Page 266 - Politics
TRS makes clean sweep of rural local body elections in Telangana
The ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi has made a clean sweep of rural local body elections in Telangana, securing majority in all district-level bodies.
US moves to bar American tourists from visiting Cuba
The Trump administration clamped down on US tourist visits to Cuba Tuesday, aiming to cut the flow of dollars to a country that Washington accuses of helping prop up Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The Treasury Department banned group educational travel and cruise ship and private yacht visits by Americans, taking aim at the most common ways US tourists and Cuban-Americans visit the Caribbean island. The move could constitute a heavy hit on Cuba, which saw more than a quarter-million US visitors in the first four months of 2019, almost double the figure from a year earlier. "The United States holds the Cuban regime accountable for its repression of the Cuban people, its interference in Venezuela, and its direct role in the man-made crisis led by Nicolas Maduro," the State Department said in a statement. "Empowered by Cuba, he has created a humanitarian disaster that destabilizes the region." White House National Security Advisor John Bolton said the aim was to end what the ...
Jagan Reddy meets acting chief justice of Andhra Pradesh High Court
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy met the acting chief justice of the High Court, C Praveen Kumar on Tuesday.During the 45 minute-long meeting, Jagan appealed the Chief Justice to constitute a special judicial commission to bring reforms in tendering policy so that a corruption-free transparent system can be put in place for inviting and allocating tenders for projects, particularly irrigation projects.Jagan also requested Justice Kumar to allocate one high court judge for the commission.The newly-elected Chief Minister apprised the Chief Justice that whenever the government wants to call for tenders for any project, it will send all the details to the commission. It will discuss the nuances of tenders with government officials, and the changes suggested by the commission will be included in the tenders to be called for.The YSRCP Chief also spoke of reverse tendering, so that past tenders be reviewed and public money can be saved.Jagan has been alleging that 20 to 25 .
Russia denies having told US about pulling military personnel out of Venezuela
Russia has denied having told the United States about pulling most of its military personnel out of Venezuela, contradicting the claim made by President Donald Trump on Monday.In response to a question on whether Trump's tweet was true, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he was surprised when he read the tweet, adding that the US President apparently read an article in the Wall Street Journal, which mentioned that "thousands of Russian specialists" having been removed from Venezuela."The tweet raises questions about the quality of those advisers who put information on the table for the U.S. president," Lavrov was quoted by Xinhua, as saying.In a development that was read as a major blow to the Nicolas Maduro's regime, Trump had on Monday tweeted that Russia informed Washington that it has pulled out most of its military personnel from Venezuela.It may be noted that Russia has backed Maduro ever since the political turmoil began in Venezuela. The country has been firm in its ..
Pramila Jayapal becomes first South Asian American woman to preside over US House
Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington D.C., became the first South Asian American woman to preside over the US House of Representatives.Jayapal took to Twitter to share a clip of Tuesday's session where she can be seen presiding over the House as a temporary speaker. In the text that accompanied the clip, Jayapal wrote that she was "beyond proud" to preside over the House and serve in "the most diverse Congress in American history.""Today, I became the FIRST South Asian American woman to preside over the U.S. House of Representatives. Beyond proud to serve in the most diverse Congress in our nation's history and to hold the gavel today," she tweeted.Although Nancy Pelosi has been serving as the Speaker of the House of Representatives since January 2019, members of the majority party in the House periodically take turns to temporarily preside over the chamber.53-year old Jayapal represents Washington D.C.'s seventh congressional district. As a member of the Democratic Party, she .
Ajeya Kallam appointed principal advisor to Andhra CM
Former Chief Secretary Ajeya Kallam was on Tuesday appointed as the principal advisor to Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.An order in this regard was issued by Chief Secretary LV Subrahmanyam.With this appointment, Ajeya will have cabinet rank and would be leading the secretaries in the Chief Minister's office. He will also advise all departments.Ajeya will be in the position for 3 years, with a monthly salary of Rs 2.5 lakhs, according to the order.After an emphatic win in the recently concluded polls, Jagan Reddy took oath as Chief Minister on May 30.Mauling the ruling TDP whose tally dropped from 102 seats in 2014 elections to a mere 23, Jagan-led YSR Congress got an absolute majority in the 175-member Assembly by winning 151 seats.Likewise, in the Lok Sabha elections, Jagan's party bagged 22 seats out of the state's 25 with the rest three going to TDP.
Newly elected Ajsu MP quits as Jharkhand minister
Newly elected Ajsu party MP, Chandraprakash Chaudhary, resigned from the Raghubar Das government on Tuesday. He was the water resources minister in the Jharkhand government. Chaudhary, who was elected from the Giridih Lok Sabha seat, met Das and handed over his resignation letter, an official release said here. The chief minister forwarded the letter to Governor Droupadi Murmu for acceptance. Das asked Chaudhary to perform well as a member of the Lok Sabha. The Ajsu party is an ally of the BJP and has contested from one of the 14 constituencies as per seat adjustments between them. The BJP won 11 seats, while the JMM and the Congress own one seat each.
WB govt continues to transfer IAS officers
The West Bengal government Tuesday transferred Joyoshi Dasgupta for the second time within six days and appointed her as the additional director of the state Administrative Training Institute (ATI). Dasgupta, who was earlier the district magistrate of Darjeeling, was made the joint secretary of the state food and supplies department in an order on May 29. Sanjay Bansal was named as the new DM of Darjeeling in the same order. Two days later, a new order transferred Bansal as the additional Seceretary of the Health and Family Welfare (H&FW) department. Dushyant Nariala, principal secretary of the disaster management and civil defence department was given additional charges of the tribal development department, the order said. It also relieved Chotten D Lama, Secretary of the Backward Classes Welfare department from the additonal charges of the tribal development.
Slain member's wife should be elected, say Arunachal MLAs
Cutting across party lines, members of the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly on Tuesday said Chakat Aboh, wife of MLA Tirongn Aboh who was killed by militants last month, should get elected unopposed from his Khonsa West seat. Suspected NSCN militants on May 21 had gunned down the sitting MLA and NPP assembly poll candidate Tirong Aboh and 10 others, including his son and security personnel, in Tirap district of Arunachal Pradesh. Responding to the proposal of the members during obituary reference in respect to Aboh in the house, Chief Minister Pema Khandu said he will convene an all-party meeting soon to work out the proposal to get Chakat Aboh elected without any contest in the by-poll to the seat. "Our efforts will be to ensure that she (Chakat) wins the by-poll unopposed as all the political parties have expressed their willingness to get her elected to the assembly as a tribute to Tirong Aboh, a youth leader with full of potentials," the chief minister said. Aboh was ...
BJP takes control of municipality, its first in Bengal
The BJP Tuesday took control of the Bhatpara Municipality, its first civic body in West Bengal, after a majority of its Trinamool Congress coucillors switched over to the BJP, days after the Lok Sabha polls results are announced. The tenure of the civic body is till 2020, when it will go to polls. In the board meeting, the BJP bagged 26 votes in the civic body of 34 wards, marking the passing of control from the state's ruling party TMC to the BJP. The remaining eight councillors were absent. Sourav Singh, nephew of Barrackpore Lok Sabha MP Arjun Singh, was elected as a new chairman of the Bhatpara Municipality in North 24 Parganas district. Arjun Singh, a former four-time TMC MLA, had wrested Barrackpore from his old party. He was also the chairman of the Bhatpara municipality since 2010 till April. Arjun Singh, who had switched over to the BJP ahead of Lok Sabha polls, was removed from the post of municipality chairman in April in a secret ballot after a no confidence .
Police await Delhi govt's sanction to file chargesheet against ex-minister
The Delhi Police is still awaiting a sanction from the city government to file a chargesheet against former minister Sandeep Kumar, who was accused of rape in 2016, an officer said on Tuesday. "We have sent a reminder to the Delhi government. Kumar has been booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act and that is why a sanction is needed from the city government," the senior officer of the Delhi Police said. Kumar was sacked by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal after a CD purportedly showing him in a compromising position with a woman surfaced in 2016. He was subsequently booked for rape and under the Prevention of Corruption Act. No immediate reaction was available from the Delhi government.
JD-S lawmaker blames Congress for government's 'strains'
Ruling Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) legislator Basavaraj Horatti on Tuesday blamed ally Congress for the strains in the functioning of their year-old coalition government.
Ajeya Kallam appointed Principal Advisor to Jagan
Retired IAS officer and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary Ajeya Kallam was Tuesday appointed as the principal advisor of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Iran leader says Trump presidency sign of US 'decline'
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Tuesday that Donald Trump's presidency shows the United States is in "decline", as the Islamic republic marked 30 years since the death of its founder. "The fate of more than 300 million humans is in the hands of a person with such characteristics, this is a sign of America's political decline," Khamenei said in a speech broadcast live on state television. "In America itself there is so much discussion on his mental and moral stability," he said, attending a ceremony at the mausoleum of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. "When such a person is the president of a country, this shows the political and moral decline of that country." Iran and US leaders have ratcheted up the barbs and insults ever since Trump was elected as president in 2016. Living up to his campaign promises, Trump withdrew the US in May 2018 from the landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and major world powers and reimposed sanctions. The war of words intensified after ...
Bengal BJP divided over induction of TMC MLA Manirul in party
The BJP West Bengal unit is divided over the induction of Trinamool Congress MLA Manirul Islam into the party, as a section of it feels that people like him will bring bad repute to it in the state, where the party trying to oust the TMC government. Islam, the MLA from south Bengal's Birbhum district, is allegedly involved in the several incidents of torture and atrocities on political rivals and has boasted publicly about it. He said in 2014 that he could "crush (his rivals) under his feet". Many senior BJP leaders and activists have openly questioned and protested the induction of Islam who, along with a few other TMC leaders, had joined the BJP in New Delhi recently. Asked if Islam's induction will be reconsidered because of resentment in the party, BJP national general secretary and the party's Bengal in-charge Kailash Vijayvargiya said the state leadership will take a call on this. Following the development, Islam expressed his desire to resign from the party, ...
BJP, Cong among parties yet to submit details to EC on electoral bonds
The BJP, the Congress and the DMK were among the political parties that were yet to submit the details of donations received till date through electoral bonds to the Election Commission (EC), sources said on Tuesday. May 30 was the deadline to submit the details as per a Supreme Court directive. The Congress, however, said its leader Motilal Vora had, on May 30, written to the State Bank of India (SBI) and the EC, asking the bank to comply with the apex court order and provide the information in a sealed cover to the poll panel, as the party did not know who had bought these bonds. The Congress said it had asked the bank to furnish the information to the EC. Last month, the EC had written to all the recognised political parties, asking them to comply with the Supreme Court directives. Sources aware of the development said the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) "at least" were yet to comply with the direction. Lifting the veil of ..
Reports of Centre's delimitation plans for J-K draw strong reactions from mainstream parties
Mainstream parties in Kashmir Tuesday reacted sharply to reports that the Centre was planning delimitation in the state, saying it was an obvious attempt to "inflict another emotional partition" on the state "on communal lines". Earlier on Tuesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah was given a detailed presentation on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, where the BJP has been pushing for carrying out a delimitation exercise for getting more seats for Jammu region in the state assembly. "Distressed to hear about GoI's (Government of India) plan to redraw assembly constituencies in J&K. Forced delimitation is an obvious attempt to inflict another emotional partition of the state on communal lines. Instead of allowing old wounds to heal, GoI is inflicting pain on Kashmiris," former chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti said on Twitter. Officials said there was no discussion on constituting a delimitation commission during the meeting with Shah. However, ...
New Andhra CM continues rejig, transfers 47 officials
Over 45 IAS and IPS officers were transferred in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday in continuing rejig in administration by new Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.
TRP of BJP's 'Jai Shri Ram' sliding down: Trinamool MP
Mocking the BJP's decision to introduce "Jai Maa Kali" slogan, Trinammol Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday said the TRP (television rating point) of their "Jai Shri Ram" slogan has started sliding down while that of "Jai Maa Kali" is on the rise.
J'khand CM inaugurates Haj House
Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das inaugurated the Haj House here on Tuesday on the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr. Inaugurating the Rs-50 crore Haj House, which can accommodate about 1,000 people for offering Namaaz, Das said his government had faith in winning the confidence of all the people. "This is the reason that the state government has fulfilled an old demand of members of the Muslim community -- constructing a modern and grand Haj House," he said. "Development is the only solution to every problem and our government is working continuously for development," he added. The projects of the BJP-led government at the Centre were being implemented in the state, Das said, adding that the central and state governments were not working for any particular community as every citizen was important. In a veiled attack on the opposition parties, the chief minister said those who projected themselves as "well-wishers" of the Muslim community never thought about them, while alleging irregularities ..