Page 2675 - Politics
People's trust in CBI should continue: BJP
People's faith in an institution like the CBI should continue, the Bharatiya Janata Party said Monday as a row erupted over two top agency officials levelling corruption and other serious charges against each other. Asked about the agency registering a case against its own special director Rakesh Asthana, BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi pointed out that there is also a report against its director Alok Verma, a reference to his deputy Asthana's complaint against him. "There are two reports, one is against the director and another against the special director. We would like people's faith in the institution of the CBI to continue," she told reporters. The central government will be putting forth its views on the matter, she said, adding that the party will speak on such a serious matter later. Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday alleged that the CBI was being used as a "weapon of political vendetta" under the Modi government and that the premier investigation agency was on a ...
Mumbai youth Cong office-bearers complain against their chief
Some office-bearers of Mumbai Youth Congress have expressed unhappiness over the style of functioning of their chief Ganesh Yadav, according to a letter sent to the higher leadership in the party. The office-bearers, including a vice president, six general secretaries and four secretaries of the Mumbai Pradesh Youth Congress have written a complaint letter to Krishna Allavr, who is incharge of Indian Youth Congress, urging him to save the "future of the organisation". The development comes weeks after some mebers of Mumbai Congress reportedly demanded ouster of Mumbai's party unit chief Sanjay Nirupam. The trigger of the letter was apparently the "Bharat Bachao Andolan" organised by local youth congress leaders in Andheri yesterday. The complainants alleged that Yadav "manipulated the programme unconstitutionally to favour his pet candidate, for his vested interest", by targetting the elected district president Bharat Solanki, an SC leader. "We all office-bearers are of .
Changing Shimla's name will be 'absurd and unacceptable': Anand Sharma
Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma Monday said any move to rename Shimla as Shyamala will be "absurd and totally unacceptable" . He said Shimla was the summer capital during the colonial era and has witnessed many historic events during the freedom struggle and hence, changing the name the city would be unjustified. "It is absurd and totally unacceptable," he said, reacting to a campaign by some right-wing Hindu groups to change the name of the city to Shyamala. The former Union minister said Shimla has a very rich legacy of the freedom struggle as it was the summer capital of the colonial empire and was established by the British. "There is no historical evidence to justify any change in its name," he said. Himachal BJP leader and state Health Minister Vipin Singh Parmar has said the state government might consider a proposal to rechristen Shimla to Shyamala if the people wanted such a move. A campaign has been launched by some right-wing Hindu groups demanding that the capital of ..
Indonesia seeks transparent probe in Khashoggi murder
Indonesia on Monday called for a transparent and thorough investigation into the death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
AAP forms frontal organisations ahead of Lok Sabha polls
The Aam Aadmi Party on Monday announced the formation of frontal organisations - a youth wing and a senior citizens wing - to expand its reach ahead of the 2019 general election.
US NSA meets Russian Security Council amid n-treaty tensions
US National Security Adviser John Bolton met Russia's Security Council on Monday for the first round of talks to address the deteriorating bilateral relations between both nuclear powers after Washington said it intended to withdraw from the landmark nuclear arms control treaty.
EU urges US, Russia to remain in nuclear treaty
The European Commission on Monday called on the US and Russia to maintain a constructive dialogue with the aim of keeping intact a crucial Cold War-era treaty limiting the use of intermediate and short-range nuclear missiles.
Get Ramdev to 'purify' Cong MLAs who joined BJP, Lourenco
Senior Goa Congress leader Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco Monday hit out at Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar for inducting some MLAs in the BJP whom he had earlier called "corrupt". Lourenco, in a sarcastic vein, said that Parrikar should get Yoga guru Ramdev to "purify" these MLAs and leaders. Dayanand Sopte and Subhash Shirodkar, Congress MLAs from Mandrem and Shiroda respectively, had resigned from the opposition party as well as the state Assembly and joined the BJP last week. Lourenco claimed that Parrikar, as Leader of Opposition in the Goa Assembly, had once written to the President of India alleging that Sopte and Vishwajit Rane, a former Congress MLA who is currently state health minister, were involved in the illegal mining scam. "Parrikar has inducted the same Congress leaders in his party whom he had tagged as corrupt politicians when he was in the opposition. Parrikar should call Baba Ramdev to purify all such (former) Congress leaders," Lourenco said.
Russia pledges to act to "restore" military balance if U.S. quits nuclear arms pact
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Monday it would be forced to respond in kind to restore the military balance with the United States if President Donald Trump carried through on a threat to quit a landmark nuclear arms treaty and began developing new missiles.
China, ASEAN start inaugural joint maritime drills
China and Southeast Asian states kicked off their first joint maritime exercises on Monday in an effort to ease regional tensions linked to rival claims in the South China Sea. Eight warships set sail from the port of Zhanjiang, in China's southern Guangdong province, with 1,200 military personnel taking part in the event, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. Beijing's expansive claims to the South China Sea have long been a source of friction with rival claimants in Southeast Asia, as well as Washington which has traditionally been the dominant naval power in the area. The navies of China and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) agreed to hold the week-long manoeuvres as part of efforts to promote stability and ease tensions across the disputed sea. Singapore, which is co-organising the event, Brunei, Thailand, Vietnam and Philippines deployed ships to participate in the exercise, according to China's defence ministry. Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, ...
Mahadayi: Centre declines Goa plea to have ASG fight its case
The Centre has declined a request from the Goa government to have Additional Solicitor General Atmaram Nadkarni appear on the latter's behalf before the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal. The tribunal is currently hearing a dispute between Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra on sharing the Mahadayi River's water. The river is known as Mandovi in Goa. Goa government had, in August, filed a disobedience application against Karnataka before theMWDT for injunction against the latterdiverting MahadayiRiver water to the Malaprabha basin. Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had then written to the Centre for the appointment of Nadkarni to fight the state's case. In a communication on October 19 to the Goa government, Union Minister for Water Resources Nitin Gadkari said, "It is to state that the Central government is a neutral party to the river water disputes among the party states and, therefore, it would be inappropriate for the Central government to permit Additional Solicitor ..
Cong has never insisted on Rahul as PM: Chidambaram
The Congress has never said "officially" that its president Rahul Gandhi should be the prime minister if an opposition alliance formed the next government, senior party leader P Chidambaram said Monday. He insisted the Congress' focus was on dislodging the BJP government and bringing in a "progressive" alternative. Chidambaram said the decision on who will be the prime minister in the event of an opposition alliance winning next year's Lok Sabha poll will be taken by its constituents. "The Congress party has not officially said Rahul Gandhi should be installed as prime minister. When one or two persons spoke about it, the AICC leadership asked them not to discuss the issue," he told News 18 Tamil TV channel. "We don't have an issue over prime ministership," he said. The former union finance minister said the Congress' primary focus was on removing the BJP government and replacing it with a progressive alternative. "We want a government that doesn't snatch human freedom, ..
Naidu reviews TDP's preparations for Telangana polls
TDP president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu Monday took stock of the party's preparations for the December 7 Assembly elections in Telangana. Naidu, who is now based in Vijayawada where AP's capital city is coming up, held meetings with members of the Telugu Desam Party's (TDP) polit bureau, central committee, district unit presidents and other party leaders in Telangana. TDP is part of the "grand alliance" of opposition parties, comprising Congress, TDP, CPI and TJS, for the assembly polls. Naidu was briefed about the party's preparations for the elections, including talks with CPI and TJS and also the party's manifesto for the elections, TDP polit bureau member Ravula Chandrasekhar Reddy told reporters after the meetings. He was also told about the common minimum programme (CMP) proposed by alliance partners for the elections,he said. Naidu asked the leaders to strive hard for the alliance's victory in the elections, Reddy said. Naidu favoured ..
Turkey says Khashoggi murder 'planned in savage manner'
The murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside Riyadh's Istanbul consulate was planned in a "savage manner", Turkey's ruling party spokesman said on Monday. "This was planned in an extremely savage manner, and we are faced with a situation where there has been a lot of effort to whitewash this," Justice and Development Party (AKP) spokesman Omer Celik told reporters in Ankara. Riyadh said on Saturday that Khashoggi died during a "brawl" inside the consulate after a visit on October 2 to get documents.
Amid possible Kim-Putin meet, N Korean officials leave for Russia
A group of North Korean officials left for Russia, amid mounting speculations that the leaders of the two countries will hold a bilateral summit, the North's state media said on Monday.The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said that Ryu Myong-son, vice department director of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea led a delegation to Russia from Pyongyang on Monday. It did not provide more details on the nature of the visit, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported.The KCNA, in a separate report, said that a group of Russian officials, led by a deputy director of its foreign ministry had arrived in Pyongyang without elaborating much on the visit.The simultaneous trips made by the officials of North Korea and Russia comes after media reports surfaced that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is planning to embark on a visit to Russia this month or next month and hold a meeting with President Vladimir Putin. Earlier, Moscow confirmed that the two leaders will have a ...
BJP leader attacks Gandhi over his meeting with NGOs in C'garh
BJP general secretary and Chhattisgarh MP Saroj Pandey Monday took a dig at Congress president Rahul Gandhi over his meeting with NGOs in Raipur, saying he shuns national organisations working for tribals and encourages those working against the country. Gandhi should also speak to nationalist NGOs, she told reporters, responding to the Congress president's campaign in the poll-bound state, whose several districts have been badly hit by naxalism. The Congress president should answer why the UPA government had employed somebody like Binayak Sen, who was accused of sedition and helping Maoists, and had helped NGOs which used foreign donations running into thousands of crores for "anti-national" activities. "Is he going to the Naxal-hit Chhattisgarh with some hidden agenda," Pandey, a Rajya Sabha member from the state, asked. In a swipe at Gandhi, she said he has been meeting farmers who remember the "anti-farmer" government the Congress has run under Ajit Jogi before the BJP came to ...
EU urges US, Russia talks to "preserve" nuclear treaty
The European Commission on Monday urged the United States and Russia to pursue talks to preserve a nuclear weapons treaty after President Donald Trump said Washington was withdrawing from the deal. The Commission, the 28-nation European Union executive, stressed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) has been a mainstay of European defence for the last three decades. "The US and the Russian federation need to remain in a constructive dialogue to preserve this treaty and ensure it is fully and verifiably implemented," spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic told reporters. She said the agreement was important for both European and global security. "The treaty for Intermediate-Range Forces in Europe contributed to the end of the Cold War, to the end of the nuclear arms race and is one of the cornerstones of European security architecture since it entered force 30 years ago," she added. "And thanks to this treaty almost 3,000 missiles with nuclear and conventional warheads have been ...
BJP may deny tickets to many MLAs in Raj, MP to stave off anti-incumbency
The BJP is likely to deny tickets to many sitting MLAs in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, the two states it had swept in 2013 but where it is now facing a renewed challenge from the Congress, in a bid to stave off any anti-incumbency in the assembly polls, party sources said. They said the party may also not give tickets to three more sitting MLAs in Chhattisgarh, where it is yet to name candidates for 13 seats including four held by it. The party has already denied tickets to 14 of the 49 legislators who had won last time. The sources also played down surveys predicting an edge for the Congress in Rajasthan, and asserted that there may have been some "communication gap" within the party earlier but things have changed. "We will come to power in all three states," a party leader claimed. Though he did not elaborate on the likely number of MLAs the party may not field in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, he said such a decision would be based on feedback from organisation and independent ...
Petrol pumps in Delhi on strike demanding VAT cut
Petrol pumps across the national capital were shut on Monday in protest against the Delhi government's refusal to cut sales tax (VAT) on petrol and diesel. But for a dozen company-owned-company-operated petrol pumps in the city, all pumps refused fuel, sending motorists running low on fuel and scrambling for alternate refuels. "All 400 petrol pumps and linked CNG pumps shut operations from 6.00 am Monday and will remain closed till 5 am tomorrow (Tuesday)," said Delhi Petrol Dealers Association (DPDA) President Nishcal Singhania. Pump operators, however, refuelled emergency service vehicles like ambulances and government vehicles so as to ensure essential services are not hit, he said. Long queues were witnessed at COCO outlets that were the only lifeline for motorists in the national capital. DPDA said the Union government with effect from October 5 slashed prices of petrol and diesel by Rs 2.50 by way of a cut in excise duty and asking state-owned oil firms to bear subsidy. This was
Serious credibility crisis in CBI, govt to be blamed: Congress
The Congress Monday said there is a serious credibility crisis in the CBI with its top officers accusing each of massive corruption and blamed "vested interests" within the government for bringing the agency to "such a pass". Terming the issue "very serious", Congress leader Sachin Pilot accused the government of interference in the CBI and asked why it was silent on the issue. "How do we trust the CBI to look at corruption issues when their top people are themselves involved and allegations are flying thick and fast? The fact that it has reached this point tells you how long and how deep the rot may be within this government," Pilot told reporters at the Congress headquarters. The CBI's top officers are accusing each other of massive corruption, he said, questioning the sanctity and the credibility of the government and the CBI to function in an "honest, unbiased transparent way". "So there are serious credibility issues and I think there are vested interests within the government ...