Page 2718 - Politics
"KCR supporting divisive & communal politics of Modi govt"
: Congress in Telangana Tuesday alleged that caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has been supporting the "divisive and communal politics" of the Narendra Modi government. There were several examples where the Telangana Rashtra Samithi supported the BJP, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president N Uttam Kumar Reddy said. "TRS backed (NDA's) Presidential and Vice-Presidential nominees and also supported the (NDA) government on demonetisation and GST, besides supporting the BJP during the no confidence motion in Parliament", he told reporters here. "KCR (as Rao is popularly known as)is working as an agent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he alleged during his visit to Charminar here after reviewing arrangements prior to Congress president Rahul Gandhi's scheduled visit to the city on October 20. AICC Telangana In charge R C Khuntia and several Congress leaders also reviewed the arrangements. The Congress leaders also took part in a coordination meeting with ..
Government Preparing Roadmap To Promote Manufacturing Of Aeroplanes In India
The Government is preparing a roadmap to promote manufacturing of aeroplanes in India to ensure growth of country's aviation sector, union minister, Suresh Prabhu said at an ASSOCHAM event held in New Delhi today. The growth in aviation would need at least 1,000 aeroplanes to be brought by India, but if we just continue to buy it, over a period of time we will result into becoming the largest importer of aeroplanes, he noted. The minister further said that government's twin plan of promoting indigenous manufacturing of aeroplanes and construction of 100 airports in 15 years at an estimated cost of $65 billion would drive aviation sector's growth in India. Urging the industry to embrace new ideas, he informed that the new industrial policy which is soon likely to be announced, is focussed on modernising the present industry and embracing the newer industry which is going to be the cause of future growth. Stating that no country in the world can benefit if global trade declines, the ...
Mongolia invites North Korea's Kim to visit
Mongolia has invited Kim Jong Un to visit the nation's capital, which once hoped to host the historic summit between the North Korean leader and US President Donald Trump, an official said Tuesday. The invitation comes amid expectations that Kim and Trump, who met in Singapore in June, will hold a second summit -- a time and location for which have yet to be determined. According to Mongolian President Khaltmaa Battulga's office, the invitation was sent to Kim on October 10, though no specific date was proposed. The North Korean leader can visit "whenever he feels convenient", an official from the president's office told AFP, confirming a report published Monday by North Korea's KCNA state news service. Mongolia had offered to host Trump and Kim for their landmark summit in June, but they ended up picking Singapore, where they agreed to a vaguely-worded statement on denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. Trump said last week that three or four unspecified locations have been ...
Terrorists devising new strategies to strike: Rajnath
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said that terrorists have been devising new strategies to strike and warned that increased use of the social media by anti-national forces is a new threat.
Congress says to continue attempts to form government in Goa
The Opposition Congress Tuesday said it will continue its efforts to form an alternate government in Goa despite two of its legislators resigning. Two Congress MLAs Subhash Shirodkar and Dayanand Sopte resigned Tuesday from the Assembly and also from the primary membership of the party. They are set to join the BJP, which is heading a coalition government in the state. The resignations reduced the Congress's strength from 16 to 14 in the 40-member House. However, the Congress put up a brave face, saying the twin resignations were not a setback for the main opposition party. "It is not a setback for the Congress. We may have been reduced by two numbers, but our efforts to form the state government will continue," Goa Congress spokesperson Nilkant Halarnkar told PTI. Halarnkar, who is also a legislator, said his party MLAs remain united and there is no possibility of any of them switching sides. "They (the BJP) have taken two of our MLAs and we will get four from their camp," he said, .
India, China to sign internal security cooperation agreement on Oct 22
For the first time, India and China will sign an internal security cooperation agreement next week, marking a new beginning in bilateral relations, officials said Tuesday. Zhao Kezhi, China's Minister of Public Security, will visit India on October 22 and hold meetings with Home Minister Rajnath Singh during which they will discuss various aspects of security cooperation between the two countries. During the visit of the Chinese leader, an agreement on internal security cooperation between the two countries will be signed, a home ministry official told PTI. The proposed pact is expected to cover areas of intelligence sharing, exchange programme, sharing of best practices, cooperation in disaster mitigation besides others, an official said. The move comes just a year after a two-month-long border stand-off between the India Army and the China's People's Liberation Army at Doklam on the India-Bhutan-China tri-junction. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held ..
China's Communist party expels former military chief; transfers his graft case to military court
China's ruling Communist Party has expelled former military chief Gen Fang Fenghui from the party and referred his graft case to a military court for trial, the military said Tuesday. Gen Feng, 67, headed the 2-million-strong People's Liberation Army (PLA) till last year. He was also the former chief of the Central Military Commission (CMC), which is now headed by President Xi Jinping. The CMC is the overall high command of the Chinese armed forces. The former general has been expelled from the party and his case has been transferred to a military court to answer graft allegations, state-run China Daily quoted the military statement as saying on Tuesday. Also Zhang Yang, the former head of the Central Military Commission's Political Work Department who committed suicide in November last, was expelled from the Communist Party of China and assets related to the illegal activity have been confiscated, it said. Zhang was recently given posthumous punishments by the military for corruption
'Govt working continuously to achieve zero hunger by 2030'
The government is working continuously in a phased manner to achieve the goal of 'zero hunger' by 2030, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said Tuesday elaborating efforts being taken to boost farm output. Singh remarks come a day after the Congress party took a swipe at the government over serious problem of hunger in India, which has been ranked 103rd among 119 countries on the global hunger index 2018. "Achieving zero hunger level by 2030 is a big goal. Our government is working continuously in a phased manner towards that direction," Singh said at a two-day 'agri start-up and entrepreneurship conclave' organised to commemorate the World Food Day today. The government has made significant progress in the last four-and-a-half years in increasing agricultural production and food security, he said. As per the fourth estimate, foodgrains and horticultural crops output has touched a record 284.83 million tonnes and 307 million tonnes, respectively, in the 2017-18 crop year ...
TDP defends alliance with Congress for T'gana assembly polls
Dismissing ruling Telangana Rashtra samithi's (TRS) criticism that TDP was an "Andhra party," the state unit of the party has said it was founded by late N T Rama Rao in the city, in the heart of Telangana. "Telugu Desam Party (TDP) was formed in the heart of Telangana by late NT Rama Rao. Soon after its formation, changes have come in political arena. Through TDP, many sections have found their way into assembly and parliament. Got (their) share in governance," TDP's Telangana unit president L Ramana told PTI. Asserting that TDP had ushered in welfare and development, benefiting the poor, he said it has found a place in the hearts of the poor in Telangana as a party that belongs to them. People feel that a rise in the living standards and a boost to welfare and development is possible with TDP, Ramana said. TDP has allied with Congress, CPI and TJS to form a "grand alliance" for the December 7 Legislative Assembly polls in Telangana. Asked about TRS criticism against ...
Not taken into confidence by BJP over Sopte's entry: Parsekar
The imminent cross-over of Congress MLA Dayanand Sopte to the ruling BJP in Goa seems to have not gone down well with senior saffron leader and former chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar Tuesday. On a day Sopte and his colleague Subhash Shirodkar resigned as the members of the state Legislative Assembly and are set to join the BJP, Parsekar said he was not taken into confidence by the party "before accepting Sopte in the BJP fold". Parsekar, who served as the chief minister of the state from November 2014 to March 2017, was defeated by Sopte from Mandrem seat in the assembly elections held last year. "I was not taken into confidence by the BJP before taking Sopte into the party," Parsekar told PTI. The former chief minister said there was no reason for Sopte to switch over to the BJP, "as the party-led alliance government has been implementing the developmental works in Mandrem constituency". "Developmental works proposed by Sopte were approved by chief minister Manohar ...
Pompeo holds crisis talks in Riyadh on missing journalist
US top diplomat Mike Pompeo held talks with Saudi King Salman on Tuesday seeking answers about the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, amid US media reports the kingdom may be mulling an admission he died during a botched interrogation. "Rogue killers" could be to blame for the disappearance of Khashoggi, who has not been seen since he walked into the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 to sort out marriage paperwork, US President Donald Trump said after telephone talks with the king. Trump dispatched Pompeo to Riyadh for what the State Department described as "face to face meetings with the Saudi leadership". After his talks with the king, Pompeo was to have dinner with his powerful son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a US official told the accompanying press. Turkish police on Monday searched the consulate for the first time since the disappearance of Khashoggi, a Saudi national and US resident who had become increasingly critical of Prince Mohammed. Turkish ...
Dhinakaran vows to 'retrieve' AIADMK, ruling party lashes out
AMMK leader TTV Dhinakran Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the AIADMK leadership, saying the ruling party has "lost its identity" and was "stuck" due to a "few selfish" people. The ousted AIADMK leader also claimed that his Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) would 'retrieve' the ruling party. In an apparent reference to Dhinakaran, the AIADMK dubbed him an 'overnight' leader rejected by the people. "One cannot deny the fact that the party has lost its identity and ideology and veered away from the path laid down by Amma (the late J Jayalalithaa). It is now stuck due to a few selfish persons," Dhinakaran said without naming anyone. He was apparently targeting AIADMK Coordinator O Panneerselavam and the Joint Coordinator K Palaniswami, with whom he is in a running feud for control of the ruling party. Palaniswami is Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu while Panneerselvam is his deputy. In a letter to partymen ahead of the AIADMK founding day on October 17, Dhinakaran said ..
Divisive forces caused harm to unity in J-K: NC
Senior National Conference (NC) leader Bimla Luthra Tuesday castigated 'divisive forces' for indulging in rhetoric, saying they have caused colossal harm to the unity, amity and harmony of Jammu and Kashmir. "These forces have failed in delivering and keeping up the promises when in power, and when out of it, they are exploiting public sentiment to push the state into a political crisis, Luthra, state vice president of the NC's women's wing, said. Welcoming several women BJP workers into the party fold at Bagh Mar village in R S Pura constituency here, the NC leader described the BJP as a "spent force" and said "this party has lost the drive to serve the people because of its lust for power". "The BJP has ditched Jammu and left in lurch the people, especially those living in remote areas and along the border. The prices are soaring on a daily basis, leaving the people in a lot of misery," she said. Luthra claimed that this was because of the wrong policies of the BJP at the Centre and
Australia considering to shift its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem: PM
Prime Minister Scott Morrison Tuesday indicated that he is open to the idea of shifting Australia's embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and recognising the holy city as Israel's capital. Morrison said he was "open-minded" about moving the embassy while insisting that he remains committed to a two-state solution. His statement came 10 months after US President Donald Trump in a controversial move said the US would recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The new US embassy in Jerusalem was opened in May despite widespread protests by Palestinians about the decision. Morrison said it was suggested to him by Indian-origin former Australian ambassador to Israel, Dave Sharma, who is a candidate for the prime minister's conservative Liberal Party in a crucial by-election this week. "The government will carefully examine the arguments put forward by Australia's former Ambassador to Israel, Dave Sharma, that we should consider recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, without ...
India, China should maintain peace, tranquillity at border: Chinese diplomat
A senior Chinese diplomat Tuesday said he was not aware of an incident of a group of soldiers from his country crossing the Line of Actual Control near Arunachal Pradesh before returning after Indian security personnel objected to it. Chinese Consul-General in Kolkata Ma Zhanwu, however, emphasised that the two countries maintain peace and tranquillity along the border areas. "I have not heard about that. I believe that the two countries can maintain peace and tranquillity along the border area. This is also a wish of our top leaders Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping," he told PTI when asked about the issue. Official sources that the incident of Chinese Army coming into Dibang valley of Arunchal Pradesh had taken place around July 25. They said it was "not a transgression" and that the Chinese Army personnel came to the Indian side due to varying perception of the LAC - the de facto border between the two countries. Ma said to improve the relationship between the two countries ...
J-K municipal polls: Ganderbal records 9.2% voter turnout, Srinagar 3.0% till 2 pm
Central Kashmir's Ganderbal district witnessed a voter turnout of 9.2 per cent while, Srinagar district recorded 3.0 per cent till 2 pm in the fourth and last phase of the municipal elections in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday.Voting, which started at 6 am, recorded 7.9 per cent turnout in Ganderbal district and 2.3 per cent in Srinagar till 12 pm. Voting will continue till 4 pm to elect representatives of 37 wards.The electorate, comprising a total of 250794 voters, will seal the fate of 156 candidates in the districts.A total 38 candidates are in fray in 12 wards in the municipal committee Ganderbal with a total 8491 electorate exercising their franchise. Similarly, 113 candidates are in fray contesting for 24 wards of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation. A total 241043 electorate are exercising their franchise.Repolling is being conducted at a polling station in Makhdoom Sahab (Ward No 41), where five candidates are in fray with a total electorate of 1260 voters.In the wake of the ...
Did Mediapart mislead on mandatory partnership with Reliance?
Giving a fresh twist to the political tussle over the Rafale fighter jets deal, a new document published by French defence writer Yves Pagot claimed that Dassault Aviation (DA) had in a letter to trade unions explained that it was mandatory for it to have a tie-up with any Indian company as a result of the off-set clause by the Indian government's Make in India policy.The statement in the document said that it was offset that was made mandatory by the Indian government and not the company with which Dassault would need to tie up.The latest document claims to have demolished the story by French media house -- Mediapart - which said that Dassault's partnership with Reliance was a mandatory condition to secure Rafale contract."Now Mediapart has obtained a Dassault company document in which a senior executive is quoted as saying the group accepted to work with Reliance as an "imperative and obligatory" condition for securing the fighter contract," the Mediapart article claimed.But, now it
Two Congress MLAs resign in Goa; party strength down to 14
In a major setback to the Congress in Goa, two of its legislators resigned Tuesday as members of the state Assembly, reducing the party's strength from 16 to 14 in the 40-member House. Subhash Shirodkar and Dayanand Sopte, who went to Delhi late last night, faxed their resignation letters to Speaker Pramod Sawant and are set to join the BJP. With their resignation, the Congress ceases to be the single largest party in the Assembly whose effective strength now stands reduced to 38. The development assumes further significance as it comes at a time when Goa is witnessing hectic political activity against the backdrop of the ill-health of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar. "Subhash Shirodkar and Dayanand Sopte faxed their resignations as members of the Assembly to my office. We have received their resignations," Sawant told PTI. The Speaker said the resignations have been accepted. "I and Shirodkar have resigned as MLAs and also from the primary membership of the Congress. We .
Rajasthan BJP asks Cong to clarify stand on Ram Temple
Rajasthan BJP on Tuesday condemned Congress MP Shashi Tharoor's remarks that no good Hindu would want the Ram Temple in Ayodhya by destroying somebody else's place of worship and asked the opposition party to clarify its stand on the issue. "The BJP not only strongly condemns this statement but also demands that the Congress clarifies its stand on the Ram temple issue," BJP leader Onkar Singh Lakhawat told reporters at the party office here. "The Congress cannot distance itself from the remarks saying they were made in personal capacity. The remarks were made to send a message," he said. On Monday, Congress spokesperson R P N Singh said whatever Tharoor said was said in his personal capacity and the party believed that the verdict of the Supreme Court on the Ram temple issue will be binding on everyone. Tharoor, who is Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram, made the controversial comments at an event in Chennai on Sunday. "As a Hindu, obviously, I am conscious that a vast majority of my
Govt orders transfer of 2,000 SSB personnel to IB to strengthen border snoop apparatus
Over 2,000 non-combatised personnel of border guarding force - SSB - have been finally ordered to be moved to the Intelligence Bureau (IB) as part of an ambitious central government plan to bolster the internal snoop agency's on-ground presence at Indian borders, especially along China and Nepal. PTI has accessed an October 12 order issued by the Union home ministry directing that a total of 2,104 posts of the civilian component of the force, often dubbed as the 'dying' cadre, will be transferred to the IB "immediately". Few of these posts are not occupied at present. The unique move was in the making for the last few years after National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval had in June, 2016 written to the then Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi underlining the need to effectively utilise this manpower for "enhancing" border security gathering better intelligence. The ministry has now ordered that out of the total 24 cadres of these personnel in the SSB (Sashastra Seema Bal), 19 will be ...