Page 2584 - Politics
Cong finalises 200 candidates for MP assembly polls: Sources
The Congress is learnt to have finalised about 200 candidates for the upcoming Madhya Pradesh assembly polls, but did not make any name public on Friday. Sources said the Congress's Central Election Committee (CEC) met under the chairmanship of party president Rahul Gandhi and deliberated upon the names of party candidates. The discussion in the CEC took place after hectic deliberations between the party's leaders from the state and senior central leaders such as Ahmed Patel, Ashok Gehlot and Veerappa Moily. Patel, Gehlot and Moily were asked by Gandhi to sort out differences between various factions of the Madhya Pradesh Congress unit. Earlier in the day, Gandhi also discussed the party's strategy at the party's core group meeting in which former Congress president Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh were also present. Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, during the meeting, asked everyone to work together in the party's interest, the sources said. According to the ...
MSME-GST facilitation desk established in Jammu
Jammu and Kashmir Commercial Taxes Department Friday set up a GST facilitation desk at Excise and Taxation Complex here for food processing MSMEs of district Jammu. The creation of the desk envisages hand-holding of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), particularly with regard to GST related issues, an official spokesman said. The help desk was made operational by Additional Commissioner, Commercial Taxes, S K Gupta along with nodal team of officers after the launch of 'Support and Outreach' initiative for MSMEs by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. Also present were the representatives of major food processing units of the district. The desk shall remain functional for the next 100 days to redress the GST related issues faced by food processing MSMEs of district Jammu, he said. The participants present on the occasion were also made aware about the procedures of GST registration, return filling, refund claims and e-way registrations, among others. Jammu has been ...
Congress leader demands special Lok Sabha session to address farmers' issues
Kisan Khet Mazdoor Congress chief Nana Patole Friday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to convene a special session of the Lower House of Parliament for discussing and solving "problems" being faced by the farmers across the country. In separate letters to Prime Minister Modi and Mahajan, he said the farmers were grappling with various problems such as lack of water and irrigation-related issues. Citing that earlier also a special session was convened for rolling out the GST, he said there was an urgent need to call a special session to deal with the farmers' problems.
Modi won't survive if Rafale probed, says Rahul; Reliance rebuts charges
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday alleged that French defence major Dassault Aviation had paid "kickback" to Reliance to secure the Rafale deal, and claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would not survive if the "huge corruption" in the purchase was probed.
Morale of HAL employees still high: HAL CMD
Amid the Rafale row, state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited CMD R Madhavan Friday said the morale of the company's employees is still high. The Supreme Court recently asked the Centre to place before it in a sealed cover within 10 days the pricing details of 36 Rafale fighter jets India is buying from France. Seeking clarity on Rafale deal, Madhavan said HAL was completely out of Rafale deal, but at one point of time, it was part of it, which did not kick-off. "The morale of our employees is still high. As far as, our own unions are concerned, it has not given any statement on any issue surrounding Rafale deal. The statements have come from unions which have not been recognised," he told reporters here. "We are not in that (Rafale) business now. We were in it at one point of time. It is a direct purchase by the government and (I) cannot make any comments on pricing and policy changes," he said. Escalating his campaign against the Modi government over the Rafale deal, ...
US to impose 'toughest ever' sanctions on Iran from Nov 5
The Trump administration on Friday announced it would impose "toughest ever" sanctions on Iran beginning November 5 that it said are targeted at Tehran's economy with the intention that the authoritarian Iranian regime would change its behaviour. "On Monday, the Treasury Department will add more than 700 names to our list of blocked entities. This includes hundreds of targets previously granted sanctions relief under the JCPOA, as well as more than 300 new designations. This is substantially more than we ever have previously done," US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told reporters. Sanctions lifted under the terms of Iran's nuclear deal will be reimposed on individuals, entities, vessels and aircraft that touch numerous segments of Iran's economy. This will include Iran's energy sector and financial sectors, he said. "We are sending a very clear message with our maximum pressure campaign: that the US intends to aggressively enforce our sanctions. Any financial institution, company ..
Congress seeks voters' views for manifesto in Rajasthan
The Congress in Rajasthan has sought suggestions of voters for drafting its manifesto, according to Sachin Pilot, state Congress president.
Kejriwal blames EC of lying over number of names deleted from voters' list in Delhi
A controversy erupted hours after a meeting between the AAP leadership and Chief Election Commissioner O P Rawat Friday, with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal blaming the election body of "lying" over the number of names deleted from the voters' list in the national capital. Earlier, Kejriwal accompanied by his deputy, Manish Sisodia, and party leader Raghav Chadha met Rawat, alleging deletion of names of party supporters from the voters' list. He also alleged that the BJP in "collusion" with lower level officers was responsible for it, and claimed that the Election Commission informed him that 10 lakh voters' names were deleted and 13 lakh added since last the Assembly election in Delhi in 2015. The Election Commission termed this as "factually incorrect", saying no such thing was confirmed by the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC). After the meeting, Chadha tweeted, "CEC in today's meeting confirmed that more than 10 lac votes have been deleted in Delhi. Our preliminary inquiry ..
We're miffed at attitude of Congress, says Telangana CPI
: The CPI, a partner in the proposed 'grand alliance' of opposition parties for the December 7 Legislative Assembly elections in Telangana, Friday expressed dissatisfaction over the attitude of Congress. The 'grand alliance' comprises the Congress, TDP, CPI and Telangana Jana Samiti (TJS). "We express dissatisfaction over the attitude of the Congress party for leaking to the media that two or three seats will be given to the CPI. The Congress is behaving in a manner that creates disappointment in our rank and file of workers," Telangana secretary of CPI Chada Venkat Reddy told reporters here. However, he said the future course of action of the CPI would be decided at a meeting of the state executive of the party on November 4 for which its general secretary S Sudhakar Reddy has been invited. Reddy said the party would not walk out of the alliance and continue to make efforts to achieve its political objectives.
Non-bailable warrants against Hafiz Saeed, Syed Salahuddin
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) special court has issued non-bailable warrants against Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Muhammad Saeed and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahudeen in connection with Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case.The probe agency charged the two with offences under Section 120B, 121 and 121A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Sections 13, 16, 17, 18, 20, 38, 39 and 40 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.The NIA approached the court for issuing non-bailable warrants against the two for their active involvement in terror funding for creating unrest in the Kashmir valley and other parts of India."They mobilised Pakistan trained terrorists and pushed them into India from Pakistan in connivance with secessionist and separatist leaders for waging war against Government of India with the nefarious design of seceding Jammu and Kashmir from Union of India," read the statement issued by the NIA.The probe agency said that they have already filed ...
Bhima Koregaon case: Court rejects bail plea of Shoma Sen
The Pune Sessions Court on Friday rejected bail plea of advocate Shoma Sen, who has been accused in the Bhima Koregaon violence case.Sen moved the bail application in the Pune Sessions Court on September 14.Shoma Sen and four others-- Mahesh Raut, Surendra Gadling, Sudhir Dhawale and Rona Wilson, were arrested for "Maoist" links in June.The five were accused of their alleged involvement in the violence that erupted earlier this year during the 200th anniversary of the Bhima Koregaon battle.Apart from this, five activists, namely poet Vara Vara Rao, lawyer Sudha Bhardwaj, activists Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves, and Gautam Navlakha, have also been put under house arrest since August 29 for their alleged involvement in the violence.One person was killed and many were injured in the clashes which took place on January 1, 2018.Earlier, the Maharashtra government, in an affidavit, had told the Supreme Court that the activists were "members of banned terrorist organisation Communist Party
Global oil supply in 2019 make it easier to cut Iran oil: U.S. official
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. believes that global oil supplies will exceed demand next year making it easier for countries to cut Iranian oil imports to zero, a senior U.S. official said on Friday as Washington prepares to reimpose sanctions on Iran.
Google's top U.S. public policy official leaving post
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's Google unit said on Friday that its Washington office chief, who also heads Americas policy, is stepping down as the company faces criticism on issues including how it protects users' privacy and its investment plans in China.
TJS demands 17 seats in meeting with Rahul Gandhi
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday met Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) founder M Kodandaram and held discussions over seat-sharing for the December 7 Assembly polls. Kondandaram later told reporters that he is asking for 17 seats for the party in next month's Assembly elections in Telangana. The meeting came a day after the Congress said it would leave around 24 seats out of 119 for its allies in the state that goes to polls on December 7. "It was a pleasure to meet the Chairman of Telangana Joint Action Committee and founder of Telangana Jana Samiti, Prof Kodandaram. I look forward to continuing our dialogue," Gandhi said after the meeting. Kodandaram called upon the Congress chief to formally announce their alliance and finalise the seat sharing arrangement. Muddasani Kodandaram who founded the political party Telangana Jana Samithi in March 2018. The Congress, Telugu Desam Party, Telangana Jana Samithi and CPI had decided to forge an alliance for the Telangana elections.
Vests gifted to South Korean Prez were 'Modi Jackets', says company which makes them
The vests gifted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to South Korean President Moon Jae-in were 'Modi Jackets' and not traditional Nehru jackets as claimed by some, the company which makes them said Friday. A controversy has broken out on Twitter on how the jackets should be described. On October 31, Moon Jae-in tweeted pictures of the sleeveless jackets, to be worn on a kurta. "Prime Minister @narendramodi of India sent me some gorgeous garments. These are modernised versions of traditional Indian costume, known as the 'Modi Vest', that can also be worn easily in Korea. They fit perfectly," Moon Jae-in said in the tweet. "During my visit to India, I had told the Prime Minister @narendramodi that he looked great in those vests, and he duly sent them over, all meticulously tailored to my size....," said the South Korean leader. The tweets sparked a debate, as some claimed that these were actually Nehru Jackets, popularised by the country's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. "It's ...
RSS is Manthara, BJP Kaikeyi who have exiled Ram: Congress
Likening the RSS and the BJP to Manthara and Kaikeyi respectively -- the characters from epic Ramayana -- the Congress on Friday accused the two organisations of consigning Lord Ram to "exile" for the last three decades. At a press conference here, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said the two organisations "think of Ram only before elections". The RSS, earlier Friday, said that an ordinance would be needed if all other options for constructing Ram temple in Ayodhya were exhausted. "RSS is the Manthara and BJP the Kaikeyi who have exiled Lord Ram for the past three decades," Surjewala said here, invoking the characters from Ramayana who scheme to send Ram, the hero of the epic, into an exile in forest. "They remember Ram only before elections," he said, when asked about Congress' views on BJP MP Rakesh Sinha's announcement that he will introduce a private member's bill for construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya. "Why Congress should react to an assistant lecturer's (Sinha)
AAP govt 'failed' to provide corruption-free governance: Maken
Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken lashed out at Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government on Friday, saying it had "failed" to provide corruption-free governance. Quoting the findings of two recent reports by Transparency International and Centre for Media Studies (CMS), Maken said 64 per cent Delhiites are caught in the trap of "corruption" under the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) regime. "Corruption in Delhi jumped from 40 percent in 2016 to 64 percent in 2018," he said. The Congress leader claimed this upward trend continued despite corruption in Delhi Police and municipal corporations declining in recent years, as suggested by reports. Maken also attacked the AAP for not fulfilling its promise of bringing the Jan Lokpal Bill. "The AAP, which, before coming to power, used to blow its trumpet by saying that it will bring the Jan Lokpal on assuming power, has forgotten it," he said. Maken said the Congress will fight against corruption in Delhi through various means, including RTI queries. No ...
RSS-BJP raising Ram temple issue fearing poll defeat: Cong-NCP
The Congress and NCP Friday hit out at the RSS-BJP for "raking up" the Ram temple issue and attributed it to the ruling party's fear of losing the 2019 polls due to its "failure" in fulfilling promises made to the people. They also charged the ruling BJP with not being "serious" about constructing the temple in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya and questioned why it did not fulfil this promise despite being in power at the Centre for the past four-and-half years. The RSS Friday said that Hindus were feeling "insulted" by the Supreme Court's declaration that the Ayodhya (Ram temple) issue is not a priority. After a three-day RSS conclave here in Maharashtra, its general secretary Bhaiyyaji Joshi earlier in the day said the organisation "will not hesitate to launch an agitation for Ram temple, if needed, but since the matter is in the Supreme Court, there are restrictions." Speaking to reporters Friday, senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan said, "The Central government is in ...
Modi govt's measures for MSMEs transformative: Amit Shah
BJP president Amit Shah Friday expressed confidence that the measures taken by the Union government to boost the micro, small and medium enterprises sector will write a "new chapter of development and progress". In a statement, Shah described the initiatives announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as transformative. Modi earlier Friday announced sanctioning of loans of up to Rs 1 crore in 59 minutes, relaxation in labour and company laws as well as easier compliance with environmental rules for small and medium enterprises to give a boost to the nation's second-biggest employing sector. Announcing a slew of measures for the sector, he said GST-registered micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) will be sanctioned a loan of Rs 1 crore in just 59 minutes through a new portal. Shah said the MSMEs contribute 32 per cent of the GDP and creates over 11 crore jobs, claiming that no effective steps were taken for these enterprises since independence and it is Modi's foresight which ...
U.S. allows eight 'jurisdictions' to keep buying Iran oil for now
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States said on Friday it will temporarily allow eight jurisdictions to keep importing Iranian oil when U.S. sanctions come back into force on Monday, sparing them for now from the threat of U.S. economic penalties.