Page 2522 - Politics
Lanka president says parliament was dissolved to prevent unrest
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Sunday stoutly defended his controversial move to dissolve the parliament, saying it was taken to prevent clashes among rival lawmakers and also blamed Speaker Karu Jayasuriya for not accepting his presidential powers. In an address to the nation, Sirisena outlined the reasons for dissolving parliament almost two years ahead of schedule. Sirisena's decision was criticised by ousted prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, some political parties and civil society groups as unconstitutional and illegal. The president said there were media reports that politicians would clash during a vote to decide between two men claiming the premiership. On October 26, Sirisena abruptly sacked Wickremesinghe and replaced him with Mahinda Rajapaksa, after three-and-a-half years of an estranged relationship with him. The island nation plunged into a constitutional crisis following the move. Sirisena had suspended parliamentary proceedings until November 16. ...
Raje in first list of 131 BJP candidates for Rajasthan
The BJP Sunday announced its candidates for 131 of the 200 seats of the Rajasthan Assembly with Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje being fielded from her traditional seat of Jhalrapatan. The names were announced by senior party leader J P Nadda following a meeting of the BJP central election committee which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and its president Amir Shah besides other top leaders. Raje also attended the meeting. The party has also fielded its Lok Sabha MP Sona Ram Choudhary in the assembly poll and given tickets to 12 women. Party sources said about 25 sitting MLAs have been dropped and 85 incumbent legislators have been repeated. "Party candidates for all the seats we're discussed in the meeting. Names of other nominees will be announced soon," Nadda told reporters. The BJP is facing a strong challenge from a resurgent Congress in the state with the opposition party winning a number of by-polls in the last couple of years. A number of opinion polls has also given
Cong 'biggest hurdle' in Ram temple construction: Adityanath
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said Sunday the Congress was the "biggest hurdle" in building a Ram temple in Ayodhya. Addressing a rally in Durg district of Chhattisgarh for the second phase of assembly polls scheduled for November 20, Adityanath also accused the Congress of glorifying Naxals as "revolutionaries". "The Congress is the biggest hurdle in the construction of Ram temple and prestige of Hindus will not be protected until the Congress is there," he said. He also termed Congress chief Rahul Gandhi's temple visits a "hypocrisy". On one hand Congress leader Kapil Sibal appealed in the Supreme Court to defer hearing on Ayodhya land dispute case till 2019 Lok Sabha polls to delay the construction of Ram temple, on the other, Gandhi was visiting temples for political gains, the chief minister alleged. He also accused Gandhi of "insulting" people by labelling Hindus as "terrorists". "When Rahul Gandhi goes on foreign tours, he describes Indian Hindus as terrorists. ..
MP polls: Deputy advocate general's 'pro RSS' video irks Cong
A Madhya Pradesh deputy advocate general Sunday courted controversy by uploading a video on social media in which he is seen asking people to vote against "anti-national forces" in assembly polls scheduled for November 28. In the video, deputy advocate general Pushyamitra Bhargav went on add that he was "hurt" by a promise in the Congress's manifesto of setting aside relaxation given to government staffers to attend RSS shakhas. He is seen saying, "I have been hurt with the Congress's manifesto which pledges that holding of RSS shakhas in government premises in MP would be banned. Besides, the pledge mentioned the ban on government staffers from going to RSS shakhas. This amounts to violating the fundamental rights of the government staffers." The Congress has demanded that the Election Commission strip Bhargav of his government post for violating the poll code in effect in the state. Speaking to PTI, Bhargav confirmed that he uploaded the video and also claimed to have filed a ...
Ambulance stuck in TRS leader's bike rally for 20 minutes
An ambulance was caught for almost twenty minutes in a bike rally held by Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leader Malla Reddy in Medchal town on Sunday, for which the leader has drawn wide-scale criticism.The ambulance was stuck in a traffic jam caused due to the rally, and could not move for twenty minutes, which angered the local public.The supporters of the rally allegedly refused to make way for the ambulance which compelled it to take a detour.The Telangana Legislative Assembly Elections are scheduled to be held on December 7 to elect members from 119 constituencies. The counting of votes will take place on December 11.
Modi to hold 10 public meetings, seek votes for BJP in Madhya Pradesh
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will campaign for the BJP candidates in Madhya Pradesh, and hold 10 public meetings over 5 days in the poll-bound state.
Sena loves us 'secretly', BJP shows affection openly: Maha CM
The Shiv Sena "secretly" loves the BJP while the latter shows its affection openly, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said. He was speaking to reporters at an informal gathering Saturday in Ramgiri Bungalow in Nagpur. On the Sena's demand that the names of Aurangabad and Osmanabad be changed to Sambhaji Nagar and Dharashiv respectively, Fadnavis said the state government had cleared the proposal but there were litigations pending in this connection. The Maharashtra chief minister said an expansion of the state cabinet was likely before the winter session of the Maharashtra legislature. Fadnavis' government has 38 ministers and as per norms, its strength can go up to 42.
Handwara encounter: Deceased identified as JeM terrorist
A terrorist who was gunned down by police in Jammu and Kashmir's Handwara town in Kupwara district on Sunday has been identified as a member of terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).The deceased terrorist has been identified as Ishtiaq, a native of Pakistan.According to Jammu and Kashmir Police, the terrorist was involved in a series of terror attacks on security establishments and many other civilian atrocities in the area.Police have registered a case and initiated an investigation in the matter.
Cong women's wing holds protest against LPG price hike
The Congress Women's Wing in Punjab took to the streets on Sunday to protest against the second hike in the price of Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinder.Mamta Dutta, the President of the Congress Women's Wing in Punjab, accused the Prime Minister Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of making tall promises and failing to deliver on them."Today we are protesting against the hike in the price of LPG cylinders. The Modi Government is making false promises, they promised of 'acche din', but since Modi Government came to power, the development has stalled in the country," she told ANI.Price of LPG cylinder was increased for a second time this month. A subsidised 14.2 kg LPG cylinder is now sold at Rs 507.42 in the national capital, witnessing a hike of Rs 2.08.The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas attributed the hike to their decision of increasing the commission for LPG distributors. While distributors were earlier paid Rs 49.89 and Rs 24.20 for each 14.2 and 5 kg ...
US-backed force says resuming anti-IS assault in eastern Syria
A Kurdish-led force backed by a US-led anti-jihadist coalition said Sunday that it was resuming its offensive against the Islamic State group in eastern Syria. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an Arab-Kurdish alliance, had announced it was suspending its operation on October 31 after Turkey shelled Kurdish militia posts in northern Syria. The SDF said the resumption followed "intensive contacts" with the international coalition and "strong diplomatic activity" to defuse the crisis. "The leadership of the Syrian Democratic Forces has decided to resume military operations against the Islamic State group, and work towards its definitive defeat," the force said in an online statement. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said the operation had not yet restarted, but that SDF reinforcements had been sent to the area. Ankara views the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), which forms the backbone of the SDF, as a "terrorist" group linked to Kurdish rebels who have ...
Sirisena says parliament was dissolved to prevent unrest
Sri Lanka's president Maithripala Sirisena on Sunday defended his controversial sacking of parliament, saying the decision was taken to prevent violent clashes among rival legislators and horse-trading of MPs. Sirisena in an address to the nation outlined his reasons for dissolving parliament well ahead of its scheduled closure. Sirisena's decision was criticised by some political parties and civil society groups as unconstitutional and illegal. He said there were media reports that politicians would clash during a vote to decide between two men claiming the premiership. On October 26, Sirisena abruptly sacked Ranil Wickremesinghe as prime minister and replaced him with Mahinda Rajapaksa, after three-and-a-half years of an estranged relationship with him. The island nation plunged into a constitutional crisis following the move. Sirisena had suspended parliamentary proceedings until November 16. Later, owing to domestic and international pressure, he issued a notice to reconvene ...
Netanyahu, Putin meet for first time since friendly fire incident
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Paris on Sunday, their first face-to-face talks since the accidental downing of a Russian plane in Syria provoked tensions. Netanyahu, who like the Russian leader was in the French capital for World War I commemorations, told journalists he "spoke to many leaders, with President (Donald) Trump of course and also with President Putin." "My conversation with President Putin was good and to the point -- I would even say very important," Netanyahu said. "Beyond that I do not intend to elaborate." Their conversation was their first face-to-face meeting since the Russian plane was downed on September 17 by Syrian air defences, fired in response to an Israeli raid in the country. Fifteen Russians were killed in the incident, which Moscow blamed on Israel, accusing its pilots of using the larger Russian plane as cover. Israel disputes the Russian findings and says its jets were back in Israeli airspace when the .
MP polls: BJP attacks Cong's 'RSS shakha ban' manifesto pledge
The Congress's manifesto for the Madhya Pradesh Assembly polls, pledging a ban on holding RSS shakhas on government premises and stopping government staffers from attending those has raised the heckles of the ruling BJP in the poll-bound state. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Sambit Patra, vice-president Prabhat Jha and Madhya Pradesh unit chief Rakesh Singh hit out at the Congress Sunday, accusing it of being opposed to Lord Ram. The Congress manifesto also talks about withdrawing a relaxation given to state government staffers to attend shakhas (class) conducted by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). "The Congress believes in mandir nahin banane denge, shakha nahin lagne denge (won't allow the temple, won't allow shakhas). These are the very people who had earlier said that Lord Ram did not exist, that he was a mythical character. That's why they were opposed to the construction of the Ram temple," Patra told reporters in a hurriedly-convened press meet here. "Kapil ...
Bangladesh to blame if Rohingya returns delayed: Myanmar gov't
Myanmar's government on Sunday insisted any delays to the repatriation of Rohingya refugees would be the fault of Bangladesh, just four days ahead of the controversial planned start date. After repeated setbacks, the neighbouring countries declared that the first of more than 2,200 Rohingya Muslims would be repatriated on November 15, even though international NGOs and the United Nations have said conditions are not yet in place for a safe return. More than 720,000 Rohingya Muslims fled Myanmar's western Rakhine state in a military crackdown in August last year. Survivors brought with them testimony of widespread murder, rape, torture and arson and are fearful of going back to Rakhine state without guarantees of safety, freedom of movement and citizenship. Myanmar and Bangladesh signed the deal last November but the UN has repeatedly said that any repatriations must be "safe, dignified and voluntary". "We are ready," declared social welfare minister Win Myat Aye to reporters in Yangon
Cong, SP, BSP treat people as vote banks: UP Dy CM Maurya
Accusing the Congress, SP and the BSP of treating people as their vote banks, Uttar Pradesh deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya Sunday said the opposition parties never worked for the poor. Maurya claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) governments at the Centre and in the state were working towards improving the lives of people from different sections of the society. "Congress, Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) have spoken about gareebi hatao (poverty alleviation), but they treated the common people as their vote banks," Maurya said in Kanpur. "They have not worked for the welfare of the people or the poor," he said further in his address to the BJP's Information Technology (IT) cell workers. On the contrary, the governments of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath were working for the welfare of people hailing from different sections of the society and getting good results, he claimed. Attacking the Congress in particular, .
Chhattisgarh's Congress VP Ghanaram Sahu resigns
Chhattisgarh's Congress vice president Ghanaram Sahu resigned from the party on Sunday, a day ahead of the first phase of polling in the state.In his resignation letter addressed to the state's party president Bhupesh Baghel, Sahu has alleged that he was mentally harassed by Baghel due to personal grudges.The first phase of elections comprises 18 seats distributed in eight Naxal-affected districts of the state. Of these, 12 are reserved for Scheduled Tribes, while one is Scheduled Caste reserved seat.The polling for remaining 72 seats will take place on November 20. The counting of votes will take place on December 11.A total of 1,291 candidates are in the fray for the two-phased state polls.
Soldier killed on LoC in Pakistani firing
An Indian soldier was killed on Sunday in a ceasefire violation by Pakistan on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district.
Amarinder flays sacking of scholar Kirpal Singh from Sikh history resources project
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Sunday took strong exception to the SGPC's decision to sack noted Sikh scholar Kirpal Singh as the chairman of the Sikh History Resource Editing Project amid a controversy over the alleged distortion of the community's history in PSEB's class 12 text books. Amarinder Singh flayed the decision, saying it was clearly taken by the SGPC, the apex religious body of the Sikhs, at the behest of their Akali masters. Pointing to the timing of the decision, the chief minister termed it as "politically motivated" and accused the Akalis of "indulging in cheap political gimmickry to divert the public attention from their internal crisis. He said the decision was also aimed at diverting the attention from the "more serious issue of the sacrilege cases, in which the Justice Ranjit Singh (retd) Commission had found them involved." Had the SGPC been even remotely concerned about the distortion of the history syllabus of the Punjab School Education Board textbooks,
Coimbatore airport expansion: TN govt releases Rs 75 cr
The Tamil Nadu government has sanctioned Rs 75 crore as compensation to those whose lands were acquired for expansion of the city airport, in the first phase, Municipal Administration Minister S P Velumani said Sunday. Addressing a roadshow of Global Investors Meet scheduled to be held in 2019, he said Rs 1,500 crore has to be disbursed as compensation for acquisition of about 650 acres of land. In the first phase, the government has released Rs 75 crore, which will be given to the land owners in another 10 days, he said. He also said that he has taken up with the Centre, the issue of extension of the Mumbai-Bengaluru industrial corridor till Coimbatore, which would act as a force multiplier.
KCR, PM Modi failed to fulfil people's aspirations: Ex-Union Min
All India Congress Committee (AICC) spokesperson and former Union Minister Rajiv Shukla on Sunday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Telangana caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao of making false promises to people.Addressing the media, Shukla said, "The upcoming polls are going to be very crucial. The Congress has created Telangana. Rao cheated the Congress party and Telangana public by saying he will merge the TRS party in the Congress and he will make a Schedule Caste leader as a Chief Minister. But he failed to do so. Rao in Telangana and Prime Minister Modi in Delhi are making false promises.""KCR promised to give one lakh jobs for the unemployed but he has given employment to his own family members. At present, 20 lakh people are unemployed in the state. Telangana stands among the top-3 in unemployment. KCR has cheated each and every community in Telangana. There is no women minister in KCR's cabinet. There are no doctors in the hospitals. There is no ...