Page 2541 - Politics
Maintain status quo in filling up of civil posts in Chandigarh UT, Amarinder writes to Modi
Punjab Chief minister Amarinder Singh has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to maintain the status quo in filling up of civil posts in Chandigarh Union Territory (UT), according to an official statement here Friday. In a letter to Modi, Singh asked the PM to personally intervene and advise the Ministry of Home Affairs to maintain the ratio of 60:40 between Punjab and Haryana in filling up civil posts in the UT as has been done in the past. Singh said it was heartening to note that the Government of India (GoI) had agreed to keep in abeyance its notification of September 25, 2018, merging the posts of DSPs of Chandigarh Police with Delhi, Andaman, Nicobar Islands Police Service (DANIPS), in response to his letter on October 1. In the letter, the CM further pointed out that currently of the14 IAS officers posted in Chandigarh administration, only three belonged to Punjab and two belonged to Haryana, with the remaining officers from the UT cadre. Similarly, of the seven IPS officers ...
Abhi Dilli door hai, a lot of work to do in Chhattisgarh: Raman Singh
Dr Raman Singh, who has been ruling Chhattisgarh for a record 15 years in its 18-year history, feels he still has a lot to do in the state and Delhi is far away for him as of now. Singh said he is fully satisfied with his three terms as the chief minister and he has been getting a lot of love from the people of the state. "As of now, I believe that 'Dilli door hai' (Delhi is far away). It's a pleasure to work here in Chhattisgarh and there is a lot to work here," Singh told PTI in an interview here. He was replying to questions on what role does he see for himself in the next phase of his political career and whether it would include shifting to Delhi for a national-level stint. There have been talks in some quarters that Singh and a few other senior BJP leaders from various states may be shifted to the Centre, though there has been no official word on this from the ruling party or its top leaders. The 66-year-old BJP veteran, who was a practising ayurvedic doctor before taking the ...
UK PM draws fury of Northern Irish allies over Brexit
British Prime Minister Theresa May drew the fury of her crucial Northern Irish allies on Friday after seemingly accepting an EU-backed Brexit solution they fervently oppose. The Times newspaper reported that May sent a five-page letter on Tuesday to the leaders of Northern Ireland's small Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) that props up her government. In it, May reportedly tried to assure her allies that she would never allow a Brexit deal proposal offered by Brussels to "come into force". But DUP leaders said on Friday that May's wording meant the Brexit fix would still be included in the withdrawal agreement that London and Brussels hope to reach in the coming days. They said May had earlier promised them that it never would. "The PM's letter raises alarm bells for those who value the integrity of our precious union & for those who want a proper Brexit for the whole UK," DUP leader Arlene Foster tweeted. "From her letter, it appears the PM is wedded to the idea of a border down ...
PM to attend swearing-in of Maldives president-elect on Nov 17
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the swearing-in ceremony of Maldivian president-elect Ibrahim Mohamed Solih next week, the Ministry of External Affairs announced Friday. The prime minister will also visit Singapore to take part in the 13th East Asia Summit and other meetings on November 14 and 15, MEA Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said at a media briefing. The prime minister has accepted the invitation extended by Maldives' president-elect Solih to attend his swearing-in ceremony on November 17, he said. On the US waiver to India from Iran sanctions, Kumar said the US has shown understanding of India's position on the issue. India, China and Japan were among eight countries temporarily allowed to continue buying Iranian oil as they showed significant reduction in oil purchase from the Persian Gulf country after the US reimposed crippling sanctions on Tehran, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had said earlier this week.
Punjab CM seek PM's intervention in Chandigarh administrative appointments
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure that the status quo in the Punjab and Haryana share in Chandigarh Union Territory's (UT) administrative posts is maintained.Seeking his personal intervention, the Punjab Chief Minister requested the Prime Minister to advise the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, to take early steps to maintain the ratio of 60:40 between Punjab and Haryana.Singh insisted on the need to maintain the ratio properly as it apparently leads to an imbalance which has been continuing since the past few years, not only in the case of placing the officers in Chandigarh Administration but also in other categories of employees such as teachers, doctors and other civil officers posted in Chandigarh Administration.In the letter, Singh mentioned that it was heartening to note that the Government of India had agreed to keep in abeyance its notification of September 25, 2018, merging the posts of Deputy ...
Congress protests against demonetisation in Punjab, Haryana
The Congress Friday held demonstrations across Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh against demonetisation and slammed the BJP-led government at the Centre for "adversely affecting the economy and causing hardships to people" with the "ill-conceived" move. Congress activists led by Punjab unit chief Sunil Jakhar and Punjab cabinet minister Balbir Singh Sidhu protested near the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) building in Chandigarh's Sector 17 on the second anniversary of demonetisation. They raised slogans against the Centre describing the exercise as an "anti-people" decision. Meanwhile, appropriate security arrangements were made by Chandigarh Police which had put up barricades and stationed water cannons near the RBI building. The Congress activists were stopped at the point where the barricades were installed and not allowed to move near the building. "Demonetisation badly affected the Indian economy. The decision of scrapping notes (of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000) completely destroyed businesses ..
BSF jawan injured in Pak firing along LoC
Pakistani troops fired at Indian posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district on Friday, injuring a BSF jawan, officials said. Pakistani personnel targeted forward posts along the LoC in the Manajakote sector around 0930 hours. A jawan of the Border Security Force (BSF) was injured in the firing, they said. The number of ceasefire violations this year by Pakistan has been the highest in the past eight years. The first seven months of this year saw 52 deaths and 232 people getting injured in 1,435 ceasefire violations in Jammu and Kashmir, according to an RTI reply by the Home ministry.
After 30 years, Defence Minister inducts artillery into Army
After a wait of 30 years, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday inducted three M777 ultra light howitzers (ULH), ten K9 Vajra and field artillery tractors and high mobility gun towing vehicles into the Indian Army in the presence of Army Chief General Bipin Singh Rawat, and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC) Southern Command, Lieutenant General S K Saini in Devlali on Friday.Both the guns, the 145 M777 and the 100 K9 Vajra, are 155mm calibre and have a range of 30 kilometres. The K9 Vajra is a tracked self-propelled gun whereas the M777 is a US manufactured light howitzer, which can be lifted by a helicopter.Earlier in the day, the Defence Minister tweeted about the artillery guns that have been inducted into the Army. In her tweet, Sitharaman stated that the 155mm M777 guns have been procured from the United States' Government to Government Foreign Military Sales, while 25 ready-to-use guns would be coming and 125 others will be assembled in India by BAE Systems in ...
Chhattisgarh: Rahul takes on PM Modi, Raman Singh
With only few days left for the assembly elections to be held in the state, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh of working only for a bunch of friends who are businessmen."In Delhi, Prime Minister Modi has 10-15 friends. Similarly, Raman Singh also has 10-15 businessmen friends in Chhattisgarh. Both of them take permission from all their friends before doing any work. While it used to take Rs 35,000 per year to run MGNREGA during UPA regime, in the last four-and-half years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has cleared debt of Rs 3,50,000 crore of 15-20 businessmen," Gandhi alleged."All of you were standing in long queues during demonetisation (in 2016), but not one black money holder was seen (in the queue). Also, Nirav Modi, Vijay Mallya, Lalit Modi and Mehul Choksi ran away from the country with your money," he added.Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi also addressed a rally in Jagdalpur. Chhattisgarh ...
Migrants illegally entering us via Mexican border to be denied asylum: US Justice Dept.
Migrants who illegally enter the United States through the southern border with Mexico will be ineligible for asylum, the Department of Justice said in a press release."Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen today announced an Interim Final Rule declaring that those aliens who contravene a presidential suspension or limitation on entry into the United States through the southern border with Mexico issued under section 212(f) or 215(a)(1) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) will be rendered ineligible for asylum," the release said on Thursday.US President Donald Trump is expected to sign this proclamation on Friday. Currently, migrants who enter the United States illegally between ports of entry are able to apply for asylum.The rule requires all migrants to apply for asylum at US ports of entry along the southern border, according to a document that will be published in the Federal Register on Friday.Senior US ...
Youth Congress members protest outside RBI office against demonetisation
Youth Congress members accompanied by senior party leaders Friday staged a protest against demonetisation outside the RBI office here and were detained by police. The security forces forcibly took the protestors to police station in a bus. "Around 70-80 Congress protesters, including Ashok Gehlot, Anand Sharma and Bhupinder Singh Hooda have been detained," police said. The protesters wore masks and shouted slogans against the BJP-led government. Amrish Ranjan Pandey, national spokesperson of the Youth Congress, said the protest was aimed at "highlighting the miseries of the nation since the last two years under the Modi regime". "It is a protest against the 'failed' demonetisation of the Modi government wherein common people suffered its grave consequences," he said. On November 8, 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 denomination bank notes would cease to exist as legal tenders. The withdrawal of the notes had led to a liquidity crunch and people
Russia hosts meeting on Afghanistan
Russia is hosting a conference on Afghanistan bringing together representatives of the Afghan authorities and the Taliban. Opening Friday's meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov voiced hope it could help pave the way for peace talks. The conference marks Moscow's attempt to get the Afghan authorities and the Taliban together at a table. The US Embassy in Moscow has sent a diplomat to observe the discussions. Russia's first attempt to hold the conference in September fell through after the Afghan authorities refused to attend. This time, the Afghan government hasn't sent its envoys, but members of the government-appointed Peace Council are attending the event. Taliban officials and Peace Council members have met at past forums elsewhere, and while no formal talks were ever held they have had some face-to face discussions.
Report: Tibetan dies of self-immolation in protest of China
A Tibetan man set himself on fire and died in a protest earlier this week calling for the return of the region's exiled Buddhist leader, the Dalai Lama, a rights monitoring group reported. The Washington, D.C.-based International Campaign for Tibet said 23-year-old Dorbe self-immolated on Sunday in Ngaba county, a traditionally Tibetan region of Sichuan province. The group reported that Dorbe wished long life to the Dalai Lama before setting himself on fire, becoming the 154st Tibetan to self-immolate since the protests began in 2009. Such acts have grown increasingly rare in recent years amid a smothering security crackdown by the Chinese authorities. Many Tibetans use just one name. 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 China's heavy-handed rule imposed after the People's Liberation Army's battled its way ...
Fiancee shocked by reports that Khashoggi's body was melted
The fiancee of slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi has expressed "shock and sadness" over reports suggesting that his body may have been dissolved with chemicals. Hatice Cengiz said on Twitter late Thursday that Khashoggi's killers had deprived his loved ones of conducting funeral prayers and burying him in Medina, Saudi Arabia, as he had wished. Turkey says the Washington Post columnist, who was critical of the Saudi crown prince, was strangled and dismembered at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2 by a 15-member assassination squad. Media reports have suggested that his body, which has not been found, could have been chemically dissolved. In a message to The Associated Press on Friday, Cengiz said she has not received information from officials to confirm those reports.
UAE participates in Geneva conference on Afghanistan
Geneva, Nov 9 (IANS/WAM) A United Arab Emirates (UAE) delegation attended a high-level international conference on Afghanistan in Geneva.
India at Moscow dialogue: Why no talks with JK stakeholders, asks Omar
National Conference leader Omar Abdullah has questioned the Centre's participation in a dialogue on Afghanistan in the presence of Taliban representatives while holding no talks with stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmir. "If 'non-official' participation in a dialogue that includes the taliban is acceptable to the Modi government why not a non-official dialogue with non-mainstream stake holders in J&K? Why not a non-official dialogue centered around J&K's eroded autonomy & its restoration?" he tweeted Thursday night. India had on Thursday said it would participate in the dialogue hosted by Russia at a "non-official level" in Moscow. The Moscow-format meeting on Afghanistan will be held on November 9 and representatives of the Afghan Taliban radical movement will take part in it, the Russian Foreign Ministry had said last week. "We are aware that the Russian Federation is hosting a meeting in Moscow on 9 November on Afghanistan. Our participation at the meeting will be at the ..
EU demands end to Sri Lanka crisis
The European Union joined a chorus of international voices demanding an end to Sri Lanka's two-week-old political crisis Friday, saying the island nation's international reputation and investments were at risk. President Maithripala Sirisena on October 26 sacked Ranil Wickremesinghe, prime minister, replacing him with the divisive Mahinda Rajapakse. Wickremesinghe is holed up in his official residence refusing to go, saying his removal would be illegal, while Rajapakse is running a parallel administration from the prime minister's office. President Sirisena has suspended parliament until next Wednesday as he and Rajapakse try to gather enough support among lawmakers to vote Wickremesinghe out, an effort that looks to be failing. Amid rumours that Sirisena may seek to delay matters further, the EU, in a joint statement with Norway and Switzerland, said that parliament should vote "immediately when reconvened". "Any further delay could damage Sri Lanka's international reputation and ...
India to not hold discussions with Taliban representatives in Moscow: MEA source
India will not hold any discussions with Taliban representatives in the Moscow format meeting on Afghanistan on Friday, said a source in the Union External Affairs Ministry. The development comes moments after former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah slammed the Centre for taking part in the meet and not paying heed to the issue of Jammu and Kashmir.The source further stated, "India will be joining the Afghan process of reconciliation at a non-official level and Taliban will be in the same room as a part of the process."On Friday, Abdullah pointed fingers at the government for not holding talks with the "non-official" dialogue with non-mainstream stakeholders to resolve the Jammu and Kashmir issue and was instead participating in the meeting which includes Taliban representatives.On his Twitter handle, Abdullah stated, "If "non-official" participation in a dialogue that includes the Taliban is acceptable to the Modi government why not a "non-official" dialogue with ...
Saudi Arabia looking into possible effects of OPEC collapse: Reports
Saudi Arabia's state-funded think tank is looking into potential effects of the dissolution of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) amid US pressure over oil prices and investments withdrawal from Saudi Arabia in the wake of the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, media reported.The study by the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC) was part of a wider paradigm of rethinking the role of the cartel by Saudi senior government officials, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.However, the research does not reflect Riyadh's willingness to leave the organization in the near future, according to the outlet, citing people familiar with the matter. Instead, the study was viewed by the Saudi government officials as an exercise on how markets might react to the fall in oil demand which might result in the collapse of OPEC, the newspaper added.Saudi officials consider the research a high-priority project, according to the outlet."The ...
Upcoming Putin-Trump talks extremely in demand: Russian Deputy Foreign Minister
The upcoming talks between Russia President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump in Paris and Buenos Aires are extremely in demand even amid the new wave of sanctions, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told Sputnik."In recent days, officials in the United States have sent clear signals that new restrictive measures will be possibly introduced against Russia by the end of this month ... And in this situation, I think, dialogue, especially dialogue at the highest level, is extremely in demand," Ryabkov said, when asked how recent and forthcoming sanctions would impact the prospects for Putin-Trump meetings in Paris and Buenos Aires.According to the diplomat, the upcoming contacts between the Russian and US leaders were necessary to express Russia's assessment of the situation, provide a clear explanation of what we are ready for, what we are intending to do, and what we would like to achieve," if there is a "constructive response.""Amid endless sanctions, of ..