Page 2661 - Politics
Trump calls Khashoggi murder 'worst cover-up in history' as US revokes visas of some Saudi officials
Saudi authorities staged the "worst cover-up ever" in the killing of prominent journalist Jamal Khashoggi, President Donald Trump has said as the US announced its first punitive action in the case by revoking the visas of some of the senior Saudi officials involved. Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post, disappeared after he entered the Saudi consulate in Turkey on October 2 to collect a document for his upcoming marriage to a Turkish woman. The Saudi government initially said he left the consulate through the back door. Following a global outrage, Riyadh on Friday in a statement acknowledged that Khashoggi was killed in a fistfight inside the consulate after an interrogation went wrong. Trump offered his most stinging indictment yet of a Saudi effort to silence a dissident journalist, calling the series of events that led to Khashoggi's death "the worst cover up ever." "They (the Saudis) had a very bad original concept. It was carried out poorly. And the cover-up was one of
BJP defends CBI director being asked to go on leave
The ruling BJP on Wednesday defended its move to ask CBI Director Alok Verma to go on leave, saying it was to protect the "institutional integrity" of the agency even as the opposition went on the offensive against the Narendra Modi government's move.
CBI Director Alok Verma moves SC after Centre asks him to go on leave
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director Alok Verma on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court challenging the central government's decision to send him on leave.The apex court has accepted Verma's petition and the matter is likely be heard on October 26.Gopal Sankaranarayanan, the lawyer appearing for Verma, told the apex court that the Centre on Wednesday morning asked his client and Special Director Rakesh Asthana to go on leave, hence compromising the investigation into many sensitive cases.Earlier today, M Nageshwar Rao was appointed as the interim Director of the CBI with immediate effect. Rao, a 1986 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Odisha cadre, was working as the Joint Director in the investigating agency.He will now look after the duties and functions of Director, CBI, and will take over the duties and functions with immediate effect, read an order from the central government.The central government's decision came a day after Asthana moved the Delhi High ...
Books as political tools: Opposition builds up in publishing space
The literary space has emerged as one of the major playfields in the run-up to the 2019 general elections as several books vehemently critical of the dispensation under Prime Minister Narendra Modi have been published, or are slated for release in the coming months.
Saudi prince to give first speech since Khashoggi's slaying
The Saudi crown prince is to make his first international speech since the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. Mohammed bin Salman is to address the Future Investment Initiative summit in Riyadh on Wednesday afternoon. The summit is the prince's brainchild, an effort to draw much-needed foreign direct investment into the kingdom to create jobs for its young population. However, this year's summit has been overshadowed by the Oct. 2 killing of Khashoggi. Turkish officials say the writer was killed by a 15-man Saudi hit squad that included a member of Prince Mohammed's entourage on overseas trips. Saudi Arabia has suggested, without offering evidence, that the team went rogue. Many international business leaders have pulled out of attending the summit over Khashoggi's slaying.
CBI director asked to go on leave, moves SC
In a post-midnight drama, the Centre on Wednesday virtually sacked CBI Director Alok Verma in the midst of the war at the agency's top, a decision that came under all-round fire from the opposition who termed it "the last nail in the independence" of the organisation. Verma moved the Supreme Court, which will hear his plea on Friday.
Oppn attacks govt for removal of CBI director
Opposition parties Wednesday slammed the government for CBI Director Alok Verma's removal amid an escalating feud between him and his deputy Rakesh Asthana, with the Congress dubbing it the "last nail" in the agency's independence and the CPI(M) calling it illegal. Adding its voice to the debate, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) asked the reasons for sending the CBI director on leave. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala wondered if Verma was "sacked" for his keenness to probe the "layers of corruption" in the Rafale scam and sought an answer from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Modi govt buries the 'last nail' into the independence of CBI. Systematic dismantling & denigrating of CBI is now complete. Once a premier investigating agency, PM ensures that CBI's integrity, credibility & reliability is buried & dead," Surjewala said on Twitter. There was no immediate comment either from the government or the ruling BJP on the allegations levelled by opposition parties. "PM ...
Trump says loving country doesn't mean racism
US President Donald Trump has defended his nationalist comment, saying he loves his country and this has nothing to do with racism. Trump, at an election rally in Houston on Monday, described himself as a nationalist and said: "You know, they have a word, it sort of became old-fashioned. It's called a nationalist. And I say Really? We're not supposed to use that word. You know what I am? I'm a nationalist". The President told reporters in the Oval Office Tuesday: "I'm somebody that loves our country". "When I say a nationalist, I don't like it when Germany is paying one per cent of the GDP for NATO and we're paying 4.3 per cent. I don't like that. That's not fair. I don't like it when, as an example, we're protecting Europe and we're paying for almost the entire cost of NATO," he said. During the same fiery speech in Houston, he explained globalist. "A globalist is a person that wants the globe to do well, frankly not caring about our country so much. And, you know what? We can't have
Opposition attacks BJP on 'removal' of CBI director
The opposition on Wednesday attacked the Narendra Modi-led BJP government over the "removal" of CBI Director Alok Verma in the midst of a war at the top of the agency over bribery allegations.
'BJP will secure 350 LS seats once "bail gadi" goes to Tihar'
Taking a jibe at the Congress party, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy on Wednesday said that once Ram Temple is built and "bail gadi" goes to Tihar, his party would secure 350 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.Swamy took to his Twitter handle and said that the rising nationalist and Hindutva fervour among the youth will help BJP sweep general elections."It now seems that 2019 will be an easy majority win for the BJP because of our youth voters' rising nationalist and Hindutva fervour placing that sentiment above the poor economic record so far. Once Ram Temple construction and Bail Gaadi go to Tihar Vihar, BJP will net 350 Lok Sabha MPs," he wrote.In July, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while targeting the Opposition party during a rally in Rajasthan's Jaipur, said that people have started calling the Congress 'bail-gadi'."Several leaders and former ministers of the Congress party are out on bail these days. Some people have even started calling the party ..
Cong seeks views of activists for manifesto preparation
Congress leaders met Mumbai-based activists and sought their views on various issues being faced by the city for incorporating them in the party's manifesto for the next year's Lok Sabha polls. Former Union minister Kumari Selja, who heads the AICC manifesto sub-committee, interacted with a cross section of people here Tuesday as part of the party's national outreach programme -- 'Jan Awaaz (people's voice)'. After the interaction, Selja said, "Our party president Rahul Gandhi has instructed us to reach out to people and prepare a manifesto which will aim at solving most of their issues." "The Congress has given the country many credible institutions. But unfortunately, they are being destroyed one after the other," the Rajya Sabha MP said without elaborating. Mumbai Congress president Sanjay Nirupam said issues and challenges pertaining to urbanisation in the megacity were discussed with activists from various fields. Besides, the problems of sanitation, housing, water .
India, Iran and Afghanistan hold first trilateral meet on Chabahar
The first trilateral meeting between India, Afghanistan and Iran of the Coordination Council of the Chabahar Agreement took place on October 22 in Tehran.The Indian delegation was led by T.S. Tirumurti, Secretary (Economic Relations), while the Afghan and Iran delegations were led by respective Deputy Ministers of Transport."Detailed discussions were held between the three sides on full operationalisation of the trilateral agreement for international transit and transport through Chabahar Port," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a press release."All sides shared the view that full operationalisation of trilateral Chabahar initiative will promote connectivity and economic development of Afghanistan and the region," it added.The MEA also said that the three nations have decided to constitute a follow-up committee that would hold its first meeting within two months in Chabahar Port, Iran."It would, inter alia, discuss and aim to finalise protocol to harmonise transit, roads,
US revokes 21 Saudi visas over Khashoggi death
In its first, careful steps toward punishing the Saudis involved in the death of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the US administration has revoked 21 visas of Riyadh men linked to the murder, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said.
M Nageshwar Rao appointed CBI interim director
M Nageshwar Rao on Wednesday was appointed as the interim director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) with immediate effect.Nageshwar Rao, a 1986 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Odisha cadre, was working as the Joint Director in the investigating agency.He will look after the duties and functions of Director, CBI, and will take over the duties and functions with immediate effect, read an order from the central government.The decision comes a day after CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana moved the Delhi High Court seeking the quashing of First Information Report (FIR) filed against him by the premier investigating agency of India. The court later ordered that no action would be taken against Asthana until next hearing, which is scheduled for October 29.The CBI had filed an FIR against Asthana for allegedly accepting a bribe from a businessman, who was related to Moin Akhtar Qureshi case. Asthana was heading the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that was ...
M Nageshwar Rao appointed interim CBI director with immediate effect
M Nageshwar Rao on Wednesday was appointed as the interim director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) with immediate effect.Nageshwar Rao, a 1986 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Odisha cadre, was working as Joint Director in the investigative agency. He will look after the duties and functions of Director, CBI, and will take over the duties and functions with immediate effect, read an order from the central government.The decision comes a day after CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana moved to the Delhi High Court seeking the quashing of First Information Report (FIR) filed against him by the premier investigating agency of India. The court later ordered that no action would be taken against Asthana until next hearing, which is scheduled for October 29.The CBI had filed an FIR against Asthana for allegedly accepting a bribe from a businessman, who was related to Moin Akhtar Qureshi case. Asthana was heading the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that was ...
Government divests Alok Verma of CBI Director's charge
In a dramatic midnight action, the government on Wednesday divested CBI chief Alok Verma of his charge and Joint Director M. Nageshwar Rao was asked to take over.
CBI Director Alok Verma, Special Director Rakesh Asthana 'divested of all powers'
CBI Director Alok Verma and Special Director Rakesh Asthana have been "divested of all powers" amid an ongoing spat between them, sources said, calling it the first such case in the history of the agency. The story is developing and more clarity is likely to happen after the government issues a detailed statement which is expected in the day, they said. The prime minister-led Appointments Committee in an order Tuesday night gave charge of the Director to Joint Director M Nageshwara Rao with immediate effect, a government order said. The order implies that the government has side lined all the three additional directors, number three in the agency hierarchy, including A K Sharma whose name had figured in the complaint by Asthana. There were reports that the CBI Headquarters had been sealed and officials or outsiders were not being allowed as a team of officers was inside, the sources said. However, the building has now been opened.
CBI Director Alok Verma, Special Director Rakesh Asthana sent on leave
CBI Director Alok Verma and Special Director Rakesh Asthana have been sent on leave amid an ongoing spat between them, sources said, calling it the first such case in the history of the agency. The prime minister-led appointments committee in an order Tuesday night has given charge of director to Joint Director M Nageshwara Rao with immediate effect, a government order said. The order implies that the government has sidelined all the three additional directors number three in the agency's hierarchy, including A K Sharma, whose name had figured in the complaint by Asthana. There are reports that the CBI Headquarters has been sealed and neither officials nor outsiders are being allowed as a team of officers is inside the building, the sources said.
Internal squabble in CBI shocking: Former officials
The internal squabble in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is shocking and unprecedented in the history of the country's premier investigation agency, former officials of the probe agency said.Former Assistant Director of CBI, NS Kharayat has said that the central government should take the issue very seriously. "The CBI is directly under the Prime Minister. This incident is unparalleled in the history of the CBI. This is very unfortunate that one special director of the CBI is facing corruption charges. The CBI is such a reputed agency and it is the duty of CBI officials to maintain its dignity and image I am shocked that the government has not woken up yet," Kharatyat told ANI.Meanwhile, former Joint-Director of the CBI NK Singh termed the matter unfortunate and told ANI, "It is the most unfortunate. There have been ups and downs in the CBI in the past too. But, whatever is happening today has been never heard before. The credibility of the CBI is also lost now."On September
Trump criticizes Saudi Arabia for covering up Khashoggi's death
President Donald Trump on Tuesday criticized Saudi Arabia, saying that they orchestrated a "cover-up" of the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi but declaring that he will leave to Congress the possible US response in the matter.