Page 2674 - Politics
Choksi deposited money in FM's daughter's account: Rahul
Congress president Rahul Gandhi alleged that fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi had deposited money in Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's daughter's account and subsequently fled the country.Rahul told ANI, "Mehul Choksi deposited money in Finance Minister's daughter's account and later he (Choksi) escaped the country."Intensifying his attack, Gandhi earlier in the day demanded Jaitley's resignation on the issue. The Congress president tweeted: "Arun Jaitley's daughter was on the payroll of thief Mehul Choksi. Meanwhile her FM daddy sat on his file & allowed him to flee. It's sad that media has blacked out this story. The people of India won't. #ArunJaitlieMustResign."The Congress earlier at a press conference accused that Jaitley's daughter and son-in-law, both lawyers, had allegedly received a retainership of Rs 24 lakh from Choksi.
Petrol pump strike: Motorists in national capital caught unaware
Several motorists were caught unaware as petrol pumps across the national capital were shut Monday in protest against the Delhi government's refusal to cut Value-Added tax (VAT) on petrol and diesel. Deepak Tripathi got to know about the strike only after reaching a pump in central Delhi. "I had to go to Noida for a meeting and had halted at a petrol pump. I was informed that the pump was shut. I parked my car at a metro station and decided to take the metro," he said. Another motorist, Nikhil, had a similar tale to narrate. Nikhil was supposed to go to Gurugram, but had to return home after he got to know the petrol pumps were shut. Yatan Mittal, a corporate executive, missed an office meeting since he was not aware of the one-day strike. "After three days of holiday, I went to a petrol pump to get my fuel tank refilled as I had to go to office in Chhatarpur from Mayur Vihar, but to my dismay, I could not find a fuel station that was open. I parked my motorcycle at a metro station, ..
MP: BJP misusing public money to hire pvt firm, says Cong
The Congress Monday alleged that the ruling BJP in Madhya Pradesh was misusing public money by hiring a private firm to run the latter's election campaign on social media. Congress media cell chairperson Shobha Oza told reporters that a Gujarat-based IT firm called Silver Touch Technology was hired by the BJP for this campaign and the firm was operating out of Narmada Bhawan, a goverment building here. She said that the space from which this private firm was operating had actually been allotted to Madhya Pradesh Madhyam, a wing of the state government's Public Relations department. In support of the claim, the Congress leader presented details of the phone bill issued on the address. "Gujarat-based IT company Silver Touch Technology is not only working to brighten the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other ministers in addition to that of MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh, but is also maligning the image of the Congress. MP government has hired this company," Oza
Security tight as Cameroon's Biya wins seventh presidential term
Paul Biya, who has ruled Cameroon with an iron fist since 1982, on Monday won a landslide victory in a controversial presidential election, as the government tightened security in the capital and gunfire erupted in the volatile Anglophone region. The Constitutional Council, dominated by Biya loyalists, on Monday said Biya had won 71.3 per cent of the ballot in the October 7 election, marred by allegations of widespread fraud, a low turnout and violence in the poll run-up. The Council's head Clement Atangana said opposition challenger Maurice Kamto, was a far second with 14.2 percent of the vote. Voting was disrupted in Francophone Cameroon's two English-speaking regions, where a separatist movement has unleashed a brutal government crackdown. Turnout here was below five percent, according to the International Crisis Group think tank. Witnesses on Monday told AFP of gunfire during the morning in Buea, capital of the English-speaking Southwest region, which has been rocked by violence ..
Issuance of notification for J-K panchayat polls begins Tuesday
The stage is set for the nine-phased panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir as the process of issuance of notification begins Tuesday for electing representatives to over 35,000 panch constituencies across the state. "The notification for the first phase of panchayat polls will be issued tomorrow (Tuesday) and the elections will take place in nine phases," Jammu and Kashmir's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Shaleen Kabra told reporters here. He said the phase-wise polling would take place on November 17, 20, 24, 27 and 29 and December 1, 4, 8 and 11. The CEO said counting of votes would take place on the same day or the very next. Poll hours would be 8 am to 2 pm, Kabra said, adding the entire process would be completed by December 17. He said the polls would be held through ballot and migrant Kashmiri Pandits could vote through postal ballots. "We have got ballot boxes from Haryana. There will be of two kinds white and pink colour - of ballot papers as sarpanches also have to be ...
Use social media as weapon to expose opposition: Yogi tells BJP's youth wing
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Monday asked the BJYM members to use social media as a "weapon" to "expose" the opposition and popularise central and state governments' welfare schemes among people. Addressing the inauguration session of the state working committee of Bharatiya Janta Yuva Morcha (BJYM)-- the youth wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) here, Yogi advised them to interview the beneficiaries of government schemes in the state and share them on social media. "The youth should work on popularising central and state government schemes among people. The young generation should make social media their weapon," Yogi said. Noting that "every youngster has a mobile", the chief minister stressed that there was a need to highlight the benefits of government schemes like Centre's Ujjwala Yojana and Saubhagya scheme and the state government's farmer loan waiver scheme among others. "They should interview the beneficiaries and upload it on websites and social media. ..
Cong's 'arrogance' in Rajasthan will split anti-BJP votes: CPM leader Hannan Mollah
The Congress' "arrogance" in going alone in the upcoming Rajasthan assembly elections would lead to a split in anti-BJP votes in the state, CPI (M)'s state in charge Hannan Mollah claimed on Monday. Mollah cautioned the Congress that despite the Vasundhara Raje government's "unpopularity", the opposition party might not be able to take advantage of it in the polls. "The BSP wanted an alliance with the Congress in Rajasthan but the grand old party was so arrogant that it declined joining hands with any political party. "The BSP is a growing political force in Rajasthan. It has six to seven per cent of total votes in the state. Now Mayawati has decided to go it alone in the poll. It will split anti-BJP votes. The Congress will have to pay price for its arrogance," Mollah told PTI in an interview. Mollah, who was recently in the desert state as part of preparations for the December 7 Assembly polls, attacked the Raje government, accusing it of adopting anti-rural policies. "Rural ...
Not even a tsunami can create problems between me and CM:
Virtually ruling out any fissures between him and Tamil Nadu chief minister K Palaniswami, Deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam Monday said not even a tsunami can create problems between them. Charging the opposition parties with trying to drive a wedge between him and Palaniswami, Panneerselvam said any such attempts from "within and outside" would not fructify. Panneerselvam is AIADMK coordinator while Palaniswami the joint coordinator. "Even if a tsunami strikes, the opposition parties cannot create a problem between us. We are determined and treading the path of ideals laid down by MGR and Amma," he said at a marriage function here. AIADMK founder, former chief minister M G Ramachandran is addressed as MGR while his protege and former CM J Jayalalithaa is Amma (mother) for the party supporters. Panneerselvam's assertion comes weeks after his rival and Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam founder TTV Dhinakran made a sensational disclosure that former chief minister ...
Commuters struggle in NCR due to multiple strikes
Commuters in the national capital had a rough Monday following multiple strikes by fuel pumps, auto-rickshaw and taxi unions and Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) contractual employees.
AAP forms frontal outfits ahead of Lok Sabha polls
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has started forming new frontal organisations ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha election, party's Delhi unit convener Gopal Rai said. In the first phase of the exercise, youth wing and senior citizen wing of the party have been formed in Delhi, he said. Party councilor in South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) Ramesh Matiala will be head of the youth wing and Suresh Gupta will be president of the senior citizens' unit, Rai said. He exuded hope that the frontal organisations will play an important role in reaching out to the people for Lok Sabha election. Creation of district and ward-level units of the frontal organisations will also be completed soon, he added.
Backlash at violent Brexit briefings against UK's May
"Bring your own noose" as you enter the "killing zone" -- anonymous briefings against British Prime Minister Theresa May are nothing new, but the ferocity of the latest batch sparked a fierce backlash Monday. Many of May's critics and her allies rounded on unnamed pro-Brexit members of her Conservative party who used violent language to attack her Brexit strategy in the weekend newspapers. One MP was quoted as saying that she should "bring her own noose" to a meeting later this week of Conservative lawmakers. Another newspaper quoted an MP as saying that May was entering the "killing zone", with another adding: "Assassination is in the air". A former minister reportedly said: "The moment is coming when the knife gets heated, stuck in her front and twisted. She'll be dead soon." The comments drew a chorus of outrage from fellow Conservative MPs, with pro-Europeans through to ardent Brexiteers condemning them as "totally unacceptable". Senior lawmaker Robert Halfon said it was "a shame .
Mumbai to host international poll conference on Oct 25-26
The Maharashtra State Election Commission will organise an international conference titled "Better Elections for Healthier Democracy" to celebrate the 73rd and 74th Amendments to the Constitution of India, state Election Commissioner J S Saharia said Monday. It will be held in Mumbai on October 25-26 and will involve discussions on reforms in electoral procedures, he added. He said that representative from various democracies across the world, officials from other election commissions and state legislators will participate in the conference. Saharia was speaking Monday at the release function of the logo of the international conference. He said the five themes of the conference are "Public Ownership of Democracy", "How to Check Misuse of Money Power", "Inclusiveness", "How to Control Menace of Social Media and Fake News" and "Role of Various Stakeholders". Maharashtra governor C Vidyasagar Rao and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will address the conference, he informed.
Belgium chooses Lockheed's F-35 over Eurofighter: Belga
BRUSSELS/BERLIN (Reuters) - Belgium has chosen Lockheed Martin's F-35 stealth jets over the Eurofighter Typhoon to replace its ageing F-16s, news agency Belga cited government sources as saying, in a move that would cement the U.S.-made war plane's position in Europe.
Lok Sabha Speaker says India, Croatia need to engage more purposely
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Monday said that India enjoyed a warm and friendly relationship with Croatia, and that the two countries needed to engage more purposely.
Ask Centre to enact law to build Ram temple in Ayodhya, VHP tells Guj Guv
As part of its initiative to pressure the Centre to enact a law to build a Ram temple in Ayodhya, Vishwa Hindu Parishad leaders Monday met Gujarat Governor O P Kohli. A delegation comprising leaders from Gujarat, led by VHP's joint general secretary Surendra Jain, called on the governor in Gandhinagar and handed him a memorandum. In the memorandum, they urged Kohli to convey to the Centre the VHP's demand that the NDA government bring a legislation in Parliament for constructing a Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, said state VHP secretary Ashok Raval. Prior to his meeting with the governor, Jain told reporters in Ahmedabad that the decision to launch such a campaign was taken during a meeting in Delhi on October 5. Jain said the ruling BJP under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is "committed" to building the Ram Mandir. He said a law in Parliament for the construction of the temple was the only solution. "There were three solutions for building the Ram Mandir. One was talks with various parties, ...
Honorary captain Bana Singh visits NCC camp in Jammu
Honorary captain Bana Singh visited 'Ek Bharat Shreshta Bharat' camp of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) here on Monday, a spokesman said. Around 500 cadets from all over Jammu and Kashmir and Gujarat were present at the camp. The recipient of the nation's highest military award, the Param Vir Chakra, for leading a team which conquered the highest peak in the Siachen area of Ladakh in 1987, Singh stressed upon the mental and physical fitness of cadets and motivated them to become good citizens of India and join the Indian Army, the spokesman said. Later, the retired army officer interacted with the cadets, he said.
Trump: US to begin cutting aid to Central America over migrant caravan
President Donald Trump said Monday the United States will begin cutting aid to three Central American nations because of their governments' failure to stop a migrant caravan headed for the US border. In a series of tweets, Trump called the caravan's approach a national emergency and said he has alerted the US border patrol and military, setting the stage for a confrontation when the swelling mass of migrants reach the border. "We will now begin cutting off, or substantially reducing, the massive foreign aid" that the United States provides to Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, he said. "Sadly, it looks like Mexico's Police and Military are unable to stop the Caravan heading to the Southern Border of the United States. Criminals and unknown Middle Easterners are mixed in," he said on Twitter. "I have alerted Border Patrol and Military that this is a National Emergy (sic). Must change laws!" It was unclear what formal action, if any, Trump had taken to activate the military or the ...
US security chief Bolton in Moscow for talks on nuclear treaty
White House national security advisor John Bolton on Monday began two days of meetings with senior Russian officials following Washington's weekend announcement of its withdrawal from a Cold War-era nuclear weapons treaty. The Moscow visit by Bolton was planned before the Saturday announcement by President Donald Trump that the US was ditching the three-decade-old Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, known as the INF, a move Moscow has already denounced as "dangerous." The treaty banning intermediate-range nuclear and conventional missiles was signed in 1987 by then US president Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Soviet leader, who on Sunday said that "dropping these agreements... shows a lack of wisdom" and was a "mistake". Bolton arrived in Russia Sunday and is set to speak with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. On Monday morning he met his Russian counterpart, Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev. On Tuesday he may also speak about the treaty with ...
PoK activists in UK observe 'Black Day' to mark Kashmir's invasion by Pakistan
Activists from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) living in United Kingdom gathered outside the Pakistani consulate in Bradford on Monday to mark October 22 as 'Black Day'.It was on this day in 1947 that the Pakistan Army, disguised as tribal raiders, invaded the undivided state of Jammu and Kashmir.The activists shouted anti-Pakistan slogans and blamed Islamabad for promoting terrorists like Hafiz Saeed in the Kashmir region.Amjad Yousuf of United Kashmir People's National Party also blamed Pakistan for exploiting the resources from PoK and Gilgit Baltistan. He said, "Pakistan is constructing Neelum-Jhelum Hydro Power Project in our territory and treating us as slaves. But, we will use all platforms to expose Pakistan's nefarious designs in Kashmir."The protest was held under the banner of Jammu Kashmir National Independence Alliance (JKNIA).Mahmood Kashmiri, chairperson of JKNIA shouted slogans against Pakistan Army and blamed the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) for killing Kashmiri .
US Embassy launches mentorship programmes for women entrepreneurs
The US Embassy along with TiE Global launched two programmes on Monday to provide mentorship to 30 young, innovative women from across India to help them scale up their enterprises.