Page 268 - Politics
BJP's poll performance better than others: Shwait Malik
Punjab BJP chief Shwait Malik Tuesday defended the party's performance in the state, arguing that it was better than that of other parties including the Congress which won eight of the 13 Lok Sabha seats. Asked about Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri's defeat from Amritsar, Malik said, "Out of three seats we contested, we won two. It puts our success rate at 67 per cent." "You can compare our performance with any party, be it the Congress or the AAP. Our success ratio is better," he argued. Puri, a former diplomat, failed to win the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat. Malik, a Rajya Sabha member, belongs to the holy city. The BJP had contested from three seats in Punjab -- Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur and Amritsar. But it lost the last. Malik defended the party's performance in the state while evading a question if he would take the blame for Puri losing from Amritsar. "As far as the question of Amritsar is concerned, our performance has improved significantly. Whatever was the poll result from ...
Palestinians break with Saudi Eid date for first time in years
The Palestinians will begin the Eid festivities on a different day to Saudi Arabia for the first time since at least 1994 due to differences in the sighting of the moon, leading some to question why. Some Palestinians even suggested on social media the decision could be related to politics ahead of the unveiling of the US plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace. Saudi Arabia has close ties with US President Donald Trump's administration. Palestinian officials flatly denied the claim related to the Eid al-Fitr festival that follows the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. Others joked about the different dates, with one social media comment proposing Palestinians fast for a half-day on Tuesday to bridge the division. A statement by the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories carried on official media Monday night confirmed Eid al-Fitr would begin on Wednesday, a day later than Saudi Arabia. The end of Ramadan is based on the new moon but regional rivals Saudi Arabia and ...
Gogoi says will write to PM, HM on war veteran's citizenship
Senior Congress leader Tarun Gogoi Tuesday said he will write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah about the alleged harassment of Mohammad Sanaullah, a former Army officer who was declared a "foreigner" and lodged in a detention centre in Assam. The three-time former chief minister said the Assam government should move court to give relief to Sanaullah as he was an employee of the Assam Border Police at the time of the judgement by the Foreigners' Tribunal at Boko. Sanaullah, who had won a president's medal, was declared a "foreigner" by the Foreigners Tribunal, Kamrup, following a case registered in 2008 after his name was listed as a "D" (doubtful) voter. Claiming that 39 persons have so far committed suicide after getting notices from the Foreigners' Tribunal, he asserted that the human rights commission should look into this issue. Gogoi alleged that the officer who had verified the documents and recorded the statement of Sanaullah had ...
Gehlot attends Pilot's Iftar
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot Tuesday attended an iftar hosted by Deputy CM and Pradesh Congress Committee president Sachin Pilot at the headquarters of the party's state unit here. Before the iftar began, pilot spent some time with Gehlot and ministers Raghu Sharma, Govind Singh Dotasara, Pratap Singh besides other leaders in his chamber at the PCC office. Both Gehlot and Pilot sat together with other leaders at the iftar which was attended by a large number of people from the Muslim community, MLAs and the party's office bearers and members. Gehlot's presence in the iftar assumes significance as in an interview to a news channel Monday, he had said PCC chief Sachin Pilot should own responsibility for his son Vaibhav Gehlot's defeat on Jodhpur Lok Sabha seat. The chief minister, however, Tuesday asserted in a tweet that some sections of the media were creating issues by quoting him out of the context. After the party, Gehlot left the PCC office. Both Gehlot and pilot refused .
Decision on elections in J&K later this year: EC
The decision to hold Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, which is under Presidents Rule, will be taken later this year after conclusion of the annual Amarnath Yatra on August 15, the Election Commission said on Tuesday.
For the first time since independence Sri Lanka has a govt with no Muslim ministers: PM
For the first time, Sri Lanka has a government which has no ministers from the Muslim community, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said Tuesday. Nine ministers from the Muslim community, in the President Maithripala Sirirsena's Cabinet, and two provincial governors resigned on Monday accusing the government of failing to ensure the safety of the people from community following the Easter Sunday bomb attacks, in which around 260 people were killed. A local Jihadi group, the National Thowheeth Jamaath (NTJ), said to have links with the IS, carried out a series of bomb blast in three churches and as many luxury hotels of the Indian Ocean island nation on April 21. "For the first time a government is functioning without Muslim ministers in it," Wickremesinghe said. It is the first time since the island nation's independence in 1948 that no Muslims are part of the government. Amid mounting pressure by the majority Singhala Buddhist groups, Cabinet Minister Rishath Bathiyutheen and two ..
Event organised in Nepal to congratulate PM Modi's landslide victory in general election
Overseas Friends of BJP Nepal on Tuesday organised a programme here to congratulate Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party for its landslide victory in the recently held general election. Prime Minister Modi late month led his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) towards a super-sized victory for a second term in office. Speaking on the occasion Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Maneev Singh Puri, said that Nepal and India enjoys centuries old people to people relations which is strengthening day by day. "India's election spreads a positive message to the world that stable, forward looking and development oriented government can be formed through electoral process," he said.
Shah chairs meeting with senior ministers on oil purchase
A month after the the US waiver for India to import oil from Iran came to an end, top ministers of the Narendra Modi government held a meeting here on Tuesday, during which ways are understood to have been explored about how to tide over the situation.
Trump, May hail great US-UK ties amid protests
Washington and London had the "greatest alliance the world has ever known" said US President Donald Trump at a joint news conference with outgoing British Prime Minister Theresa May, here on Tuesday.
JDS legislature party takes stock of ongoing developments
Amid coalition worries and impending cabinet expansion or reshuffle, the JDS legislature party Tuesday took stock of the ongoing political developments. The meeting was attended by Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, party patriarch H D Deve Gowda and A H Vishwanath, who earlier announced his resignation as party's state unit president. During the meeting, the legislators and party leadership requested Vishwanath to take back hisresignation, but he remained adamant, party sources said. The party leadership also asked legislators not to make open remarks against alliance partner Congress, in order to keep the coalition government safe, while making them aware about the need to continue the partnership. Legislators were also asked to be aware of any attempts by the BJP to lure ruling coalition's MLAs to switchsides, in their attempt to destabilise the government, the sources said. Also discussed was the party's performance in the Lok Sabhaand Urban Local Body polls, and plans .
BSP-SP alliance unravels, both parties to fight assembly bypolls alone
The opposition gathbandhan' in Uttar Pradesh unravelled Tuesday with BSP chief Mayawati declaring her party will fight the assembly bypolls alone, prompting Akhilesh Yadav to say his SP too is ready to go solo. The Bahujan Samaj Party chief, however, said the break is not permanent and she can work with the Samajwadi Party again if the SP president can "fulfil his duties". Reacting to her statement, Yadav told reporters in Ghazipur, "If the alliance ends, we will field SP candidates on all 11 seats up for the bypolls after consulting party leaders soon." Mayawati said she will try to ensure that the BSP-SP relationship stays intact. "On the other hand, political compulsions cannot be ignored completely and everyone knows that," she told the media in the national capital, less than a fortnight after the announcement of the Lok Sabha results. The BJP ridiculed the two opposition partners for their short-lived alliance. Uttar Pradesh's Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma said, "The ...
Supersonic cruise missile BrahMos test fired
Supersonic cruise missile BrahMos on Tuesday was test fired from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur in Odisha. The anti-ship version of the missile was launched around noon from the launch complex-3 of the ITR, Defence Research and Development (DRDO) sources said. Described as the world's fastest supersonic cruise missile with high rate of precision and accuracy, BrahMos can be fired from land, sea and air, defence sources said. The missile, with a strike range of around 290 km, is a strategic asset for India as it would act as a deterrence against any possible threats from China and Pakistan, they said. Senior defence officials and scientists from DRDO and BrahMos witnessed the trial. BrahMos is a joint venture between the DRDO and the NPOM of Russia. The highly versatile BrahMos has been operationalised in the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force. BRAHMOS has established itself as a major force multiplier in modern-day complex battlefields with its impeccable ...
CBI may investigate alleged detection of unaccounted cash in MP during polls
The CBI is likely to begin its investigation in the alleged detection of unaccounted cash of about Rs 281 crore during income tax raids on the houses of close aides of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath and others in April, officials said Tuesday. The Election Commission after receiving a report from the Central Board of Direct Taxes had written to the government seeking a probe in the matter. The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) had forwarded it to the Central Bureau of Investigation for "necessary action". The agency is tight lipped about the future course of action and is not even confirming whether it has received the complaint or not. Sources in the government, however, said that the complaint has been received by the agency and it is doing a verification of prima facie allegations. "Searches in Madhya Pradesh have detected widespread and well-organised racket of collection of unaccounted cash of about Rs 281 crore through various persons in different walks of ...
EC to announce J&K poll schedule after Amarnath Yatra
The Election Commission Tuesday said it will announce the schedule for assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir after the Amarnath Yatra, which begins next month. In a statement, the poll panel said it has unanimously decided that "holding of Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir shall be considered later in this year". The Commission said it will keep monitoring the situation in the state regularly based on inputs from all necessary quarters, and will announce the election schedule after the conclusion of the Amarnath Yatra. The yatra usually runs from July 2-August 15.
Thousands mark 30th Tiananmen anniversary in HK
Tens of thousands of people gathered in Hong Kong on Tuesday to mark the 30th anniversary of the 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing's Tiananmen Square.
Parties like SP, BSP, RJD will shut shop by 2020: Paswan
BJP ally Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Ram Vilas Paswan took a jibe at the opposition on Tuesday after BSP supremo Mayawati announced that her party will not contest the Uttar Pradesh Assembly bypolls in a tie-up with the SP, saying its alliances in every state will crumble in the days ahead and "parties like the SP, the BSP and the RJD will have to shut their shops by 2020". The LJP president said the parting of ways between the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP) was inevitable as it was never a "gathbandhan" (alliance) but a "lathbandhan" (a tie-up to fight each other). "The coalition has disappeared in Uttar Pradesh, is disappearing in Bihar and will disappear across the country. Parties like the SP, the BSP and the RJD will have to shut their shops by 2020," the Dalit leader said, adding that he had been saying that the opposition alliance in Uttar Pradesh will fall apart after the Lok Sabha polls. Mayawati's announcement came after the SP-BSP-RLD alliance ...
Sacrilege probe: SAD seeks action against IPS officer for 'violating' poll panel order
The Akali Dal Tuesday moved the Election Commission, seeking action against an IPS officer for "continuing" as a member of the of the SIT, probing the 2015 sacrilege and firing incidents in Punjab, against its orders during the Lok Sabha polls. SAD's Rajya Sabha MP Balwinder Singh Bhundar, who led a delegation before the poll panel in Delhi, claimed that Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh continued to work as a member of the special investigation team despite being ordered to be shifted to some other department till the imposition of the election code. Besides being a member of the SIT, the IPS was also holding the charge of the IG (Crime) and the Organised Crime and Control Unit (OCCU). Following directions of the poll panel, the state government had posted him as the IG, Counter Intelligence (Amritsar). The delegation, including Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Gujral and SAD leaders Daljeet Cheema and Darbara Singh Guru, alleged that he continued to be a member of the SIT despite the government ...
BJP may field Jaishankar as Rajya Sabha candidate from Gujarat, Paswan from Bihar
The BJP is likely to field External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar as its nominee for Rajya Sabha from Gujarat and Ram Vilas Paswan as NDA's candidate from Bihar, sources said Tuesday. Three seats in Rajya Sabha belonging to BJP got vacant after party chief Amit Shah, Union ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad and Smriti Irani got elected to Lok Sabha. Paswan and Jaishankar need to get elected to either house of Parliament within six months as they were appointed Cabinet ministers. Once nominated, both the ministers are likely to get elected to the upper House as the NDA enjoys clear majority in Bihar, while the BJP is in power in Gujarat. According to sources, the party was also considering to nominate Jaishankar from Tamil Nadu, his home state, as six Rajya Sabha seats are getting vacant from the state in July this year. BJP's ally AIADMK is in power in Tamil Nadu. While Paswan has been parliamentarian for decades, it will be the first time when diplomat-turned-politician Jaishankar will ...
Vikhe Patil resigns as MLA; talk of him becoming BJP minister
Senior Congress leader in Maharashtra and former leader of opposition in the Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil Tuesday resigned as an MLA, amid speculation that he may join the BJP and the state cabinet. The Congress leader submitted his resignation as an MLA to Assembly Speaker Haribhau Bagade at his office here. Bagade accepted his resignation, along with that of Congress MLA Abdul Sattar and state minister Girish Bapat. Sattar said many more Congress MLAs are likely to quit the party soon. Bapat quit as an MLA after winning the Lok Sabha polls from Pune as BJP candidate. Vikhe Patil's quitting as member of the Lower House comes amid reports that he may be joining the BJP along with some Congress MLAs and may be inducted in the Devendra Fadnavis-led state ministry. According to sources, Congress MLAs expected to join the BJP are Kalidas Kolambkar from Wadala assembly segment in Mumbai, Bharat Bhalake from Solapur, Jaykumar Gore from Satara, Gopaldas Agrawal from ...
Theresa May marks last press meet with message of compromise for Trump
Theresa May on Tuesday marked her last major press conference as British Prime Minister with a message of cooperation and compromise for US President Donald Trump, who is in the UK on a three-day state visit. May, who is set to formally resign as Prime Minister following the state visit on Friday, addressed the US President by his first name at several points to reiterate points of difference between the two leaders during a customary joint news conference at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) following their bilateral talks at Downing Street. "Like Prime Ministers and Presidents before us, and no doubt those that will come after we can also differ sometimes on how to confront the challenges we face I have always believed that cooperation and compromise are the basis of strong alliances, and nowhere is this more true than in the special relationship, said May in her remarks. "Today, we have discussed again the importance of our two nations working together to address Iran's ...