Page 2706 - Politics
Security breach at PM Modi's event in Uttarakhand
A man reportedly breached security at the Uttarakhand Investors Summit during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the state earlier this month.Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Uttarakhand on October 7 to inaugurate Uttarakhand Investors Summit at the Maharana Pratap Sports College in Dehradun's Raipur area.Using an official's card, the person crossed the registration counter and tried to enter the venue. However, the policemen stationed there suspected him and later rounded him and started inquiring about his identity.As the suspect could not give any satisfying answers, the police later took him to the police station where further inquiries were made."Although, the security of the Prime Minister belongs to the central agencies, the lapse in his security is a serious matter. This matter will be investigated. Only after that, one can tell where the negligence happened. The culprit won't be spared," said Madan Kaushik, state Cabinet Minister and Uttarakhand government ...
Ex-BJP leader Manvendra Singh joins Congress
Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Rajasthan, Manvendra Singh on Wednesday joined Congress ahead of the Assembly polls, which is slated to be held in December.Congress leaders Randeep Surjewala, Sachin Pilot, Ashok Gehlot along with several others announced the same while addressing the media in the national capital.Speaking on the occasion, Singh, who is the son of BJP veteran Jaswant Singh, said, "I met Rahul Gandhi in the morning today and he welcomed me into the party. I am confident that my supporters will continue to support me in the upcoming assembly and general elections."As Singh joined the party, the Congress leaders slammed the ruling party at the Centre and the state for their arrogance, and hollow promises, while adding that the Congress would win the Assembly and General elections.Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said that Singh's decision was a personal one, but the Rajputs from ...
No attack on migrants in last eight days, Guj govt tells HC
The Gujarat government told the high court Wednesday that no incident of attack on Hindi-speaking migrants had taken place anywhere in the state in the last eight days. The reply came in response to a public interest litigation (PIL), seeking to know the steps taken by the government to ensure the safety of migrant workers, following a spate of violence targeting them. In an affidavit, Pankaj Dave, Under Secretary, state Home department, told a division bench of Chief Justice R Subhash Reddy and Justice V M Pancholi that 754 people were arrested in connection with the attacks on migrants and 63 cases registered. The attacks were confined to 10 districts, the government claimed. Ten cases were registered under the Information Technology Act "for spreading hate" and provocative messages or videos on the social media "which would aggravate the situation", the government told the court. Eighty-nine people were held under the IT Act in these cases, it said. "No incident was reported since .
President accepts Akbar's resignation
President Ram Nath Kovind Wednesday accepted the resignation of M J Akbar from the Union council of ministers on the advice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Rashtrapati Bhavan said. Akbar stepped down as Minister of State for External Affairs following a spate of allegations of sexual harassment during his days as editor of several publications. "The President of India, as advised by the Prime Minister, has accepted the resignation of M J Akbar from the Union Council of Ministers, with immediate effect, under clause (2) of Article 75 of the Constitution," the Rashtrapati Bhavan statement said. Earlier, Modi had accepted Akbar's resignation. According to the established procedure, the resignation was then sent to the President. In a brief statement, Akbar said he has decided to quit so that he can seek justice in a court of law in his personal capacity.
Naidu to attend ASEM summit
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday left for Belgium to attend 12th ASEM summit and is slated to hold bilateral talks with heads of government of various countries on the sidelines of the meet. The bi-annual event is considered the highest platform for dialogue and cooperation between Asia and Europe in the areas of trade, investment, security and tourism. As many as 51 heads of state and government are expected to participate in the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) where a wide range of issues from climate change to terrorism are expected to be discussed, an official statement said. The Vice President will also have bilateral meetings with leaders from Austria, Portugal, Switzerland and other countries on the sidelines of the summit. He will address the Indian diaspora at the Jain Culture Centre in Wilrijk, Antwerp and pay tributes at a sculpture of Mahatma Gandhi in the Governorate there.
Lankan PM to arrive on 3-day visit
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will arrive here Thursday on a three-day visit which comes in the backdrop of controversial media reports that Lankan President has accused Indian intelligence agency RAW of plotting his assassination, a claim firmly rejected as "false" by Colombo. Wickremesinghe, who will arrive here Thursday evening on a scheduled visit, will hold wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday. Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena also called up Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday and "categorically rejected" the media reports about him alluding to the involvement of Research and Analysis Wing in an alleged plot to assassinate him and a former defence secretary, an Indian government statement said. "The President apprised the Prime Minister of the urgent steps taken by him personally and the government of Sri Lanka to publicly reject these reports. In this context, he also recalled his meeting with the High Commissioner of ...
Lankan Prez tells PM reports of his claim that RAW planning his assassination baseless
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena Wednesday called up Prime Minister Narendra Modi and "categorically rejected" reports in a section of the media about him alluding to the involvement of India in an alleged plot to assassinate him and a former defence secretary, the Prime Minister's Office said. A statement quoted him as saying that "mischievous and mala fide reports were utterly baseless and false, and seemed intended to create misunderstanding between the two leaders as well as damage the cordial relations between the two friendly neighbours." The President apprised Modi of the urgent steps taken by him personally and the government to "publicly reject" these reports. He also recalled his meeting with the High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Wednesday morning. "The President also stated that he regards the Prime Minister as a true friend of Sri Lanka, as also a close personal friend. He stressed that he greatly valued the mutually beneficial ties between India and Sri ...
More MLAs of Cong willing to cross over, claims Goa BJP chief
A day after two MLAs of the Congress in Goa resigned and joined the BJP, a senior saffron leader Wednesday claimed that more legislators from the opposition party are waiting for cross over. BJP Goa unit president Vinay Tendulkar said more legislators from Congress may join either the saffron party or the regional parties that are part of the Manohar Parrikar-led coalition government. Congress MLAs Subhash Shirodkar and Dayanand Sopte, who represent Shiroda and Mandrem assembly constituencies, respectively, resigned as members of the Legislative Assembly and also as primary members of the party Tuesday. The resignations eroded the Congress' status as the single largest party in Goa, as the count of its MLAs came down to 14 from previous 16. "There are more leaders from Congress who want to join us....They can join BJP if they find our ideology acceptable or they can go to the Goa Forward Party or the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (both alliance partners)," Tendulkar ...
Pompeo suggests US may lift Turkey sanctions linked to pastor
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday after talks in Ankara that Washington may now lift sanctions imposed on Turkey during the dispute over its detention of an American pastor. "We'll have a decision on that shortly but some of the sanctions that were put in place were directly connected to Pastor Brunson and there's a logic to now removing those as well," Pompeo told reporters as his plane refuelled in Belgium. President Donald Trump's administration imposed sanctions targeting Turkish Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul and Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu in response to Turkey's arrest and prosecution of US pastor Andrew Brunson on terror charges. In all, Brunson was held for two years and was convicted and sentenced earlier this month of espionage and aiding terror groups, only to be quickly released on the basis of good behaviour and time served. Trump hailed the release, which has been seen as a opening for Ankara and Washington to restore frayed ties, including with ...
Unveiling of Sardar statue to be BJP's 2019 campaign launch
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is virtually kicking off its campaign for the 2019 general elections by taking out 'Ekta Yatras' across Gujarat in the run up to the unveiling of the 182-foot statue of Sardar Patel by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 31.
Gaddar ready to contest against KCR
Former Maoist ideologue and revolutionary balladeer Gaddar on Wednesday said he was ready to contest the elections against Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao as the joint candidate of opposition parties.
Trump says expects truth over missing journalist by 'end of week'
US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he expects to know within days what happened to Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, who is alleged to have been murdered by Saudi agents. "We will probably know that by the end of the week," Trump said at the White House. The president said he would be getting a "full report" from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on his return from meetings with Saudi leaders.
Vietnam frees popular blogger on condition she leave for US
Vietnam has freed a well-known blogger after two years in prison on the condition that she leave for the United States. Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, known as "Mother Mushroom," was arrested in October 2016 and sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges of defaming the Communist government. The conviction of the popular blogger, who wrote about human rights and industrial pollution, drew criticism from some Western governments and international human rights groups. Friends of the 39-year-old blogger said she was on her way to the US with her mother and two young children. "After numerous efforts, the family of Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh was reunited in a free country," her friend Nguyen Tin wrote on his Facebook page. "Congratulations to her small family." Quynh's lawyer, Ha Huy Son, said her release was good news but did not lift the obstacles faced by people who fight for democracy in Vietnam. Nicholas Bequelin, Amnesty International's Regional Director for East and South East Asia, said in a ..
AAP launches video seeking donations to promote 'honest' Delhi govt
The AAP Wednesday launched a 15-second video featuring its national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal appealing for donations to promote the "honestly working" Delhi government. The public donation drive titled "Aap Ka Daan, Rashtra Ka Nirman" was launched by Kejriwal on Monday. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which rules in Delhi, has plans to contest the assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Telangana. The party is also hopeful of contesting the Lok Sabha polls in a "focussed manner" in several states, especially Delhi, Punjab and Haryana. Claiming that the party is "pauper'', the AAP dispensation in Delhi is urging people to donate generously to safeguard an "honest government". "The Delhi government is working honestly because AAP runs on your donations. We need funds to contest elections. No matter how much but do give donations to AAP so we can continue to work with honesty," the chief minister says in the video that appeared on social ...
UN Syria envoy to step down next month
The United Nations envoy for Syria announced on Wednesday he will step down at the end of November after more than four years in the key post, setting back UN efforts to end the seven-year war in Syria. "I will myself be moving on as of the last week of November," Staffan de Mistura told the UN Security Council during a meeting on the crisis in Syria. The Italian-Swedish diplomat, who became the UN's third Syria envoy in July 2014, said he was leaving for "purely personal reasons" and had discussed his plans to leave with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. De Mistura will be traveling to Damascus next week to push for the creation of a committee to agree on a post-war constitution for Syria. Syria is resisting the UN-led effort to set up a constitutional committee that will be comprised of government officials, opposition members and representatives of civil society. "I am not laying down the charge until the last hour of the last day of my mandate," he said. De Mistura was ...
Gehlot evades query on who will be CM if Cong wins in Rajasthan
Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot, considered to be in the chief ministerial race in Rajasthan, today indicated it will be too early to speculate on who will be the CM if the party wins in December 7 Assembly polls. Citing popular TV serial 'Kaun Banega Crorepati' (KBC), Gehlot quipped, "Does anyone know before-hand who will become 'kaun banega crorepati'." He was asked by reporters at the AICC media briefing as to who will be the chief minister of Rajasthan if the Congress wins the December 7 Assembly polls. KBC is a popular TV serial hosted by noted actor Amitabh Bachchan. Gehlot's response drew peals of laughter from those present, including Rajasthan PCC chief Sachin Pilot, at the press conference to announce former BJP MLA Manvendra Singh's joining the Congress. A former chief minister of Rajasthan, Gehlot is now the AICC general secretary and is in-charge of the organisation. He is locked in the race for chief ministership with Pilot. The Congress has not yet declared a chief
Sidhu, Azharuddin to be Cong's star campaigners in C'garh
Along with senior Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh, cricketer-turned-politicians Navjot Singh Sidhu and Mohammad Azharuddin will be the party's star campaigners for the first phase of Chhattisgarh polls to be held next month. The opposition party Wednesday released the list of 40 star campaigners for the first phase of the state elections. Chhattisgarh will witness polls in two phases- on November 12 and 20. "The list includes names of prominent leaders, including Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and former PM Manmohan Singh. Two former cricketers and party leaders Navjot Singh Sidhu and Mohammad Azahruddin- will also be campaigning," state Congress communication wing chief Shailesh Nitin Trivedi said. Besides, names of other senior Congress leaders like Ashok Gehlot, Sushil Kumar Shinde, P L Punia, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Raj Babbar and Jyotiraditya Scindia are also .
UP Cong chief Babbar holds 'kanya punjan', invites charges of 'misusing religion'
Uttar Pradesh Congress held Wednesday a Navratri 'kanya pujan' function at the party headquarters to honour young girls, attracting the BJP charge of misusing religion for votes. UP Congress chief Raj Babbar Babbar held the 'kanya pujan' along with party leaders and workers amid chanting of holy 'mantras' (hymns). The Congress Sewa Dal claimed it has been organising the ceremony every year in all state districts. During the function Babbar offered gifts and food packets to young girls, who are "worshipped" as part of the Navratri celebrations. Speaking on the occasion, Babbar said his party has been giving the same respect to all religions and will continue to do so in future as well. The BJP attacked the Congress dismissing its claims. BJP spokesperson Manish Shukla said it is "ironical" that the Congress, which has coined terms like "Hindu terror" and dubbed Hindutva as "bigger threat" than Lashkar-e-Taiba is now holding such functions of religious fervour for "obvious political ...
China propaganda chief warns Hong Kong media over 'interference': reports
China's propaganda chief has reportedly warned Hong Kong's senior media executives not to allow the city's newsrooms to "become a base for interfering with mainland politics" as Beijing ramps up pressure on challenges to its authority. Concerns about press freedom in Hong Kong have intensified after the government denied a visa to a British journalist, who had chaired a talk by an independence activist at the city's press club in August. The reported remarks by Huang Kunming, head of the Chinese Communist Party's propaganda department, were quoted by Siu Sai-wo, CEO of Hong Kong's Sing Tao News Corporation, who spoke to the city's media after a meeting with the Chinese official. Siu said Huang had told the group of visiting journalists and executives in Beijing that he hoped Hong Kong media "would not become a base for interfering with mainland politics", according to local news site Apple Daily. Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) chairman Chris Yeung said Huang's remarks ...
We can't talk to Mamata until it stops efforts to suppress us: Salman Khurshid
Averring that electoral understandings have to be formalised in a spirit of give and take, Congress leader Salman Khurshid on Wednesday said his party could not talk to the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress until the state government stops its efforts to suppress his party.