Page 300 - Politics
Muslims aren't tenants, constitutional rights can't be denied: Owaisi
Muslim are not tenants in India and they cannot be denied the rights guaranteed to them by the Constitution, said All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi here on Saturday."We have to keep India prosperous, we will keep India prosperous. We (Muslims) are equal residents and not tenants. We are equal stakeholders here," he said while addressing a gathering here on Friday.Owaisi said that Muslims were equal citizens of this country and they cannot be denied the rights guaranteed to them by the Constitution of India.Reacting to Owaisi's statements, Union Minister Giriraj Singh said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always said 'sabka saath sabka vikaas'. People like Owaisi are known for spreading hatred in society and the nation does not pay attention to statements of such people."Owaisi had also attacked the ruling BJP government and said,"If BJP thinks that by winning 300 seats they can rule over India, they are wrong. I promise that Asaduddin Owaisi ...
Rajnath Singh takes charge as defence minister
Rajanth Singh on Saturday took charge as the defence minister and immediately held a meeting with the top military brass. Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik, Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra and top officials of the ministry accorded a warm welcome to Singh. After taking charge, the former home minister held a meeting with Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat, IAF chief Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa and newly appointed Navy chief Karambir Singh. The defence secretary and several other senior officials of the ministry were also present at the meeting.
You're no Stephen King: De Niro tells Mueller
Actor Robert De Niro has urged Special Counsel Robert Mueller to leave his "comfort zone" and testify before Congress about the findings of his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Proud to follow in Swaraj's footsteps, says new EAM Jaishankar
Engaging with the Twitterverse for the first time, newly appointed External Affairs Minister (EAM) Subrahmanyam Jaishankar paid homage to his predecessor Sushma Swaraj on Saturday."My first tweet. Thank you all for the best wishes! Honoured to be given this responsibility. Proud to follow on the footsteps of @SushmaSwaraj ji," Jaishankar's first tweet read.A surprise addition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's latest Union Cabinet, the former Foreign Secretary succeeds Swaraj in helming the Ministry of External Affairs for the next five years under the NDA government.Swaraj opted out of contesting in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections citing her health. She spearheaded various rescue operations during her term, including those in Libya and Yemen. The former EAM was much-loved by people for being one of the most approachable ministers, known for hearing out and solving grievances on Twitter.Jaishankar pledged to follow the precedent set by her, and tweeted, "We at Team @MEAIndia
Shah takes charge as new Home Minister
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah on Saturday took charge as the 30th Union Home Minister at a time when the country is facing terrorism, secessionism and Maoist insurgency challenges.
Sonia remains CPP leader, suspense continues on Leader of Congress in LS (2nd Lead)
UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi will continue as the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) leader as the newly-elected Lok Sabha members of the party once again elected her to the post during their first meeting here on Saturday.
Surjya Patro elected Odisha Assembly Speaker
Senior Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader and seven-time legislator Surjya Narayan Patro was on Saturday elected as the Speaker of Odisha Assembly.
US, Chinese defence chiefs discuss sanctions enforcement on N Korea
Patrick Shanahan, the acting US Defence Secretary, and Wei Fenghe, the Chinese Defence Minister, discussed ways to better enforce UN sanctions on North Korea during a "constructive and productive" meeting held on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum here on Friday."The two leaders discussed ways to build military-to-military relations that reduce the risk of misunderstanding and miscalculation between our nations," Yonhap News Agency quoted a Pentagon spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Joe Buccino, as saying."Secretary Shanahan specifically discussed how our militaries can better cooperate to enforce UN Security Council Resolutions related to DPRK (North Korea) sanctions," the spokesman added.This comes as denuclearisation talks between Washington and Pyongyang have come to a standstill, especially after the breakdown of the second US-North Korea summit at Vietnam earlier this year. The two countries reportedly failed to see eye-to-eye on sanctions waivers.While North ...
Election of Assembly Speaker slated for June 3
The election of speaker of Puducherry Assembly is scheduled to be held on June 3. A release from the Secretary to the Assembly A Vincent Rayar said Saturday Lt Governor Kiran Bedi has convened a meeting of the Assembly at 9.30 AM on June 3 and has scheduled the election of Speaker the same day. It also said necessary intimation has been sent to all the MLAs including, the three nominated legislators individually for filing of nominations. The post of Speaker has been lying vacant after V Vaithilingam (Congress) quit it on March 21 to contest the April 18 Lok Sabha poll here. Vaithilingam won the parliamentary election and has not however quit the post of MLA so far, official sources said. Presently, Deputy Speaker V P Sivakolundhu is the officiating Speaker.
Masked group targets US embassy with arson attack during protests
Masked protesters set fire to the gate of the US embassy in Honduras on Friday during massive demonstrations against public sector reforms in the country. Thousands of doctors, teachers and students had taken to the streets to demand the government abandon plans to privatize the health and education sectors. Firefighters came to extinguish the blaze, which destroyed the diplomatic mission's gate without damaging the main embassy building. The US embassy issued a statement after the attack urging Hondurans to refrain from "acts of violence." Police spokesman Jair Meza told local media that one of the suspects, a 23-year-old man, had been arrested. Relatives of the suspect later went with a crowd to the police headquarters where they shouted demands for his freedom. Demonstrators blamed "government infiltrators" for the damage to the embassy.
Tripura health minister dropped for 'anti-party activities'
Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has dropped Health Minister Sudip Roy Barman from the Cabinet, a state government notification said. Barman, who had joined the BJP from the Trinamool Congress two years ago, was removed on Friday night, a week after Deb warned of stern action against "enemies in the BJP". Party leaders on condition of anonymity claimed that 56-year-old Barman was dropped due to "anti-party activities". Barman could not be reached for a comment. A notification of the Department of General Administration (Confidential and Cabinet) issued late on Friday night said the departments held by Barman would be reassigned to the chief minister and Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Devvarma. A five-time MLA, Barman was the leader of the opposition and president of Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC). He joined Trinamool Congress in 2016, and then defected to the BJP in 2017 with a group of Congress MLAs. There were demands of cabinet reshuffle in the party, BJP ...
S Korea urges restraint after North's missile test
South Korea's Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo is fending off calls to step up pressure on North Korea after it test-fired missiles last month. Jeong told an annual security conference in Singapore Saturday that the tests are being investigated and a conclusion is within reach. North Korea itself has defended the launches, saying it was exercising its right to self-defense. The US and Japan say North Korea tested short-range ballistic missiles on May 4 and 9, ending a pause that began in late 2017. Both countries called it a violation of UN Security Council resolutions. Jeong says Pyongyang has shown it intends to work toward peace and urged the international community to "assure North Korea that the decision to denuclearize is indeed the right decision.
Sonia Gandhi to continue as CPP Chairperson for fourth consecutive term
Sonia Gandhi on Saturday was elected as chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) for the fourth consecutive term ahead of the start of the first session of Parliament after the general elections."Smt. Sonia Gandhi elected as the leader of Congress Parliamentary Party! She says, 'we thank the 12.13 Cr voters for reposing faith in the Congress Party'," Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala tweeted.The first session of the 17th Lok Sabha will be convened from June 17 to July 26 during which the Union Budget will be presented by the new government on July 5.Newly-elected 52 Lok Sabha MPs of Congress along with its Rajya Sabha members and general secretaries elected Sonia as chairperson of their parliamentary party.She has been serving as the chairperson of CPP since 2004.The meeting was held in the Central Hall of Parliament where MPs also discussed the strategy for the upcoming session of the Parliament.Sonia Gandhi is expected to soon elect the leaders of Lok Sabha .
Sonia Gandhi remains Congress Parliamentary Party leader
UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi will continue as the Congress Parliamentary Party leader as the newly elected members of the party in Lok Sabha once again elected her as the leader of the CPP during their first meeting on Saturday here.
India, US, Japan, Australia consult leveraging private sector power in infrastructure (News Analysis)
The Quad countries, India, Australia, Japan and the US, have discussed leveraging the power of the private sector, which could balance China's economic diplomacy that promotes infrastructure development in its quest for global influence.
Congress Parliamentary Party meet begins
The first meeting of newly elected Congress Lok Sabha MPs began at the Central Hall of Parliament on Saturday and they were likely to elect a new leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP). The CPP is currently chaired by Sonia Gandhi. All 52 Lok Sabha MPs of the Congress are present at the meeting, besides its members in the Rajya Sabha, sources said. Besides electing a new leader, the MPs will chalk out the party's strategy for the upcoming session of Parliament, they said. They will also elect the Congress leader in Lok Sabha. This will be the first official meeting that Congress president Rahul Gandhi will attend after the May 25 meeting of the party's working committee, where he had offered to quit as Congress chief. The CWC has already rejected his offer to resign and unanimously passed a resolution authorising him to bring structural changes in the party at all levels in a bid to revamp it.
Jaishankar has done good to Sino-India ties: China
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has congratulated Indian's new External Minister S. Jaishankar and said New Delhi's former envoy to Beijing has done good to Sino-India ties.
Minions could have sportingly leaked portfolios in a carnival of democracy (Comment)
The great TV anchors, God's gift to Indian journalism, who have been Prime Minister Narendra Modi's shrill town criers these past five years, looked sheepish covering the spectacular swearing in ceremony at the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. These media stars from the loyalist school of journalism kept state secrets so deep in their hearts that they revealed not one portfolio, not even the time when the portfolios would be announced. There is an Arab saying: he knows not and knows not that he knows is a fool to be avoided.
Ocasio-Cortez waits tables over minimum wage hike awareness
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the youngest woman to serve in the US Congress, waited tables at a restaurant here to raise awareness for Democrats' fight to increase the national minimum wage to $15 an hour.
Rahul lost as SP-BSP votes went to BJP in Amethi
The two-member Congress Committee probing the reasons behind the defeat of their President Rahul Gandhi in his family borough Amethi, has been told that the non-cooperation of the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party units was responsible for the defeat.