Page 2531 - Politics
Goa govt bans fish imports for 6 months: Minister
The Goa government Saturday announced a ban on import of fish into the state for six months. The move comes against the backdrop of a scare in the coastal state that formalin, a potential cancer-causing chemical, was being used to preserved fish. Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane announced the ban Saturday and added that its duration could be extended by another six months, if needed, till measures to check the quality of fish are in place in the state. "Till such measures are in place (to test fish), the import of fish into Goa is banned for six months with immediate effect," Rane told reporters. The state government is banning fish imports for the second time this year, the earlier one, for fifteen days, having been announced by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar in July. The ban at the time was lifted after the government introduced border checks for trucks bringing fish into Goa. Rane told reporters that the state government would set up testing laboratories with ...
Trump, Macron say Europe needs to ramp up military spending
The French and US Presidents said on Saturday they agreed that Europe needed to increase its contribution to common defence spending and work towards reinforcing the continent's military capabilities.
Twitter records 1.2 mn tweets related to Assembly elections
As the nation gears up for the Assembly polls in Chattisgarh, Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Telangana, conversations and debates on Twitter in the past week alone recorded 1.2 million tweets related to #AssemblyElections2018, the microblogging site said.
TN parties slam Sirisena for dissolution of Lankan Parliament
Tamil Nadu political parties, including the main opposition DMK Saturday termed the dissolution of the Sri Lankan Parliament as "murder of democracy". They also sought the Central government's intervention to ensure that the security of India and the welfare of the Tamil people in the island nation are protected. DMK chief M K Stalin said the dissolution of parliament was "trampling of the Constitution" and "atrocious" since the Sri Lankan constitution says that only a resolution by two thirds of its members can pave the way to dissolve the House within four and a half years of its convening. The leader of the opposition in the Tamil Nadu assembly, dubbed the move as a political emergency that threatened stability and jeopardised the welfare of Tamils. Urging the Centre to condemn the "murder of democracy", the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader said the Union government must take steps to ensure a dignified life for Tamils with peace and security. Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) ...
BJP launches mass contact programme in Rajasthan ahead of assembly polls
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Rajasthan launched 'Mera Parivar-BJP Parivar' campaign on Saturday to reach out to masses ahead of the assembly polls in the state. Jaipur MP Ramcharan Bohra said during the campaign, party workers will meet residents of each constituency and put BJP flags and stickers on their houses. The party has also released a special poster for this mass contact programme. Bohra said since November 2, the BJP has been conducting booth-level programmes, under which the party's public representatives inform people about policies of both central and state governments.
CPI(M) team meets Tripura CM, demands end of terror on party
A delegation of opposition CPI(M) met Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb Saturday and sought his intervention to stop alleged terror unleashed by the ruling BJP-IPFT activists on left party workers. Over 7,000 workers of various left parties in Tripura were forced to flee their homes due to large-scale political violence during the last eight months since the BJP-Indigenous People's Front of Tripura government came to power, senior party leader Badal Choudhury claimed. "More than 300 party and frontal organization offices were demolished saying they were illegally constructed on government land," Choudhury alleged in a press conference. "Opposition MLAs, ex-ministers are not provided police security while visiting interior locations for political activities. When the Left Front was in power the right to perform political activities of the opposition parties were not hindered any way," he said. Choudhury said the delegation sought intervention of the chief minister, who also
CM's absence from Tipu Jayanthi celebrations is an insult to Muslim community: Cong MLA
With the Karnataka chief minister and his deputy skipping the Tipu Jayanthi celebrations, a Congress legislator Saturday termed it as an insult to the Muslim community. "This was the first Tipu Jayanthi of the new government. The information is that following doctor's advice chief minister H D Kumaraswamy is not taking part (in the programmes). Deputy chief minister G Parameshwara is on a foreign tour. This development has somewhere come across as though the community has been insulted. There is no doubt about it," MLA and former minister Tanveer Sait said. According to party sources, several Congress leaders, especially those from the Muslim community, are miffed with the chief minister and deputy chief minister for giving the event a miss. Speaking to reporters in Mysuru, Sait said politics and party notwithstanding it was his duty to express the sentiments of his community. He requested the chief minister to at least attend a Tipu Jayanthi event at a place near to where he was ...
Campaigning in Chhattisgarh, Rahul asks Modi to explain Rafale deal to country
Stepping up his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Rafale fighter aircraft deal, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi Saturday alleged industrialist Anil Ambani's only qualification to bag the offset contract was his friendship with the "chowkidar". Hours before the campaign for the first phase polling on November 12 was to end, Gandhi told a rally that Modi, who projected himself as the "chowkidar" (watchman) of the country's resources, changed the fighter aircraft deal negotiated by the erstwhile UPA government to benefit his industrialist friend. "(Dassault) Rafale was chosen by the IAF after 8-9 years of meticulous scouting for the best fighter jet the world over. But Modi, after becoming the Prime Minister, took Ambani in his delegation, changed the deal, and fixed the price at Rs 1,600 crore per jet," Gandhi alleged, adding the erstwhile government had negotiated the price at Rs 526 crore a piece for the 126-aircraft deal. "He also took away the offset contract from a ...
PM Modi, CM Raman Singh corrupt, says Rahul in Chhattisgarh
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his silence on the issues of corruption and alleged that he and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh are "corrupt".
AP cabinet to be expanded, 2 members to be inducted
The Andhra Pradesh state cabinet will be expanded on Sunday with the inclusion of two new members, filling the vacancies caused by the resignation of two BJP members in March, TDP sources said Saturday. Senior legislator N Mohammed Farooq, who is currently the chairman of the state legislative council, would be inducted into the Chandrababu Naidu cabinet along with Kidari Sravan Kumar, son of slain MLA Kidari Sarveswara Rao, party sources said. The two are being inducted into the Cabinet under the minority and the tribal quota as the two communities did not have any representation so far, they said. Governor E S L Narasimhan would administer the oath of office and secrecy to the two new ministers at 11.45 am on Sunday at the Grievance Hall in Undavalli. Farooq served as a minister earlier in the cabinets of Telugu Desam Party founder N T Rama Rao and, later, Naidu. He had also served as a deputy speaker of a united Andhra Pradesh assembly, but lost all the elections since 2004. He was
Official: Bomb blast kills district official in Afghanistan
An Afghan official says a district administrator was killed when a bomb exploded inside his office in western Afghanistan. Gelani Farhad, spokesman for the provincial governor in Herat province, says Amir Haftbalah, administrative chief for Kohsan district, was killed in the attack Saturday afternoon. Two other people who had come to visit Haftbalah in his office were wounded in the attack, he said. Farhad said the governor's office has begun an investigation. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but Farhad blamed Taliban insurgents who often target Afghan government officials and security forces.
I am only an admirer of Yogi Adityanath: Paripoornananda
Prominentt religious guru and BJP leader Swami Paripoornananda, who is described as the "Yogi Adityanath of Telangana" by his supporters, says he is just one of the many admirers of the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister. Paripoornananda, who was in the news earlier this year after being externed from Hyderabad for allegedly making provocative speeches, had recently joined the BJP in the presence of its president Amit Shah and general secretary Ram Madhav. Asked about being described as the 'Yogi Adityanath of Telangana,' he said, "I could see his (UP CM) maturity, his way of dealing things, his presentation. He is widely accepted across the nation. Many NRIs, they just follow him, they admire him. I am one of his admirers," he said. b He said Shah had told him to focus on Telangana and to convey to people that BJP, has in no way, tied up with TRS. "Amit Shah's message for me is to really focus on Telangana and issues in Telangana and convey to people that in no way BJP is ...
TN leaders condemn Sri Lankan parliament's dissolution
Tamil Nadu political leaders on Saturday condemned the dissolution of Sri Lanka's parliament by President Maithripala Sirisena and urged the Centre to take necessary steps for the protection of Tamils in the island nation.
Those trying to stop 'rath yatra' will get crushed: BJP leader
A senior leader of the BJP's West Bengal unit said on Saturday that those trying to stop the party's scheduled 'rath yatra' in the state "will get crushed under the wheels of the chariot", drawing criticism from the ruling TMC. Locket Chatterjee, the saffron party's West Bengal Mahila Morcha president, also said that the 'yatra' is being organised to restore democracy in the state. BJP national president Amit Shah is set to kick off three 'rath yatras' - which will cover all 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in Bengal - on December 5, 7 and 9. At the conclusion of the 'yatra', the party plans to hold a massive rally in Kolkata which is likely to be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "The main purpose of the rath yatra is to restore democracy in West Bengal. We have said this earlier too that the heads of those who try to stop the 'rath yatra' will get crushed under the wheels of the chariot," Chatterjee told reporters after attending a party meet at Malda district. Condemning ...
Rahul promises all-loan waiver to poor farmers if voted to power in C'garh
Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday promised all-loan waiver to poor farmers within 10 days of forming the government if voted to power in Chattisgarh. Gandhi, who was addressing a rally at Kanker, saidHe also said that the Congress government would give Rs 2,500 to every farmer for harvesting his paddy crop. "We will not only waive off farmers' within 10 days of coming to power but will also give Rs 2,500 to each farmer for harvesting and sowing paddy. Congress government will also give bonus to farmers. In case they have not received any bonus from the past two years, we will compensate them accordingly," he said.Gandhi also touched upon the issue of unemployment and promised that after coming to power, his government will work day and night to set up food processing factories in every block and district of the state to ease the life of farmers in selling their produces. "Congress government will ensure farmers get right price for their produces. We will set up food ...
India is voice for peace, non-violence: Naidu
Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu said India has always been a voice for peace and non-violence and in an inter-dependent world progress can be achieved only through dialogue and understanding.
EC seeks names for Mizoram CEO's post
The Election Commission Saturday initiated the process of finding an alternative to Mizoram chief electoral officer who is facing a massive agitation for his ouster by a conglomerate of civil society and student organisations. A Commission spokesperson said here that in a meeting held Saturday, the poll panel has "only decided to call for a panel of names for the post of State CEO from chief secretary of Mizoram." The spokesperson said "next steps" will "only be taken after receiving the report of the team led by Deputy Election Commissioner Sudip Jain". State chief electoral officer S B Shashank had reportedly sought deployment of additional central armed police forces (CAPF) in the state and complained to the EC that the state's former principal secretary Lalnunmawia Chuaungo was interfering with the poll process. Chuaungo, a native of Mizoram and a Gujarat-cadre IAS officer was relieved of his duties earlier this month. The NGO Coordination Committee - a conglomerate of civil ...
BJP promises to make C'garh 'Naxal-free', offers sops to farmers
The BJP Saturday promised to make Chhattisgarh a "Naxal-free" state and give pension to small and marginal farmers, as the ruling party released its manifesto for the upcoming state assembly polls. Seeking a fourth straight term in the tribal-dominated state, the party also promised to set up multi-speciality hospitals and take the state towards prosperity. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah and Chief Minister Raman Singh here released the party's manifesto, called 'Sankalp Patra', two days ahead of the first phase of voting on November 12. Shah said in the last 15 years, the BJP under Raman Singh had transformed Chhattisgarh from a BIMARU (laggard) state to a developed one and will now take it "towards prosperity". BIMARU -- an acronym formed with the first letters of the names of the states of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh -- was coined in the mid-1980s to refer to the poor economic conditions prevailing in those states. Singh hit out at the ..
Rahul just 'an entertainment' for people in Chhattisgarh, knows nothing about state: Raman Singh
Launching a scathing attack on Rahul Gandhi, poll-bound Chhattishgarh's Chief Minister Raman Singh on Saturday alleged the Congress chief was "sort of an entertainment" for people in the state and his campaign could be detrimental to his own party. Ahead of the crucial first phase of voting in the state on Monday, Singh said Gandhi does not know anything about Chhattisgarh and his rallies would not help the Congress draw any significant votes. Singh's counter-attack came a day after the Congress president, during his election campaign on Friday, accused Singh of indulging in graft and of doing any work only after taking "permission from his 10-15 industrialist friends". "Rahul does not know anything about Chhattisgarh. People of Chhattisgarh do not take him seriously. He is sort of an entertainment for them," Singh told PTI in an interview. Singh, who has been chief minister of the tribal-dominated state for a record 15 years out of its 18-year history, said Gandhi's presence in the ..
ECI seeks panel of names for Mizoram CEO
Amid reports of Mizoram's chief electoral officer (CEO) SB Shashank's removal, the Election Commission of India (ECI) in a meeting on Saturday called for a panel of names for the post from the state Chief Secretary.Earlier, ECI had constituted a high-level team led by Deputy Election Commissioner (DEC) Sudeep Jain to discuss various issues related to upcoming assembly polls in the state.On Friday, the ECI rubbished the reports of Shashank's removal stating, "We will be assessing Deputy Election Commissioner Sudeep Jain's report in the matter who went to the poll-bound state."Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding Shashank's removal following the sacking of Principal Secretary (Home) L. Chuaungo.Chuaungo had been removed following Shashank's complaint to the ECI about the interference of the state in the ensuing assembly elections. Shashank also brought to the notice of the commission of Chuaungo's alleged involvement in the revision