Page 2640 - Politics
BJP-JD-U to contest equal number of LS seats: Shah, Nitish
The BJP and JD-U will contest an equal number of seats in the Lok Sabha elections in Bihar next year under a seat-sharing formula agreed to between the two sides, BJP President Amit Shah and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced after talks between them on Friday.
CBI row: Congress workers hold demos in TN, Pondy
Congress workers in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Friday staged demonstration in front of central government offices as part of nation-wide protest called by the party chief Rahul Gandhi against CBI Director Alok Verma being divested of powers. The cadres carried placards and shouted slogans denouncing the BJP-led government at the Centre. Addressing protesters near Shastri Bhavan in Chennai where the CBI zonal office is located, TNCC President Su Thirunavukkarasar repeated Gandhi's accusations and said the Centre intended to remove the central agency's director to 'disrupt' probe into the Rafale deal. The Congress has alleged a scam in the purchase of the French made fighter aircraft. Calling the action against Verma an "undemocratic move," Thirunavukkarasar said the decision 'destroyed' credibility of the country's apex investigating agency. Early this week, the Centre had sent Verma and Special Director Rakesh Asthana, who have accused each other of corruption, on leave ..
SC sets 2-week deadline for probe into CBI chief; retired judge to oversee; Rahul courts
The Supreme Court Friday set a two-week deadline for the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) to complete its probe against CBI chief Alok Verma, who along with Special Director Rakesh Asthana was divested of duties and sent on leave following their bitter feud, and appointed a former apex court judge to monitor the inquiry. The direction by the top court that was welcomed by both the government and the opposition Congress came amid nationwide protests outside the CBI offices by Congress leaders led by party chief Rahul Gandhi against the order of the Government to strip Verma of his powers and sending him on leave. The Congress demanded "reinstatement" of Verma. Gandhi courted arrest after leading a protest of party workers outside the CBI headquarters in the national capital and was taken to nearby Lodhi Colony police station where he was detained for 30 minutes along with other party leaders before they were let off. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the apex court order was a ...
Release Parrikar's video to show he is fit to govern: Congress
The Congress on Friday demanded that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition government in Goa prove that Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who is suffering from advanced pancreatic cancer for nearly eight months and has not been seen in public since October 14, is fit to govern.
Koreas to close 22 border guard posts
The two Koreas agreed on Friday to withdraw 11 border guard posts each by November as part of a bilateral military agreement, the South Korean Defence Ministry said.
Pb, Hry, Chandigarh units of Cong hold protest near CBI office, police use water canons
Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh units of the Congress Friday held a protest near the CBI office here against the Centre's move to send agency director Alok Verma on leave after divesting him of powers and demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Police said roads leading to the investigative agency's office in Sector 30 were barricaded and the traffic was suspended for over an hour in view of the protest. The police used water canons on the protestors but they continued to raise slogans against Modi and his government and later they dispersed from the site, they said. Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar was leading the group of protesters which included several prominent party leaders, including ministers in the Amarinder Singh-led government. Haryana CLP leader Kiran Choudhary and former railways minister Pawan Kumar Bansal were among the leaders from Haryana and Chandigarh participating in the agitation. Senior Congress leaders Asha Kumari and Harish Chaudhary also ..
Erdogan demands Saudis reveal location of Khashoggi's body
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday called on Saudi Arabia to reveal the location of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi's body and hand over the suspects involved in his killing.
Israel defence minister picks new army chief of staff
Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman announced Friday he has selected Aviv Kochavi, a former military intelligence head, as the army's new chief of staff. Kochavi, who has served as deputy chief of staff since 2017, was picked after "consultations with dozens of people" including former premiers, Lieberman's office said. Kochavi would take up the post at the start of 2019, succeeding General Gadi Eisenkot whose term ends this year. The appointment must first be approved by a government committee due to meet on Sunday, before going before the cabinet. Kochavi has served as head of the army's northern command and as military intelligence chief during the 2014 war against the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas in Gaza. Military commentators said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had disagreed with the choice of Kochavi, a graduate of Harvard University and Johns Hopkins University in the United States.
New blow to GRU: More Russian military spies exposed
The Russian military intelligence agency known as the GRU has suffered another hit as determined journalists and Kremlin critics focus on exposing its secrets. A new report published Friday details the misbehavior, sloppiness and bizarre bureaucratic decisions that allowed a Russian crime reporter to identify multiple alleged GRU officers. Journalist Sergei Kanev says he wants to call attention to problems within an organization he thinks has gone from traditional spying to unchecked violence and foreign interference. GRU agents have been accused of a nerve agent attack in Britain, hacking the 2016 US presidential election campaign and other wrongdoing. Russia denies it all. Kanev's reporting was funded by Kremlin opponent Mikhail Khodorkovsky's Dossier Project and also released by Russian independent Dozhd TV. Experts say it's embarrassing but won't deter the GRU.
Congress holds protest in Jammu over CBI row
Congress workers Friday staged a demonstration here as part of the party's nationwide protest against the Centre's decision to divest CBI Director Alok Verma of his duties and sending him on leave. A large number of senior congress leaders and workers gathered at Shahidi Chowk and marched towards Raghunath Bazar carrying placards denouncing Centre's "undue interference into the independence of the CBI". The protest march was led by former minister and vice president Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee Raman Bhalla. Several prominent leaders like Ravinder Sharma, Manmohan Singh, Vikram Malhotra, Udey Bhanu Chib were part of the protest. Addressing the gathering, Bhalla lashed out at the Central government for its " direct assault" on democratic institutions in the country. "It is very unfortunate that independent and autonomous institutions are being trampled upon by the Modi government," he said. Bhalla said the government's "encroachment upon the independence of these ...
Supervision by retired judge no 'aspersion' on CVC's authority: Govt source
With the Supreme Court asking the CVC to complete its inquiry against benched CBI chief Alok Verma within two weeks under a retired judge's supervision, a top government source said Friday the directions do not cast any "aspersion" on the vigilance authority. "The Supreme Court has not quashed the orders of the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) and the central government divesting the powers of Verma and CBI's Special Director Rakesh Asthana and appointment of Nageshwar Rao as interim chief of the investigation agency," the source said. Explaining the order passed by a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, the source said the supervision of the inquiry by a retired judge of the apex court is without any aspersion on the CVC and it has been done keeping in mind the extraordinary circumstances in this case. "The orders of the CVC and the central government have not been quashed. The power of the CVC to enquire has been upheld. However, time limit of two weeks has been ...
Congress in Kerala takes out protest march to CBI office
: Congress leaders took out a march to the CBI office here Friday protesting against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's alleged attempt to 'politicise' the central investigating agency. Senior party leaders marched to the local CBI office at Muttathara as part of a nation-wide agitation called by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) demanding reinstatement of CBI Director Alok Verma, who has been divested of his powers and sent on leave. Leader of Opposition in the assembly Ramesh Chennithala, who inaugurated the march, made a scathing attack on the Prime Minister and alleged that Modi was the "most corrupt politician" the country had ever seen. "The CBI, the country's highest investigating agency, has lost its glory and pride," he said. Chennithala alleged that the midnight removal of Verma was 'illegal' and was to cover up corruption. He also said any attempt of the BJP-led NDA government to sabotage the corruption cases using CBI would not be allowed. KPCC president ...
Sabarimala: Kerala CM calls for Southern Devaswom ministers' meet on Oct 31
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has called a meeting of Devaswom (religious institutions) ministers of the southern states, from where lakhs of devotees trek to the hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala to offer prayers. The meeting will be held on October 31. It has been called to discuss the facilities to be made for the 'Mandalam Makaravillaku' season commencing from November 17 besides crowd management, the CMO sources said. The government is planning to introduce 'Tirupati model digital queue system' (where devotees book tickets online for darshan) at Sabarimala and this would also be discussed, they said. However, the Supreme Court verdict lifting the ban on entry of girls and women in the 10-50 age group at Sabarimala, would not come up for discussion, the sources told PTI. The state had witnessed massive protests from devotees at various places, including Sabarimala, Nilakkal and Pamba, against permitting women of all ages to enter the shrine, where the deity is ...
Congress workers hold protest outside CBI office in Mumbai
Mumbai Congress workers Friday staged a demonstration outside the CBI office here as part of the opposition party's nationwide protest against the Centre's move to divest agency director Alok Verma of his powers and send him on leave. City Congress president Sanjay Nirupam, who led the protest outside the CBI office in suburban Bandra, accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "removing" Verma "illegally and by going against the Constitution". The premier investigating agency has of late witnessed a raging feud between two of its top officers - Verma and special director Rakesh Asthana - who were sent on leave by the government Tuesday night. Verma and Asthana were also divested of all powers. As an interim measure, the charge of the CBI has been given to Joint Director M Nageswar Rao. Criticising the Centre over its action against Verma, Nirupam said Modi should apologise to the nation over the "unprecedented" developments in the probe agency. "Verma was removed illegally
Tweet by Def Min Spokesperson on misuse of privileges by military officials sparks outrage
The Defence Ministry was Friday left red faced after its spokesperson "inadvertently" posted a tweet, criticising misuse of privileges by military officials, while responding to a comment by former Navy Chief Admiral (retd) Arun Prakash. As the tweet by Principal Spokesperson Swaranashree Rao Rajashekar drew angry reactions from military veterans, she deleted it saying, "The tweet was inadvertently done and the same is deeply regretted please." Earlier, Admiral Prakash retweeted a photograph showing a military flag on the bonnet of an official car of the Internal Financial Adviser to the Western Command of the Army. "Even if misuse of an Army Command's insignia by a civilian is not a cognizable offence, the person needs to be reprimanded by the GOC in C whose 'Financial Adviser' he is," Prakash tweeted. Responding to the former Navy Chief's comments, Rajashekar, tweeted, "What about misuse of jawans in your residence during an officer's tenure sir? And how about children being picked .
Chronology of events in CBI case
The following is the chronology of events leading up to the Supreme Court directing the CVC on Friday to complete its inquiry into allegations against CBI Director Alok Verma, who has challenged the Centre's decision to divest him of all his powers: - April, 2016: Gujarat-cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana appointed Additional Director of CBI. - Dec 3: Asthana made interim CBI director after retirement of then chief Anil Sinha. - Jan 19, 2017: Alok Kumar Verma appointed CBI chief for a tenure of two years. - Oct 22, 2017: CBI appoints Asthana as Special Director. - Nov 2: Advocate Prashant Bhushan moves SC on behalf of NGO, Common Cause, challenging Asthana's appointment. - Nov 28: SC dismisses the petition. - July 12, 2018: While Verma was abroad, CVC calls meeting to discuss promotions, seeks to know who will attend it. CBI responds Asthana has no mandate to represent Verma. - Aug, 24: Asthana complaints to Cabinet Secretary alleging misconduct by Verma. Matter referred to CVC. - Sep .
SC hearing on Verma's plea did not find mention of stay on govt order
The fast-paced hearing on the controversy surrounding CBI before the Supreme Court on Friday went without a mention of stay sought by the premier probe agency's chief Alok Kumar Verma on the Centre's decision to divest him of powers and sending him on leave. While Verma's plea sought stay on the Centre's order asking him to proceed on leave and giving the interim charge of his post to M Nageswara Rao, a 1986 batch Odisha-cadre IPS officer, the issue did not come up during the brief hearing. The hearing before a bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph commenced with senior advocate Fali S Nariman, appearing for Verma, opening the arguments. Nariman started his arguments by referring to the apex court's 1997 Vineet Narain judgement, which relates to probe of allegations of corruption against high-ranking public officials in India, the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) Act 2003 and amendments in the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) ...
CBI row: Cong activists in J'khand stage protest, burn effigy
Activists and leaders of Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee (JPCC) on Friday staged a demonstration outside CBI office in Dhanbad, as part of the party's nationwide protest against the decision of the Centre to send the agency's director, Alok Verma, on leave. At Ranchi, the party workers burnt an effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that the NDA government's action against Verma was "illegal and unconstitutional". The Centre on Wednesday divested Verma and special director Rakesh Asthana of their powers and sent the two feuding officials on leave. Verma had reportedly opposed Asthana's elevation as the special director of the premiere agency on the ground that he was being probed in a graft case. JPCC spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan said the party plans to hold another demonstration against the Centre's decision, in the state capital on Monday. "Our party workers in Dhanbad, under the leadership of district president B P Singh, staged a demonstration in front ..
PM sent CBI director on leave out of fear: Rahul Gandhi
Launching a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for sending Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director Alok Verma on leave, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that the former acted out of fear as he was involved in corruption."The Prime Minister has put Rs 30,000 crore in the pocket of Anil Ambani after stealing from the Air Force, and the youth. The country knows about it. The Prime Minister can run, but can't hide from the truth. It will come out. Removing the CBI director will not make any difference. The truth will come out in the end," the Gandhi scion said after leaving Lodhi Colony police station, where he was taken after being detained for protesting outside the CBI headquarters.During the demonstration, several party workers marched towards the CBI headquarters with their president. Protestors raised slogans and placards as their party president sat atop a crowded truck amidst tight security. A supporter was seen sitting inside a cage with a ...
MoD spokesperson taunts former Navy chief on Twitter, apologises later
A war of words broke out on social media after an "inadvertent" post by the spokesperson for Ministry of Defence (MoD) upset serving and non-serving officers of the Indian defence forces. The spokesperson for MoD, however, later withdrew her tweet and apologised for the "inadvertent" post on the official handle of the MoD's Twitter handle in which she appeared to be attacking the former Navy chief, Admiral (Retd) Arun Prakash for the privileges that top military brass enjoys.It all started when on Friday morning spokesperson for Ministry of Defence (MoD), Swarnashree Rao Rajshekhar, responded to a retweet by former Navy Chief, Admiral Prakash highlighting the misuse of flags by civilian officers. This tweet had a visual of a car having the flag of Internal Financial Advisor (IFA) attached to Indian Army's Western Command. Since bureaucrats are not entitled to such privilege reserved only for top military brass, the visual went viral on social media.While retweeting the picture, ...