Page 2578 - Politics

PM Modi dubs Oppon rivals as 'lying machines' who fire off lies like AK47

Though the prime minister did not name any rival

Congress releases first list for MP poll candidates

The Congress on Saturday released its first list of 155 candidates for the 230-member Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections.

Advocate files complaint against Tharoor over scorpion

A city-based advocate filed a complaint Saturday against Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, saying he has hurt Hindu sentiments with his alleged "scorpion" remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently, the police said. Legal opinion would be sought as Tharoor's speech was made in Bengaluru, they said. According to the complainant, Tharoor's "comments hurt Hindu sentiments," police said. Tharoor stoked a controversy Sunday while speaking at the Bangalore Literature Festival, claiming that an unnamed RSS leader had compared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "a scorpion sitting on a Shivling" and terming it as an extraordinarily striking metaphor. Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who condemned the remark, has alleged that Tharoor had disrespected Lord Shiva and sought an apology from Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

Rahul Gandhi like a 'key-operated horse', says Vijayvargiya

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi is like a "key-operated horse" that runs on the inputs given by his advisers, BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya said Saturday. He was reacting to Gandhi's temple visits during campaigning in Madhya Pradesh which goes to polls on November 28. The ongoing poll campaign has seen the Congress projecting Gandhi as a 'Shiv bhakt' with the party chief offering prayers at several temples, including the revered Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain. "Rahul is the prince of the Congress who acts according to his advisers. So, the Congress president bows before an idol and wears janeu (sacred thread worn by Hindus) as told by his advisers. He is like a key-operated horse that runs on inputs (keying)," the BJP national general secretary said. Speaking about MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's brother-in-law joining the Congress, Vijayvargiya said that a person's relative had the right to join any party. Sanjay Singh Masani, the brother of Chouhan's wife ...

BJP to back allies' candidates only if they support PM Modi:

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Saturday said the BJP would back candidates of allies who support Prime Minister Narendra Modi but added that his party had capable candidates to field if this was not the case. Without naming bickering ally Shiv Sena, Fadnavis said only candidates who support Modi would go to Parliament in next year's general polls. The Sena, a constituent of BJP-led governments here and at the Centre, has often attacked Modi over various issues. Fadnavis, who was addressing a rally in Pimpri Chinchwad, said some people had questioned whether this rally was a preparation for next year's Lok Sabha polls for Maval and Shirur seats and if it signalled the end of the alliance with the Sena. Maval and Shirur Lok Sabha seats are currently held by the Sena's Shrirang Barne and Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil respectively. "I want to make it clear that this rally is not against any particular party. However our stand is clear that only those candidates ..

Cong releases first list of candidates for MP polls

The Congress Saturday released its first list of candidates, 155 in total, for the Madhya Pradesh assembly polls, and the nominees included Ajay Singh, the leader of opposition in the state, and former Union minister Suresh Pachouri. The party has also fielded former chief minister Digvijay Singh's son Jaivardhan Singh and brother Lashman Singh from Raghogarh and Chachoura seats respectively. Ajay Singh, son of former chief minister late Arjun Singh, will fight from Chruhat. Polls for the 230-member assembly will be held on November 28. The BJP, which is in power in the state since 2003, had released its first list of 177 candidates Friday.

What is basis for coalition in 'grand alliance' asks TRS

Attacking the proposed "grand alliance" of Congress, TDP and other parties for the December 7 assembly polls in Telangana, TRS leader and minister in the caretaker government K T Rama Rao Saturday said the alliance partners should specify on what basis they had come togther. The proposed grand alliance comprises Congress, TDP, CPI and TJS, which is a partner in it. Though the alliance partners have had several rounds of discussions on seat-sharing and other issues, they have not reached a final agreement. "There is no answer when asked what is the criteria for the alliance between Congress and TDP," he said, addressing a gathering at the TRS office here. TRS had allied with Congress in 2004 and TDP in 2009 after the two parties adopted a pro-Telangana stance, Rama Rao, son of TRS president and Caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, said. Claiming that it was TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu who calls the shots in the alliance,he alleged that irrigation projects ..

Killing of Parihar brothers cowardly act: BJP leader

BJP national vice president Avinash Rai Khanna Saturday termed the killing of a senior Jammu and Kashmir party leader and his brother in Kishtwar district a "cowardly act". He asked the state administration to view the incident seriously as it might be an attempt to revive militancy in the Jammu region. BJP state secretary Anil Parihar(52) and his brother, Ajeet Parihar(55) were killed while they were walking towards their home in Parihar mohalla through a dark lane in Tapal Mohalla. They were fired upon from a close range by suspected militants around 8.40 pm on Thursday. "The Governor administration should take these killings as a serious development in Kishtwar as the militancy related acts were brought to almost zero in Jammu province in last few years and this may be an attempt towards revival of the militancy, which needs to be curbed at the very onset," Khanna said in a statement here. The Jammu and Kashmir in-charge of the BJP demanded adequate compensation for the bereaved ...

66 per cent voting in Karnataka by-elections

Around 66 per cent of the 54.5 lakh electorate voted on Saturday in the five by-elections across Karnataka, a poll official said.

Modi a hero on a white stallion with upraised sword: Tharoor

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor Saturday mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him a "hero on a white stallion with an upraised sword in his hand". Tharoor had waded into a controversy at the Bangalore Literature Festival Sunday last by claiming that an unnamed RSS leader had compared Modi to "a scorpion sitting on a Shivling" and "you cannot remove him with your hand and you cannot hit it with a chappal either". A criminal defamation complaint had been filed against him in a Delhi court earlier in the day for his "scorpion" remark. Tharoor again took a swipe at the prime minister, calling him "a hero on a white stallion with an upraised sword in his hand saying I know all the answers". "Modi is a one-man government and everybody dancing to what he says," he said at an event organised by an industry body, adding India now has the "most centralised PMO" in history. "Every decision is taken by the PMO (prime minister's office). Every file has to be sent to the PMO for approval," he ...

Bengal to add 100 acre to Silicon Valley IT Hub: Mamata

Buoyed by the "verwhelming" response to Silicon Valley IT Hub in which four global companies have evinced interest to set up new investments, the Bengal government is planning to double its area by adding another 100 acre to it, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said Saturday. Her comments came a day after state finance minister Amit Mitra claimed that four companies -- Reliance Jio, TCS, Cap Gemini and Firstsource Solutions -- had responded to the Expressions of Interest (EoI) floated by the government to set up units at the Silicon Valley IT Hub at New Town which was launched two-and-half months back by Banerjee. "Encouraged by this quick and warm response, the government is planning to add another 100 acre to the Silicon Valley Hub of Kolkata," Banerjee said in her official Facebook and Twitter posts. Banerjee said the state government had launched the Silicon Valley IT Hub project on August 13 to attract investment in IT/ITeS/ICT and also build a world-class ecosystem

Mahagatbadhan is manifestation of dynasty politics: Modi

Prime Minister Modi on Saturday termed opposition efforts to forge a 'grand alliance' as a "manifestation of dynasty politics," saying the fake unity was nothing but an election gimmick.

Kharge moves SC against Centre's move of sending CBI director on leave, terms it 'illegal'

Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge moved the Supreme Court on Saturday against the Centre's decision to send CBI director Alok Verma on leave, saying it was "completely illegal and arbitrary". In his petition, Kharge, who is the leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha and a member of the three-member committee which picks the CBI director, said that "as a concerned stakeholder he brings to the attention of the court the brazen and illegal actions" of the political executive in interfering with the independent functioning of the CBI director. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi's suo motu action of sending CBI director Alok Verma on leave is illegal and is in violation of the law," Kharge later told PTI. Verma and CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana were stripped of their powers and sent on leave on October 23 as the top two officers of the premier investigation agency levelled charges of corruption against each other. The government's move came hours after the Central Vigilance ...

Average 67 per cent voter turnout recorded in Karna bypolls

: An estimated 67 per cent voter turnout was recorded in three Lok Sabha and two assembly constituencies in Karnataka that went to the by-polls Saturday. The by-elections are seen as a prestigious popularity test for the ruling Congress-JDS coalition, as the outcome is expected to have a bearing on the state's political scene. The Lok Sabha constituencies of Shivamogga, Ballari and Mandya recorded 61.05, 63.85 and 53.93 per cent voting respectively. Ramanagara and Jamkhandi assembly segmentsreported 73.71 and 81.58 per cent voter turnout respectively. The initial hours of polling saw a poor turnout, but gathered pace as voting progressed through the day, electoral officials said. Barring reports about delay in voting due to some technical issues at a couple of places, polling in all the five constituencies was peaceful, they said. Police had made elaborate security arrangements for the smooth conduct of polls, in which a total of 54,54,275 voterswere eligible to cast ...

Iran braces for oil sanctions after currency crash, protests

Iran is bracing for the restoration of US sanctions on its vital oil industry next week, as it grapples with an economic crisis that has sparked sporadic protests over rising prices, corruption and unemployment. The Trump administration on Friday announced the reimposition of all US sanctions on Iran that had been lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal, ramping up economic pressure on the Islamic Republic. The oil sanctions, set to take effect on Monday, will target the country's largest source of revenue in the most punishing action taken since the Trump administration withdrew from the 2015 nuclear agreement in May, and will also affect Iranian shipping and financial transactions. Tehran state TV reported on the sanctions Friday, citing international media outlets and highlighting the US decision to allow eight nations to maintain imports of crude oil from Tehran, calling it a sign of the US's "failure" to reduce Iran's oil exports to nil. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the

MP:CM Chouhan's brother-in-law joins Congress

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's brother-in-law Sanjay Singh Masani joined the Congress Saturday, saying the state needs party chief Kamal Nath and not Chouhan as the CM. Masani is the brother of Chouhan's wife Sadhna Singh. He joined the Congress in the presence of its Madhya Pradesh unit president Kamal Nath and another senior state leader Jyotiraditya Scindia in Delhi, and said MP needs a leader like Nath not Chouhan. Polls in the state are scheduled to be held on November 28. "Madhya Pradesh does not need Shivraj but Nath. We all know how Chhindwara has been developed and is identified with Kamal Nath. The state also needs to be identified with him," Masani said. Nath represents Chhindwara in the Lok Sabha. While he lashed out at the BJP for ignoring "kaamdars" (those who work) at the cost of "naamdars" (big names), Masani said he should not be projected as a family member of Chouhan but only as his relative. "My name is Sanjay Singh Masani. My family ...

AAP calls EC 'B Team of BJP'; sticks at claims of deletion of names from voters' list

The ruling AAP in Delhi continued to attack the Election Commission over reported deletion of names from voters' list, with Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia terming the poll body as the "B team of BJP". AAP convener and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had met Chief Election Commissioner O P Rawat Friday and alleged that names of party supporters had been deleted from the voters' list. He had claimed that the poll panel informed him that 10 lakh voters' names were deleted and 13 lakh were added since the last assembly election in Delhi in 2015. A spokesperson of the Commission, however, said the poll body never confirmed that names of 10 lakh voters were deleted from the list. "BJP is getting names deleted for the fear of defeat. The Election Commission is working as a 'B team of BJP'," Sisodia said in a press briefing. He said 24,000 names were deleted from his Patparganj constituency, 27,500 names from Kondli, 14,000 names from Vishwas Nagar, 22,000 names from Laxmi Nagar and ...

BJP trying to gain sympathy over Parrikar's health: Goa Cong

The Goa Congress Saturday accused the ruling BJP of "taking advantage" of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's health to get people's "sympathy" with an eye on the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Parrikar (62) is currently undergoing treatment for a pancreatic ailment at his residence here since October 14 after being discharged from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi. "It is very unfortunate that BJP leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi are taking undue advantage of the Chief Ministers health to get public sympathy, which they presume will be converted into votes during the Lok Sabha polls (slated for 2019)," the Congress' Goa spokesperson Jitendra Deshprabhu said here. He said that the BJP should have asked Parrikar to step down on health grounds. The BJP refused to comment with Goa unit chief Vinay Tendulkar saying that Deshprabhu's statements were not worthy of a reaction.

Australian nun who angered Duterte leaves Philippines

An Australian nun who angered President Rodrigo Duterte departed the Philippines on Saturday following a lengthy legal fight against the government's efforts to expel her. Sister Patricia Fox was escorted to the airport by about 200 human rights activists who praised her years of service in the impoverished Southeast Asian nation and condemned the administration for forcing her to leave. "Duterte, expel him, Sister Pat, bring her back," some of the rallyists chanted. Fox - who has spent almost three decades working with Philippine labourers, farmers and urban poor - said she was leaving with sadness but urged her sympathisers to continue helping the disadvantaged. "I hope (Duterte) listens to the voice of the little people, not just the military, not just the businessmen, but the farmers, the workers, the tribal folk," she said in a pre-departure press conference. Fox apparently angered the fiery president by joining a fact-finding mission in April to investigate alleged abuses ...

Sitharaman to celebrate Diwali with Army Jawans in Arunachal Pradesh

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will celebrate this year's Diwali with the Indian Army jawans posted on the China border.The Defence Minister will celebrate the festival with the Army jawans posted at the Upper Dibang Valley district of the Arunachal Pradesh on November 6 and November 7.The nearest road head to the post is almost 30 km away.Last year, Sitharaman celebrated the festival of lights with military personnel at tri-services command on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.In her first visit to the strategically important command after assuming charge as the Defence Minister, Sitharaman had also reviewed its security preparedness and other operational matters.