heating up in Madhya Pradesh, Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia has taken to Hindu mythology to attack Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, alleging he was "Kalyug's Mama" similar to the characters of 'Kansa' and 'Shakuni' mentioned in the Mahabharata. Chouhan is popularly known as 'Mama' (maternal uncle) and he has often said that he endears this title that he earned by working for upliftment of women and girl child in the state as a dutiful brother to the women of Madhya Pradesh. Kansa and Shakuni are two popular 'maternal uncles' from the Hindu mythology, who are mostly seen as negative characters. While Kansa was Lord Krishna's maternal uncle, Shakuni had the same relationship with Kauravas and Pandavas in the Mahabharata. Addressing an election rally here late Thursday evening for the November 28 assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, Scindia said this is the time to uproot the "corrupt government" that is ruling the state for 15 years now. "Shivraj Singh ...
Tibet should be one of the core issues for India: Sangay
Tibet should be one of the core issues for India as China is trying to "influence" all of its neighbours, Lobsang Sangay, the head of the Tibetan government in exile has said. China insists Tibet has been part of its territory for centuries, but many Tibetans say they were essentially independent for most of that time. The Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959 amid an abortive uprising against Chinese rule in his Himalayan homeland. Sangay, who is currently here, has met a number of senior US administration officials, congressmen and senators and members of the think-tank community like the Hudson Institute. Explaining his quest for India making "Tibet a core issue", Harvard educated Sangay said that after the occupation of Tibet, the People's Liberation Army has now moved near the border of India. "Now they are influencing all of India's neighbours, from Pakistan, to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal. It is a reality now," he said in an interview to PTI. India and Tibet have had ...
Modi challenges Congress to appoint a non-Gandhi as its chief
Exploiting to the hilt Congress leader Shashi Tharoor's remarks that a "Chaiwala" (tea-seller) became Prime Minister because of Jawaharlal Nehru's commitment to democracy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday attacked the Congress challenging it to appoint a non-Gandhi as party president for five years.
Germany considers expelling convicted Syrians
Germany is examining if Syrians convicted of crimes in Europe's biggest economy or who are deemed dangerous can be sent back to their conflict-torn country, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said Friday. "That is being looked at closely in our ministry," Seehofer told newspaper group RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND). Tens of thousands of Syrians have sought asylum in Germany, with the biggest influx taking place in 2015. A ban on expulsions to Syria has been in place as war rages there, but the restriction runs out at the end of the year. Germany would then need to consider whether to extend the ban, and the foreign ministry's assessment of the situation in Syria would be crucial in the decision. But several high-profile crimes involving migrants have soured the public mood in Germany, prompting interior ministers of several states to push for the expulsion of asylum seekers who have been convicted. "Once the security situation allows, dangerous individuals and criminals can be ...
Rajnath promises road facelift, more power to tribal councils
Alleging that the Congress government had not done anything to bring about development in Mizoram, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh Friday said the BJP, if voted to power, would upgrade the road infrastructure in the state within six months. Addressing an election rally here, he said the condition of roads in the north eastern state has gone from bad to worse under the Congress rule. "The BJP, if elected to power, will build highways and mend roads in the state within six months. The poll-bound state probably has the worst road infrastructure in the country even after a decade of Congress rule," Singh said. The minister also asserted that the Centre would ensure passage of an amendment to the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, providing more power to the autonomous district councils of Mizoram. "If the two BJP nominees in the Mara Autonomous District Council (MADC) are elected to power, the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre will be able to push for an amendment to the Sixth ...
UK PM May soldiers on amid ongoing Brexit rebellion
British Prime Minister Theresa May on Friday soldiered on with a rare move of directly addressing the public's questions over their Brexit concerns amid an ongoing rebellion within her own Conservative Party over a controversial European Union (EU) withdrawal agreement. A day after she was hit by a number of ministerial resignations, including Brexit secretary Dominic Raab who stepped down over "fatal flaws" in the divorce deal with the EU, there are reports that his potential replacement may also be pondering stepping down from the Cabinet. Michael Gove, who is the current environment secretary, was reportedly asked to step in as the new Secretary of State for Exiting the EU but he has been reluctant. "I haven't appointed a new Dexeu (Department for Exiting the European Union) secretary yet and I will be making appointments to the government in due course," May said during her phone-in with London's LBC radio, when asked about the issue. Confronted by some angry callers over allowing
Maha Assembly completes historical 4 years without Dy Speaker
The 13th Maharashtra Legislative Assembly will go down in state history as the one without a deputy speaker for the longest gap of four years. The BJP government led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis assumed office on October 31, 2014 and won the trust vote on November 12. Prior to the trust vote, BJP leader Haribhau Bagade was unanimously elected Speaker. The Shiv Sena joined the government in December, 2014. The Lower House of the state legislature has met 15 times since then, and on Monday will meet again for the 16th time for a two-week winter session. Speaking on the absence of a deputy speaker, legislature officials said it is a Constitutional post with laid down procedures for its election. However, these officials added, it was up to the government of the day to fill the post. During the Sena-BJP rule between 1995-99, Sharad Motiram Tasare of Congress from Teosa Assembly constituency was the Deputy Speaker. Later, during the 15-year rule of the Congress-NCP, the
Andhra bars CBI officials from entering state without permission
In an unprecedented move, THE Andhra Pradesh government has barred the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from conducting raids or carrying out investigations in the state without its permission.
Ballari MP Ugrappa to focus on key areas in remaining term
Newly elected Congress MP from Karnataka's Ballari, V S Ugrappa Friday said he would focus on drinking water, health and infrastructure in the remaining five months of his tenure. Ugrappa won the Ballari seat in the recent Lok Sabha by-polls by a margin of more than 2.43 lakh votes, defeating BJP's J Shantha, sister of B Sriramulu, a key aide of the controversial mining barons-- the Reddy brothers and former MP from there. He will take oath as the Member of Parliament (MP)during the winter session of the House. "There has not been any development in Ballari and there are many problems like farmers distress, poverty, unemployment among others. I will not say that I will bring big reforms in the next five months. I will at least focus on priority issues," the Congress leader told reporters here. The priority areas could be providing safe drinking water, health, better roads besides ensuring procurement of paddy, he said. Ugrappa, close aide of former chief minister Siddaramaiah, also ...
India, China should boost military exchanges: Chinese defence minister
India and China should boost military exchanges and improve mutual trust and properly manage and control any "disparities", Chinese State Councillor and Defence Minister Gen Wei Fenghe has said. Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra, who headed the Indian delegation at the ninth India-China Annual Defence and Security Dialogue here on November 13, called on Wei on Thursday. At the dialogue, held over a year after the 73-day Doklam military standoff in the Sikkim sector, top defence officials of India and China agreed on the importance of maintaining peace in the border areas while implementing the consensus reached between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping at the Wuhan summit in April. While meeting with Mitra, Wei said China and India see far more common interests than divergencies between each other, stressing that the two countries should boost military exchanges, improve mutual trust in the security field and properly manage and control any "disparities", state-run ...
Australia takes India to WTO over sugar subsidies
Australia said on Friday that it was taking legal action against India, the world's second-largest sugar producer, at the WTO over subsidies which it said caused a "significant downturn" in world sugar prices and hurt Australian producers. Australia alleges that the subsidies, which have seen Indian sugar production leap from an average 20 million tonnes to 35 million tonnes this year, far exceed the level of farmer assistance permitted under WTO rules. The action, known formally as a counter notification, comes after Australia has repeatedly raised the issue with India directly, ABC News reported. It means the issue will initially be discussed at the WTO's Committee on Agriculture meeting scheduled for later this month. Trade Minister Simon Birmingham said it was time India, the world's second-largest sugar producer, was held accountable for its market distorting policies on sugar. "We have raised our industry's deeply held concerns on numerous occasions with senior levels of the ...
N Korea official urges Japan to apologise over forced labour
A senior North Korean official on a visit to South Korea has called for Japan to apologise for the wartime forced labour of thousands of Koreans. Ri Jong Hyok made the comments Friday at a forum outside South Korea's capital that represented a rare effort by the rival Koreas to discuss Japan's actions before and during World War II. Anti-Japanese sentiment runs deep in both Koreas, which were colonized by Japan for 35 years before their division at the end of the war in 1945. Ri is a vice chairman of North Korea's Korea Asia-Pacific Peace Committee and heads the North's five-member delegation to the forum. Officials from South Korea's national government say they have no plans to meet Ri during his visit in the South.
Modi dares Congress to make "outsider" party president
Returning the Congress' "a chaiwala could become prime minister due to Nehru" barb, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday dared it to make someone "from outside the family" as its chief for him to believe the late leader created a true democratic system. Modi also charged the Gandhis with still not being able to come to terms that a "son of a poor mother" could become the country's prime minister. Addressing a campaign rally for the second phase of Chhattisgarh Assembly elections, Modi slammed the opposition party for crediting his occupying the PM's post to Nehru instead of people in the country. He also hit back at the Congress also 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. He asked Congress to give account of what the four generations of the (Gandhi) family did for the nation. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor had said it was due to the institutional structure ...