Page 2547 - Politics
Maoist problem has taken a turn for the worse in Chhattisgarh: Chidambaram
The Maoist problem has taken a turn for the worse in Chhattisgarh over the past year, senior Congress leader and former Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram said here on Thursday, in the wake of recent incidents of violence triggered by the ultra left rebels.
Advani turns 91, PM meets the BJP veteran
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday met veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader LK Advani at his residence here and wished him on his 91st birthday.Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi tweeted, "Best wishes to Shri LK Advani Ji on his birthday. Advani Ji's contribution towards India's development is monumental. His ministerial tenures are applauded for futuristic decision making and people-friendly policies. His wisdom is admired across the political spectrum."The Prime Minister went on to say, "Shri LK Advani Ji's impact on Indian politics is immense. Selflessly and diligently, he built the @BJP4India and wonderfully mentored Karyakartas. I pray for the good health and long life of our beloved Advani Ji."Besides the Prime Minister, Congress president Rahul Gandhi also wished Advani on birthday."Happy Birthday to LK Advani. I wish him good health, long life, and happiness of the mind," Gandhi wrote on Facebook.Home Minister Rajnath Singh also wished the BJP leader, ...
Concept of limited nuke war suggested by US analysts dangerous: Moscow
United States analysts have started to seriously consider the possibility of waging a limited nuclear war, but such a concept is very dangerous and irresponsible, the Russian Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, said on Thursday.In mid-October, Elbridge Colby, the director of the defence program at the Centre for a New American Security and former deputy assistant secretary of defence for strategy and force development, wrote in an article for the Foreign Affairs magazine that nuclear weapons had not played a key role in the US defence strategy since the 1990s, and that Washington should now adjust its strategy and arsenal "to fight a limited nuclear war and come out on top" if Russia or China attempt to attack the United States or its allies."We regard such a policy as being irresponsible and extremely dangerous. We firmly believe that there can be no winner in a nuclear war, and it should never be unleashed," Zakharova told reporters. This idea of a limited nuclear war ..
Cong leader Satyavrat Chaturvedi's son to contest on SP ticket
Nitin Chaturvedi, son of senior Congress leader and former MP Satyavrat Chaturvedi, filed nomination as a Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Thursday from Rajnagar in Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh. Assembly elections will be held in the BJP-ruled state on November 28. Nitin Chaturvedi filed his papers in the presence of his father and a group of supporters. Satyavrata Chaturvedi, a former Congress national spokesperson, said he himself was still with the Congress. "I am still a Congress member. Congress has been repeating the same mistake (of ignoring his son) for 15 years. Doing injustice is sin, and tolerating injustice is equally sinful. So my son took the decision to go to the people's court," he said. "It was Nitin's own decision to contest on SP ticket. He is adult and a father of two children, so he can take decision on his own. I will help him as much as I can," Satyavrata Chaturvedi added. Nitin Chaturvedi alleged that the Congress has ignored its ...
Demonetisation broke backbone of anti-national activities' financing: Naqvi
Taking on the opposition for calling demonetisation a "dark day", Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi Thursday said it marks a day when the backbone anti-national activities such as terror funding and accumulating black money was broken. On the second anniversary of note ban, Naqvi said post-demonetisation an attempt was made to vitiate the atmosphere. The government's measure announced on November 8, 2016, has also increased the tax base, he said. Naqvi asserted that it was being claimed that the GDP will fall, but it is now about seven per cent. "It is not a dark day, but marked day when terror funding was stopped and the backbone of black money and anti-national (activities) financing was broken," the minority affairs minister said It is a dark day for those who used to rob the country, he said. The government on November 8, 2016, announced ban on old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, and later issued new Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 banknotes. "The economy has been made strong. Terror funding used
Bangladesh sets parliamentary polls for Dec 23
Bangladesh will hold its general election on December 23, the country's electoral body announced on Thursday amid an impasse between the government and the main opposition alliance over the timing of the polls. "The polling date is December 23," Chief Election Commissioner Nurul Huda said in a televised address. Huda made the announcement hours after his meeting with four election commissioners to finalise the poll date which came amid calls from the newly-floated National Unity Front (NUF) to defer the election schedule while the ruling Awami League urged the commission to stick to its plan. The election commission earlier said it was constitutionally obligated to hold the election by January 28, as the countdown to the polls began. Opposition parties have expressed concerns that the polls will not be democratic and have threatened protests. Huda urged all political parties to take part in the election to continue Bangladesh's "development efforts and put democracy on a stronger ...
Lt Gen Ranbir Singh reviews situation in Kishtwar district
General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GoC-in-C) Northern Command Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh on Thursday reviewed the security situation and operational preparedness of soldiers in Kishtwar and Suigarh sectors.
Demonetisation a carefully planned 'criminal financial scam'; full truth not yet out: Rahul
Describing demonetisation as a "tragedy" that destroyed millions of lives, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Thursday alleged that the government's move was a carefully planned "criminal financial scam" whose full truth is yet to be revealed. On the second anniversary of note ban, he also alleged that demonetisation was a planned "brutal conspiracy" and a "shrewd scheme" to convert the black money of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "suit-booted friends". "India will discover, no matter how the government tries to hide it, that demonetisation wasn't just an ill-conceived and poorly executed economic policy with 'innocent intent', but a carefully planned, criminal financial scam," Gandhi said in a statement. "The full truth about demonetisation is not out yet. India's people will not rest till it is," he said. His remarks came after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley made a strong defence, saying demonetisation resulted in formalisation of economy and increased tax base, with the government ...
TDP's Telangana unit discusses poll strategy with Chandrababu Naidu
Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders from Telangana met Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and the party's national president N Chandrababu Naidu here on Thursday.They reportedly discussed about candidates for the forthcoming Telangana assembly elections due on December 7 to elect members from 119 constituencies and seat sharing issues. The TDP is likely to announce the names of the candidates on tomorrow.The TDP is contesting Telangana assembly elections as part of the grand alliance which comprises the Congress, the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS).Though the TDP is assured of contesting in 14 seats, constituencies for TJS and CPI are yet to be finalised.The counting of votes in the state will take place on December 11. The elections were originally scheduled to be held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha elections in 2019, but K Chandrasekhara Rao-led cabinet decided to dissolve the assembly on September 6. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi, Congress, Telangana .
Naidu meets Deve Gowda, Kumaraswamy
TDP supremo and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who is trying to unite opposition parties to take on the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections next year, Thursday met his counterpart H D Kumaraswamy and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda. Setting the stage for the revival of an united front against the BJP, Naidu claimed the mood of the nation was against the BJP-led NDA and soon an alliance would be formed with various regional parties. Speaking to reporters after meeting Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy, Naidu said the initial steps for the formation of the alliance were yet to be finalised. Once the modalities were fixed, programmes would be chalked out later, he said. "I have spoken to Mayawati, Akhilesh Yadav. I have met everybody. Tomorrow I am meeting Stalin (DMK president). We will decide how to take forward the alliance with consensus. It is an initial exercise. After that we will work together," he said. Naidu, who had been a staunch critic of ...
AASU warns against Citizenship Bill 2016
The All Assam Students' Union (AASU) and 28 other organizations on Thursday staged an agitation in Dispur against the government move to execute the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 in Assam and other parts of the North-East.
Rahul greets Advani on 92nd birthday
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday greeted veteran Bharatiya Janata Party leader L.K. Advani on his 92nd birthday with "good health and happiness of mind".
Naidu meets Gowda for uniting opposition parties
TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday met Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda in Bengaluru in a bid to unite the opposition parties against the BJP ahead of the 2019 general elections.
Rahul sharpens attack on PM Modi over demonetization
Congress president Rahul Gandhi, on the second anniversary of demonetisation on Thursday, launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi by terming decision as a "planned conspiracy" and "criminal financial scam" allegedly aimed at helping his "suit-booted friends" to "whiten" their black money.In a tweet, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said: "Demonetisation was a planned conspiracy. This scam was a shrewd scheme to whiten the black money of Prime Minister's suit-booted friends. Nothing was innocent in this scandal. Deriving any other meaning to this exercise would be an insult to the nation."Later in a statement, Gandhi said that the day November 8 would forever go down in the history of India as a day of infamy. "India will discover, no matter how the government tries to hide it, that demonetisation wasn't just an ill-conceived and poorly executed economic policy with innocent intent, but a carefully planned, criminal financial scam," he said in a statement, issued by ..
State-wise alliances to benefit Congress: Chidambaram
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said on Thursday state-wise alliances would benefit the party and was the best way to defeat the BJP. "The kind of alliance that was formed in Karnataka yielded results. Similar alliances should be formed in different states," Chidambaram said, emboldened by the victory of the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) alliance in the recent bypolls in the southern state. When asked about the party's alliance in West Bengal, the Congress leader avoided a direct reply, but said it was up to the party high command to decide. "The by-elections were a big blow to the BJP... The next few weeks will be crucial," he said, indicating to the upcoming elections in five states. Speaking on the issue of bringing an ordinance for the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya, Chidambaram said it would be unconstitutional as the matter was still sub-judice. On the second anniversary of demonetisation, Chidambaram described it as the "most ingeniously-designed official ...
Sri Lanka political rally brings chaos to Colombo streets
A rally of hundreds of cars carrying supporters of Sri Lanka's deposed prime minister brought chaos to Colombo streets on Thursday as they demanded that parliament be reopened. A noisy cavalcade of motorcycles, auto-rickshaws, cars and vans took loyalists of ousted prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to a rally to hear speeches slamming the president for sacking the head of government last month. President Maithripala Sirisena named former president Mahinda Rajapakse as the new prime minister in a shock move on October 26, and suspended parliament so neither has won a vote of confidence. The rival prime ministers have now spent nearly two weeks at loggerheads, and the move -- which has been described as illegal by opponents -- has triggered a constitutional crisis. Protestors had initially planned to drive to the residence of parliament speaker Karu Jayasuriya to urge him to defy the president and lift the assembly suspension. But amid traffic chaos, the route was shortened and the ...
Telangana: If voted to power, Hyderabad will be renamed as Bhagyanagar, says BJP MLA
Raja Singh, a Bharatiya Janata Party legislator representing the Goshamahal assembly constituency, here has claimed that the party will rename Hyderabad as Bhagyanagar, if voted to power in the state.The BJP MLA on Thursday also added that the party will change the names of Secunderabad and Karimnagar. "Earlier, Hyderabad was Bhagyanagar and in 1590 Quli Qutub Shah came to Hyderabad, he changed Bhagyanagar to Hyderabad. At that time many Hindus were attacked, many temples destroyed. We are planning to rename Hyderabad. In Telangana, BJP will win in majority and then our first aim will be developing the state and second objective will be renaming Hyderabad as Bhagyanagar. We will also change the names of Secunderabad and Karimnagar," he told ANI.Singh further stated that the areas named after Mughals and Nizams will be changed and kept after the persons who fought for Telangana and for the country.His statement comes a day after Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said that his ..
UK business chiefs call for another EU referendum
LONDON (Reuters) - A group of British business chiefs called on Thursday for a referendum on whether to leave the European Union on the terms that Prime Minister Theresa May hopes to negotiate or to stay in the world's biggest trading bloc.
European Parliament hosts exhibition on Mahatma Gandhi (Lead, correcting name)
A week-long photo exhibition on the life of Mahatma Gandhi has been inaugurated in the European Parliament here.
Indian, Chinese troops meet at Arunachal border on Diwali
Indian and Chinese troops met and exchanged greetings on the occasion of Diwali at Wacha in Arunachal Pradeshs Anjaw district and at Bum-La in Tawang district, a defence communiqu informed here on Thursday. The two sides met on Wednesday and exchanged gifts and sweets at Anjaw and the Chinese side included women and children, the communique said. The two sides interacted and exchanged greetings in a cordial atmosphere, a sign of improving military-to-military ties at ground level, it said. The programme at Anjaw was marked by its friendly and cordial atmosphere and cultural programmes were presented by the Indian Army personnel and students of Kibithu Government Middle School, it said. The event was aimed at enhancing the mutual trust and friendship between the two border guarding forces. The Indian Army and Chinas Peoples Liberation Army conducted a ceremonial border personnel meeting to commemorate joint celebrations of Diwali organised by the Indian Army at Bum-La in .