Page 2817 - Politics
T-14 Armata top priority of Army Chief's Russia visit
The Indian Army is looking to procure 1,770 multipurpose future ready combat vehicles (FRCV) to replace the aging force of T-72 main battle tanks (MBTs).Russia's T-14 Armata FRCV is a key contender for the deal that is likely to be priced at over USD 4.5 billion.This development came after Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat started his six-day visit to Russia on Monday, in what is being seen as an attempt to lend impetus to the bilateral strategic partnership.The visit coincides with a bilateral annual summit scheduled for October 5 in New Delhi during which defence deals worth over USD 10 billion are likely to be signed.The Indian military delegation led by General Rawat is scheduled to meet the top brass of the Russian Armed Forces and key military formations and establishments. Russia's T-14 Armata FRCV is likely to figure in the discussions between the two militaries.A statement by the Indian Defence Ministry read, "The visit is yet another milestone in giving impetus to the ...
You tried Modi, now trust Congress to take India forward: Rahul
Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of following divisive politics and making false promises, Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said the people "tried" the BJP leader but his government "got punctured" and it was time to trust the Congress to take India forward. The Congress president invoked Mahatma Gandhi's ideals of adherence to truth and communal harmony to hit out at the Modi government and alleged the prime minister was fighting against the same ideals for which the Father of the Nation sacrificed all his life and took three bullets. Addressing a rally here to kick off the Congress's programmes in the 150th birth anniversary year of the father of the nation, Rahul Gandhi also targeted the Modi government over the Rafale fighter jet deal and on issues related to defaulter businessmen Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya. "The thieves of India, with the help of Narendra Modi, turned lakhs, crores of black money into white. Modiji took money out of your pockets and put it in the pockets of ...
Lathi-charge on farmers exposed BJP govt's violent face: NCP
The NCP on Tuesday condemned the police action against farmers marching towards Delhi. The action brought to the fore the "violent" face of the BJP even as the country celebrated 149th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, a champion of non-violence, the party said. "The BJP government's violent face stands exposed following the lathi-charge on farmers. We condemn the action," NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said in a statement. Instead of "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisaan", the Narendra Modi government's slogan was "Mar Jawan, Mar Kisaan", he said. Farmers marching towards Delhi as part of the Bharatiya Kisan Union's (BKU) protest call over demands ranging from farm loan waiver to reduction in fuel prices were stopped at the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border Tuesday with police using water cannons to disperse them.
Official accuses Azad of abusive behavior, MP denies the
A government official here Tuesday lodged a complaint against local MP Kirti Azad whom he accused of using foul language over telephone, a charge denied by the lawmaker who challenged the accuser to come up with evidence. In a letter addressed to the District Magistrate of Darbhanga, Pushpesh Kumar who is posted as Officer on Special Duty in the district intelligence unit alleged that he had called up Azad on his mobile on Monday night requesting him to take part in a function organized on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti. He alleged that the MP used abusive language and took exception to him being called directly instead of speaking to his personal assistant. The official said that he was deeply hurt by the MPs behavior which could adversely affect the morale of government servants performing their duties and urged initiation of suitable action against the lawmaker. In a statement, Azad expressed "surprise" over the allegation and said when the official had called him on
I belong to "Bharatiya Janata" before the party: Shatrughan
Disgruntled BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha on Tuesday asserted that he belonged to the "Bharatiya Janata" (Indian public) before he owed allegiance to any party. Addressing a function in his Lok Sabha constituency of Patna Sahib, the actor-turned-politician lamented that the party (BJP) had become a "one man show two man army" a jibe aimed at Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. Former Union minister Yashwant Sinha, who announced severing of his ties with the BJP earlier this year, speaking at the function said anybody speaking the truth nowadays was being dubbed an "anti-national" and asserted that "if that is the case, please count myself and Shatrughan Sinha as topmost among anti-nationals." "Try asking anybody to name three ministers in the current regime. He will take the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi first, followed by Amit Shah who is not a minister. Thereafter he will start fumbling," the former Union minister said at the function organized on the occasion of birth ...
UN postal agency issues commemorative stamps on International Day of Non-Violence
In commemoration of the International Day of Non-violence, marked on Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary, the UN postal agency Tuesday issued a new collection of stamps featuring artistic interpretation of 'The Knotted Gun', an iconic global sculpture giving the message of peace and non-violence. The UN Postal Administration (UNPA) issued three definitive stamps featuring images of 'The Knotted Gun - Non Violence', the well-known sculpture for peace and non-violence, created in 1980 by the Swedish artist Carl Fredrik Reuterswrd as a tribute to English songwriter and Beatles member John Lennon after his murder. "The stamps in the collection are really exquisite. They use the power of art to relay important messages of non-violence, tolerance, respect for human rights, democracy, mutual understanding and respect for diversity - so in other words all that Gandhi stood for," Under-Secretary-General for Management Jan Beagle said at the event titled 'Non-violence in Action' organised here ..
Ambedkar, Owaisi address joint rally
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh leader Prakash Ambedkar shared the stage here Tuesday for the first time after announcing a tie-up for the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls. All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Owaisi said at the joint rally that the two parties want "freedom" from the Narendra Modi government, as the followers of the prime minister's ideology have committed "atrocities" on Dalits and the minorities. Ambedkar, a prominet Dalit leader and grandson of Dr B R Ambedkar, called for increasing feelings of brotherhood among communities. Without naming anyone, Owaisi said the head of a prominent political party in Maharashtra is talking about saving the Constitution, but in fact he is trying to save his nephew, who is facing allegations of corruption. He was apparently referring to NCP chief Sharad Pawar, who had in January this year led 'Save the Constitution' march of opposition parties in Maharashtra.
PM lauds Pondy Cong CM's efforts to implement Clean India
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday lauded Chief Minister V Narayanasamy for his efforts to implement the 'Clean India' campaign in Puducherry. "Kudos to Narayanasamy ji for leading from the front and inspiring others to strengthen the movement to clean India," Modi tweeted, a day after a video of Narayanasamy volunteering to desilt a roadside drainage at Nellithope went viral. Narayanasamy removed silt from the drainage using a shovel yesterday. The Office of the Chief Minister shared Modi's twitter message with the media through WhatsApp.
India going through unprecedented crisis: Yogendra Yadav
Swaraj India president Yogendra Yadav on Tuesday alleged that the country was going through a period of unprecedented crisis where citizenship was being defined on religious lines. Speaking at the Swaraj India's first national council meet here, Yadav alleged that the Narendra Modi government was trying to impose 'two-nation theory" on this country once again. "There is a threat to India's national 'swadharma' (way of life). It is for the first time in the history of independent India that citizenship is being defined on religious terms," Yadav said in a statement. "If the elections are fought on the issues of kisan-naujawan (farmer-youth), the country will move forward. (But) if they are fought on the issue of Hindu-Muslim, the country will take a giant leap backwards. Our democracy is facing a threat from those sitting in power," he said. Senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan said the primary challenge in front of the country was to ensure the Bharatiya Janata Party's defeat in the ...
Factbox - A successor to Juncker: Names in frame for top EU job
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Following are some of the many possible contenders to succeed Jean-Claude Juncker as EU chief executive after elections to the European Parliament in May.
Cong calls for 'new freedom struggle' against Modi govt at CWC meeting
Invoking Mahata Gandhi's 'Quit India' call on his birth anniversary, the Congress Tuesday called for a "new freedom struggle" against what it called the Modi government's politics of "polarisation and intimidation". At a meeting of its apex decision-making body CWC at a venue where 'Quit India' resolution was adopted in 1942 under Mahatma Gandhi's leadership, the party also resolved to fight the RSS's "blatant hypocrisy", saying it vilified and rejected the father of the nation during his lifetime, but was now brazenly proclaiming itself to be his champion. "Its (RSS's) ideology that was responsible for spreading the atmosphere of hate that led to the Mahatma's tragic assassination," Congress chief spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala said quoting the resolution. The Congress Working Committee (CWC), under the party president Rahul Gandhi's leadership, adopted a resolution urging the partymen to spread the message that it was only the Congress that truly embodies the ethos of a liberal, .
Cong hits out at AIMIM for 'pro-TRS' stand
Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president N Uttam Kumar Reddy Tuesday attacked AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi for his reported remarks asking minorities to support TRS in the coming Assembly elections in the state. Reddy said TRS president and caretaker chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, in the 2014 elections, had promised to increase Muslim quota in jobs and education to 12 per cent from the present 4 per cent reservation given by the previous Congress regime. "Has KCR implemented 12 per cent reservation for Muslims which, according to Owaisi, makes TRS eligible to seek Muslim votes?" he said. He alleged that the TRS had cheated the minority Muslim community on the 12 per cent quota issue. TRShad earlier announced that AMIM is its friendly party in the coming assembly polls. "Should Muslims vote for TRS as it had voted for BJP candidates in election of president and vice-president of India? Poor Muslims were badly hurt due to demonetisation, GST and other moves
Swaraj's UNGA speech was a political campaign, says Tharoor
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday reiterated that External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's statement at the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) was a "campaign speech", adding that Swaraj was busy sloganeering for her party at the UN.Speaking to ANI, Tharoor said "The Foreign Minister of India stands on UN General Assembly platform and delivers a speech that is not even aimed at the audience of international diplomats. She speaks in Hindi on a BJP campaigned theme to her voters back home rather than to an international audience. She mentioned Narendra Modi ten times and India only five times.""She gives one BJP slogan one after the other or one scheme after the other about the Prime Minister's great vision for the nation as if she is seeking. There's nobody sitting in the UN General Assembly who is going to vote for her. These were all pitched at the audience back in India," he added.The BJP, in retaliation to Tharoor's remark on Swaraj, had on Monday ..
Gandhi was for self-sufficieny at village-level: TN Governor
Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit Tuesday said Mahatma Gandhi had brought about social cohesion by working against 'untouchability'. Gandhi had advocated an economic philosophy that focused on self-sufficiency at the village-level, he said in his address during Mahatma Gandhi's 149th birth anniversary celebrations here. "He (Gandhi) propagated the concept of trusteeship and wanted people to abhor accumulation of wealth for themselves and their families. All these were his outpourings which went beyond the political spectrum," the governor said. When the Sabarmati ashram in Ahmedabad was started by Gandhi, there were initially 25 inmates of whom 13 were Tamilians, he said. Gandhi visited Tamil Nadu 20 times between 1896 and 1946. During his first visit, he tried to learn Tamil and brought nine Tamil books for the purpose, Purohit said. The message of ahimsa from the 'Father of the Nation' is a powerful signal to mankind that stockpiling of weapons of mass destruction
Police stops BJP Mahila Morcha activists from protesting near
The activists of BJP's Mahila Morcha were stopped by police from proceeding towards Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's residence here Tuesday, a police officer said. Holding party flags and banner, the Mahila Morcha activists took out a rally from the party office and marched towards the Naveen Niwas, the residence of the chief minister to demand the dismissal of Agriculture minister Pradeep Maharathy for his alleged objectionable remarks against women. The activists led by BJP Mahila Morcha president Pravat Parida were first intercepted by police near Raj Mahal Square while attempting to move towards Naveen Niwas to meet the chief minister. However, another group of activists somehow reached near Naveen Niwas and staged a demonstration in front of it. Later, they clashed with police when stopped from resorting to protest. "We demand immediate apology and ouster of the minister from the council of ministers. The statement has hurt the sentiments of the entire ...
One can't use UN as political platform: Tharoor on Swaraj's
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor Tuesday lashed out at the BJP for criticising him for describing External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's UN address as a "campaign" speech and alleged that the saffron party "politicised" foreign platforms. Hitting out at the Congress leader, BJP had earlier said the opposition party defied a convention of all political parties speaking in the same voice on India's stand abroad. "BJP wants...and criticise me, I will also be equally harsh and say, I must say that they have really disappointed all true patriots by the way in which they have politicised foreign platforms. They have done so starting with the Prime Minister and now ending with the foreign minister," Tharoor told reporters here. "This is not the way in which India should conduct its foreign policy. I am quite confident that if the Congress party comes back to power, we will not fight our political battles abroad," he said. Questioning whether Swaraj's address was a UN speech or ...
Rahul, Sonia wash their plates after lunch at Sevagram Ashram
Congress president Rahul Gandhi and United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi Tuesday washed their plates after lunch at the Sevagram Ashram in Wardha district, where they attended the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, a party leader said. Rahul Gandhi attended a prayer meeting at the "Bapu kuti", the residence of the father of the nation during his last years in the Ashram, to mark his 149th birth anniversary. Besides Rahul and Sonia Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh and the CWC members also paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at the Bapu Kuti. "Rahul washed his plate after lunch at the ashram. Sonia Gandhi too washed her plate," the Congress leader said. The meeting of the Congress's apex decision-making body was held at a venue where the "Quit India" resolution was adopted in 1942 under Mahatma Gandhi's leadership. The Congress chief also visited the office of the Mahatma at the ashram. Mahatma Gandhi had made Wardha his home after the famous Dandi ..
Modi government will be ousted from power: Mukul Sangma
The Leader of Opposition in the Meghalaya Assembly, Mukul Sangma, on Tuesday voiced confidence that the Modi government will be ousted in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls because of the "anti-people" agenda of the BJP and the NDA government.
Farmers protest turns violent, stir to continue (Roundup)
As the nation celebrated Gandhi Jayanti, hundreds of farmers on Tuesday clashed with police at the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border when they were prevented from entering the national capital and lathi-charged and tear-gassed after water canons failed to subdue them.
France moves against Iran over bomb plot near Paris
France accused Iran's intelligence ministry on Tuesday 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 it was freezing assets belonging to two suspected Iranian intelligence operatives, as well as others belonging to Iran's ministry of intelligence and security. The 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 forces had