Page 281 - Politics
BJP finalises Rajesh Patnekar for Goa Legislative Assembly Speaker
Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition on Monday finalises the name of Rajesh Patnekar, the BJP MLA from Bicholim, for the post of Speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly.The election for the post of Speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly is being held as former Speaker Pramod Sawant was appointed as Chief Minister in March this year.This comes after the death of late Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.
Jharkhand CM warns Maoists against violence
Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das has said the system cannot be changed at gun point, referring to the Maoist agenda and violence.
Arrest Gujarat BJP MLA who assaulted our woman leader: NCP
The NCP Monday condemned the assault on its woman leader in Gujarat by a BJP MLA and asked if "jungle raj" prevailed in the neighbouring state even as the opposition party called for the legislator's arrest. The BJP MLA, Balram Thawani, was caught on camera thrashing and kicking NCP woman leader Neetu Tejwani, who had approached him for resuming water supply to her locality in Ahmedabad district. Thawani, who represents the Naroda Assembly constituency in Ahmedabad, has apologised over the incident. NCP's chief spokesperson Nawab Malik, however, said an apology was not going to suffice in such a matter and that the law must take its course against the ruling party MLA and his supporters. "BJP leaders and their supporters have become uncontrollable after the party's poll victory. A woman has been thrashed. Is it some jungle raj?" Malik asked. "We demand that a case be registered and the MLA arrested. Apologising won't suffice, it is no petty matter. The law should take ...
Thai anti-military activist injured in street assault
A Thai activist opposed to the military's role in politics said Monday that he was assaulted by a group of unknown men, in the latest in a series of such attacks as the country's parliament prepares to elect a new government. Sirawith Seritiwat said five or six men attacked him by surprise Sunday night after he had been working on a campaign to petition members of the Senate not to vote this week to appoint current Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha to the post again. Prayuth seized power in 2014 after leading a military coup against an elected government. Sirawith, also known as Ja New, was hospitalised overnight but his injuries did not appear to be serious. Two other activists who are also critics of the military were attacked in May. No suspects have been identified in any of the cases. Six other government opponents, associated more with an anti-royalist movement, have disappeared or been killed since December, despite being in exile in neighbouring countries. The government denies
NSA Doval gets extension, promoted to Cabinet rank (3rd Lead)
National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval, who oversaw at least two cross-border military actions during the last five years, has been accorded an upgrade in his level to the Cabinet rank along with an extension of five years, co-terminus with the tenure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
IAS officer who posted tweet on Mahatma Gandhi transferred
Maharashtra IAS officer Nidhi Choudhari, who posted a controversial tweet on Mahatma Gandhi, has been transferred, an official said here Monday. She has been transferred from the Mumbai municipal corporation to the water supply department in Mantralaya. The bureaucrat has also been issued a show-cause notice by the Maharashtra government for the 'sarcastic' tweet, the official said. The action against Choudhari follows the demand by NCP president Sharad Pawar who Sunday sought "exemplary" action against the IAS officer for her controversial tweet on Gandhi. In a letter addressed to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Pawar had said, "If the government doesn't take action it would be deemed that its policy and intention has reached its lowest ebb". In the tweet, which has since been deleted, Choudhari, Deputy Municipal Commissioner of Mumbai, had called for removal of Mahatma Gandhi's statues from across the world and his images from the Indian currency notes. ...
Hindi imposition brutal assault on states: Siddaramaiah
Congress leader and ex-chief minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah Monday strongly opposed the the three-language formula in the draft National Education Policy, which has now been dropped, saying imposition of Hindi is nothing but "a brutal assault" on the states. "Nothing should be done against our opinion. There is no need for three languages. English and Kannada are there... they are enough. Kannada is our mother tongue, so primacy should be given to Kannada," he said. In Mysuru, he also told reporters that there would be no compromise on the issues of Karnataka's water, land and language. Asserting that no attempt should be made to impose Hindi forcefully, Siddaramaiah said, "If they are making a three-language policy, then it will be like forceful imposition." "Did we ask for Hindi? If it is done without our consent it will be forceful. It will be unilateral decision. We will also protest," he said. However, amid the outrage, the Centre on Monday dropped the contentious provision ..
Grama Vastavya a "gimmick" and "ploy" to shift focus from
Calling the "Grama Vastavya" initiative of Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy a "gimmick," Union Minister D V Sadananda Gowda Monday said it was a ploy to shift focus from the bickerings in the Congress-JDS coalition. His comments come a day after Kumaraswamy announced he would resume his "Grama Vastavya" (village stay) programme to find out the challenges facing the state's rural areas. Kumaraswamy had initiated the programme to interact with villagers during his previous tenure as chief minister, which lasted from February 2006 to October 2007. "Earlier, he (Kumaraswamy) used to go to villages and stay there, but none of the villages had been taken care of by the then government, and now, he faces a big challenge of saving his crumbling government, therefore he wants to shift focus from it," the Union Minister told reporters here. Responding to a query on Chemicals and Fertilizers ministry, Gowda said there was a need for revival of four major plants to check too
NSA Doval gets extension, promoted to Cabinet rank (2nd Lead)
National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval, who oversaw at least two cross-border military actions during the last five years, has been accorded an upgrade in his level to the Cabinet rank along with an extension of five years, co-terminus with the tenure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
No decision on future of 'Gathbandhan' in BSP review meeting
No decision concerning the future of the Grand alliance was taken during the BSP review meeting held here on Monday, claimed party sources.No discussions took place on the future of BSP's alliance with the Samajwadi Party (SP) and RLD, they added. The meeting was chaired by party supremo Mayawati.The meeting was held to accesses party's poor performance in Uttar Pradesh in the recently held Lok Sabha elections.Riding high on Modi-wave, BJP bagged 62 seats in Uttar Pradesh, while BSP and SP managed to bag only 10, 5 seats respectively. RLD drew a blank."It was a closed door review meeting, election results were discussed. It was analyzed why we lost, how we lost. Several issues including EVMs were discussed. No decision or discussion took place on the future of Gathbandhan," said a party source..
Congress expels AP Abdullakutty for praising PM Modi
The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee has expelled party leader A. P. Abdullakutty for praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi.After the action against him, Abdullakutty told media here, "It is sad news. I expected it from Mullappally Ramachandran (KPCC President). I'm not an opportunist. I am a person who took a stand on developmental issues."Abdullakutty had last week heaped praises on the Prime Minister and said that while criticising the latter one should not forget his work for the country's poor.In a Facebook post, Abdullakutty said that the BJP's landslide victory in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections is the affirmation of the people's faith in Modi's vision and policies.Abdullakutty had met the same fate when he was suspended from CPM in 2009 for praising Modi who was then the chief minister of Gujarat. Later, he joined Congress and was elected to the Kerala Assembly in 2011."It is an acceptance of Narendra Modi's developmental agenda. The secret behind his popularity is
Congress expels Abdullakutty for praising PM Modi
The Kerala Congress on Monday expelled its leader A P Abdullakutty from the party with immediate effect, days after he praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the BJP-led NDA's massive victory in the just-concluded general election. In a Facebook post, Abdullakutty had said the NDA's victory was an acceptance of Modi's development agenda and the secret of his success was that he adopted Gandhian values. KPCC president Mullapally Ramachandran said the Congress party had sought an explanation from Abdullakutty on his Modi praise to which he gave a "mocking reply". Abdullakutty acted against the party by coming out with statements against its interest and sentiments and its workers, the Kerala Congress said in a statement said. He was making "insulting" remarks against senior Congress leaders through the media, thus violating the party discipline, it said. "In this circumstance, Abdullakutty has been expelled from the party with immediate effect," Ramachandran said. A two-time CPI(M) MP
Prasad warns social media firms on platform misuse
IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Monday sent a strong message to social media firms asking them to maintain constitutional sanctity and guard against misuse of their platforms for acts of terrorism and communalism. Soon after assuming charge of the IT Ministry, Prasad - known for taking a firm stance on social media misuse in the past - said, "While we all respect freedom of speech and expression that is sacrosanct for us and part of the constitutional guarantee, but that is also subject to reasonable restriction." The IT Ministry, last year, began work on tightening rules for social media and online companies, for which it held wide public consultations. The minister further said that data protection legislation will be high on government priority, but did not specify whether it will be taken up in the upcoming Parliament session. The first session of the newly-elected Lok Sabha has been convened from June 17 to July 26.
Newly-elected MLAs of Sikkim Assembly take oath
The newly-elected members of Sikkim Legislative Assembly on Monday took oath of the membership of the House. The Pro-Tem Speaker Sangay Lepcha administrated oath to the newly-elected MLAs during the day-long sitting of the House. Eight members, including former chief minister Pawan Kumar Chamling, took oath in Nepali language, while one MLA each took in Lepcha and Bhutia languages respectively. The rest of the MLAs took oath in English. As soon as the House sat for the day, new Chief Minister P S Golay went up to the seat of his predecessor Chamling and greeted him before taking his seat in the House. Before the oath ceremony took place, the Pro-Tem Speaker announced that three legislators Chamling, D T Lepcha and Kunga Nima Lepcha have vacated one out of two assembly seats from where they were elected. While Chamling and his party colleague D T Lepcha vacated Poklok-Kamrang seat and Martam-Rumtek seats, the SKM legislator and HRD Minister Kunga Nima Lepcha left Gangtok
Trump baby blimp could be heading to a museum
The Trump baby blimp could be headed for a museum. The Museum of London says it wants to acquire a rubber inflatable depicting President Donald Trump as a giant screaming baby that has featured in protests against the U.S. leader around the world since its debut in London last year. The blimp's creators say they plan to fly it this week outside Parliament during Trump's state visit. The museum says it hopes to add the Trump blimp to its collection, along with an inflatable depicting London Mayor Sadiq Khan that has been flown by Trump supporters. The museum says it "hopes to reach out to both creators shortly." The president and the mayor have clashed in public, with Trump labelling Khan a "stone cold loser" in a tweet on Monday. Khan's spokesman said "childish insults ... should be beneath the President of the United States.
Priyanka did her job but party and worker could not rise to occasion: Raj Babbar
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who was made in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, did her job but the party and its workers could not rise to the occasion, the party's state unit chief Raj Babbar said on Monday. Disappointed with the results that gave the Congress just one seat of 80 in the state and a nationwide tally of 52, Babbar said the party's poor showing at the hustings had pained party president Rahul Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi lost from his family bastion Amethi, which voted in BJP's Smriti Irani to the Lok Sabha this time, but won from Wayanad in Kerala. On why Priyanka Gandhi did not have the desired impact for the party, the actor-turned-politician said party workers and local leaders failed to rise to the occasion. "She did her job. But party workers, local leaders, candidates and the organisation could not accumulate the (electoral) benefits from it. Rahul ji worked so hard and Priyanka ji worked with such a high degree of ...
Ramdas Athawale takes charge as Union MoS for Social Justice and Empowerment
BJP ally the Republican Party of India chief Ramdas Athawale took charge as Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment for a second term on Monday and batted for providing quota to Denotified Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes in jobs and education. Athawale said the community has been demanding reservation for quite some time now and he will speak to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue. He also suggested increasing the quota for the OBCs saying the government's move to provide 10 per cent quota for the economically backward section, which has taken the total reservation to 60 per cent, establishes that parliament has the power to further expand the reservation limit. "Despite there being a 50 per cent cap on reservation set by the Supreme Court, parliament went ahead with providing 10 per cent quota for the economically backward section. This shows that parliament has the power to further expand the quota limit," Athawale said. The RPI chief also said his ...
HD Kumaraswamy to hold JDS legislative party meeting at his residence
Amid talks of cabinet expansion to save the government in Karnataka, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy is expected to hold a Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) legislative party meeting at his residence here on Tuesday.This comes after the Congress-JDS coalition has decided to induct two independent MLAs in the state cabinet earlier this week.Besides, the portfolios of the MLAs will also be discussed in the meeting.The JDS-Congress coalition, which is in power in the state, went through a rough patch during the campaigning of the recently concluded elections.Tensions between the two parties benefitted the BJP which won 25 of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka while both the JDS and the Congress had to content itself with just one seat each. However, the Karnataka Congress unit had said that there was no threat to the coalition in the state.Congress has 79 MLAs while JD(S) has 37 MLAs in the coalition government holding power in the state.
Doval to stay NSA, gets Cabinet Minister rank
Ajit Doval has been given extension as National Security Advisor (NSA) for five more years in recognition of his contribution in the security domain and he has also got the rank of Cabinet Minister in the new Modi government.
Kremlin says Russia is targeting 'terrorists' in Syria's Idlib
The Kremlin insisted Monday that the Russian army was targeting "terrorists" in Syria's last jihadist stronghold of Idlib, after US President Donald Trump called on Moscow to halt "this butchery." The Kremlin has been supporting a Syrian government offensive in Idlib despite protests from the United States and Turkey. Trump said on Twitter Sunday that Syria and Russia should stop "bombing the hell" out of Idlib. Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded Monday that Idlib fighters were targeting civilians and Moscow's troops. "There is a fairly large buildup of terrorists and fighters in Idlib," Peskov told reporters. "Terrorist fire in Idlib is of course unacceptable," he added. "Measures are being taken to neutralise such firing positions." He said Russia and Turkey were coordinating their positions over the situation. Peskov said last week that it was Turkey's responsibility to make sure fighting ends in Idlib and reiterated this on Monday. "The World is ..