Page 255 - Politics
Putin says 'not a problem' not to be invited to D-Day anniversary
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said it was "not a problem" that he was not invited to the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings in northern France, attended by other world leaders. "We also don't invite everyone to every event. Why should I be invited everywhere?" he said of the memorial at which US President Donald Trump spoke along with French leader Emmanuel Macron. "I have enough business of my own here," he said during an economic forum in Saint Petersburg. Putin was at the 70th anniversary of the landings but this week Moscow insisted the significance of D-Day in the outcome of World War II should not be overplayed. Russia regularly accuses the West of failing to properly understand or acknowledge the enormous human losses -- estimated at 27 million deaths -- the Soviet Union suffered in the conflict. Russians in turn often know little about the Western Front or the aid that the Soviet Union received from the United States to fight the war.
Sidhu skips cabinet meeting, says can't be taken for granted
Under fire from Chief Minister Amarinder Singh for Congress's "poor performance" in the state's urban areas in the Lok Sabha polls, Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu Thursday skipped the first cabinet meeting after the elections and asserted he cannot be "taken for granted". Singh had recently said he intended to change the cricketer-turned-politician's portfolio of local government department over the party's performance in the Lok Sabha polls. "I cannot be taken for granted. I have been a performer throughout in 40 years of my life be it international cricket, or world class commentary with Geoffrey Boycott, TV shows or 1,300 motivational talks," Sidhu told reporters. The simmering tension between the chief minister and Sidhu came out in open on May 19 when Singh accused him of damaging the Congress's prospects just before the general election with his "irresponsible actions". Sidhu said urban areas had played a pivotal role in the party's victory in Punjab and alleged that his ...
Complete flagship programmes within six months: Amarinder to state authorities
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Thursday issued directions for completing government's flagship programmes such as farm debt waiver within the next six months. He also directed his cabinet colleagues to expedite the execution of various schemes and ordered the formation of consultative groups to review progress and make changes if needed. The directions from the Singh came at the beginning of a cabinet meeting here, after his cabinet colleagues congratulated him for Congress's victory in eight of total 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab, according to an officials statement. Expressing satisfaction that the Congress bucked the national trend in the state despite the Narendra Modi wave, Singh pointed out that Punjab was the only state where the Congress was in direct contest with the BJP and its allies, as in other states the party had forged alliances. However, he struck a note of caution, saying there was no time to rest on laurels and they all had to work even harder now to meet the .
PM Modi to visit Maldives, Sri Lanka on June 8 -9
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the Maldives and Sri Lanka on June 8 and 9, his first visits after taking office in his second term. Prime Minister Modi will also address the Maldivian Parliament on June 8, said Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale here on Thursday."Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting the Maldives and Sri Lanka on June 8 and 9. Prime Minister Modi will also address the Maldivian Parliament on 8th June," said Gokhale."Prime Minister will make a short and packed visit to Sri Lanka on June 9. This is the first visit by a foreign leader to Sri Lanka after the tragic events of the April 21 after several bomb blasts resulted in huge casualties in Sri Lanka. It is a very special gesture and it is a very clear message of solidarity that the people and government of India stand firmly with the people and government of Sri Lanka at this tragic time," he said.Speaking about Modi's visit to the Maldives, Gokhale said, "This is the first visit of our Prime Minister to
Election strategist Prashant Kishor meets Mamata
After the Trinamool Congress suffered a major setback in the Lok Sabha elections, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool leader Mamata Banerjee on Thursday met election strategist Prashant Kishor.
Modi, Xi to meet next week at SCO summit: Ambassador
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping next week on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit at Bishkek, the first meeting between the two leaders after the formation of the new government, Indian envoy Vikram Misri announced Thursday. "In recent years, India and China have been able to build a very mature and stable relationship. The informal summit between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi in Wuhan last year was a milestone and has been instrumental in taking our relations to a new height," Misri said. The Indian ambassador was speaking after inaugurating India's Synthite Industries' 3rd manufacturing facility at Wucheng county in Dezhou in China's Shandong province. It is worth mentioning that last year, our leaders met four times on the sidelines of different multi-lateral meetings. Next week, they are again meeting in Bishkek on the sidelines of the SCO Summit," he said. The SCO summit is due to be held on June 13-14 in ..
Those behind Mandsaur firing will be punished, says Kamal Nath
On the second anniversary of the Mandsaur police firing, in which six farmers were killed, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath Thursday said those behind the "barbarous" incident will be punished and asserted that all false cases against cultivators will be withdrawn. Nath, whose government announced a mega farm loan waiver after assuming office in December last year, paid tributes to the cultivators who were killed when the police opened fire during an agitation in Mandsaur on June 6, 2017. The BJP was then in power in the state. In a tweet, Nath said, "Today is the second anniversary of Mandsaur firing. Tribute to six farmers killed in this barbarous firing. "Our government is determined to punish the accused of this firing, to give justice to the victims and to withdraw the false cases registered against the innocent farmers (during protests). The firing on the agitating farmers in Mandsaur, the epicentre of agrarian protests in the state, was a key poll issue ...
Jagan revokes orders barring CBI from operating in Andhra
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) can now operate in Andhra Pradesh as the new state government of Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday revoked the order issued by the previous TDP government, barring the CBI from conducting raids in the state without its permission.
Shiv Sena wants Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker's post
The Shiv Sena, which has a minister in the Narendra Modi cabinet, Thursday said it has sought the post of Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha. Sena leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut said the demand has been conveyed to the BJP. "The party has demanded deputy Speaker's post. We have conveyed our demand to the BJP," Raut told PTI. Raut said Sena president Uddhav Thackeray and all the 18 Lok Sabha MPs of the party will visit Ayodhya next week, before the start of the Parliament's session. The purpose of the visit is to reaffirm the party's commitment to construction of Ram temple at the disputed site, Raut said. Thackeray had visited Ayodhya in November 2018 too, in an apparent bid to mount pressure on the Modi-led government on the Ram temple issue. The ties between the Sena and the BJP were under considerable strain before the Lok Sabha 2019 elections. The two parties, however, stitched up an alliance for Lok Sabha and Assembly polls later. Arvind Sawant, MP from Mumbai
Prashant Kishor meets Mamata
Political strategist Prashant Kishor met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee here Thursday, raising speculation that he may work with her in the near future, sources said. Accompanied by TMC MP and Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee, Kishor had over two hours discussion with the chief minister, the sources said. They said Kishor agreed to work with her if she so desired. The meeting between Banerjee and Kishor came at a time when the TMC supremo is facing a tough challenge from the BJP in the state. The saffron party won 18 out of a total of 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal, only four less than the ruling TMC, in the recently concluded general election. Buoyed by stupendous performance, the saffron party leaders are claiming that their next target is to overthrow the TMC from the power in the 2021 state polls. The Thursday's meeting indicates that Banerjee may engage the poll planner to halt the BJP's growing influence in Bengal ahead of the crucial state election.
Hindi is an option and not an imposition as per 3-language policy: TN BJP leader
Tamil Nadu BJP president Tamilisai Soundararajan asserted on Thursday that Hindi will be an option and not an imposition according to the central government's three-language policy."Opposition leaders in the state are twisting the three-language policy. The central government has clarified that Hindi will be an option and not an imposition," she told reporters here.Replying to questions, Soundararajan said, "It is a good thought that Tamil should be taught in other states also. I feel Tamil Nadu should have a three-language policy. I am not saying only Hindi but an optional third language. Learning a third language will give students better opportunities and improve their social skills."On two students committing suicide in the state after the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) results were declared, she said, "I plead to the students not to take the extreme step. There is always a next time."The BJP leader said, "Politicians in Tamil Nadu should not demoralise students. ...
Deendayal Upadhyaya's name dropped from Rajasthan school test, says minister
Rajasthan Minister GS Dotsara on Thursday clarified that RSS ideologue Deendayal Upadhyay's name would be dropped from the state school scholarship test and the old name will be restored."The name of this scholarship test was named after Deen Dayal Upadhyay without any order or reason. So, when our government was formed, I went to the Board of Secondary Education and asked the officials about the change in the name of this talent hunt exam, but, when I did not receive any satisfactory explanation from them, we decided that we will go back to the original name as it would help in its easy recognition and identification, Dotasra told reporters.Dotasra's response comes a day after it was reported that Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's government has decided to drop the name of Upadhyay from a school scholarship test known as Pandit Deen Dayal Talent Search Exam.It was said that the state government dropping the name of Upadhyay as the previous BJP government had named the test ...
KCR 'purchased' party MLAs with 'ill-gotten' money:TL Congress
With two-thirds of the party MLAs seeking merger with ruling TRS in Telangana, Congress state unit head N Uttam Kumar Reddy Thursday lashed out at Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, accusing him of 'purchasing' the legislators. He also said Congress would now "fight in the courts and on the streets". In a jolt to the party, twelve of its 18 MLAs in the state Thursday met Assembly Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy and gave him a representation seeking to merge their group with the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), headed by Rao, popularly known as KCR. "These Congress MLAs were puchased piece-by-piece by KCR. They are not a group", Reddy said after a dozen lawmakers from his party met the Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy seeking merger of Congress Legislature Party with TRS. He alleged KCR had been purchasing these MLAs with his "ill-gotten money from contractors". Each time a Congress MLA defected to the TRS, the Congress had submitted disqualification petition to the ...
Erdogan speaks to Saudi king after no-show at Mecca summit
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke Thursday by phone with Saudi King Salman after missing a key summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in the Saudi holy city of Mecca, his office said. The two exchanged greetings for the Muslim Eid al-Fitr festival, Erdogan's office said, adding that they also discussed "bilateral and regional issues," without elaborating further. The phone call comes after Erdogan was notably absent from the Mecca summit of the OIC where the country was represented instead by Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. Turkey's ties with Saudi Arabia have come under strain after the brutal murder last October of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, which tarnished the international reputation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Saudi prosecutors have absolved the prince and said around two dozen people implicated in the murder are in custody, with death penalties sought against five men. But attention has remained focused on ...
Rajnath Singh briefed on defence acquisition cases
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was on Thursday briefed on important defence acquisition cases and procurement procedures.He directed officials concerned to quicken the procurement process, sources said.Singh was briefed on acquisitions by Director General Acquisition Apoorva Chandra.The Defence Minister was also briefed about the 'Make in India' initiative in the defence sector by the Department of Defence Production.
Telangana defections: Congress cries 'daylight murder of democracy'
Hours after 12 out of its 18 MLAs in Telangana met the Assembly Speaker requesting a merger with the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), the Congress on Thursday described the development as a "daylight murder of democracy".
Sudan's government says 46 killed in crackdown
The Sudanese government said on Thursday that 46 people were killed in "recent events" that began with an assault on a protest camp earlier this week in the capital Khartoum, while the opposition Committee of Doctors said at least 108 people had died.
U'khand CM remembers dead colleague
Before leaving for the US for cancer treatment, Uttarkhand cabinet minister Prakash Pant had promised Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat that he will get well and return soon. This was not to be, Rawat Thursday said in an emotional video message a day after the death of the minister in a Texas hospital. "He had promised of returning soon. Now his body is being brought back. I am very said," teary-eyed Rawat said. The minister of parliamentary affairs and finance in the Uttarakhand government, Prakash Pant (58) is survived by his parents, wife, two daughters and a son. Rawat recalled that the minister had collapsed while reading the budget speech in the state assembly three months ago. He said the initial medical examination could not detect the ailment. Later, it was revealed that he suffered from a "rare and aggressive type of cancer", the CM said. The state government has announced a three-day mourning. A government spokesperson said the body of the minister would be brought back .
Big jolt to Cong in Telangana, 12 MLAs seek CLP merger with TRS
In a big jolt to the Congress in Telangana, as many as 12 of its 18 MLAs Thursday sought merger of their legislature party with the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi. The MLAs met Assembly Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy and gave him a representation in this regard after Tandur MLA Rohith Reddy became the 12th Congress legislator to jump ship, boosting the strength of the defectors to two-thirds of the state Congress Legislature Party. Since early March, as many as 11 Congress MLAs had switched sides before Rohith Reddy moved over to the ruling camp Thursday. Congress strength in the 119-member House came down to 18 after Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee President N Uttam Kumar Reddy tendered his resignation from the Assembly Wednesday after being elected to the Lok Sabha from Nalgonda in the recent elections. "This is completely illegal. KCR (TRS President and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao) is cheating the mandate of the people of Telangana," Uttam Kumar Reddy told PTI as he
Start preparing for state polls, they may come anytime: Nikhil Kumaraswamy in viral video
Indicating 'lack of trust' between the coalition partners, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil Kumaraswamy, in a viral video, is purportedly seen asking JD(S) workers to prepare themselves for the assembly polls. In the video that has gone viral on social media, he is heard telling his partymen that the elections may come anytime, be it next year or after two or three years. "We need to start now only. We should not say we will do it later. We have to prepare from the next month onwards. We do not know when it (election) comes, next year, after two years or three years. JD(S) leaders should be ready," Nikhil says in the video. Nikhil, who lost the recent Lok Sabha poll from Mandya to BJP-backed independent candidate Sumalatha Ambareesh in a fiercely fought contest, however, said there was no threat to the government and his father will complete the tenure. "There is no problem to the government. It will complete (its tenure). You get tensed due to reports in media.