Page 2525 - Politics
No factionalism in Haryana Cong: Hooda
Denying reports of any factionalism in Haryana Congress, former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the "party's face" for the next year's assembly election in the state will be decided by the Congress high command and he will abide by it. The assembly elections in the state will be held few months after the 2019-parliamentary elections. "Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are our leaders. All the Haryana leaders are working to strengthen the Congress in the state and the party will take appropriate decision at the appropriate time," Hooda told PTI-BHASHA, denying reports of any infighting in the Congress. "I will abide by the party high command's decision," he stressed, when asked what would be his role in the forthcoming elections. The reports of growing factionalism in Haryana Congress are regularly coming in the media, however, both the state Congress chief Ashok Tanwar and Hooda have been denying any infighting or differences between them. On the internal rift in the Indian ...
No question of joining hands with any other party without DMK: Cong
Days after actor-politician Kamal Haasan offered to join hands with it if it snapped ties with the DMK, the Congress has said the Dravidian major will decide on the contours of the "secular" alliance in Tamil Nadu to oust the BJP from power in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. There was absolutely no question of joining hands with any other party without the DMK, "a trusted and long-time ally," All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary Sanjay Dutt told Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief M K Stalin Saturday when he called on him, Congress sources told PTI. The alliance in the southern state to strengthen the hands of Congress president Rahul Gandhi was being led by Stalin and only he might decide, in consultation with other friendly parties, on whether a particular party like Haasan's Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) could be a part of it or not, Dutt was quoted as having said. Dutt, the AICC in-charge for Tamil Nadu, met Stalin at the latter's residence here, in his second visit in recent ...
Protestor breaches Trump's motorcade
A topless protestor breached security barriers in Paris and ran towards US President Donald Trump's motorcade before being accosted by three French security officials on Sunday.Trump was on his way to the Armistice Day celebrations at the Arc de Triomphe when the incident took place. Quoting photographers traveling with the US President, CNN reported that the protestor had 'fake' and 'peace' written across her unclad chest.World leaders like German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Indian Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu have reached the centenary celebrations being hosted French President Emmanuel Macron.Countries like the UK and Australia have observed moments of silence to mark the occasion.
Dana Rohrabacher, quirky US congressman fond of Putin, loses seat
Representative Dana Rohrabacher, whose quixotic foreign policy campaigns made him persona non grata in Pakistan and Afghanistan and who became a rare US defender of Vladimir Putin, has lost his seat after 30 years. The 71-year-old Republican, whose exploits have included grabbing a gun to join Afghanistan's anti-Soviet mujahedin, was projected Saturday to have lost, four days after midterm elections in which Democrats seized the House of Representatives. Harley Rouda, a Democratic real estate developer, led Rohrabacher by four percentage points in a district in southern California's Orange County, a longtime conservative bastion that gave rise to Republicans Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan but where greater ethnic diversity has contributed to a shift toward Democrats. After working as a speechwriter to Reagan, Rohrabacher was elected to Congress in 1988 on an aggressively anti-communist platform. Yet his stern views belied a quintessentially Californian quirkiness as he relished ...
China-backed trade deal centre stage at summit as US retreats
World leaders will push for the rapid completion of a massive, China-backed trade deal that excludes the US at a summit this week, in a rebuke to rising protectionism and Donald Trump's "America First" agenda. China, Japan, India and other Asia-Pacific countries could announce a broad agreement on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which covers half the world's population, on the sidelines of the annual gathering. Not only is the US absent from the deal, but Trump is skipping the summit in Singapore, highlighting how far he has pulled back from efforts to shape global trade rules and raising further questions about Washington's commitment to Asia. Trump launched his unilateralist trade policy with a bang shortly after coming to office by withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a deal spearheaded by predecessor Barack Obama that aimed to bind fast-growing Asian powers into an American-backed order to counter China. His approach has left the floor open for ..
Former Goa unit RSS chief announces entry into politics
Former Goa unit RSS chief Subhash Velingkar Sunday announced that he had "officially joined politics" as it was "the right time now". Velingkar, who had a long association with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh but never fought any poll, was removed from the Sangh Parivar in 2016 for continually criticising Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar for giving grants to English-medium schools in the state. Velingkar told reporters that 'Bharat Mata Ki Jay', the non-political outfit he headed, had in a meeting held on Sunday unanimously allowed him to enter politics through the Goa Suraksha Manch. The GSM is a political outfit mentored by Velingkar in the run-up to the 2017 Goa Assembly polls. "Since I was BMKJ chief, and since it was a non political organisation, I could not get into politics all this while without its permission. Today, BMKJ took a unanimous decision to allow me to join GSM," Velingkar said.. "I have officially joined politics now. The time is right for me to join ..
Kushwaha to apprise Shah of his woes in Bihar
Union minister and RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha Sunday said he would apprise BJP chief Amit Shah of the "humiliation" he had suffered at the hands of Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar. Kushwaha said he would also request Shah to clear the "confusion" over seat-sharing among the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) constituents in the state at the earliest. Before leaving for New Delhi, the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) chief told reporters at the airport here that he had sought an appointment with Shah. Kushwaha said he met Ram Vilas Paswan, the president of NDA constituent Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), earlier in the day and the latter concurred with his view that seat-sharing talks should be held at the earliest, involving all the coalition partners. Kushwaha has reportedly been peeved after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Janata Dal (United) decided to contest an equal number of seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha election in Bihar. The state sends 40 members to ...
Terrorist killed in shootout in Kupwara: Police
An unidentified terrorist was killed in a shootout after the ultras attacked a security forces party in Handwara area of Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, police said. Terrorists attacked a security forces party at a naka at Handwara bypass in the north Kashmir district, a police official said. He said the security forces retaliated and in the shootout, an ultra was killed. The identity and group affiliation of the slain ultra is being ascertained, the official said, adding further details were awaited.
World leaders mark WWI centenary in sombre Paris ceremony
US President Donald Trump, his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and dozens of other world leaders joined France's Emmanuel Macron in commemorating the centenary of the end of World War I in a solemn ceremony in Paris on Sunday. The ceremony at the foot of the Arc de Triomphe war memorial on the Champs-Elysees marked the culmination of events for the 100th anniversary of the end of the four-year onflict which claimed 18 million lives. Macron led dozens of heads of state and government including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, on foot towards a viewing stand at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier under the Arc de Triopmhe. Trump and Putin arrived separately from other leaders at the commemorations, which took place in the rain. Minutes before the start of the ceremony two topless protesters from the radical feminist group Femen attempted to waylay Trump's motorcade as it rolled up the Champs-Elysees. They were immediately overpowered by ...
Macron receives VP Naidu at Arc de Triomphe
Vice President of India M Venkaiah Naidu was on Sunday received by French President Emmanuel Macron at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris in a ceremony to commemorate the Armistice of the First World War.Vice President Naidu will also participate in the Paris Peace Forum, organized by the Government of France in the city from November 11 to 13, as part of the Armistice Centenary. He is also slated to speak at a high-level panel discussion titled 'Dialogue of the Continents on Global Governance.'Various heads of states and heads of governments of over 50 countries and their representatives are expected to participate in the centenary activities. The aim of the Paris Peace Forum is to establish a global platform to reaffirm the importance of multilateralism, international cooperation and reformation of global governance institutions.The Paris Peace Forum will provide a platform for discussion and debate with special emphasis on civil society initiatives and for sharing experiences and ...
Poland marks independence centenary amid tensions
Poles mark a century of independence on Sunday amid tensions in the isolated and deeply polarised country over the prominent role that marginal far-right groups gained in shaping the main state parade. Chaos engulfed plans for the state military parade in Warsaw days ahead of the centenary, as far-right groups vowed to use the same route and timing for their controversial annual independence day march. Last year's edition of that march drew global outrage when some participants displayed racist and anti-immigrant banners and slogans. Its organisers include the National Radical Camp (ONR), a marginal group with roots in an anti-Semitic pre-World War II movement. In a bid to avoid a similar debacle on the centenary, the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) government and allied President Andrzej Duda on Wednesday announced the state military parade, insisting that it had legal priority. But the far-right groups refused to back down after a court overruled a separate ban imposed by the ...
World leaders arrive at Arc de Triomphe in Paris for WWI centenary
World leaders arrived at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris on Sunday under steady rain for a ceremony to mark the centenary of the end of World War I, AFP reporters said. French President Emmanuel Macron led dozens of heads of state and government, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, on foot towards the war memorial at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who are attending the commemorations, were not visible in the cortege.
Around 160 terrorists waiting at launch pads to infiltrate: Lt Gen Singh
The terror infrastructure in Pakistan remains intact and around 160 terrorists are waiting across the Line of Control (LoC) to infiltrate into Indian territory, a senior Army officer said Sunday. Lieutenant General Paramjit Singh, who took over as the general officer commanding of the Nagrota-based White Knight Corps, commonly known as XVI Corps, also said that cross-border terrorism will stop only if Pakistan changes its policy and intentions. The officer, involved in the planning of the 2016 surgical strikes on the terror infrastructure in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, told PTI in an interview that the Army was not letting up on "our preparedness and the counter-infiltration grid is strong enough to deal with infiltrators". Lt. Gen. Singh, who has served in all three regions of Jammu and Kashmir, said, "140 to 160 terrorists at different locations in Pakistan are being pushed into the state." "The terror infrastructure is intact, and Pakistan's intentions have not changed. The Pakistan
Rename your Muslim leaders first: Rajbhar to BJP
A disgruntled Om Prakash Rajbhar, a minister in the Uttar Pradesh government and the chief of BJP ally SBSP, has mocked the saffron party over its renaming spree and suggested it to change the names of its three prominent Muslim leaders. "The BJP says that the cities were named after Mughals. In the the BJP, there is Shahnawaz Hussain, who is the national spokesperson; Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, who is a Union Cabinet minister; and, in UP, there is Mohsin Raza, who is minister of state in the Yogi Adityanath government. First, the names of these three persons should be changed," Rajbhar purportedly said in a video, which went viral on social media. "The GT Road, which was built by a Muslim king, should be uprooted. After all, it was built by Sher Shah Suri. Why do you allow people to use that road? Similarly, the Red Fort in Delhi and Taj Mahal. Who built them?" asked Rajbhar, who heads the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party. On Tuesday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had announced that Faizabad
Raghuram Rajan is a failed RBI Governor: Subramanian Swamy
Senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy on Sunday launched a scathing attack on former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan, calling him a failed Governor of India's central bank.Swamy's reaction comes in the wake of Rajan's recent statement on the ongoing tussle between the government and the Central bank, where Rajan had batted for respecting the RBI's autonomy.Speaking to ANI, the senior BJP leader said: "Raghuram Rajan is staying in the United States. He should now forget about India. He himself is a failed Governor of the Reserve Bank of India.""He had joined hands with P Chidambaram in altering the gold policy. He caused the frauds involving Nirav Modi and Mehul Chowksi. I will ask the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe him next time he comes to India," alleged Swamy.In reply to a question, Swamy said: "The Congress is planning to ban the RSS, but the Christian fathers will be allowed to propagate Christianity. So the choice is now between RSS propagating ...
Confident of forming coalition in each state: Chidambaram
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday expressed confidence of Congress forming coalition in every state across the country.His statement comes at a time when five states -- Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Telangana, Mizoram and Madhya Pradesh -- are all set to go for assembly elections beginning tomorrow."We hope to form state-wise coalitions and if the coalition wins in each state then that is the victory of the 'Mahagathbandhan'. We are confident that we can form coalitions in each state," Chidambaram told media here.In Madhya Pradesh elections, the Congress party in its manifesto has assured the people that if the party comes to power in the state then the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) will not be allowed to hold its (shakha) sessions in government buildings.When asked for his comment on the issue, Chidambaram said: "RSS is a political organisation. If the Congress party in Madhya Pradesh in their manifesto has said it will put an end to this practice, I see nothing wrong ...
Trump, world leaders head to WWI ceremony
US President Donald Trump is headed to the Arc de Triomphe on the Champs-Elysees. World leaders were following several minutes later in commemorations to mark 100 years since the moment World World I drew to an end. Presidents and other dignitaries left the French presidential palace in buses, just a few minutes before the ceremony was supposed to begin at the Arc de Triomphe. Trump headed separately to the memorial for security reasons, as did Russian President Vladimir Putin. The war ended at precisely 11 am on November 11, 1918 and Sunday's ceremonies were intended to drive home the disaster that would befall the world should it stumble into another global war.
RSS can offer credible alternative to transform India: Rakesh Sinha
Propaganda against the RSS has penetrated from top to bottom and scholarly narration can remove the ambiguities in history about the organisation, which has the ideological wherewithal to offer a credible alternative to transform India, claims BJP MP Rakesh Sinha. "Intentionally, historicities of some events are not examined prudently by Indian intellectuals. Therefore, candid and scholarly narration on RSS will remove the ambiguities in the history' of India," he says. According to him, fabrications and distortions are pre-woven in the narration of events and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has suffered from this bias. "Therefore, the commitment to truth in writing the history needs earnest defending for the sake of dispelling myth. It is about time to be geared up for this tryst with truth' about RSS. The fact is that RSS has the ideological wherewithal to offer a credible alternative to transform India," he argues. Sinha, an academic at the University of Delhi, has written a .
Bangladesh opposition BNP says will take part in polls
Bangladesh's main opposition BNP, led by imprisoned ex-premier Khaleda Zia, on Sunday said it would not boycott the general election next month, after it refused to participate in the 2014 polls that returned Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League to power due to fears of rigging. Opposition parties have expressed concern that the polls will not be democratic and have threatened protests. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is part of the newly-formed opposition alliance - National Unity Front (NUF) which has demanded that the December 23 polls be deferred by one month. "We have decided to participate in the polls as part of our movement," said BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said at a press conference with senior NUF and BNP leaders present. The BNP announcement came three days after the election commission announced the poll schedule with December 23 as the date for the vote amid an impasse between the government and the main opposition alliance over the ...
Netanyahu says unaware of corruption linked to submarine deal
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he was unaware of any corruption linked to a deal to buy German submarines, after police recommended charging his lawyer in the investigation. "As you know, there are no claims as to my involvement," Netanyahu said late Saturday in his first comments on the issue since police issued their findings in the long-running investigation last week. "Which is not a minute thing since people don't hesitate to blame me with the most absurd claims." Asked about the alleged offences committed by his relative and family lawyer David Shimron, Netanyahu said: "You know I didn't know." "Secondly, I suggest to wait until the end of the procedures and not rush to make a judgement," he said before boarding a plane for Paris, where he will join world leaders in marking the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. Police said Thursday there was evidence to charge Shimron and others with bribery in connection with negotiations for Israel's purchase of .