Page 356 - Politics

Priyanka, Sachin Pilot meet Rahul Gandhi at his residence

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot on Tuesday arrived at the residence of party president Rahul Gandhi who has offered to step down from the party's top post.Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala and party general secretary in-charge KC Venugopal were also present at Gandhi's residence.This meeting came after Gandhi had offered to step down from his party post at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, held on Saturday, taking moral responsibility for Congress' dismal performance in the Lok Sabha elections.However, Gandhi's resignation offer was unanimously rejected by the CWC.Sources said that despite senior leaders making serious attempts to convince him to rethink on his decision, Gandhi is said to be unfazed.On Monday, party treasurer Ahmed Patel and Venugopal met with Gandhi at his residence here and urged him to continue to lead the party.Party leaders, sources said, maintained that Congress cannot afford to have a new leader at .

Iran urges Trump to show real intentions with actions

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Tuesday said that, "actions - not words" will show the intentions of US President Donald Trump and reiterated that Tehran was not seeking nuclear weapons.

Removal of Article 370 will solve all issues of Kashmir: Anupam Kher

"Removal of Article 370 is the solution to all problems of Kashmir," said actor Anupam Kher.During a brief media interaction in Kanpur on Monday, Kher was asked if he thinks BJP will work for the Kashmiri Pandits now that it is in power, to which he asserted that all the issues in Kashmir can be resolved if Article 370 is removed.Kher, a Kashmiri Pandit himself, has regularly voiced his opinions and concerns when it comes to the prevailing issues that affect the valley.The BJP, in its manifesto for 2019 Lok Sabha polls, reiterated its demand for abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A of the Constitution which are provisions specific to Jammu and Kashmir.Article 370 grants special autonomous status to Jammu and Kashmir, while Article 35A, incorporated into the Constitution in 1954, provides special rights and privileges to the citizens of the state.When asked to comment on BJP's mandate in the recent Lok Sabha elections, Kher said, "The whole country is in favor of the Modi ...

Tamil Nadu CM Palaniswami offers prayers at Lord Balaji temple in Tirumala

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami along with his family offered prayers at Lord Balaji temple in Tirumala here on Tuesday.The chief minister also paid obeisance at Lord Hanuman shrine near Balaji temple.In the Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu, Palaniswami-led AIADMK got only one seat while rival DMK bagged 23 and Congress eight. Two seats each went to CPI(M) and CPI while a seat each was won by Indian Union Muslim League and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi.

Karnataka: 11KV lines in Bangalore will go underground in 3-4 years, says Deputy CM

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Dr G Parameshwar on Tuesday said that to reduce the overhead transmission power lines and electrical poles in the city, the entire 11KV lines in Bangalore will be laid underground by another 3-4 years."In order to reduce the overhead transmission power lines and electrical poles in the city, all the 11KV lines will be laid underground in 3-4 years. As a part of the first step, the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) will spend over Rs. 1870 crore to implement the plan and it will continue for the next three years," Parameshwar said.Further, he said, "Be it drainage, electricity, water-logging or other issues, I have looked into all the matters related to the city during monsoon season. I have also reviewed the preparedness by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), BESCOM and all concerned people including traffic police. Instructions were given to them so that the Bangalore city is maintained well."While responding to Congress .

J&K administration amends reservation rule for border dwellers, backwards areas category

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has amended reservation rules for border dwellers and backward areas category, officials said here Tuesday. The amendment was carried out through a notification issued late Monday night by the Social Welfare Department, the officials said. They said the department amended the rules for "person claiming reservation on backward area or an area near the Line of Actual Control/International Border Jammu and Kashmir". "In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 23 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act 2004 and all other relevant provisions of law in this behalf, the Government of Jammu and Kashmir hereby directs that clause (III) of Rule 21 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Rules, 2005 shall be substituted by the following namely. "A person claiming the benefit on the grounds that he/she belongs to an identified backward area or an area near the Line of Actual Control/International Border, must establish that he/she has resided in the area for

Rahul's offer to resign suicidal: Lalu

Rashtriya Janata Dal leader and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad on Tuesday said Congress President Rahul Gandhi's decision to resign will be suicidal not just for his own party but also all opposition.

Congress blames polarisation, 'Modi wave' for rout in Karnataka

Shocked by its worst defeat in the parliamentary elections, in which it managed to retain a lone seat in Karnataka, the Congress has blamed the 'polarisation' of votes and an unseen 'Modi wave' for the spectacular performance of rival BJP, which won 25 of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in the southern state.

Shiv Sena MPs to take oath in Marathi

Newly-elected MPs of the Shiv Sena will take oath of the 17th Lok Sabha in Marathi, a party leader has said. In the just-concluded elections, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party won 18 out of the total 48 seats in Maharashtra. The Sena ally, the BJP, bagged 23 seats. "MPs have the choice of language in which they can take oath. We are proud of Marathi language and our land. Moreover, the Shiv Sena was born to protect and promote Marathi. Hence all our MPs will be taking oath in Marathi," Sena MP from Kalyan, Shrikant Shinde, said Monday night. The BJP-led NDA, of which the Sena is the oldest constituent, is now gearing up for Assembly elections in Maharashtra, which are due in October this year. The first session of the 17th Lok Sabha is likely to start from June 6 and go on till June 15.

Modi, BJP leaders remember Savarkar on birth anniversary

Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi was among several BJP leaders on Tuesday who remembered Hindutva philosopher Vinayak Damodar Savarkar on his 136th birth anniversary.

Five die after drinking spurious liquor in Barabanki

At least five people died and several others were taken ill after consuming spurious liquorin Ramnagar area of Barabanki district, police said Tuesday. The locals belonging to Raniganj and adjoining villages were taken ill after consuming liquor on Monday night and rushed to RamnagarCommunity Health Centre (CHC), police said. While five of them died, some others were undergoing treatment at the CHC, they said. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken serious note of the incident and directed senior officials to reach the spot and take stern action against the guilty, a senior government official said. The chief minister has also asked the principal secretary, excise, to conduct an inquiry and take action against all those responsible for it.

Kiran Bedi to attend swearing in ceremony of Narendra Modi

Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi will attend the May 30 swearing in ceremony of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister for the second term. An official source said Bedi left here for Delhi Tuesday. The Lt Governor will in the meanwhile complete three years in office on Wednesday, but will not be in the union territory because of her visit to Delhi. She has been at loggerheads with Chief Minister V Narayanasamy and his government on various administrative issues ever since she assumed office in May 29 2016.

I just know who won and who lost: DK Shivakumar

After drubbing in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, senior Congress leader and Karnataka Water Resources Minister DK Shivakumar on Monday said that he just knows who won and who lost."I just know who won and who lost. I don't have further details. Usually, I get messages, I don't know anything further. I'm just following Gandhi ji's theory "Don't hear bad, don't speak bad and don't see bad," Shivakumar told reporters here.Earlier former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said that the BJP which won 25 parliamentary seats out of 28 in the state in the recently concluded elections, got the mandate to run the government at the Center and not to destabilise the state government in Karnataka."People of the nation have given mandate to BJP to run the government at the Center and not to destabilise the state government in Karnataka. Election results came against us but that does not mean state Assembly should be dissolved, it is nonsense," Siddaramaiah had tweeted.In view of the ...

Taiwan lands aircraft on highway as part of military drills

Taiwan has landed war planes on a normally busy highway to simulate a response to a Chinese attack on its airfields. Tuesday's exercise is part of annual drills designed to showcase the island's military capabilities and resolve to repel an attack from across the Taiwan Strait amid perceptions of a rising threat. China considers the island its own territory, to be annexed by force if necessary. President Tsai Ing-wen presided at the exercise in the southern county of Changhua. She said China's long-distance training exercises, including sending fighter jets to circle the island, were threatening regional peace and stability, requiring Taiwan to maintain a high degree of vigilance. Aircraft deployed included US-made F-16, French Mirage 2000 and Taiwan-made IDF fighter jets and US-made E-2K airborne early warning aircraft.

Papua New Guinea in crisis as PM stalls resignation

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill stalled his announced resignation and took legal action to prevent a vote of no confidence Tuesday, deepening the country's political crisis. The veteran leader launched what appeared to be a last-gasp bid to cling on to power, pressing the Supreme Court to thwart a planned parliamentary vote to remove him from office. Facing mounting criticism, O'Neill on Sunday announced that he would step down, but has so far avoided formally submitting his resignation to the country's governor general. O'Neill -- who has been in power since 2011 -- is battling for his political life after a string of cabinet resignations sparked by his signing a multi-billion-dollar liquefied natural gas (LNG) deal with France's Total and US firm ExxonMobil earlier this year. Local communities had complained bitterly about not benefiting from similar deals in the past. O'Neill's government narrowly avoided a vote of no confidence after the signing by adjourning ...

I have no plans to join BJP: Gujarat MLA Alpesh Thakor

Gujarat MLA and OBC leader Alpesh Thakor who resigned from the Congress party last month said that he will not join BJP though he is in contact with several of the BJP leaders.While talking to ANI on phone, he said: "I meet several BJP leaders as I am an MLA and I have to work for my constituency but I have no plans to join BJP."Last month, along with Alpesh Thakor, MLA Dhavalsinh Thakor and MLA Bharatji Thakor also resigned from the Congress.Their resignation came a day ahead of the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections.Alpesh, who came to limelight due to his quota agitation some years back, joined the Congress in 2017 ahead of the last Gujarat polls and was elected from Radhanpur.

Maduro pledges 'good faith' ahead of talks with opposition in Norway

President Nicolas Maduro promised Monday to show "good faith" ahead of a meeting in Norway between representatives of his government and those of opposition leader Juan Guaido. "We are going to be showing our very best good faith... to be able to find, based on the platform the parties agreed on, peaceful, democratic solutions to help overcome Venezuela's conflict," Maduro said in a televised address. The talks in Norway this week will be the first face-to-face meeting between representatives of Maduro and those of his rival Guaido, who is recognized as interim president by some 50 countries. Maduro confirmed that his delegation will include Communication Minister Jorge Rodriguez, Miranda state Governor Hector Rodriguez and Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza, who were on the ground in Norway. "This is a dialogue between the Revolutionary Government, the Revolutionary Armed Forces, and the extremist opposition... which is trying to topple the government at the behest of US interests," ...

Austria's chancellor Sebastian Kurz ousted in no-confidence vote

Sebastian Kurz, Austria's chancellor, on Monday ousted in a no-confidence vote just a day after his centre-right Austrian People's Party enjoyed a triumphant victory in the European Parliament elections last weekend.The move came as the latest twist in Austria's political crisis that has wracked the country since the publication of a video sting earlier this month, in which far-right leaders of Kurz's former government coalition allies were caught offering political favours to a young woman, Al Jazeera reported.The woman was believed to be the niece of a wealthy Russian oligarch, while Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache, who resigned from his post as corruption scandals surfaced against him following the release of the secret video, was seen advising her how to increase Russia's influence in Austria.Following the scandal, Kurz sacked Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache of the Freedom Party (FPO). As other FPO ministers walked out after Strache's removal, Kurz replaced them ...

England may have voted to leave EU, but we didn't', says Scotland after EP elections

Scotland on Monday said the Scottish National Party's (SNP) sweeping victory in the European Parliament elections is a clear signal to the United Kingdom (UK) that the country has once again rejected the Brexit deal.Al Jazeera quoted SNP leader and Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon as saying that England may have voted to leave the EU, "but we didn't".As the Eurosceptic Brexit Party, established only weeks ago by the ardent anti-European Union Nigel Farage, the former head of the UK Independence Party (UKIP), swept the board in England and Wales, the pro-EU Scottish National Party (SNP) topped the poll in nearly every constituency in Scotland.Sturgeon celebrated her pro-independence party's "historic" victory in the polls and maintained that Scotland had "rejected Brexit again" as it increased its seat representation by one.Scotland had voted against the Brexit referendum in 2016 that saw the majority in England and Wales proposing the UK to leaves the EU.Voting to elect 751 ...

J-K: Man shot dead in Kupwara by terrorists

Suspected terrorists shot dead a 39-year-old man in Babagund area of Handwara in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district on Monday evening.This comes days after one of the most wanted terrorists, Zakir Musa was killed in an encounter with security forces in Tral in Pulwama. Musa was the commander of al Qaeda linked Ansar Ghazwat-ul Hind.More details are currently awaited.