Page 2735 - Politics
HAL temple of modern India, Modi government destroying it: Rahul
Taking the Rafale battle to the doors of HAL, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said the Narendra Modi government has "insulted, hurt and destroyed" the future of the public sector company by depriving it of the offset contract with the French aircraft manufacturer Dassault.
New political alliance formed in Bangladesh ahead of election
Some political parties in Bangladesh, including the main opposition BNP, formed an anti-government alliance on Saturday to force the ruling quarter to form an all-party caretaker government ahead of the general election in December, according to media reports. Gono Forum President Kamal Hossain unveiled the new political alliance 'Jatiya Oikya Front' with former prime minister Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party and two other parties, saying it was for the greater interest of the country, Daily Star reported. "The newly floated alliance started its journey with a vow to force the ruling quarter to resign from the state power before the announcement of the schedule of the upcoming general election,"Kamal, a prominent lawyer, said at a press confrence. An all-party acceptable election-time government will have to be formed after the dissolution of the current parliament, Kamal said in the press conference. He also demanded the immediate release of all political prisoners ...
Over 2.73 cr voters in 2nd SSR of electoral rolls
The total number of voters in Telangana as per the second Special Summary Revision of electoral rolls with January 1, 2018 as qualifying date is 2,73,18,603. There has been a net increase of 11,81,827 voters over the draft electoral roll published on September 10 under the second SSR, a release from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said The final publication of electoral rolls was carried out Friday, it said. The number of male voters is 1,37,87,920 and female voters, 1,35,28,020, it said. A total of 2,663 are third gender voters. As part of measures to ensure a free and fair poll, a meeting was held here Saturday to check misuse of liquor and cash, besides others, in the run-up to the December 7 assembly elections in Telangana. A discussion was also held on the expectations from excise department. "What would be the restrictions in place during the election period, how to monitor...were discussed. Misuse of cash, muscle power, liquor... all these are ...
Shah on two-day MP visit from Oct 14
BJP president Amit Shah will arrive in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh on Sunday on a two-day visit during which he will address party workers in different districts, a senior party leader said. During his visit, Shah will take part in party functions in Hoshangabad, Satna, Rewa, Dindori and Jabalpur districts in the run up to Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh on November 28, state BJP president Rakesh Singh said on Saturday. After reaching here on Sunday, Shah will leave for Hoshangabad in the evening in a helicopter, he said. The BJP chief will address party workers in Hoshangabad, around 85 kilometers from Bhopal, before returning to the state capital, where he will stay the night, he added. On Monday morning, Shah will take a plane to the famous temple town of Khajuraho, from where he will proceed to Satna and Rewa districts to address two party functions, Singh said. Thereafter, Shah will take a helicopter to reach Dindori district, where he will address a tribal function, the state BJP
Ayappa devotees take out procession against SC ruling
: Over 5,000 devotees of Lord Ayappa, mostly women, took out a procession here Friday protesting the Supreme Court ruling, allowing women of all ages to offer prayers at the hill shrine in Sabarimala. They held aloft placards and raised slogans against the ruling, which they termed was against culture and tradition. The procession was organised by Coimbatore Sree Ayappa Seva Sangham. Later, the devotees squatted in the middle of a road and sang bhajans for a while. Former BJP MP and chairman of coir board C P Radhakrishnan was among those who took part in the protest. Neighbouring Kerala has been witnessing a series of agitations by various devotee groups and Hindu outfits against the LDF government's decision to implement the apex court order without going for any review petition. On September 28, a five-judge Constitution bench, headed by then Chief Justice Dipak Misra, lifted the ban on the entry of women of menstrual age into the shrine.
'Severe punishment' if Saudi Arabia behind missing Khashoggi: Trump
US President Donald Trump has warned Saudi Arabia of "severe punishment" if it is responsible for the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who is feared killed, that has resulted in global outrage against the kingdom. Trump, in an interview to CBS News, said the Saudis could be behind the disappearance of Washington Post contributor Khashoggi. The Saudi journalist has been missing since he entered the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul on October 2, and Turkish officials have accused Riyadh of murdering him inside the diplomatic mission. Trump said Saudi Arabia has denied "in every way you can imagine" having anything to do with Khashoggi's disappearance. "We're going to get to the bottom of it and there will be severe punishment," Trump said, according to an extract of the interview released on Saturday. "As of this moment, they deny it and they deny it vehemently. Could it be them? Yes," Trump said in the interview, which was conducted on Thursday, when asked if Khashoggi was ..
Centre did not inform Delhi about ITO skywalk inauguration: Jain
PWD Minister Satyendar Jain said Saturday the Delhi government has not been informed by the Union government about the inaugural ceremony of the newly-constructed skywalk at ITO. Union Housing And Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri is set to inaugurate the skywalk Monday. It has been funded by Puri's ministry and constructed by Jain's public works department. "Delhi government was not informed about the foundation-laying ceremony of this project either, and it is a fact that we have not been informed about the inauguration ceremony as well," Jain said in a statement. He said these ceremonies, however, are "not important" for the AAP dispensation since the people of Delhi had elected the party leaders with a "historic mandate" in February 2015. "We will be happy in case the central government and its nominated representatives continue with the inauguration ceremonies and allow the elected Delhi government to work for public welfare without hindrances," Jain said.
Rahul expected to address poll-related meetings on Oct 20
: Congress party president Rahul Gandhi is likely to address meetings in Telangana on October 20 in the run-up to assembly elections to be held on December 7, spokesman of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee Sravan Dasoju said Saturday. Rahul may address meetings at Kamareddy near Nizamabad and Boath near Adilabad, he said. The Congress president visited Hyderabad for two days in August last and held meetings with self-help groups (SHGs). The party has formed an alliance with the TDP, CPI and Telangana Jana Samiti (TJS)and been holding talks on seat-sharing for the polls.
BJP, RSS supporters of 'capitalist system': Mayawati at Chhattisgarh poll rally
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati Saturday accused the BJP and the RSS of being supporters of "capitalist system" and attacked the Modi government over the Rafale fighter jet deal. Sounding her party's bugle for the next month's assembly polls in Chhattisgarh, she said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) are raising the Ram temple issue with an eye on the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. She said this while addressing a joint rally here with Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (JCC) chief Ajit Jogi. The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister has entered into an alliance with Jogi for the assembly polls to be held in two phases - on November 12 and 20. As per the alliance, the BSP will contest 35 seats, while the Jogi-led JCC will fight the remaining 55 seats in the 90-member assembly. Jogi has been declared the chief ministerial candidate of the coalition. "The BJP and RSS are supporters of capitalist system and they have been using various 'hathkande' ...
Army Commander's meet focuses on four studies to meet challenges
To address operational and administrative issues in the Indian Army, the Army commanders' conference on Saturday deliberated four major studies to be implemented "progressively in a phased manner".
BJP playing with people's sentiments in the name of Hindutva: Mayawati
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Saturday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of playing with the sentiments of people in the name of Hindutva.Further sharpening her attack, Mayawati asserted that the BJP will not able to reap political benefits by harping on Ram temple construction.She said, "The central government has not fulfilled even one-fourth of the promises they made. These people are playing with the sentiments of the public in the name of Hindutva, especially with the issue of constructing Ram Mandir (temple) in Uttar Pradesh as elections are coming closer. But, no matter how many Ram temples they construct, they won't be able to reap political benefits from it. The people have understood that they are using this issue as a cover-up for their mistakes."She was equally critical of the Congress and said that both, BJP as well as Congress, are two sides of the same coin. "Like other states in the nation, Dalits, farmers, backward classes and religious ...
Another explosion rattles Afghanistan
At least two people including a child were killed and two more left injured in yet another blast at an election rally of a Parliament member here on Saturday.Around 12 people were killed and 32 injured in another explosion at an election rally of Nazifa Beg in Takhar province earlier in the day when a motorcycle bomb went off during the campaign rally.Last week, at least 10 people including a parliamentary candidate were killed and 10 wounded in a suicide bombing inside a campaign office in the Helmand province.In July, the Independent Election Commission (IEC) of Afghanistan had announced that the parliamentary election in Afghanistan will be held on October 20 and the presidential elections will be held on April 20 next year.Around 2,500 candidates are running for 249 parliamentary seats.
J-K polls: 16.4% voter turnout recorded at end of 3rd phase
Voter turnout at the end of third phase of the municipal elections in Jammu and Kashmir was recorded at 16.4 per cent till 4 pm on Saturday.While Jammu witnessed 81.4 per cent turnout, Kashmir division recorded a mere 3.5 per cent.Among the districts, Samba district recorded maximum voter turnout touching 81.4 per cent while the lowest turnout was in Srinagar (1.8 per cent).Militancy ridden districts of Baramulla in north Kashmir registered 75.3 per cent voter turnout whereas Anantnag in south Kashmir witnessed a mere 3.2 per cent.It is believed that the voter turnout plummeted in districts of Anantnag and Srinagar, in central Kashmir, because of the boycott call given by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the National Conference (NC).At the end of three phases, Jammu division recorded an aggregate voter turnout of 68.4 per cent while Kashmir witnessed only 6.7 per cent turnout. The state's aggregate voter turnout for three phases is 41.9 per cent.The elections for the fourth and .
2002 Gujarat riots: SIT report a blatant lie, reiterates Lt. General Shah
Lt. General Zameer Uddin Shah (retd) reiterated on Saturday that the Army was delayed transport for over a day despite a request made to the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi during the 2002 Gujarat riots. He was speaking at the launch of 'The Sarkari Mussalman', unveiled by former VIce President Hamid Ansari.
Kejriwal govt most corrupt in history of Delhi: BJP
The BJP's Delhi unit Saturday alleged that the Arvind Kejriwal government is "the most corrupt" dispensation in the history of the city and demanded removal of its ministers who are facing graft charges. Citing recent I-T raids at multiple premises of Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot, the BJP's city unit chief Manoj Tiwari demanded that he and another minister Satyendar Jain, who is facing corruption charges, be sacked. "The Kejriwal government is the most corrupt government in the history of Delhi. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Gahlot and Jain seemed to have left former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda well behind in terms of corruption," Tiwari said in a statement. Vijender Gupta, the BJP's Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, said that Kejriwal should show the door to his "corrupt" ministers instead of defending them, as people were now "completely disenchanted" with its working. After I-T officials raided multiple premises linked to Gahlot in ...
TN Min says a "woman leader" will steer AIADMK in future
Controversial Tamil Nadu minister 'Sellur' K Raju Saturday said a woman leader would lead the AIADMK in future but later clarified that it was to encourage women party workers to work with vigour during elections. The minister made the remark at a party event where a lot of women party workers participated. "A time will come when one among you, a woman, will lead the party in future," he said, adding the party will go on to have a great time in future too. Raju, who has courted controversies in the past, later told reporters that his remarks were aimed at motivating the women party cadres to work more as there is a bright future for them in the party. "There were so many women workers. My remark was to encouage them to work with vigour for the (upcoming Lok Sabha) election," he said. The minister said he cannot answer journalists' imaginary queries (if he indicated any woman leader to be the chief minister). V K Sasikala, close aide of former chief minister and AIADMK ..
India, China launch joint programme to train Afghan diplomats
In a move that could upset Pakistan, India and China have launched their first joint programme for Afghanistan to train its diplomats. An understanding to launch a joint programme in Afghanistan was reached during an informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held in April at China's Wuhan city. As per the understanding, officials of both sides had been asked to identify the project. Training the Afghanistan's diplomats has been agreed as the first joint project agreed by both the countries. "First joint programme by India and China for Afghanistan begins," according to a tweet put out by the Indian Embassy in Beijing on Saturday. Indian Ambassador to Afghanistan (Vinay Kumar) "hosted 10 Afghan Diplomats who will be travelling to India for the 1st India-China joint training programme for Afghan diplomats under the aegis of the Trilateral Cooperation between India, China and Afghanistan," the tweet said. This will be a first such project in ...
'Too early' for Left to finalise 2019 strategy: Yechury
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said Saturday it was "too early" for the Left party to finalise its strategy for the 2019 Lok Sabha election but stressed it would give a call to unseat the ruling BJP. Yechury said the CPI(M) would decide its strategy depending on the outcomes of upcoming assembly polls in five states. An all-India alliance with opposition parties might not be possible so the CPI(M) would go for state-wise understandings, he said. "It's too early to decide our tactics for the Lok Sabha election. But we will call for the defeat of BJP and its allies in the upcoming election ... We are also aiming to establish an alternative secular government at the Centre," Yechury told reporters in Kolkata. "For the general election, our objective will be to increase the strength of CPI(M) and the Left in Parliament. Our objective will be to help maximise pulling off anti-BJP votes," he said. Asked whether the Left party would participate in a mega political rally planned by .
B'desh opposition parties' efforts to form alliance suffer setback
The efforts by opposition political parties in Bangladesh to form a joint front against the ruling Awami League suffered a setback on Saturday after differences emerged between the proposed alliance's two key leaders. Just before the announcement of the framework of greater national unity, the two leaders called separate media briefings instead of their planned joint appearance before the press. Bikalpadhara Bangladesh chief and former president Badrudoza Chowdhury and noted lawyer Ksamal Hossain of Gano Forum had initiated the process for forging the unity a year ago. A rift has developed between the two over the inclusion of fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami and the role of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in the alliance. Senior BNP leaders joined Hossain's press conference at the National Press Club while Chowdhury held the briefing at his Baridhara residence saying "we are trying to keep the unity of the (proposed) opposition combine". Chowdhury said he went to Hossain's residence
Trump to meet with American pastor freed by Turkey
President Donald Trump said he looked forward to Saturday's Oval Office meeting with Andrew Brunson, the American pastor whose release after nearly two years of detention in Turkey was a diplomatic triumph for Trump. "It will be wonderful to see and meet him. He is a great Christian who has been through such a tough experience," Trump said in a tweet confirming the White House meeting for 2:30 pm local time. The president also asserted anew that he had made "no deal" with Turkey to win Brunson's long-sought freedom. "I don't make deals for hostages," he said. Brunson was due at the White House following his brief stop at a US military hospital in Germany for a health assessment. Trump also thanked Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who had resisted the demands of Trump and other high-level US officials for Brunson's release. Erdogan had insisted that his country's courts are independent, though he previously had suggested a possible swap for Brunson. Trump said the US greatly ..