Page 2812 - Politics
Ruling BJP sweeps panchayat by-elections in Tripura
The ruling BJP swept the panchayat by-election in Tripura by winning 113 out of 130 gram panchayat seats, State Election Commissioner G K Rao said Wednesday. The BJP also won five out of the seven panchayat samiti seats, he said. The Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT), an ally of BJP won nine gram panchayat seats, the SEC said. The opposition Congress and CPI-M won four gram panchayat seats respectively, Rao said. The by-election for the 132 gram panchayat seats and seven panchayat samity seats was held on September 30. The state election commission declared for re-polling in two gram panchayat seats in Khowai block of Khowai district on October 5 and results would be announced on October 7, Rao told PTI. On September 1, the State Election Commissioner had announced by-elections in 3,207 gram panchayats seats, 161 panchayat samiti seats and 18 seats of Zilla Parishad. The by-election was necessitated as large number of panchayat samiti members resigned after the ..
Putin says Skripal cooperated with foreign intelligence after release
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday called former spy Sergei Skripal "a traitor to the homeland", admitting Moscow knew he had cooperated with foreign intelligence upon his release in a 2010 spy swap. "He is just a scumbag," Putin told an energy forum in Moscow, referring to the Russian ex-spy who Britain says was poisoned with a Soviet-designed nerve agent by members of Russia's military intelligence. "He is just a spy, a traitor to the homeland." "He was caught, he was punished, he spent five years in prison, we let him go, he left and continued cooperating with, providing consultations to (foreign) security services.
Protesting Rajasthan government employees to march to Ajmer to meet PM
Thousands of protesting Rajasthan government employees on a strike for several days will march to Ajmer on October 6 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits the city.
Tharoor flays media for not investigating Rafale issue
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor Wednesday said the Rafale issue is 20 times bigger than the Bofors issue but the media is "not giving any importance like before". He said the media in the late 1980s continuously pursued the Bofors issue, and it essentially tarnished the image of then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and led to the Congress' defeat in the election of 1989. Tharoor said, "In the 1980s, there was not a single day the media did not chase the Bofors issue. Day after day, investigative reporters were sent around the world to find out what happened." "Today, we have a scam that is 20 times as big in terms of money involved - that is the Rafale scam. Do you see the media giving any importance like before... Not at all," he said "Nobody has the courage to investigate the Rafale issue and there is no media investigation into such a major scam. This is truly disappointing," Tharoor said. The opposition led by the Congress has been accusing the government of benefitting Anil Ambani's ...
Rafale deal a 'good package' and a game-changer: Air Force chief Dhanoa
Defending the Rafale fighter jet amid a raging political row, Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa Wednesday termed the deal a "good package" and said the aircraft will be a "game-changer" for the subcontinent. He said the S-400 air defence missile systems, a deal for which is likely to be signed later this week after Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives here Thursday, and the 36 Rafale jets will provide the Air Force with a much needed "booster". Addressing a press conference here, Dhanoa described the decision to buy the Rafale fighter jets as a "bold move" by the government and said it was an "emergency purchase" keeping in view the depleting squadrons of the Air Force. In response to a question on Rafale maker Dassault Aviation choosing Reliance Defence over state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Dhanoa said it was the "prerogative" of the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to choose the offset partner and neither the government nor the Air Force had any role in it. The ..
Rafale deal: Government took a bold decision, says IAF chief
Coming out in full support of the government in the controversial Rafale deal, Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa on Wednesday said the government took a "bold decision" in going for the fighter jets which he said would be a "game changer" in the Indian sub-continent when they come.
Putin arrives in India Thursday; focus on S-400 air defence systems deal
Russian President Vladimir Putin will arrive here Thursday on a two-day visit during which India and Russia are likely to sign a deal to procure S-400 air defence systems and deliberate on key regional and global issues, including US sanctions on import of Iranian crude oil. Putin, along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will hold the 19th India-Russia annual bilateral summit during which the two leaders are expected to review bilateral defence cooperation in the wake of the US sanctions against Russian defence majors. The focus during the visit will be on the S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems agreement with a top Kremlin aide saying Tuesday that Russian President Putin will oversee the signing of the "USD 5 billion deal". "The key feature of this visit will be the signing of the agreement to deliver S-400 air defence systems," Putin's top foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov was quoted in media reports as saying in Moscow. "The value of the contract will be more than USD 5 ...
Mayawati deals blow to Congress in MP, Rajasthan, rules out alliance
In yet another blow to the Congress, BSP chief Mayawati on Wednesday ruled out any alliance with the party in the coming Assembly polls in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, a decision that could also impact the opposition's plan for a grand alliance against the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
MHA to take final call on transfer of 2,000 SSB staffers to IB this week
The government is expected to take a final call soon on the transfer of a "dying" cadre of about 2,000 personnel of the Sashastra Seema Bal to Intelligence Bureau to bolster the latter's on-ground presence at India's eastern borders with China, Nepal and other countries, sources said Wednesday. They said Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba will hold a meeting this week with IB Director Rajiv Jain and newly appointed Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) chief S S Deswal. According to the Home Ministry's records accessed by PTI, the agenda of the meeting is to discuss and finalise the long-drawn issue of "transfer of civil wing of SSB to IB". Deswal, who took charge as the SSB Director General on September 30, also held consultations with his senior officers at the forces' headquarters here on Wednesday and elicited views of the civilian cadre on the proposed transfer. "A number of personnel of the civilian cadre are in favour of getting transferred to the IB and this has been conveyed to the new ...
Ahead of local bodies polls, J-K BJP expels 15 'rebel' workers for anti-party activities
The Jammu and Kashmir BJP Wednesday here expelled 15 "rebel" workers from the party for anti-party activities ahead of the local bodies polls. "It was unanimously decided to expel the workers from the primary membership of the party forthwith for having filed nomination papers against official candidates of the party for ULB and municipal polls in J&K," a BJP spokesman said. The decision was taken during a meeting of the BJP State Election Management Committee at the party office in Trikuta Nagar here, which was presided over by state president Ravinder Raina, he said. Those who were expelled from party include JatinSethi, Omkar Singh Bose, Deepak Kumar, Kulbushan Vohra, SubashSharma, Raj Kumar, Kulbir Sambyal, Trilochan Wazir, Tarsem Choudhary, Dhan Sarup, Rajinder Gupta, Sunny Segal, Anita Gupta, Balbir Gupta and Vikram Dogra, he said. Meanwhile, an election department official said around 17 lakh electors are eligible to vote in the four-phased local bodies and municipal polls
LeT militant arrested in J&K
Police on Wednesday arrested a local Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant in Sopore of north Kashmir.
BJP to fight Mizoram election alone: Ram Madhav
The Bharatiya Janata Party would fight all the 40 assembly seats in Mizoram alone, but the party might forge an alliance with like-minded parties in a post-poll scenario, general secretary Ram Madhav said on Wednesday. Mizoram is the only state under the Congress in the Northeast at present. The saffron party has been making concerted efforts to win the state, after having formed governments on its own or joining hands with allies in all other Northeastern states. Addressing a press conference here, Madhav, who is in charge of the Northeast, said the BJP would field candidates in all the 40 assembly seats in the state, where elections are due in December. In the 2013 assembly poll, the Congress had won 34 seats and made Lal Thanhawala the chief minister, while the BJP has no MLA at present. On the Opposition calling the Mizo National Front (MNF) "proxy" of the BJP, the general secretary termed it "ridiculous". The party would contest against the MNF and the National People's Party in .
BJP leader from Telangana appointed director in Airports Authority of India
Senior BJP leader from Telangana Kasam Venkateswarlu was appointed non-official independent director on the board of Airports Authority of India (AAI) Ltd Wednesday, an order issued by the Personnel Ministry stated. Venkateswarlu, at present vice-president of the Telangana BJP, has been appointed to the post for three years, it said. Senior party member Balraj Nune, who is central and state coordinator of Telangana BJP, confirmed to PTI Venkateswarlu's appointment on the AAI board. It is not for the first time that a BJP leader has been appointed on the board of a central public sector undertaking. In the past, some of the party's leaders including Syed Zafar Islam and Shazia Ilmi have been given such postings. Islam, a national spokesperson of the party, was last year appointed non-official independent director of Air India for three years. Ilmi, a former leader of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party, was in January appointed independent director in Engineers ...
Treat as paid news reports based on false charges against my govt: Chouhan to EC
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan Wednesday urged the Election Commission to display polling percentage at all booths every two hour on the day of election so that political parties can mobilise voters to boost the voting percentage if it is low. With assembly elections expected in his state in the next couple of months, the BJP leader also made a slew of suggestions to the poll watchdog, including treating news reports based on false charges against his government as "paid news". He was briefing reporters after meeting EC officials along with other party leaders, including BJP vice president Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, who is also the state's in-charge in the organisation. His suggestion for regular display of polling percentage- of both men and women voters- is apparently aimed at using the formidable saffron organisational machinery in the state to mobilise its voters. With the Congress, spearheaded by Kamal Nath in the state, attacking his government over a host of ...
Rahul Gandhi, Amit Shah to be in Madhya Pradesh on Oct 6
Congress president Rahul Gandhi and his BJP counterpart Amit Shah will be visiting Madhya Pradesh on October 6 ahead of the Assembly elections which are due by year-end. While Gandhi will be in the BJP-ruled state for only one day, Shah will be making multiple visits over the next few days to meet party workers, respective spokespersons of the two parties said. The Congress chief will arrive in Morena via Gwalior on October 6 to take part in Ekta Parishad conclave, a party spokesperson said. He will proceed to Jabalpur on the same day where he will perform 'Narmada Puja' at Gwari Ghat and later hold a roadshow. Gandhi will also speak at a public meeting at Raddi Chowk in Jabalpur in the evening before leaving for Delhi. The BJP president will visit Indore on October 6 where he will meet party workers of Indore and Ujjain regions, a BJP spokesperson said. Shah will visit Gwalior on October 9 to meet party workers from Gwalior and Chambal regions. On October 14, he will ...
Pakistan takes U-turn; says Saudi Arabia will not be part of CPEC
In a U-turn, Pakistan has announced that its close ally Saudi Arabia will not join the USD 50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, days after Islamabad said Riyadh will be the third "strategic partner" of China's flagship project under the controversy-hit Belt and Road Initiative. The CPEC is the flagship project of the multi-billion dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a pet project of President Xi Jinping aimed at enhancing Beijing's influence around the world through China-funded infrastructure projects. Minister for Planning and Development Khusro Bakhtiar told media on Tuesday that the cash-rich kingdom's proposed investments would fall under a separate bilateral arrangement, Dawn news reported. "Saudi Arabia is not to become a collateral strategic partner in the CPEC. This impression is not true," he said. A third country can participate in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) by taking part in the business and investment ventures arising out of the project, ...
France accuses Iran over bomb plot near Paris
France has accused Iran's intelligence ministry of being behind a foiled plot to bomb an exiled opposition group near the French capital in a move that risks straining already complicated ties between Paris and Tehran. The French government announced Tuesday it was freezing assets belonging to two suspected Iranian intelligence operatives, as well as others belonging to Iran's ministry of intelligence and security. France's decision to take retaliatory measures and go public with the accusations was taken three months after the alleged plot to bomb a meeting of the People's Mujahedeen of Iran (MEK) in a suburb of Paris. "This extremely serious act envisaged on our territory could not go without a response," France's interior, foreign and economy ministers said in a rare joint statement. "In taking this decision, France underlines its determination to fight against terrorism in all its forms, particularly on its own territory." A French diplomatic source told AFP that the security ...
Dakota aircraft to make maiden appearance on Air Force Day
A Dakota aircraft will be participating in the Air Force Day 2018 fly past for the first time.Other aircrafts such as Tiger moth and Harvard vintage jets will also make its appearance in the air show. Eight standby aircraft will be deployed in the air as replacements if any jet develops a snag. Prominent fighter aircrafts such as - Sukhoi, Jaguar, Mirage and MiG 21s will also participate in the air show. In all, a total of 28 aircraft will be participating in the air display.A Dakota DC-3 aircraft of 1940's vintage was inducted into the Vintage Aircraft Flight of the Indian Air Force (IAF) in May. A large fleet of Dakota DC-3 served in the IAF till 1988. It was one of the most versatile transport aircraft of its time.To honour the first Dakota, which transported troops of the first Sikh Regiment to Srinagar in October 1947, during the Kashmir conflict, the IAF has allocated the aircraft with a registration number. Built in 1944, the aircraft served in the military with the RAF and ...
Telangana polls in 54 days, says Tharoor
Shashi Tharoor has urged voters in Telangana to undo their "mistake" of choosing K Chandrashekar Rao as the Chief Minister in 2014, adding that the state will go to polls in the next 54 days.The assurance from the Congress party leader comes less than a month after the country's Chief Election Commissioner, OP Rawat, in an interview with ANI, said that Assembly elections in Telangana might not be necessarily held along with Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Mizoram, which are stated to go to polls at the end of this year."As the election in the state is coming in 54 days, the voters should remember that a vote for the TRS is a vote for the BJP; that is essentially the message that is coming across," Tharoor said, while addressing the media here on Tuesday.Tharoor added that both India and Telangana paid a " terrible price" by backing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre and the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) at the state level, respectively."We are heading ...
March ended, agitation will continue: BKU leader
After ending the farmers' march to Delhi on Wednesday, Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait said his organisation will continue to agitate till all their demands are met. If this does not happen, the farmers will teach a lesson to the central government in the 2019 parliamentary elections, he told PTI. Thousands of farmers reached Kisan Ghat, the memorial to farm leader and former prime minister Charan Singh, after police allowed them to enter the national capital past midnight. Their demands include unconditional loan waiver, clearing of dues by sugar mills, higher prices for crops, free electricity for farms and a cut in diesel prices. Our objective was to draw attention of the government towards the problems the farmers face and we achieved our goal, Tikait said. He said people welcomed the Kisan Kranti Yatra, which began from Haridwar on September 23, at 10 halts on the way. But Delhi Police barricaded the city's border and stopped the peaceful protest march, he said. He ...