Page 2689 - Politics
NIA arrests JeM operative involved in Nagrota Army camp attack
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday arrested a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) operative involved in the Nagrota Army camp terror attack case from Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), officials said.
Goa Cong MLAs united to tackle BJP govt: Panjikar
Days after two of its MLAs quit the party and joined the ruling BJP, the Goa Congress Saturday claimed that its remaining legislators were "united". Subhash Shirodkar and Dayanad Sopte had resigned as Congress MLAs and joined the BJP, bringing down the strength of the opposition party to 14 in the 40-member Goa Assembly. "There is no question of any other MLA leaving the Congress party. All the remaining MLAs are united and are working to tackle the BJP-led government which is determined to stay in power by hook or by crook," Goa Congress spokesperson Amarnath Panjikar said here Saturday. He added that the Congress would contest bypolls in both Assembly seats -- Shiroda and Mandrem that were vacated by Shirodkar and Sopte respectively. Panjikar alleged that BJP MLAs and ministers were "misusing" chief minister Manohar Parrikar's illness for their personal gains. The Congress leader alleged that proposals were being cleared by the Investment Promotion Board (IPB) by ...
Rahul hits out at KCR, claims Telangana reeling under debt
Targetting caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, Congress President Rahul Gandhi Saturday alleged 4,500 farmers have committed suicides in Telangana during the past four years, and claimed the state is reeling under a debt of Rs two lakh crore. Speaking at a public meeting here as part of the campaign for the December 7 Assembly polls, he said KCR (as Rao is popularly known) neglected farmers and their problems but had spent Rs 300 crore of public money to construct a palatial bungalow in the state capital, referring to "Pragati Bhavan", the chief minister's residence. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and KCR have "friendship" adding Rao supports any decision of BJP. "Now, MIM has joined KCR in helping Modi," he said but did not elaborate. "Telangana farmers played an important role in the state formation. In the same Telangana, 4,500 farmers committed suicide in the past four years. Farmers seeking support price were handcuffed in the state. "KCR pushed the .
Ready to join hands with 'secular minded' candidates in SMC: JKPCC
Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) Saturday said the party was ready to join hands with "secular-minded" winning candidates or groups to form the new body of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC). The party is emerging as the single largest party in the civic polls but independents have won most of the 27 seats in the 74-ward body for which results were declared so far, officials said. Independents have won on 15 seats followed by Congress which has won in 10 wards. "I would appeal all the winning candidates who have secular ideology and believe in this mission of not having a communal (forces)-backed committee or mayor at least in Srinagar (Municipal Corporation). We are ready to go with or take along any group which comes forward to stop communal forces," JKPCC president Ghulam Ahmad Mir told reporters here. Mir said the party put in its best efforts to stop the designs and plans of the "communal forces" that could "ruin" the state. He said the Congress party would .
Ker CM flays Centre for not clearing ministers' visit abroad
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan Saturday slammed the BJP-led NDA government for not granting clearance to the visits of state ministers abroad to raise funds from the Malayalee expatriate community to rebuild the state ravaged by the monsoon fury in August. In a Facebook post, Vijayan, who is in the UAE as part of government plans to mobilise funds from Non-Resident Keralites, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi "failed to keep his words on the matter." Vijayan claimed the Prime Minister had given oral permission for the visits of state ministers to foreign countries, "but he did not kept his word." The clearance for the visits were sought by meeting the Prime Minister directly, Vijayan said. The PM had responded positively and even said charitable organisations could be approached in these countries, Vijayan said. However, the ministers were denied permission later, he said. "Fail to understand why the clearance was denied," Vijayan said. Attacking the BJP-led ...
TN CM accuses Stalin of defaming him over award of road contracts
Under fire from the Opposition over the Madras High Court directing a CBI probe into road contracts awarded by him, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami Saturday accused DMK President MK Stalin of defaming him. Palaniswami said Stalin had failed in his earlier bids to "topple" the government and was, therefore, targeting him on this matter. "He tried all tricks (against the government). He tried to topple the government. (During last year's confidence vote), his party MLAs even occupied the Speaker's chair," the chief minister said. Responding to reporters' queries on criticism by Stalin in the wake of the court direction for a CBI probe into the case, he alleged the Leader of Opposition was on the "verge of frustration" and was resorting to "slander" against him. Palaniswami charged Stalin with trying to break the AIADMK earlier and accused him of "instigating" some people within the ruling party. However, he did not name anyone. "They (DMK) thought that this government will fall .
Rahul Gandhi meets Maha Cong leaders at Nanded airport
Congress chief Rahul Gandhi Saturday met Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Ashok Chavan at Nanded airport, over 550 kilometres from here, and discussed the prevailing political situation in the state. Gandhi arrived in Nanded from Delhi noon Saturday and took a chopper to Bhainsa town in Nirmal district in Telangana to address a public meeting. Brains is around 80 kilometres from Banded. Congress sources said that Gandhi was also briefed about the party's ongoing Jan Sangharsh Yatra in Maharashtra. Gandhi Saturday kicked off the Congress' election campaign in neighbouring Telangana with a public meeting in Nirmal district there. Telangana goes to polls on December 7 and votes will be counted on December 11.
Independents win most seats in SMC polls
Congress is emerging as the single largest party in the civic polls for Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) but independents have won most of the 27 seats in the 74-ward body for which results were declared so far, officials said. Out of the results declared so far, independents have won on 15 seats followed by Congress which has in 10 wards, the officials said. They said BJP has managed to win in two wards so far. Notable among the winners are National Conference rebel leader Junaid Azim Mattu, who won from Solina ward and Ashok Kaul of the BJP who won from the Karan Nagar ward. Kaul got 73 votes -- all from Kashmiri migrants. Gulshan Bilal of Congress won from Syed Ali Akbar ward by bagging all eight votes that were cast in the polls in her ward.
US-backed Syria offensive kills 35 IS fighters: Monitor
An offensive by US-backed forces against the Islamic State group's last redoubt in eastern Syria killed 35 jihadists on Saturday, a Britain-based war monitor said. Twenty-eight IS members were killed in air strikes by the US-led coalition around the town of Hajin, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. And a further seven jihadists were killed in ground fighting with the Syrian Democratic Forces, who launched a coalition-backed offensive against the IS-held pocket in the Euphrates valley last month.
US charges Russian woman with interfering in midterm polls
A Russian woman has been charged by the US government with trying to interfere in the 2018 midterm elections as part of a conspiracy that exploited thousands of social media accounts and emails that claimed to be owned by US residents, officials said.
Achuthanandan turns 95
Veteran CPI-M leader and former Kerala chief minister V S Achuthanandan turned 95 Saturday. Achuthanandan popularily known as 'VS' celebrated the day along with members of his family by cutting a cake at his residence here. Known as the state's Fidel Castro, Achuthanandan, whose life has been a relentless struggle not only against injustice but also "revisionist" trends in his own movement,is currently the State Administative Reforms Commission Chairman. CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury was among the first to wish the nonagenarian leader. A founder leader of CPI(M) in 1964 after splitting from CPI, Achuthanandan went on to become the chief minister of the southern state from 2006 to 2011. During the subsequent Congress-led UDF rule, he was the opposition leader. Considered a leader of the masses, Velikkakath Sankaran Achuthanandan was born on October 20, 1923 in a working class family in Punnapra in Alappuzha district. Compelled to end his education at the primary .
National Herald case: Court reserves order on Motilal Vora's application
A Delhi court on Saturday reserved its order on an application moved by Congress leader Motilal Vora, seeking directions to restrain Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Subramanian Swamy from posting derogatory tweets regarding the National Herald case.The court would pronounce order on the application on November 17. The rest part of the submission of evidence by Swamy will be recorded on the same date.During the argument, Swamy said that he has every right to tweet but added he cannot remember the tweets of those cited by Vora. He also stated that the copies of tweets are not admissible under the law.On September 10, the Delhi High Court rejected Congress president Rahul Gandhi and United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi's plea challenging the Income Tax (IT) notice, seeking tax reassessment related to the National Herald and Young India transactions for the financial year 2011-2012.The Congress president had earlier challenged the IT department's authority to reopen .
Thousands march in favour of People's Vote on Brexit
Thousands of people turned out for a People's Vote march in London on Saturday to demand a referendum on the final Brexit deal struck by the UK government with the European Union (EU). The campaign, 'March for the Future', from Park Lane to Parliament Square was dubbed by the organisers, Open Britain, as the "biggest, loudest and most important" demonstration on Britain's future. British Prime Minister Theresa May has repeatedly ruled out the prospect of another referendum, saying that the people had already expressed their views in the June 2016 referendum when the British public voted to leave the EU by a margin of 51.89 per cent to 48.11 per cent. But the organisers say that "Brexit negotiations are taking us towards a future that nobody voted for". London Mayor Sadiq Khan is among some of the prominent politicians to throw their support behind the People's Vote campaign, which is demanding a vote on the final deal with the European Union in the form a fresh referendum. He said, ..
Sri Lankans unhappy with infight in govt: Minister
The internal squabbling between President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has left the Sri Lankan public unhappy and dissatisfied, a minister in the ruling coalition government said on Saturday. Addressing a gathering at Pannipitiya in a Colombo suburb, Minister of National Integration, Reconciliation and Official Languages Mano Ganesan also asked the two leaders to "sort out" their issues to ensure the free democratic environment created by this 'yahapalana' (good governance) government. Sirisena, according to the media, had reportedly told former President Mahinda Rajapaksa that it was difficult to work with Wickremesinghe as prime minister. In April, Wickremesinghe had successfully defeated a joint move by Sirisena and Rajapaksa to oust him. The premier was able to record a resounding victory in the no trust motion with the support of Tamil and Muslim minority parties. "The people of the country are a bit disappointed and the reason for their ...
Amritsar tragedy: Amarinder orders magisterial probe
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said on Saturday that a magisterial probe into the Amritsar train tragedy in which 59 people watching Dusshera effigy burning were crushed to death by a train will reveal if mandatory permissions for holding the function were given.
J-K municipal polls: Congress wins maximum seats in Baramulla, Uri
The Congress on Saturday won as many as 12 seats out of 21 in Baramulla and six in Uri out of 13 in the municipal elections in Jammu and Kashmir.The rival Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) failed to bag any seat in Uri municipal committee and could only manage six seats in Baramulla.In total, 52 civic bodies went to polls in four phases amid tight security arrangements in the state. A total of 3372 nominations were filed for 1145 wards.Covering 79 municipal bodies, 27 in the Valley did not go to polls owing either to the fact that there was no candidate or only one candidate had filed nominations for a particular ward.The Congress and the BJP are the two national political parties battling for municipal authority in the state as the two major regional parties, the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Alliance (PDP), have boycotted the elections over lack of clarity in the Centre's stance on Articles 35A.
BJP front-runner in Jammu civic polls, Congress ahead in Valley
The counting of votes in the Jammu and Kashmir civic polls was completed on Saturday with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerging as the largest party in the Jammu province and the Congress doing marginally better in the Kashmir Valley.
Parrikar's illness affecting his, state's working: Sardesai
Goa Forward Party chief Vijai Sardesai Saturday claimed Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's ailment was affecting his working and that of the state administration. The statement comes a day after the Goa BJP chief Vinay Tendulkar said there would be no change in leadership in the coastal state. Parrikar is suffering from a pancreatic ailment and is currently being treated at his residence here. "I expect them (BJP) to clarify. I am not a hypocrite, I will discuss the issue straight. It is a fact that the CM is ill and that has affected his working. As a result, it has affected the Goa administration. There are no two ways about it," Sardesai told reporters in Margao. Earlier, BJP leader Nilesh Cabral, who was recently inducted into the Goa Cabinet, had reportedly claimed that Sardesai's statement on leadership change, made a couple of days ago, was due to his "private interest". Speaking Saturday, Sardesai, who is the state agriculture minister, said, "We were called by BJP national ...
11 injured in Madrid when migrants try to escape
Spanish police say that 10 officers and one migrant have been injured when a large group of migrants tried to escape from a holding center where they await deportation. Police say that a group of around 80 migrants of Algerian origin tried to break out of the internment center in Madrid early Saturday. In August, 13 migrants successfully escaped from the same center. Five were arrested shortly after the breakout. Spain has seen a spike in arrivals of migrants from Africa this year, many attempting the perilous crossing of the Mediterranean Sea in dinghies. Migrants who have been ordered by a Spanish judge to be deported to their countries of origin can be sent to internment centers for up to 60 days while authorities arrange their return.
Moscow slams US for 'fabricating' election indictment
Moscow on Saturday condemned Washington for indicting a Russian woman for interfering in US 2018 elections, saying the accusations were fabricated in order to impose further sanctions on Russia. "We understand that Washington is fabricating a pretext in order to impose its notorious sanctions once more against our country," deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted as saying in a statement. He complained that after previous accusations involving the 2016 presidential elections won by Donald Trump, "in Washington they are now trying to play the same card ahead of the approaching election day in the US". On November 6, Americans will vote in mid-term congressional elections. The finance chief of Russia's leading troll farm, named as Yelena Khusyainova, was indicted by the US Justice Department on Friday, becoming the first person to face charges of interfering in next month's vote. Ryabkov accused "certain US politicians" of waging "a shameful slanderous campaign" in order to ...