Page 2616 - Politics
Pawar slams Shah for his Sabarimala verdict remarks
NCP president Sharad Pawar Monday hit out at BJP chief Amit Shah for his remarks that courts should desist from pronouncing "impracticable" orders made in the backdrop of the Supreme Court verdict on Sabarimala. Addressing a "Save Constitution" rally organised by the women's wing of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) here, he also attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government on a host of issues, including the recent turmoil in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Slamming Shah, Pawar said the BJP chief's comments indicated that the Supreme Court verdict allowing entry of women of all ages to the Sabarimala shrine in Kerala was not acceptable to the saffron party. A recent verdict of the apex court lifting the age restrictions on entry of women to the hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa, who is believed to be celibate as per traditions, has led to massive protests by the devotees in the southern state. Shah had Saturday said courts should desist from pronouncing verdicts .
UP and U'khand sign agreement to strengthen bus services
The Uttar Pradesh government Monday signed an agreement with its neighbouring state Uttarakhand to strengthen inter-state bus services. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said his government is committed to provide better transport facilities to the people of the state. "Travelling since time immemorial has been a major reason for growth. Better mode of transportation makes commuting easy, helps economy and boosts cultural integration," Adityanath said. He said both the states share common tradition and heritage. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, present on the occasion, said "This agreement was possible because of the positive stand of the UP government". Adityanath also flagged-off UPSRTC's 51 Prayagraj Kumbh Shuttle buses and three CNG buses that will run in the state.
Bomb suspect set for Florida court appearance
The Florida man accused of sending packages containing explosive material to prominent Democrats and other opponents of President Donald Trump is due to make his first court appearance Monday. An initial hearing is set in Florida federal court for Cesar Sayoc, 56, who faces five federal charges. The hearing will come hours after a 14th package was intercepted, this one in Atlanta and addressed to CNN. Another was delivered to the cable network's New York offices last week, causing an evacuation. On Monday, bomb squads from the FBI and Atlanta police responded to a "suspicious package" at a post office in downtown Atlanta. The FBI did not identify to whom the package was addressed, but CNN President Jeff Zucker announced that a suspicious package addressed to the cable television network was intercepted Monday at an Atlanta post office. Authorities did not immediately say who might be responsible for sending the most recent package, but law enforcement officials have said they believe .
Goa Cong leaders seek appointment with Parrikar
The Goa Congress Monday said that Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar should give the party's delegation an appointment since he is already meeting cabinet ministers and officials. Parrikar is undergoing treatment for a pancreatic ailment at his private residence here after returning on October 14 post hospitalisation from AIIMS in New Delhi. "If Parrikar can hold a cabinet meeting on October 31 that means he is sound enough to meet others like Congress members," Congress Goa spokesperson Jitendra Deshprabhu said. Parrikar is scheduled to hold a meeting of the state cabinet Wednesday.
India, Qatar to establish joint commission to strengthen their relations
India and Qatar Monday decided to set up a Joint Commission to strengthen their relations and regularly review all the bilateral matters, as well as regional and global issues of mutual interest. The decision was taken after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani and discussed ways to move forward on the roadmap set by the top leaders of the two countries. It is the first ever visit of Swaraj to Doha. The two sides have decided to establish the Joint Commission, according to a joint declaration issued after the talks. The Joint Commission will be co-chaired by the Ministers of External Affairs and Foreign Affairs of the two countries or their representatives and may include in its membership representatives of the sectors concerned with the bilateral cooperation in both the countries, it said. The Joint Commission will be tasked to strengthen the relations between the two countries particularly in the economic, commercial, cultural, ..
Goa BJP leaders plan to meet PM on mining issue
Goa BJP leaders Monday decided to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to press for the resumption of mining in the coastal state. The Supreme Court, in its order in February this year, quashed 88 mining leases and banned the extraction of iron ore from March, bringing the sector in the state to a standstill. In a meeting held in Panaji Monday, state party unit president and Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Vinay Tendulkar has been given the task of securing an appointment with Modi, said BJP legislator and Deputy Speaker of Legislative Assembly Michael Lobo. Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had, on August 8 this year, met PM Modi to brief him about the issue.
Justice Naresh Patil sworn in as Bombay HC Chief Justice
Justice Naresh Harishchandra Patil was Monday sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court by Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao who administered the oath of office at a brief ceremony held at Raj Bhavan. Maharashtra chief secretary D K Jain read out the Notification of Appointment of the Chief Justice. Justice Naresh Patil had been serving as Acting Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court from August 12 this year. Born on 7th April 1957, Justice Patil was enrolled as an advocate on July 1, 1980 and practiced in the Civil and Sessions Court, Latur.
Another suspicious package addressed to CNN
A suspicious package addressed to CNN was intercepted Monday at an Atlanta post office, the head of the cable news network said in a statement. If it is found to contain an explosive device, it would be the 15th mail bomb -- and the third to CNN -- of a wave addressed to prominent Democrats and critics of US President Donald Trump, allegedly by a Trump supporter in Florida. "This morning, another suspicious package addressed to CNN was intercepted at an Atlanta post office," CNN Worldwide president Jeff Zucker said in a statement. "There is no imminent danger at CNN Center," he said in a message to employees that was also posted on Twitter. Since last Wednesday, all mail to CNN's US offices has been screened at an off-site location, he said, "so this package would not have come directly to the CNN Center, even if it hadn't been intercepted first." Cesar Sayoc, 56, who was arrested Friday, was due to be arraigned in Florida Monday on charges of mailing 13 pipe bombs and authorities had
SC nixes Kerala's demand for a month's salary from state employees
The Supreme Court on Monday nixed a Kerala government order asking its employees to donate a month's salary to help rebuild the flood-ravaged state.
Rajapaksa assumes charge as new Lankan PM amid 'bloodbath' warnings by Speaker
Former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa on Monday assumed charge as Sri Lanka's new Prime Minister even as defiant Ranil Wickremesinghe asserted that he still commands the majority in parliament amid warning by the Speaker that there could be "bloodbath" on the streets if the political crisis is not resolved immediately. Rajapaksa assumed the duties in the prime minister's secretariat which was not used by the ousted prime minister Wickremesinghe. President Maithripala Sirisena's new Cabinet was also sworn in and Rajapaksa was named the new minister of finance and economic affairs. The new Cabinet was limited to just 12 ministers, one minister of state and one deputy minister. Among the new ministers, three belonged to the ousted Wickremesinghe's United National Party (UNP) who have defected. The rest of the ministers are from Sirisena's previous Cabinet with Wickremesinghe who have been given same portfolios which they had handled under the unity government. One new addition is from the ..
Won't seek re-election as German Chancellor: Angela Merkel
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday announced that she would not seek re-election when her term expires in 2021. Merkel, who has been Chancellor since 2005, made the announcement during a news conference in Berlin. "It is time today for me to start a new chapter. This fourth term is my last term as Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany. In the next Bundestag election in 2021, I will not run again as Chancellor. I will not run for the German Bundestag any more, and I do not want any other political office," CNN quoted Merkel, as saying. Earlier in the day, Merkel had announced that she would step down as the leader of her centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party after 18 long years.
India, Japan call on Pakistan to bring perpetrators of 26/11 attack to justice
India and Japan called upon Pakistan to "bring to justice the perpetrators of terrorist attacks, including those of November 2008 in Mumbai and January 2016 in Pathankot" in a joint statement delivered after bilateral talks on Monday.Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while speaking at the press conference, declared the 21st century as Asia's century. He further mentioned that the feat is only achievable through India-Japan cooperation across a number of sectors. "Without the cooperation of India and Japan, 21st Century cannot be a century of Asia. Abe San and I have agreed to the 2 + 2 Dialogue between our Foreign and Defense Ministers for the purpose to promote peace and stability in the world," he said.In his speech, Prime Minister Modi announced an investment of USD 2.5 billion by Japanese investors in India. "We both agree that from digital partnership to cyberspace, health, defence, ocean to space, in every field we will strengthen our partnership. I have been told that today Japan ..
Govt looks at options after Trump turns down R-Day invite
The government is understood to be exploring options for the chief guest at the Republic Day parade after US President Donald Trump turned down its invite for the ceremony. Sources said the government has in mind leaders from three countries including a head of state from a leading African nation. "We have very little time left for deciding on the chief guest and the process will be completed soon," a source familiar with the development said. Trump has declined India's invitation to be the chief guest at the parade, citing pressing engagements, including his State of The Union (SOTU) address, around the time India will celebrate its Republic Day. It came at a time when Indo-US ties have witnessed some strain after India went ahead and sealed a deal with Russia to procure a batch of S-400 air defence missile systems, notwithstanding the US threat of punitive action under CAATSA (Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act). The sources said India has already short-listed ...
Pentagon could send thousands more troops to US-Mexico border: US official
The Pentagon could send thousands more troops to the US-Mexico border, a US official said Monday as President Donald Trump warned a caravan of Central American migrants that the military was waiting for them. The Wall Street Journal reported that 5,000 troops would deploy to the southwest US border, much higher than earlier estimates of about 800 last week. A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the 5,000 figure was right but cautioned that planning is still under way and no final decisions have been made on numbers.
Shah trying to "destabilise" left government: Ker CM
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan Monday accused BJP president Amit Shah of trying to destabilise the left government on Sabarimala issue and said the soil of the southern state was not the right place for executing his plans. Vijayan said the CPI(M)-led LDF government would not let anyone convert Sabarimala temple into a centre of unrest. "Heard that Shah has done certain things in certain places. He may have many such wishes. But the soil of this state is different and it is not the right place for executing his such plans," Vijayan said at an LDF rally here. Hitting out at Shah, the CPI(M) strongman said the people of Kerala would defeat the BJP presidents attempts to "destabilise the LDF government." "Such attempts will be resisted strongly by the people of the state," he said. People from all sections, including forward and backward communities, would rally together to resist such moves by Shah and the sangh parivar, he said. Vijayan said his government, elected
Bangladesh's EC scraps fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami's registration
Bangladesh's Election Commission (EC) Monday formally scrapped the registration of Jamaat-e-Islami, a crucial ally of jailed former prime minister Khaleda Zia's Opposition BNP, five years after the Supreme Court disqualified the fundamentalist party from polls. "The commission today scrapped the registration of the party on receipt of the full copy of the verdict of the Supreme Court's Appellate Division," an election commission spokesman said. He said the EC has issued a notification cancelling the Jamaat's registration as a political party. A high court bench in 2013 declared Jamaat's registration with the EC illegal on a writ petition filed by several Islamic groups, saying the party's ideology was contrary to Bangladesh's Constitution. The Supreme Court upheld the high court judgment when Jamaat challenged the verdict in the apex court. The hardline Islamist party, however, is now in a dilapidated state with most of its senior leaders executed in the past five years after being ...
Sabarimala protest: Number of persons arrested crosses 3,000
: Continuing its crackdown on protesters who took part in the Sabarimala agitation, police have so far arrested over 3,000 persons across Kerala. DGP Loknath Behera Monday said in a statement that 3,505 people have been arrested in 529 cases registered in connection with the violence and demonstration against implementation of the Supreme Court verdict, allowing women of all age groups into the Lord Ayyappa temple. Condemning the police action on the Ayyappa devotees, BJP in Kerala has said it would observe a day long fast in front of the DGP office here tomorrow. Party President P S Sreedharan Pillai, who will lead the strike, said in a statement that the agitation was against the CPI-M led LDF government's attempt to arrest 'devotees' by registering false cases on them. The saffron party has extended full support to the agitation of devotees and planned to organise a 'Rath Yatra' to save the customs and traditions of the Sabarimala temple. The yatra would commence from
Telecom Commission rechristened as Digital Communications Commission
The government on Monday rechristened the Telecom Commission -- the apex decision making body at the telecom department -- as the Digital Communications Commission. "To ensure effective implementation and monitoring of the National Digital Communications Policy-2018, the government has decided to re-designate the 'Telecom Commission', established by the Government of India vide Resolution dated April 11, 1989, as the 'Digital Communications Commission," an official notification said. The change in name has been brought in line with objectives of NDCP (National Digital Communications Policy) to project telecommunications as a business enabling segment that permeates across various sectors. The Telecom Commission consists of a chairman, four full-time members, who are ex-officio secretaries to the government of India in the Department of Telecom (DoT) and four part-time members who are the secretaries to the Government of India in the concerned departments. The telecom secretary is the .
TRS steps up campaigning
The ruling TRS in Telangana Monday stepped up its canvassing for the December 7 Assembly elections, with its key leaders, including minister K T Rama Rao, hitting the campaign trail. According to party sources, TRS president and caretaker chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is in Delhi Monday to undergo routine eye tests in view of the campaign schedule in the run-up to polls. TRS MP K Kavitha, daughter of the TRS president, spoke at a party meeting at Jagtial near Karimnagar. She slammed Congress and TDP for coming together (as part of "grand alliance" also comprising CPI and TJS) for the elections as TDP was founded by late N T Rama Rao on anti-Congress plank. TDP is reviving Congress which has become weak, she claimed. She said TDP's Telangana unit president L Ramana, who hails from Jagtial, would face defeat if he does not think on behalf of Telangana. She said regional parties think about people whereas a particular state is one among many issues for national ...
RSS, VHP demand ordinance on Ram temple, Congress accuses BJP of polarising views
Sangh Parivar founthead RSS and its affiliate VHP on Monday demanded that the Central government "enact a law" to build the Ram temple in Ayodhya while the Congress accused the BJP of "polarising views" on the issue ahead of the Lok Sabha polls as the Supreme Court directed the listing of the Ayodhya title suit matter in January 2019 before an appropriate bench.