Page 2758 - Politics
Cong holds protest march against 'governance failure' in Goa
The Congress in Goa Wednesday took out a march here in protest against the "failure" of the Manohar Parrikar-led coalition government on "all fronts". The party also demanded the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi issue a medical bulletin on the health status of the chief minister, 62, who remains admitted there for a pancreatic ailment since September 15. Earlier in the day, a delegation of Congress leaders met Governor Mridula Sinha and sought her directions to the state DGP and chief secretary to probe the Congress' complaint against Parrikar and his predecessor Laxmikant Parsekar for "their alleged role in the illegal renewal" of the iron ore mining leases. Hundreds of party workers walked on the busy D B Bandodkar road this afternoon and shouted slogans against the Parrikar government. They later gathered at the Azad Maidan where the party leaders addressed them. During their meeting with the governor, the Congress reiterated several demands ...
No response from Goa Governor when asked about Parrikar's health: Congress
Goa Governor Mridula Sinha did not respond to questions about Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's failing health, Congress MLA Chandrakant Kavlekar said on Wednesday, after a meeting at Raj Bhavan here.
Turkish media names alleged killers of Saudi journalist
The Turkish media on Wednesday revealed the identities of 15 Saudi Arabian nationals who were allegedly involved in the disappearance of a Saudi journalist at his country's consulate in Istanbul a week ago.
India, Australia hold '2+2' secretary-level dialogue
India and Australia Wednesday held the second '2+2' secretary-level dialogue in Canberra during which key issues related to their strategic and defence ties were discussed and the two countries underlined the need for a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region. Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale and Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra held the Foreign Secretaries and Defence Secretaries dialogue with their Australian counterparts Secretary of Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Frances Adamson and Secretary of Department of Defence Greg Moriarty. "All aspects of bilateral relations with focus on strategic and defence relations between the two countries were reviewed," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. At the meeting, both sides underlined the growing convergence on a number of strategic perspectives, including the need for a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region, the MEA said. During the visit, the Indian delegation met Australia's Director General of the ..
AP special status: TDP to ramp up campaign in Delhi
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has decided to step up its campaign in the national capital over the demand for special category status to Andhra Pradesh, party sources said here. The TDP broke away from the NDA in March this year over the Centre's refusal to grant special status to Andhra Pradesh. The party had also moved a 'no confidence motion' in the monsoon session of Parliament in July, which was defeated. TDP MPs had staged protest inside and outside Parliament. Though the winter session of Parliament is several weeks away, the sources said, the party MPs have been asked to intensify their protest on the issue and meet central ministers to pursue the matter seriously. The strategy to take on the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) over the special status issue was discussed at the party's parliamentary board meeting held last week. TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu, in the meeting, is believed to have chalked out a detailed strategy and directed all 23 MPs of the party to ...
BJP forms committee to prepare manifesto for poll-bound Raj
BJP Rajasthan president Madan Lal Saini on Wednesday formed a committee, headed by state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rajendra Rathore, to prepare the party's manifesto ahead of the assembly elections here. Union MoS Arjun Ram Meghwal, state ministers Gulab Chand Kataria, Arun Chaturvedi, Kiran Maheshwari, Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Rao Rajendra Singh and senior party leader Onkar Singh Lakhawat will be members in the committee. Former MLA Biru Singh Rathore was made the committee's office in-charge, a release said. The BJP ruled state is going to polls on December 7.
BJP leader and former Minister quits party
The Bharatiya Janata Party's Usha Punia, a former minister in the Rajasthan government, on Wednesday quit the party ahead of Assembly elections later this year.
2004 grenade attack: 2 ex-ministers get death, Khaleda's son jailed for life
A Bangladesh court on Wednesday sentenced 19 people, including two former ministers, to death and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's son Tarique Rahman to life imprisonment for their role in the 2004 grenade attack on a political rally that killed 24 people and injured 500.
TMC trying to divide people on religious lines: BJP over doles to Durga puja committees
West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh on Wednesday accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of trying to divide the people of the state on religious lines by giving out doles during festivals to secure its vote bank. Reacting to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's announcement to give Rs 10,000 each to 28,000 Durga puja committees in the state, he told reporters here that the TMC government had earlier disbursed funds to Imams. When it faced the "anger of the Hindus" it decided to give funds to Durga Puja committees, Ghosh claimed. "From the very beginning, the TMC government has been trying to divide the people of the state on religious lines in order to secure its vote bank," he said. "The Hindus don't need doles from the TMC to celebrate Durga Puja... If the state government is so concerned about the Hindus celebrating Durga Puja then why didn't it give doles the previous years?" Ghosh asked. He claimed that in the last two years, the state government "tried to stop" Durga idol immersion
Rajasthan independent MLA to float party on October 29
Rajasthan's independent MLA Hanuman Beniwal, once associated with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), announced on Wednesday he will float a new party on October 29.
Rahul raises questions on Sitharaman's France visit
Congress president Rahul Gandhi Wednesday raised questions on Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's France visit, alleging that work has begun to justify the prime minister's decision to buy Rafale fighter aircraft. He took to Twitter to say while the Supreme Court has asked for the details of the Rafale decision-making process, the decision to buy the fighter aircraft was taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Gandhi alleged that processes to justify Modi's decision are being invented. "The Supreme Court has asked for the RAFALE decision making process. It's quite simple really... "The PM decided. The processes to justify his decision are yet to be invented. But work has begun. "Ps. In this connection, Raksha Mantri is leaving for France tonight," he said. Defence Minister Sitharaman leaves for France tonight on a three-day visit, which comes in the backdrop of a big controversy over the purchase of 36 Rafale jets from French aerospace major Dassault Aviation. Officials sources said .
2-day pen-down strike by Arunachal employees from Thursday
Employees of the Arunachal Pradesh government on Wednesday decided to go for a two-day pen & tool down strike from Thursday to protest non-fulfilment of their demand of implementation of recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission for them. The Congress also demanded that the Arunachal Pradesh government implement recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission in the state in toto. The Confederation of Service Associations of Arunachal Pradesh (CoSAAP) rejected 'partial' fulfilment of its demand by the state government and resorted to the two-day strike which is the first phase of the agitation, CoSAAP president Pate Marik said. If the demands were not met, the CoSAAP to go for a four-day pen & tool down strike from October 23, followed by an indefinite strike from November 8, Marik said. Among the employees' demands on the pay panel, the state cabinet on Monday decided to consider only grant of tough location allowance (TLA) and house rent allowance (HRA), he ...
Punjab CM to campaign in Telangana
Senior Congress leader and Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh will join the electoral campaign in Telangana, ahead of the December 7 Assembly polls. Amarinder Singh's campaign would surely add to the Congress party's support base, Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal told PTI here Wednesday. "Of course. Punjab CM will campaign in Telangana. I think he is one of the most senior and respected figures of the Congress party," he said. Asked if the dates have been finalised, Badal said it depended on the Telangana Congress Committee and also how the campaign builds up. Badal, who is among the members ofthe manifesto committee formed by the All India Congress Committee for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, is also looking into drafting the manifesto on agriculture. Earlier, Badal told reporters here that the committee members were touring various parts of the country for feedback before finalising the document. "The committee is holding open consultations by talking to ...
First vessel with imported sand arrives at Chennai port: TN CM
The Tamil Nadu government has commenced the supply of imported sand to consumers with the first vessel arriving at the Ennore port here, Chief Minister K Palaniswami said Wednesday. This comes in the backdrop of Madras High Court directing the State government to halt sand quarrying. Speaking at the valedictory session of CONNECT 2018 conference organised by CII here Wednesday, he said, the first ship with the consignment has arrived at Ennore Port. "Currently, the sale of imported sand has commenced.Under this initiative, sand can be supplied based on the requirement of a customer," he said. Palaniswami said, an approach road near the Ennore Port would be set up to benefit the traders. Palaniswami had announced in the Assembly in June that the government was in the process of finalising tenders to import sand from various countries for its sale in the state. Imported sand would be allowed for sale by the government after tests to ascertain its worthiness, he had ...
MP: Cong accuses BJP of 'obstructing' Ram Van Gaman Path yatra
The Congress in Madhya Pradesh Wednesday alleged the "Ram Van Gaman Path" yatra taken out by seers was stopped midway by Dindori district officials at the behest of the BJP on the basis of a "false complaint", a charge denied by the ruling party. District officials, however, said the action was taken because the yatra was organised despite section 144 of CrPC (Prevention of unlawful assembly) being in force and for violation of the Model Code of Conduct in view of the assembly polls scheduled to be held on November 28. State unit Congress vice president Abhay Dubey also claimed the district police even seized a chariot of Lord Ram, which was part of the yatra, on Tuesday. The 'Ram Van Gaman Path Yatra' seeks to retrace the route taken by Lord Ram on his way to the 14-year exile, as per mythology. Dubey said that the yatra was non-political in nature, as it was organised by seers. "The yatra started from Chitrakoot on October 2 by the head trustee of Purana Lanka Ashram ..
High Court stays Tripura DM's order closing down CPI-M mouthpiece
The Tripura High Court on Wednesday stayed the order of the West Tripura District Magistrate who stopped the publication of 40-year-old CPI-M mouthpiece "Daily Deshar Katha" on technical grounds.
Pakistan appoints new head of ISI
Pakistan on Wednesday appointed Lt General Asim Munir as the new chief of its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency.
Rahul slams Rafale deal again, says Cong will make no false promises
Congress president Rahul Gandhi Wednesday said his party will not make false promises but deliver on whatever it tells voters, even as he continued to slam Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Rafale fighter deal. At a public meeting in Bikaner, Gandhi targeted Modi over corruption in the deal signed with France for the fighter aircraft, repeating the charge that Anil Ambani's Reliance group benefited from a related offset contract. He had levelled similar charges - denied earlier by the government and the Reliance group - in the meetings he addressed Tuesday in the state's Dholpur, Bharatpur and Dausa districts. At the 'Maha Sankalp Rally' on the Medical College grounds in Bikaner, he said Modi brought benefits for 15-20 top industrialists instead of the farmers. He said Congress will not make false promises to the voters. The party and its leaders will not make promises like depositing Rs 15 lakh in everyone's bank account and providing two crore jobs every year. Our chief minister
TMC trying to divide people on religious lines: BJP over funds to Durga puja committees
West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh on Wednesday accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of trying to divide the people of the state on religious lines by giving out doles during festivals to secure its vote bank. Reacting to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's announcement to give Rs 10,000 to 28,000 Durga puja committees in the state, he said the TMC government had earlier disbursed funds to Imams. When it faced the "anger of the Hindus", it decided to give funds to Durga Puja committees, Ghosh claimed. "From the very beginning, the TMC government has been trying to divide the people of the state on religious lines in order to secure its vote bank," he said. "The Hindus don't need doles from the TMC to celebrate Durga Puja... If the state government is so concerned about the Hindus celebrating Durga Puja then why didn't it give doles the previous years?" Ghosh asked. He claimed in the last two years the state government "tried to stop" Durga idol immersion on Vijaydashami as the dates .
Komal Hupendi to be AAP's CM candidate in Chhattisgarh
The Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday announced young tribal leader Komal Hupendi as its chief ministerial candidate in Chhattisgarh.