Page 2627 - Politics
Shah's threat exposes who incited violence in Sabarimala: CPI-M
BJP President Amit Shah's criticism of the Supreme Court verdict allowing women of all ages to the Sabarimala temple exposes who was behind the violence in the temple area, the CPI-M said on Sunday.
India helped in restoration of democracy in Maldives: Maumoon Abdul Gayoom
India played a "positive" role in restoration of democracy in Maldives by "exerting pressure" on the ruling regime, and the new government in the island nation would be "sensitive" towards New Delhi's "concerns", former Maldivian President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom said Sunday. Nearly a month after he was released from jail, Gayoom, who ruled Maldives for three decades until 2008, said the government of President Abdulla Yameen inflicted "huge damage" on Maldives but democratic forces have prevailed over their "enemies". Joint opposition leader Ibrahim Mohamed Solih came out victorious in the September 23 presidential election, handing a shock defeat to incumbent Yameen and capping months of political upheaval in the tourist paradise. The political turmoil was triggered by imposition of emergency in February and jailing of several of opposition leaders including Gayoom, a half brother of Yameen. Yameen had challenged the outcome of the elections, alleging the vote was rigged but the ...
Lank Parliament speaker recognises Wickremesinghe as PM
Sri Lankan Parliament's Speaker Karu Jayasuriya Sunday recognised Ranil Wickremesinghe as the country's prime minister in a major relief to the embattled UNP leader, who was sacked as the premier by President Maithripala Sirisena. In a letter to Sirisena, Jayasuriya questioned Sirisena's decision to suspend the House till November 16, saying it will have "serious and undesirable" consequences on the country. He asked the president to restore Wickremesinghe's privileges as the leader of the government who has "obtained a mandate to secure democracy and good governance. The speaker said a prorogation of Parliament should be one in consultation with the speaker. "In this context continuing the prorogation of parliament until November 16 will have serious and undesirable consequences for our country and I kindly request you to reconsider same. "I consider it is my duty to draw your attention to the convention that a prorogation should be one in consultation with the speaker," Jayasuriya ..
Move to appoint Rajapaksa as Lanka PM raises fears about return to abusive practices: HRW
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena's decision to appoint his predecessor Mahinda Rajapaksa as prime minister has raised fears about a return to past abusive practices in the island nation, the Human Rights Watch said Sunday. Controversial strongman Rajapaksa staged a dramatic political comeback on Friday, becoming the new Prime Minister after Sirisena sacked premier Ranil Wickremesinghe. The sudden development came amid growing tensions between Sirisena and Wickremesinghe on several policy matters and the President has been critical of the Prime Minister and his policies, especially on economy and security. As per rule, the president may appoint a new prime minister only under certain conditions such as the death of the premier, resignation in writing, or a vote of no confidence in parliament against the government for a listed set of reasons. "Rajapaksa's return to high office without any justice for past crimes raises chilling concerns for human rights in Sri Lanka," Brad ...
Will not join Cong, but will support its fight for secularism, says Gaddar
Revolutionary Telugu poet Gummadi Vittal Rao, popularly known as 'Gaddar', who was once pursued by law enforcement agencies, is now hoping to turn lawmaker by contesting in the December 7 Telangana Assembly election. He said he is willing to contest against Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao if his candidature is supported by political parties. Gaddar has not formally approached any party on the issue. The balladeer, who recently met AICC president Rahul Gandhi and his mother and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, said he has been on a mission for the past two years to "save the Constitution, save India and secularism" and had been campaigning throughout the country through his songs and cultural activities. "I travelled about 1.5 lakh km and moved many people through my songs and speeches. There is a threat on the democratic rights of the people of the country," he told PTI. Governments at the Centre and in Telangana were slipping into feudal and caste systems based on the 'Manu
No democracy but naked martial law in Pakistan: Reham Khan
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's former wife and British-Pakistani journalist Reham Khan on Saturday asserted that there is no democracy in the country at the moment and it is more of martial law that is governing the nation."The way we are being told that dams will be built. Then they say they have brought money. What type of democracy is this where without asking people, without taking their suggestion, without taking parliament in confidence, the decisions are being made. This is not democracy; I think they should accept that there is naked martial law in Pakistan," she said.Criticising her ex-husband for allegedly talking about Pakistan's poverty at an international platform, she said, "It is a very unfortunate situation in Pakistan nowadays. Prime Minister going to Saudi Arabia and openly telling about Pakistan's situation and saying that there is no money in the country. I believe no one who does a business or is an investor, insults their own country or venture at an ...
Modi is favourite PM candidate of Muslims for 2019: Shahnawaz
Narendra Modi is the "favourite" prime ministerial candidate of Muslims for next year's Lok Sabha polls as he has dispelled the "fear" that several parties instilled in the community using his name, senior BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain said Sunday. He said the faith in Modi among Muslims had increased, especially among the women. "The favourite prime ministerial candidate for Muslims in the 2019 polls is Narendra Modi, because he sees all 132 crore people of the country just as Indians. Other parties have seen them as a vote bank," Hussain said. Muslims account for around 14 per cent of India's 130 crore population and the community plays a key role in the electoral outcome in a sizeable number of Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala and Jammu and Kashmir. Hussain blamed the Congress for the poverty and backwardness of the Muslims in the country, saying the party had done injustice to the community and Modi had given them ...
Top Saudi prosecutor expected in Turkey over writer's death
Saudi Arabia's attorney general is scheduled to arrive in Turkey to hold talks with investigators looking into the killing of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi, who was killed in the kingdom's Istanbul consulate earlier this month. Turkey says the kingdom's top prosecutor, Saud al-Mojeb, is expected to arrive on Sunday. There has been no announcement by the Saudis about the visit. Under mounting international pressure, the kingdom again changed its narrative about Khashoggi's killing, acknowledging in recent days that it was "premeditated," citing information from Turkey as part of a joint investigation. Turkey has pressed Saudi Arabia for a full disclosure about the killing, which was carried out by Saudi agents some of whom appear to work directly under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Madan Lal Khurana: Dilli ke Sher gives new vision in death
Former chief minister of Delhi Madan Lal Khurana breathed his last on Saturday at the age of 83 yet he would continue to spread light in someone else's life through his eyes.The large hearted that he was, as per his wishes, his family members in the midst of grief called the doctors and donated the late leader's eyes. The 'Dilli ke Sher' will stay in the heart of the nation as even in death he stood by his beliefs. His eyes were donated to the Dadichi Sansthan.Khurana had passed away at his residence following a prolonged illness.Born on October 15, 1936, in then-Punjab Province, Khurana has been a long time member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He had held several posts in the party, including a stint as the national vice president.The two-time former Member of Parliament was 12-years-old when his family was forced to move to Delhi following the Partition in 1947.He first ventured into politics as a student after becoming the general ...
PM Modi meets Shinzo Abe in Yamanashi
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday met his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe at Hotel Mount Fuji in Yamanashi.After arrival, Prime Minister Modi visited Yamanashi Prefecture, located in the foothills of Mount Fuji, before joining Abe for an informal lunch which was held in his honour at the hotel with the mountain in the backdrop.After the lunch, the two leaders took a stroll around the hotel. They will be visiting a leading manufacturing company of factory automation system in the prefecture. Abe will also take the Prime Minister to his personal home in Yamanashi for a private dinner. This will be the first time a foreign leader will be visiting Abe's second home. The two leaders will return to Tokyo by train.Prime Minister Modi, who arrived in Tokyo on Saturday for his official two-day visit, is scheduled to take part in the 13th India-Japan Annual Summit.During the summit, progress in India-Japan ties will be reviewed, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson ...
Mamata condoles ex-Delhi CM Khurana's death
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday condoled the death of former Delhi Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Madan Lal Khurana.
UP CM, other ministers condole Khurana's death
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and his cabinet colleagues on Sunday condoled the death of former Delhi chief minister and senior BJP leader Madan Lal Khurana. In his condolence message, the chief minister said Khurana was a popular leader and had a deep connection with people. "He will be remembered for his work. I express my condolences for the bereaved family," he said. Deputy Chief Ministers Dinesh Sharma and Keshav Prasad Maurya, cabinet minister Brijesh Pathak and others also expressed grief on the demise of the senior BJP leader. Khurana (82) is survived by his wife, a son and two daughters. Another son of his had died last month. He was the chief minister of Delhi from 1993 to 1996 and was appointed the governor of Rajasthan in 2004. His son, Harish Khurana, said his father breathed his last at his Kirti Nagar residence at around 11 pm Saturday.
PM Modi one of my most dependable friends: Abe
Japanese Premier Shinzo Abe Sunday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was one of his most "dependable" friends and together with the Indian leader, he would like to strengthen bilateral cooperation to realise a free and open Indo-Pacific. In a message published in Indian newspapers on the day of the two leaders' summit meeting in Japan, Abe said India was driving the region and the world's prosperity as a global power. Prime Minister Modi was an outstanding leader of his great country, the Japanese premier said. "I have always believed and stated that the relationship between Japan and India is blessed with the largest potential in the world," he said. Japan-India cooperation continued to expand broadly in many fields such as security, investment, information technology, agriculture, health, environment and tourism, Abe noted. "We share a big win-win potential in all areas and Japan remains committed to supporting india's economic growth and Prime Minister Modi's Make in India ...
BJP Kisan Morcha chief urges PM to make law for construction of Ram temple
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Kisan Morcha national president Virendra Singh Mast has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to initiate the process of enacting a law that will pave the way for the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya. "The BJP is committed towards building the Ram temple. A majority of people in the country want a grand Ram temple to be built in Ayodhya. "The Modi government should take the initiative for making a law for the construction of the Ram temple. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had also echoed the same sentiments earlier," he told reporters here Saturday night. Reacting to Congress president Rahul Gandhi's attack on the Centre over the Rafale fighter jet deal, Mast called him a "khandani chor" and referred to a number of scams reported during the Congress regimes.
AIADMK offers olive branch to Dhinakaran loyalists
After labelling them as betrayers, the AIADMK has extended an olive branch to its 18 disqualified MLAs, asking them to jump on to the ruling party bandwagon and flayed AMMK leader T T V Dhinakaran for "misleading" them. Asking the debarred MLAs and other Dhinakaran loyalists who moved away from AIADMK to revert to the parent party, the top leadership Saturday asked them to "understand the reality" of the Madras High Court judgement that upheld their disqualification. The court's fair judgement has enthused party workers and the people of Tamil Nadu, the party said. People were confident that the AIADMK government would continue to roll out welfare measures and "the angel of justice has paved a path for us to work together (again)" to meet the aspirations of the people, it said. "We invite you with love and affection to again join the massive people's movement nurtured by Puratchi Thalaivar MGR and Puratchi Thalaivi Amma," party coordinator and co-ordinator O Panneerselvam and K ...
Brazil votes with far-right candidate favourite
A far-right military man vowing to rescue Brazil from crisis with a firm grip looks set to become the country's next president as it heads to the polls for a divisive run-off election Sunday. Jair Bolsonaro, an ex-army captain known for his denigrating remarks on women, gays and blacks, has an eight- to 10-point lead over leftist Fernando Haddad going in, according to two final opinion polls released Saturday, which gave him about 55 per cent of the vote. And while Haddad has made up ground -- he trailed by as much as 18 points two weeks ago -- it would take a dramatic surge for him to win. "This thing is going to turn around," Haddad, a former Sao Paulo mayor, buoyantly told thousands of supporters at his final campaign rally Saturday. Bolsonaro made his own final pitch on social media, the only place he has campaigned since an attacker stabbed him in the stomach at a rally last month, sending him to the hospital for three weeks. "God willing, tomorrow will be our new independence ...
PM, president, vice-president condole Khurana's death
President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were among those who expressed grief on the demise of former Delhi chief minister and senior BJP leader Madan Lal Khurana. Khurana (82) is survived by his wife, a son and two daughters. Another son of his had died last month. A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) veteran, Khurana was the chief minister of Delhi from 1993 to 1996 and was appointed the governor of Rajasthan in 2004. His son, Harish Khurana, said his father breathed his last at his Kirti Nagar residence at around 11 pm Saturday. "Sad to hear of the passing of Shri Madan Lal Khurana. As Chief Minister of Delhi, Governor of Rajasthan and Union Minister, he contributed immensely to public life and particularly to the well-being of the national capital and its people (sic)," Kovind said in a tweet. Vice President Naidu also condoled the death of Khurana. "Deeply saddened by demise of former Chief Minister of Delhi, Shri Madan Lal Khurana. He
Israeli jet landing reports create uproar in Pak, govt denies
The reported landing of an Israeli private jet has created uproar in Pakistan, with the government issuing a denial on the media reports.The controversy started after Israeli newspaper Haaretz's English edition Editor Avi Scharf tweeted details of a mysterious jet landing in Islamabad along with snippets of the flight details."Israeli business jet flew from Tel Aviv to Islamabad, Pakistan, on the ground 10 hours and back to Tel Aviv. Cleared flight-plan with usual 5 minute ground time trick in Amman," Scharf wrote on Twitter on October 25.He quoted the data of flight tracking website, flightradar24, to further back his claims. It was alleged that flight had descended near Islamabad before going out of coverage. The aircraft reappeared 10 hours later heading south-west from Islamabad.The issue raked up an uproar in Pakistan as Islamabad does not recognise Israel and, therefore, doesn't have diplomatic relations with it.Quoting Pakistan People's Party vice-president Sherry Rehman, ...
Prime Minister Modi meets his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe here Sunday as the two leaders seek to add new vigour to the strong friendship between the two countries. "Prime Ministers @narendramodi and @AbeShinzo meet at Yamanashi. They would be holding talks through the day on deepening India-Japan ties," Prime Minister Modi's office tweeted. Modi, who arrived here last evening to attend the 13th India-Japan annual summit, has said that his meeting with Abe will add new vigour to the strong friendship between the two countries. The two-day summit beginning Sunday will seek to review the progress in ties and deepen strategic dimension of the bilateral relationship. Abe will host a luncheon for Modi at a scenic resort by Mt. Fuji. After luncheon, they would visit a factory of industrial robot manufacturer Fanuc Corp. before moving on to the Japanese premier's vacation home nearby. Abe will host Modi at his holiday home in the picturesque Yamanashi prefecture, west of Tokyo, for
Brazil's right-wing candidate poised to win presidential election
Far-right congressman Jair Bolsonaro who won the first round of Brazil's presidential election held earlier this month, was poised to win the second round of polls slated to take place on Sunday.