Page 2709 - Politics
MeToo: M J Akbar resigns as minister
Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar stepped down Wednesday in the face of mounting pressure following a spate of allegations of sexual harassment against him by several women journalists, who welcomed his resignation as a "vindication". The 67-year-old journalist-turned-politician's sudden announcement to quit came a day ahead of hearing of a criminal defamation complaint filed by him against Priya Ramani, a journalist who has accused him of sexual misconduct around 20 years ago. In a brief statement, Akbar said he has decided to seek justice in a court of law in his personal capacity. "I deem it appropriate to step down from office and challenge false accusations levied against me, also in a personal capacity. I have, therefore, tendered my resignation from the office of MoS for external affairs. I am deeply grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and to the external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj for the opportunity they gave me to serve my country," Akbar ...
Preparations to hold free, fair polls in Mizoram satisfactory: CEC Rawat
Preparations to hold free and fair elections to the Mizoram state Assembly are satisfactory, Chief Election Commissioner Om Prakash Rawat said here on Wednesday.
BJP set to lose face in upcoming bypolls: Karna deputy cm
Karnataka deputy chief minister G Parameshwara Wednesday said the JDS-Congress coalition government would show its strength by winning theupcoming bypolls and claimed that the BJP was set to "lose its face." Battle lines have been drawn for the byelections taking place on November 3 for three Lok Sabha constituencies of Mandya, Shivamogga and Ballari and two assembly constituencies of Ramanagara and Jamakhandi. "There is no personal ego involved and everybody is working together. Our coalition government will gain more strength by winning in all the five places. BJP is set to lose its face," Parameshwara told reporters. Flagging off buses to Deekshabhoomi in Nagpur to mark the anniversary of Dr B R Ambedkar, architect of the Indian constitution, embracing Buddhism along with his followers,the deputy chief minister said Congress and JD(S) have unanimously decided the candidates for the elections. The state government has arranged 23 Airavat Volvo buses from Karnataka to .
Only 1 out of 49 Pak government owned luxury vehicles sold in 2nd auction
Cash-strapped Pakistan government Wednesday failed to enthuse buyers for 49 luxury automobiles, including 19 bullet proof cars, as just one vehicle was sold at a much-publicised auction, according to a media report. As Prime Minister Imran Khan grappled with a major debt crisis, his government, which has approached the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a financial bailout, sold 61 vehicles during the first auction held exactly a month back. It also auctioned eight buffaloes kept at the Prime Minister House and raised more than Rs 23 lakh. The buffaloes were kept by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. The highest bid for a buffalo was Rs 385,000 and three of the cattle were bought by supporters of Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party. The government also plans to auction four helicopters under the use of the Cabinet Division. In an auction held at the Prime Minister House on Wednesday, one out of the 49 vehicles on display was purchased, Geo News reported. The car purchased .
Amit Shah slams Cong Mizoram govt as 'corrupt'
BJP president Amit Shah Wednesday criticised the Congress government in Mizoram as "corrupt" and said it failed to deliver services to the people of the state. At a campaign rally at R. Dengthuama Indoor stadium in Aizawl, Shah accused Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla of running "a corrupt and dynastic rule" in the state. He claimed Thanhawla was trying to install his younger brother as the next chief minister. Lal Thanzara, younger brother of the chief minister, serves as health minister in the state government. Shah said the BJP would not form an alliance with any other political party in Mizoram, including the opposition Mizo National Front, a constituent of the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA). NEDA is a political coalition formed in 2016 by the BJP, along with regional parties such as Naga People's Front, Sikkim Democratic Front, People's Party of Arunachal, Asom Gana Parishad and Bodoland People's Front. The BJP would contest all 40 seats of the Mizoram Legislative Assembly ...
Greek foreign minister quits after cabinet spat over Macedonia
Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias quit his post on Wednesday, the government said, in a cabinet dispute over the country's controversial name deal with Macedonia. "Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has accepted the foreign minister's resignation," the PM's office said in a statement, adding that Tsipras himself would take over the post. Kotzias on Tuesday had clashed in a cabinet meeting with Defence Minister Panos Kammenos, who is also the coalition partner holding up Tsipras' government. Head of the nationalist Independent Greeks party, Kammenos has threatened to defect from the government in opposition to the deal brokered by Kotzias and Tsipras earlier this year to rename Greece's neighbour North Macedonia. The deal has raised strong objections in both countries. Greece also has a northern province named Macedonia, the heart of Alexander the Great's ancient kingdom. Many Greeks fear the deal on the table will officially enable Skopje to lay claim to their cultural heritage.
No leader bigger than the party, BJP on Manvendra Singh joining Cong
Reacting to estranged legislator Manvendra Singh joining the Congress, senior BJP leader Rao Rajendra Singh Wednesday said "individuals are not bigger than the party". Son of former Union minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stalwart Jaswant Singh, Manvendra Singh joined the Congress earlier in the day after he announced to quit the saffron party in September. "Individuals are not bigger than the party. BJP does not have a character where people consider themselves bigger than the party and think that they run it (the party), said Singh, who is also the deputy speaker in the 14th Rajasthan Assembly, at a press conference. He said Manvendra Singh was already suspended from party's primary membership for campaigning against the BJP's candidate in 2014 general election in Barmer. Manvendra Singh, the BJP MLA from Sheo constituency had campaigned for his father Jaswant Singh who had contested the 2014 general election as an independent candidate after failing to get a ticket from the
NCW welcomes Akbar's resignation
The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Wednesday welcomed Union Minister M.J. Akbar's resignation from the government following allegations of sexual harassment levelled against him by several women journalists as the #MeToo movement claimed its first toll in Indian politics.
UAE Defence Minister visits HAL facility in Bengaluru
UAE Minister of State for Defence Affairs Mohammed Ahmed Al Bowardi Al Falacy on Wednesday visited the state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) in this tech hub for a firsthand account of its technology and products, said the aerospace major.
AAP praises women who 'forced' Akbar to resign, seeks criminal proceedings against him
The AAP Wednesday hailed the women who accused Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar of "sexual harassment" and said his resignation "completely exposed" the 'Chaal, Charitra and Chehra' of the ruling BJP at the Centre. Reacting to Akbar's resignation, AAP spokesperson Dilip Pandey said the action was "not sufficient" and demanded criminal proceedings against him. "Mere resignation by Akbar is not sufficient considering gravity of allegations against him. Criminal proceedings must be started against him," Pandey told PTI. Akbar stepped down today as the Minister of State for External Affairs, following a spate of allegations of sexual harassment during his days as editor of several publications, by several women journalists. "We salute the courage of the 20 brave women who boldly faced Akbar's intimidation and forced him to resign as a minister of government of India. His resignation completely exposes the BJP that came to power with the slogan of 'Chaal, Charita and ...
Ex-min Jaswant Singh's son and BJP MLA Manvendra Singh joins Congress
Rajasthan BJP MLA Manvendra Singh, the son of former BJP stalwart Jaswant Singh, joined the Congress on Wednesday ahead of assembly elections in the state in December. Congress president Rahul Gandhi welcomed Manvendra Singh into the party fold at his residence in the morning. It has been a fight for self respect, Manvendra Singh said while addressing the media later in the day in the presence of Rajasthan Congress leaders Ashok Gehlot, Sachin Pilot, Avinash Pande, Jitendra Singh and Randeep Surjewala. "It has been a fight for 'swabhimaan' (self respect). The decision to quit the BJP was not my own but that of our entire 'Swabhimaan Sena'," he said, referring to his supporters who have been targeted by the BJP and have also quit the party. BJP's Katol MLA in Maharashtra Ashish Deshmukh also joined the Congress on Wednesday. He is the son of Ranjeet Deshmukh, a former president of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee and former Maharashtra minister. The Congress believes ...
UAE Defence Minister visits HAL facility
United Arab Emirates Minister of State for Defence Affairs Mohammed Ahmed Al Bowardi Al Falacy on Wednesday visited the state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) in this tech hub for a first hand account of its technology and products, said the aerospace major.
China backtracks on horse racing, gambling for island province
China has backtracked on plans to promote horse racing and potentially introduce gambling on the southern island of Hainan amid a campaign to develop the destination as a tropical tourism draw. Although the Communist government has long banned most forms of gambling in mainland China, some had speculated that the push to turn Hainan island into a free trade zone would open the door to such hedonistic pursuits. But Hainan's Communist Party chief shot down the idea of promoting gambling and horse racing in a speech this week, which was reprinted in the state-owned Hainan Daily on Wednesday. "There are some discussions on the Internet about opening casinos, engaging in lotteries, allowing horse racing, or going the route of capitalism and allowing full-scale private ownership," said Liu Cigui, party secretary of Hainan. "These are all divorced from the national condition and reality, and they will never be allowed," said Liu. The Communist Party Central Committee had announced in April ..
At SP HQ, Mulayam asks partymen to fight 'conspiracies', communalism
Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav Wednesday visited the party headquarters here and met party workers as he asked them to remain alert from "conspiracies and communalism" and combat the menaces, sources said. Yadav reached the office and interacted with party workers and also met senior party leaders, party sources said here. "Remain alert from conspiracies and communalism. Fight firmly with them. My blessings are with you," Yadav told party office bearers and workers here, according to a tweet from SP's official handle. The SP patriarch and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister had shared staged with son Akhilesh Yadav in New Delhi at a party programme last month and also with brother Shivpal Yadav on Ram Manohar Lohia's death anniversary in the state capital. Both Akhilesh Yadav and his uncle Samajwadi Secular Morcha (SSM) founder Shivpal Yadav claim the support and blessings of Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Mattis to meet Chinese counterpart amid US-China tensions
US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis plans to meet on Thursday in Singapore with his Chinese counterpart just weeks after their talks planned for Beijing fell apart amid growing friction between the US and China. Shortly after Mattis arrived in Singapore on Wednesday after a visit to Vietnam, a senior Mattis aide told reporters that the meeting is set to happen on Thursday. Mattis and Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe were in Singapore for a regional meeting of defense ministers. Mattis visited China in June, but since then a series of events have escalated tensions. The assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs, Randall Schriver, told reporters the Chinese had requested the Singapore meeting. In late September, China told the Pentagon that Wei would be unavailable to meet Mattis in Beijing, so that visit was cancelled. Schriver said the US sees signs that the military-to-military relationship may be on the upswing. "The fact that he's meeting with Minister ...
In big boost, Jaswant's son Manvendra joins Congress (Roundup)
In a big boost to the Congress ahead of Assembly elections in Rajasthan, Manvendra Singh, son of former Union Minister and one of the founders of the BJP, Jaswant Singh, joined the Congress on Wednesday.
Lankan government denies its President, PM argued over Indian investments in Cabinet meeting
Dismissing media reports that claimed Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had a showdown at the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday over a proposal to develop the East Container Terminal of the Colombo Port as an Indian investment, the Lankan government on Wednesday issued a statement saying that no paper relating to the infrastructure development projects by the Indian government or Indian companies were included in the agenda of that Cabinet meeting."President, as the Head of the Cabinet of Ministers, has paid attention to the printed and electronic media reports on the matters discussed during the Cabinet meeting held at the Presidential Secretariat on 16th October 2018. It is stressed that those news are completely untrue. Any Cabinet paper relating to the infrastructure development projects planned to be implemented in Sri Lanka by the Indian government or Indian companies were not included in the agenda of that Cabinet meeting," the Sri ...
#MeToo fallout: MJ Akbar steps down as MoS External Affairs
MJ Akbar on Wednesday resigned as the Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs amidst strong criticism over multiple sexual harassment allegations against him."Since I have decided to seek justice in a court of law in my personal capacity, I deem it appropriate to step down from office and challenge false accusations levied against me, also in a personal capacity. I have, therefore, tendered my resignation from the office of Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs. I am deeply grateful to the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and to the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for the opportunity they gave me to serve my country," Akbar said in a statement issued after his resignation.The latest development comes after 20 women, one after another, came forward and alleged Akbar of sexually harassing them in his journalistic days. The storm around journalist-turned-politician gathered momentum after #MeToo campaign raged in India.The 67-year-old had been facing flak over the ...
Situation at LoC under control, Army prepared for any contingency: Lt Gen Ranbir Singh
General Officer Commanding in Chief (GOC) Northern Command, Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh on Wednesday asserted that the situation along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir is under control even as there is no change in the terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.Lt. Gen. Singh said, "The situation is under control. However, the situation remains fragile because of the attempt by Pakistan to push infiltrators in Jammu and Kashmir. As per inputs available to us, there is no change in terrorist infrastructure across the LoC in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, and therefore, we keep having several reports of infiltration attempts by Pakistan trained terrorists."Lt. Gen. Singh's comments have come amidst a spike in terror strikes in the Kashmir Valley. Just on Wednesday, a gun battle between terrorists and security forces broke out in Fateh Kadal in downtown Srinagar.A policeman was killed and three militants, including a wanted Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander, ...
EU and Singapore to sign trade deal on sidelines of ASEM summit - Merkel
BERLIN (Reuters) - The European Union plans to sign a free trade agreement with Singapore on the sidelines of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday, adding the summit should highlight the importance of multilateral cooperation.