Page 2668 - Politics

Ram temple not poll issue, but a matter of faith: Shahnawaz

BJP spokesman Shahnawaz Hussain Tuesday said the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya was not an electoral issue for his party but a "matter of faith". RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had last week demanded a law to enable construction of the Ram temple, saying it was necessary for "self-esteem" (of the people in general) and to usher in an "atmosphere of goodwill and oneness". Hussain said the BJP's official stand was that the Ram temple issue is pending before the Supreme Court. In a democracy, various demands are made and the government hears out each one of them, he said. "All Indians want the temple to be constructed. It is not an electoral issue, but a matter of faith for the BJP," he said at the 'Mumbai Manthan' conclave organised by television news channel Aaj Tak. Hussain was participating in a debate on whether the Modi government will accept Bhagwat's demand for a law to construct the Ram temple. In his customary Dussehra address last Thursday in Nagpur, Bhagwat said "politics was

BJP youth wing organising three-day mega summit in Telangana

With the BJP seeking to position itself as the main challenger to the ruling TRS, its youth wing BYJM will organise a three-day "mega summit" in poll-bound Telangana starting Friday, where party president Amit Shah will address a rally on the concluding day. The Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha (BJYM) chief Poonam Mahajan Tuesday announced that the three-day 'Yuva Mahadhiveshan' would be held from October 26 in Hyderabad. Addressing a press conference at the party office, Mahajan said the summit would be inaugurated by Home Minister Rajnath Singh and it would conclude with a mega rally of BJP chief Amit Shah on on October 28. "This will be the party's first mega youth summit in South India and more than 72,000 office bearers of the BJP's youth wing will attend this event, where they will be addressed by number of senior party leaders and Union ministers," she said. She said more than two lakh people were expected to attend Shah's rally on the concluding day. About the events and programmes .

BJP damaging, destroying the country's institutions: Yechury

Referring to an internal feud in the CBI between its director and deputy director, CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury Tuesday alleged the BJP was damaging and destroying the country's institutions. In a series of tweets, Yechury said the party's "nefarious" design needed to be defeated. There was no comment from the BJP on the issue. "The role of top BJP leadership in damaging and destroying the country's institutions is unparalleled in India's history. This is needed to further the RSS's unconstitutional agenda. Their nefarious designs have to be, and will be defeated," Yechury tweeted. "That the CBI is particularly under the spotlight should not surprise us. After all, it was the agency investigating the BJP party president for a very serious charge. No prizes for guessing how and why his name was 'cleared' under a dark cloud," he alleged. On October 15, the CBI registered an FIR against Special Director Rakesh Asthana alleging criminal misconduct on his part and that Sana had allegedly

Turkish president: Saudis plotted writer's killing for days

Saudi officials murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi in their Istanbul consulate after plotting his death for days, Turkey's president said Tuesday, contradicting Saudi Arabia's explanation that the writer was accidentally killed. He demanded that the kingdom reveal the identities of all involved, regardless of rank. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also said he wants Saudi Arabia to allow 18 suspects that it detained for the Saudi's killing to be tried in Turkish courts, setting up further complications with the Saudi government, which has said it is conducting its own investigation and will punish those involved. "To blame such an incident on a handful of security and intelligence members would not satisfy us or the international community," Erdogan said in a speech to ruling party lawmakers in parliament. "Saudi Arabia has taken an important step by admitting the murder. As of now we expect of them to openly bring to light those responsible from the highest ranked to the lowest and .

BJP to run state assembly polls on agenda of development: Javadekar

The BJP will contest the Rajasthan assembly polls on the agenda of development, Union minister Prakash Javadekar said Tuesday, challenging the Congress to focus its poll campaign on the state's progress. The BJP's state poll in-charge, Javadekar said the elections would be fought under the leadership of Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and exuded confidence of retaining power in Rajasthan and breaking the trend of the BJP and the Congress forming governments after alternate elections. "We are going to the public with slogans like 'BJP fir se' and 'fir ek bar, BJP sarkar' because the trend of the alternate parties' government is going to break this time. The BJP will have a repeat government, Javadekar said at a news conference here. Targeting the grand old party, Javadekar said the Congress is the party of one family while "the BJP is a party which itself is a family". They have no leadership, neither in the state nor in the Centre. They could not declare their chief ministerial ...

Former diplomat joins Congress

Former IFS officer Satendar Kumar joined the Congress in the presence of senior party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and Uttar Pradesh PCC chief Raj Babbar Tuesday. Welcoming Kumar's decision, Azad said the Congress was the only party that could keep the unity and integrity of the country intact. He added that Kumar, a former Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer who retired on June 30, had decided to join the opposition party along with his supporters. Kumar, who hails from the Dalit community in Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, has held several important positions on foreign shores and was also the consul general of lndia in Zanzibar, ambassador of lndia to the Republic of Suriname and high commissioner of India to Barbados and Saint Lucia. Babbar said Kumar joining the party showed that the educated and intellectual class was drifting towards the Congress. He added that former Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Kanhaiya Lal would also join the party in Lucknow on Wednesday. Kumar said he was

Uniform national alliance of non-BJP parties unlikely: Pawar

NCP chief Sharad Pawar Tuesday said he did not see the possibility of all non-BJP parties coming together at the national level to take on the Narendra Modi government at the Centre. He, however, said that he was trying to bring various parties on a common platform. On demands to bring a law for Ram temple construction, Pawar, in a veiled attack at the BJP-led central government, said, "The issue has come up since the development agenda has failed". He claimed that Narendra Modi will not be the prime minister after the next year's Lok Sabha polls, and that there will be change in government at the Centre and in Maharashtra. On being asked whether the NCP would support Nitin Gadkari as prime minister if the BJP-led alliance came to power after the polls, Pawar said, "I would not support anybody from the BJP". He also said leaders like H D Deve Gowda and Inder Kumar Gujral became prime ministers by "accident" and that he did not want to be part of "accidents". "I do not see the ...

SKorea approves NKorea deals amid conservative opposition

The government of South Korean President Moon Jae-in has formally approved the rapprochement deals he made with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un last month. The step is largely seen as an effort by Moon to show he's determined to carry out the deals despite growing skepticism about whether his engagement policy could eventually lead to North Korea's nuclear disarmament. Moon's Cabinet endorsed the deals during a meeting Tuesday. Moon's office said the president "ratified" the deals later in the day. The back-to-back endorsements are certain to deepen a national divide in South Korea because conservatives have opposed such moves, saying the North Korea deals will undermine national security and waste taxpayers' money. In South Korea, a president can ratify some agreements with North Korea without parliamentary endorsement.

Turkish nationalist leader ends alliance with Erdogan party

The leader of Turkey's main nationalist faction on Tuesday announced he was pulling out of an electoral alliance with the ruling party of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a dispute over a proposed amnesty law. The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) of Devlet Bahceli teamed up with the Justice and Development Party (AKP) of Erdogan for an alliance in June's simultaneous parliamentary and presidential elections, a move widely seen as aiding the president's victory. But speaking to MHP members and lawmakers in parliament, Bahceli announced there would be no such alliance for the March 31 local elections which will determine city mayors across the country, notably in Ankara and Istanbul. The rupture comes after the MHP pushed the AKP to agree to a mass amnesty -- mostly for common criminals but also some mobsters -- an idea received with little enthusiasm in the ruling party. "No alliance can survive if one party is rejected and forced to step back," Bahceli said. "There is no meaning in ..

Lebanon PM backs Saudi Arabia in Khashoggi case

Lebanon's premier-designate Saad Hariri threw his support behind Saudi Arabia Tuesday as it faces outrage over the murder of Saudi journalist and government critic Jamal Khashoggi at its Istanbul consulate. Hariri's comments came less than a year after he resigned in mysterious circumstances in a televised address from the Saudi capital, sparking rumours he was being held there against his will. "The measures taken by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia regarding the case of journalist Jamal Khashoggi... come within the framework that serves the path of justice and the disclosure of the whole truth," a statement from his office quoted him as saying. On Tuesday, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir pledged a "thorough and complete" investigation into Khashoggi's murder. A tough critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Khashoggi disappeared after he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 to collect paperwork for his marriage. A few days later, a Turkish government source

There's extreme resentment towards CM Raje: Raj Cong spokesperson

The Congress in Rajasthan believes there is "extreme resentment" towards Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje which will lead to her losing the upcoming elections and the BJP facing an unprecedented defeat in the state. Assembly elections in the state are scheduled to be held on December 7 and counting will take place on December 11. Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson and Jaipur Congress president Pratap Singh Khachariyawas said the people's sentiments have shifted towards the Congress and party president Rahul Gandhi's visits have created a momentum in favour of the party. "The CM and her several ministers are going to lose the elections this time. There is extreme resentment among public towards the chief minister who did not meet people during her entire tenure and is now going to the masses just to seek votes," he told PTI here Tuesday. Khachariyawas said the Rafale deal had become a topic of discussion in every household and people wanted answers from the prime minister .

Kerala CM attacks Sangh Parivar, alleges "hidden conspiracy" to destroy peace at Sabarimala

Hitting out at the BJP and RSS for the agitation at Sabarimala, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan Tuesday said the protests were a "planned" and "deliberate" attempt to create an atmosphere of tension in the state and asserted that no force will be allowed to turn the shrine complex into a centre for trouble-makers. Speaking with reporters, he alleged that the Sangh Parivar was attempting to "insult" and "mislead" believers. Alleging there was a "hidden conspiracy" to destroy peace at Sabarimala, where the Lord Ayyappa temple is located, he said the agitations were a "planned and deliberate attempt" to create an atmosphere of tension in the state. While maintaining that faith of believers would be respected, Vijayan made it clear that the government had the responsibility to implement the Supreme Court order. The apex court had in a historic verdict on September 28 permitted women of all ages to offer prayers at Sabarimala,where earlier those between 10-50 could not ...

Vietnam parliament elects Communist Party chief as president

Vietnam's rubber stamp National Assembly elected Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong as the country's president on Tuesday, consolidating his influence as the most powerful man in the Southeast Asian nation. The 74-year-old Trong is the first Vietnamese leader to hold the two positions since founding President Ho Chi Minh in the 1960s. He succeeds President Tran Dai Quang, who died last month after battling a viral illness for more than a year. Raising one hand and placing the other on the constitution, Trong vowed during the swearing-in ceremony to be "absolutely loyal to the nation, people and the constitution." He acknowledged in his acceptance speech that despite impressive achievements in recent years, Vietnam faces many challenges. "Many heavy tasks and duties are waiting ahead of us," he said. Earlier this month, the party's Central Committee endorsed Trong as the sole candidate for the presidency. Nguyen Khac Giang, a researcher at the Vietnam Institute for ...

China still elusive on backing India's request on listing Azhar as global terrorist

China on Tuesday made it clear that there is no change in its position on India's request to list Pakistan-based JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN and said it will decide on the issue on the "merits of the matter". India on Monday asked China to support the pending application in the UN to designate Azhar as a global terrorist during the first India-China high-level meeting on bilateral security cooperation which was co-chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Zhao Kezhi, State Councilor and Minister of Public Security, China, in New Delhi. A veto-wielding permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has repeatedly blocked India's bid at the United Nations to list Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Azhar as a global terrorist. When asked to comment on India's request, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said she has to check the specific details of the talks between the two ministers. "As per to India's request for the listing of Masood (Azhar) we ...

LJP, RLSP refute 2019 seat sharing reports in Bihar

BJP allies LJP and RLSP leaders on Tuesday refuted media reports that seat sharing has been finalised in the NDA for 2019 Lok Sabha polls in Bihar but there appeared to be growing restlessness on the issue in the BJP-led NDA here.

Sunderbani martyr's wife wants her newborn to join army

Just a day after soldier Ranjit Singh Bhutyal was killed in an attack by Pakistan intruders, his wife Shimpu Devi gave birth to a baby girl. Bhutyal's wife said that she wishes her newborn too joins the Indian army and serves the nation like her father."This girl is the nation's daughter and I wish that she joins the army just like her father," added the mother, she told ANI.The deceased, Lance Naik Ranjit Singh Bhutyal, was scheduled to arrive home on a leave starting October 22 as his wife's date of delivery was round the corner.Singh, along with two other soldiers, was killed in action during an attack by Pakistani intruders in Rajouri district's Sunderbani on October 21. Two Pakistani intruders were also gunned down by security forces.On Tuesday, the mortal remains of the soldiers were flown to their native places for last rites, where they were laid to rest with full military honour.As per sources, the India Army and Pakistan Army will hold Director General of Military Operations

Adityanath to attend Raman Singh's nomination filing event

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will be present at the state's Rajnandgaon district on Tuesday when Chief Minister Raman Singh files his nomination papers for the assembly election. Singh will be contesting from Rajnandgaon constituency and today is the last day for filing nomination for the first phase which is due on November 12.Adityanath, who arrived here earlier today, will also interact with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers during the nomination filing event. "I will be part of the nomination filing event and will interact with my party workers. The government under Dr. Raman Singh's leadership has done a lot of good work in the last four years and I am certain that the BJP will come to power again with a massive victory," Adityanath said.On Saturday, BJP released list of candidates contesting in the upcoming assembly elections in the state. The decision was announced by Union Health Minister JP Nadda following the BJP's Central Election Committee (CEC) ...

Said many times, can't dub Masood Azhar global terrorist: China

China on Tuesday said it has told India many times that it has issues in declaring Pakistan-based Masood Azhar a global terrorist and it will take its own call on the merits of the matter, a day after New Delhi nudged Beijing again to blacklist him.

Pakistan PM seeks loans to reservice debts, investments

RIYADH (Reuters) - Pakistan is seeking loans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and friendly countries to reservice debt and shore up its economy, prime minister Imran Khan said on Tuesday.

Vietnamese party chief elected President

Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee (CPVCC), was elected the country's President on Tuesday.