Page 2667 - Politics
AP CM invites global investors to set up units in Vizag
: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu Tuesday urged global investors to set up their units in Visakhapatnam Fintech Valley which he claimed would become one of the top three fintech centres in the world. Visakhapatnam would be developed as an innovation valley, Amaravati as a knowledge economy hub and Tirupati as a hardware and electronic hub, he said after inaugurating the Vizag Fintech Festival here. He said the state government has been adopting total integration of technology to improve delivery mechanism to increase satisfaction level of people. Inviting global industrialists to invest in the state, the chief minister said the government had big data of all domains and there is wide scope for experimentation. He said both the government and private sector should work together for the advantage of the common man. The chief minister said the government wanted to bring revolution in innovation for the betterment of the society. "Innovation is a continuous .
Canada says Punjab's AAP legislators can visit country any time
Months after turning back two Punjab legislators belonging to the Aam Aadmi Party from the Ottawa airport, Canada has written to India saying that the lawmakers can visit the country, an official said on Tuesday.
Not bothered how long I survive as CM, says Kumaraswamy
H D Kumaraswamy Tuesday asserted that the opportunity to occupy the post of Karnataka Chief Minister was "godsend" for him and he was not bothered how long he would occupy the chair. Kumaraswamy, who is heading the Congress-JD(S) coalition government and facing frequent pinpricks from some sections of the coalition partner, said both parties had come together to save the state and not for any vested interests. He also said the Narendra Modi "trend" witnessed in 2014 general election no more existed, as reflected in the results of several bypolls across the country. "Karnataka has provided a new platform for the 2019 parliamentary elections and a new political change will take place from here," he said. Kumaraswamy claimed the results of the November 3 bypolls in three Lok Sabha and two assembly constituencies in Karnataka would impact the poll outcome in the five states where assembly polls are to be held. "Karnataka will send across a message to the nation for the 2019 election. ...
Mehbooba meets Rajnath, urges govt to resume dialogue with Pak
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday appealed the Centre for resumption of dialogue between India and Pakistan to end the "present phase of acrimony and confrontation" between the two neighbours. The former chief minister made the appeal during a meeting with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh here, her Peoples Democratic Party said in a statement. The PDP chief was among the leaders of various parties who met the Home Minister here on Tuesday. "Good relations with Pakistan have a positive impact on the ground situation in the state and it also encourages reconciliation among stakeholders within the state which automatically results in decline in alienation levels of people," the Peoples Democratic Party leader said. Mehbooba told the Union Home Minister that in the past when bilateral relations improved, Jammu and Kashmir not only witnessed an era of minimal violence but also reconciliation and people's active participation in democratic and developmental processes. Expressing ...
2019 Polls may throw up hung Parliament: Sharad Pawar
Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar on Tuesday predicted that no single party would get a majority in the 2019 elections and that there would be change in government both at the Centre and in Maharashtra.
Conduct panchayat polls in 3 months: Court to Andhra Pradesh
The Hyderabad High Court on Tuesday directed the Andhra Pradesh government to conduct panchayat elections within three months.
Rahul to undertake 2-day poll campaign in Rajastahn from tmrw
Congress president Rahul Gandhi will pay a two-day visit to poll-bound Rajasthan from Wednesday and hold road shows and public meetings in Kota, Jhalawar and Sikar districts which together have 18 assembly seats. In the first leg of his visit, Gandhi would cover Hadauti region, comprising Kota, Jhalawar, Baran and nearby areas which had been rocked by a large number of farmers' suicide, said state Congress president Sachin Pilot. In the second leg of his visit, he would be in Sikar district, he said. Sikar is a part of the Shekhawati region dominated by farmers. Gandhi will address Wednesday his first rally in Jhalawar, the home turf of Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, and follow it up with a nearly 100-km road show from Jhalawar to Kota, where he will stay at night. Gandhi will address a state convention of Mahila Congress at Kota on Thursday morning, after which he would fly to Sikar to address a 'sankalp' rally, said Pilot. "The Congress is well placed in Jhalawar where I and ...
Raman Singh files nomination from Rajnandgaon constituency
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh on Tuesday filed his nomination from Rajnandgaon constituency for the upcoming state Assembly polls.Singh submitted his nomination papers to collector and district magistrate Bhim Singh's office in the presence of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other officials.In 1999, the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister had made his debut in Lok Sabha from Rajnandgaon parliamentary constituency. He defeated veteran Congress leader Motilal Vohra and was appointed the Minister of State for Commerce and Industries in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, and held charge of the ministry till he was chosen as the Chhattisgarh Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president.Singh took oath as the second chief minister of Chhattisgarh on December 7, 2003. After being elected to the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly, he took oath as the chief minister of the state on December 12, 2008, for a second term, and was re-elected for a third term on December 8, 2013.On ...
Saudi to hold to account all those behind Khashoggi killing
Saudi Arabia's cabinet on Tuesday said it would hold accountable all those behind the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi "no matter who they may be". "Measures have been taken by the kingdom to uncover the truth and hold accountable all those whose incompetence or immediate responsibility" was behind the killing "no matter who they may be," read a cabinet statement published by the state-run SPA news agency. Khashoggi was killed in the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul on October 2.
BJP takes out rally to preserve traditions at Ayappa shrine
Over 1,000 activists of the BJP, majority of them being women, took out a procession here Tuesday protesting against the handling of the situation in Sabarimala by the government of Kerala and demanded that the agama (scriptures) traditions be followed in the shrine of Ayappa. The national executive member of the party and member of the Rajya Sabha L Ganeshan, who led the procession, said the agama traditions should be upheld. Some of the women, holding placards, said they would wait to cross 50 years of age to enter the shrine. They all rendered hymns and bhajans in praise of Ayappa and raised slogans against the state government. The procession ended at Gandhipuram where the BJP leader and others told the participants in the rally that the sanctity of Sabarimala should be preserved.
Everything has collapsed under BJP-led regime: Chandrababu Naidu
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu Tuesday said "everything has collapsed" in the country under the BJP-led regime at the Centre. Talking to reporters here, Naidu also targeted the government over the feud between Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director Alok Verma and his deputy Rakesh Asthana, which turned murkier with the arrest of a deputy SP in the Special Investigation Team headed by Asthana over bribery charges. "We have a dedicated solar policy but the government, they messed up everything. It is a dire situation. They are messing (up) everything," the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief said. "Today, you see (the) CBI also, they are messing (up things). All institutions you see, everything has collapsed. Never visualised all these things," Naidu added. The former ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Naidu also demanded the abolition of Rs 500 and Rs 2000 denomination currency notes to curb ...
China slams Trump nuclear treaty 'blackmail'
China warned on Tuesday it would "never accept any form of blackmail" after US President Donald Trump said his decision to withdraw from a nuclear pact with Russia was also linked to Beijing's arsenal. China is not a signatory to the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), which the United States signed with the then-Soviet Union in the 1980s, but Trump said Monday that Beijing should be included in the accord. "Now that the United States want to unilaterally withdraw from the treaty, they start to inappropriately speak about other countries," Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a regular press briefing. "This approach of shifting the blame on others is utterly unjustifiable and unreasonable," Hua said. She said China had always pursued a defensive national defence policy. "We will never accept any form of blackmail," Hua said. The landmark treaty was signed by Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev and led to nearly 2,700 short- and medium-range missiles being
Akali Dal slams Amarinder's non-serious response to Amritsar train tragedy
Shiromani Akali Dal patriarch Parkash Singh Badal on Tuesday slammed Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh for going on a foreign trip, ignoring the plight of families who lost their kins in the Amritsar train tragedy on October 19.
Delhi govt launches drive against adulterated sweets
The Delhi government has launched a special drive to keep a check on adulterated sweets across the city in the ongoing festival season. The Food Safety Department of the Delhi government recently issued an order directing Food and Civil Supplies Officers (FSOs) to carry out the drive against adulterated food items in their respective jurisdictions. "All designated officers are directed to issue an order to FSOs concerned to carry out a special drive in the jurisdictional area of their districts for lifting of samples of khoya, sweets made from khoya, other milk products..." the order stated. The move is aimed at keeping a close watch on the sweets being supplied in the national capital. It also aims to tighten the noose around people who are involved in food adulteration, an official said. He said strict action would be taken against those involved in food adulteration. "The department teams will randomly lift samples at sweet shops and send them for examination," the official ...
I'll once again extend hand of friendship to India after 2019 elections : Imran Khan
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday said that he would once again extend a hand of friendship to India after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections as he believed New Delhi rebuffed his offer of talks because Pakistan is an issue in the elections in the neighbouring country. Speaking at the high-profile Future Investment Initiative forum in Riyadh, Khan said Pakistan wants "peace with all our neighbours particularly India and Afghanistan for regional peace and stability." "Peace with India would help the two countries to divert their resources towards human development instead of indulging in arms race," Khan was quoted as saying by state-run Radio Pakistan. Similarly, peace in Afghanistan would help Pakistan to have an easy access to the Central Asian states for bilateral economic and trade activities, he said. Khan said he had extended a hand of friendship to India, which rebuffed the move. After assuming power in August, Khan wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggesting a meeting ...
Jogi's alliance with BSP will hurt Congress in Chhattisgarh: BJP leader Saroj Pandey
BJP general secretary Saroj Pandey on Tuesday claimed that the alliance between Ajit Jogi's party and the BSP will hurt the Congress more in Chhattisgarh as she asserted that her party will return to power for a fourth straight term in the state. Pandey, a Rajya Sabha member and a key party leader from the state, also said that the opposition Congress is on the back foot due to the alleged involvement of its state president Bhupesh Baghel in a fake sex CD case, which she termed as an insult to the state's women. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had last month filed a charge sheet in the case naming Baghel and some others as accused in the case related to the controversial CD allegedly featuring a state minister, who had rejected it as fake. The Congress leader was released on bail after spending three days in judicial custody last month. The BJP has used the issue to target the Congress, while Baghel has claimed innocence and termed it as a political attack. The state ...
Vajpayee's niece to contest from Congress against Raman Singh
Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's niece, Karuna Shukla, will be contesting from the Congress party against incumbent Chief Minister Raman Singh from Rajnandgaon assembly constituency which goes to polls on November 12.Clarifying her stance on leaving the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shukla said: "Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani had established the BJP. However, the party has lost its ideologies and culture. Keeping these things in mind, I left the BJP after being associated with the party for 32 years."She further attacked the Raman Singh-led Chhattisgarh government, alleging that the Chief Minister has not done anything for the welfare of the people of Rajnandgaon despite being a Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from there."Dr Raman Singh has served as Chhattisgarh Chief Minister for 15 years and as the MLA of Rajnandgaon for last 10 years. However, he has not done anything for the betterment of people. So, the Congress president has sent me to fight for ..
French media calls on Macron not to close palace press room
France's Presidential Press Association has called on President Emmanuel Macron to reconsider his decision to close the press room inside the presidential palace, an action that comes as the French leader faces declining popularity. In a statement Tuesday, the association that represents French and foreign media accredited with the presidency said the press room's closure would be "a lockdown of the Elysee Palace and a decision prejudicial to journalists' freedom to inform and to work." Macron's office announced plans earlier this year to move journalists to a new site outside the palace with less access to presidential activity. He also recently revamped his communication strategy and team. Polls last month indicated Macron's popularity reached a record low since his election in May 2017 amid growing criticism over his policies.
National level pre-poll opposition alliance for 2019 LS polls unlikely:Pawar
NCP chief Sharad Pawar Tuesday indicated that a national level pre-poll opposition alliance for the 2019 general elections was unlikely but said he was trying to bring the non-BJP parties together on a common platform in a bid to defeat the ruling NDA. Pawar also said any party in the Opposition getting the maximum seats after the Lok Sabha polls could claim prime ministership if the Modi government is unseated. "I do not see the possibility of a uniform national alliance since political situation on the ground varies from state to state. I am talking to different parties to bring them on a common platform," Pawar said during an interaction at 'Mumbai Manthan' conclave organised by Aaj Tak news channel. He said the current situation in the country was similar to the one in 2004. "There will be change in government in Delhi and Maharashtra. No single party can provide an alternative. I do not think Narendra Modi will be prime minister after the Lok Sabha polls," he said. Nobody thought
Raman Singh files nomination for Chhattisgarh Assembly polls
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh, who is seeking his fourth consecutive term, Tuesday filed his nomination papers from Rajnandgaon Assembly constituency for the next month's state polls. Accompanied by his wife Veena Singh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, party in-charge for Chhattisgarh Anil Jain and several other leaders and party workers, Raman Singh reached the district collectorate to file his papers. Singh's son and MP from Rajnandgaon Lok Sabha seat Abhishek Singh was also present. During the filing of nomination, Singh touched the feet of Adityanath and took his blessings. The two-time MLA from Rajanandgaon constituency, Singh is seeking third consecutive victory from the seat. In 2004, he was an MLA from Dongargaon assembly constituency in Rajnandgaon district. Congress has fielded Karuna Shukla, niece of former prime minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee against Singh from Rajnandgaon. Ahead of filing nominations, Singh told reporters, "I have full faith .