Page 362 - Politics
LS poll result has changed political discourse, development & nationalism dominate it: Sahasrabuddhe
Describing the Lok Sabha poll results as "watershed mandate" in Indian politics, BJP vice president Vinay Sahasrabuddhe Monday said the grammar of electoral politics has changed in the country and development and nationalism have taken the centre stage in the political discourse. The BJP won 303 of the 542 Lok Sabha seats that went to polls this time while the opposition was left way behind with the Congress winning only 52 seats, two less than it needs for a Leader of Opposition post in the lower house. The verdict in this election has given a "body blow" to the established norms of politics in the country, he said. The discourse of politics was earlier confined to "socialism, welfarism and patronage", but now development and nationalism dominate it, the BJP leader claimed. "The 2019 election's result is a watershed mandate. It has changed the very grammar of electoral politics in India.Traditional discourse of politics earlier used to remain confined to socialism, welfarism and ...
US, Japan to work with India, other countries to promote free, open Indo-pacific: Abe
The US and Japan will work with countries like India, Australia, ASEAN, UK and France to "forcefully" promote the idea of a free and open Indo-Pacific, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday, amidst China flexing its muscle in the strategically important region. Over the past few years, in particular under the Trump administration, a free and open Indo-Pacific has emerged as an important aspect of the relationship between the US and Japan and other like-minded nations in the region. These countries believe that a military buildup by China and its aggressive behaviour in the region poses a threat to a free and open Indo-Pacific, which in the recent past has emerged as a key hub for global trade, economic activity and maritime security. "Going forward, we will walk hand in hand and promote the cooperation for the realisation of this common vision of our two nations. We will be promoting the idea forcefully, Abe told reporters at a joint news conference in Tokyo with President ..
Rumblings of discontent surface in Cong's Raj govt after Rahul rebukes Gehlot
After Congress chief Rahul Gandhi gave Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot a tongue-lashing for putting his son above the party, several Rajasthan ministers and MLAs have demanded that accountability be fixed and action taken for the Lok Sabha poll debacle. According to some of the leaders, who attended Saturday's Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, Gandhi did a lot of "plain-speaking" in his surgical analysis of the role of several party leaders while himself offering to quit as the party president. Ticking-off Gehlot for camping in Jodhpur for his son Vaibhav's election, Gandhi said the chief minister spent days campaigning extensively for his son in Jodhpur and neglected the rest of the state. Gehlot had reportedly taken part in over 130 rallies and road shows, 93 of them in Jodhpur alone. His son, however, lost to the BJP, which took 24 of the 25 seats in the state, with one seat going to its ally. After Gandhi's severe criticism, several ministers in the state have come ..
Pb IPS officer shifted on EC directive transferred to old posting
The Punjab government Monday shifted IPS officer Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, who was transferred by the Election Commission for violation of poll code, to his old posting as IG of Organised Crime Control Unit (OCCU). Singh will also hold the additional charge of IG, Counter Intelligence, Amritsar, an official statement said here. Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who also heads the Home Department, had, during his election campaign, announced that the Inspector General of Police rank officer would be back to complete the SIT investigation. Pratap Singh is a member of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the 2015 sacrilege and police firing incidents. The IG had been posted to Counter Intelligence after he was shifted out of OCCU on EC orders for alleged violation of the model of code conduct. Amarinder had earlier alleged the orders were issued at the behest of then ruling BJP an ally of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), whose top leaders, including the Badals, have figured in the .
MP: Cong govt in minority, less trustworthy, claims BJP legislator
"The Kamal Nath-led government in Madhya Pradesh is in minority and is less trustworthy among the people, and will collapse on its own," claimed BJP MLA from Narela Assembly seat, Vishwas Sarang."After the results of the Lok Sabha elections come, people now have lost trust in the Congress government. It is a less trustworthy government and in minority. Kamal Nath should resign from his chief ministerial post and as chief of state Congress unit," Sarang told ANI on Monday.He alleged that there was a rift within the party, adding that legislators and senior leaders were not paying heed to each other."During the meeting, MLAs do not trust the ministers and senior party leaders. Ministers are saying the administration is not listening to their issues. They are even questioning the less amount of votes they got compared to BJP. They do not even trust the authorities also," Sarang claimed.He clarified that BJP will not topple the Congress government in the state, as the ruling dispensation .
Panel set up to study Congress' LS defeat in Delhi
Delhi Congress chief and former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Monday constituted a five-member committee to introspect the party's loss in the national capital in the Lok Sabha elections.
Citizenship amendment, triple talaq bills lapse
With the dissolution of the 16th Lok Sabha, the contentious Citizenship (amendment) Bill and the one on banning triple talaq have lapsed as they were not passed by Rajya Sabha. The two bils could not be passed by Rajya Sabha in the Budget session, the last Parliament session of the outgoing government. The term of the present Lok Sabha was to end on June 3, but with the election process over, President Ram Nath Kovind dissolved the lower house on Saturday. The first session of the 17th Lok Sabha is likely to commence from June 6. Bills introduced in Rajya Sabha and pending there do not lapse with the dissolution of Lok Sabha. Bills passed by the Lok Sabha, and pending in the Rajya Sabha, however, lapse. The opposition had been opposing provisions of the two bills in Rajya Sabha where the government lacked numbers. The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 provided for according Indian citizenship to Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis from Bangladesh, Pakistan and ...
Declare India as a Hindu nation, says Hindu Janajagruti Samiti
Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) here on Monday demanded that India should be declared as a Hindu nation, saying the word secular in the Constitution was added "unconstitutionally.""The Constitution of our country is said to be 'secular.' However, as per the Article 370 of the Constitution, there is opposition to inserting the word 'secular' in the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir," said Ramesh Shinde, the national spokesperson of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti."As a result, a strange situation has arisen - our country is secular, but the state is not secular," added Shinde, who was speaking at the inaugural session of two-day 'National Advocates' Convention.'"If everybody in India has been given freedom of expression, freedom of religion by the Constitution, how can the demand for the 'Hindu nation' be unconstitutional? In comparison, the action of Indira Gandhi in 1976 that of inserting the words 'Secular' and 'Socialist' in the Constitution vide the 42nd Amendment is unconstitutional," he
'It won't kill us': Voters voice support for no-deal Brexit
Voters in Sunderland in northeast England voiced hope on Monday that the Brexit Party's strong showing in European elections would trigger a quick break with the EU, expressing anger and disbelief at Britain's two main parties. The polls delivered major losses for both the ruling Conservatives -- who have twice delayed Britain's scheduled departure from the EU -- and the main opposition Labour, which has remained deeply ambiguous over Brexit. In the North East region, where Sunderland is located, the Brexit Party won 38.7 per cent of the vote in last week's election -- its highest result in the country. "The sooner we get out the better," said Stephen James, a 55-year-old council worker in the former shipbuilding city, a traditional stronghold for the Labour Party. "I'm Labour through and through but you can't trust Labour or Conservatives any more now. They're just backstabbing each other," he said -- a comment on the months of bickering in the British parliament over Brexit. The ...
Arunachal guv invites Pema Khandu to form govt
Arunachal Pradesh Governor Brig (Retd) B D Mishra on Monday invited BJP leader and chief minister-designate Pema Khandu to form the next government in the state, sources in the party said. Khandu, who steered his party to a landslide victory in the Assembly polls and has been elected as the BJP's legislature party leader, and his council of ministers will be administered the oath of office and secrecy at the Raj Bhavan here on May 29, they said. Accompanied by outgoing Union Health Minister J P Nadda among others, Khandu handed Mishra a letter in the morning staking a claim to form government. On Sunday, he had submitted their resignations to Mishra requesting him to dissolve the sixth Legislative Assembly in the state. The governor accepted the resignation and requested him and his council of ministers to continue until a new government is sworn in. Talking to reporters at the Raj Bhavan here, Nadda said the party had appointed him as the 'observer' to oversee the process of electing
PM Modi congratulated by N Korean counterpart on electoral win
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was greeted by his North Korean counterpart Kim Jae-ryong on Monday on his electoral win at the 2019 Lok Sabha elections."Kim Jae-ryong, Premier of the Cabinet in DPRK, congratulated PM @narendramodi on being elected to office for the second term," Raveesh Kumar, the Spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) tweeted.Relations between India and DPR Korea have been generally characterised by friendship, cooperation and understanding, according to the MEA."As members of the Non-Aligned Movement, there is a commonality of views between the two on many international issues, like Disarmament, South-South Cooperation, etc," the ministry said.India has voiced its support for the reduction of tensions in the Korean Peninsula, along with the reunification of the two Koreas through peaceful means and direct dialogue between them.India and North Korea undertake "regular and meaningful" exchange of views on bilateral issues through the mechanism of ...
Chemistry triumphed over poll arithmetic: PM on LS poll result
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday said chemistry has triumphed over poll arithmetic to give the BJP a landslide victory in the Lok Sabha elections and also spoke about how his party always faced the dangers of "political untouchability" and political violence. On a thanksgiving visit to this temple town after his victory from Varanasi parliamentary constituency for the second straight time, Modi decried the misconception that the BJP was a Hindi heartland party. Calling himself a 'sevak' of Varanasi, Modi offered prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath temple that was preceded by a roadshow of sorts as his cavalcade traversed through the bylanes of this temple town amid high security with crowds lining the roads and people on rooftops trying to catch a glimpse of the man who will be sworn as prime minister for a second term on May 30. "Political pundits are not aware that their thinking and logic is meant for the 20th century. Results show that beyond arithmetic there is chemistry and this .
China strongly opposes official talks between US NSA and his Taiwanese 'counterpart'
China on Monday took strong exception to US National Security Advisor John Bolton's official meeting with his Taiwanese "counterpart" David Lee, which broke a four-decade practice of no direct talks between America and Taiwan under the 'One China' policy. China, which regards the breakaway region of Taiwan as part of it, insists that all countries having diplomatic ties with Beijing follow 'One China' policy, explicitly recognising the People's Republic of China (PRC) as the only China. "First of all, I have to correct it. The man Bolton spoke to cannot be called his counterpart," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told reporters here. Lee reportedly met Bolton during his May 13-21 visit to the United States. It was the first official talks between the US and Taiwan since 1979. "We resolutely oppose the US government official's exchanges with Taiwan in any form and under any pretext. We are also resolutely opposed to any attempt to create 'two China' and 'one China, one ...
Deve Gowda holds talks with K'taka Cong chief post LS polls debacle
Former prime minister and JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda had a discussion with Karnataka Congress chief Dinesh Gundu Rao on Monday, following the combine's rout in the just-concluded Lok Sabha election. After the meeting that lasted for over an hour, Rao told reporters that Deve Gowda had asked him to come home to discuss various issues. He, however, refused to divulge what transpired between the former prime minister and him. "I cannot disclose what discussion we had because he has said something outright about the two parties. "We will have to take certain decisions after discussing with the senior leaders in our party," Rao said. The Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) only managed to win one seat each of the 28 in Karnataka, while the BJP won 25 seats. The other seat was bagged by BJP-backed Independent candidate Sumalatha Ambareesh, who defeated Deve Gowda's grandson Nikhil Kumaraswamy in Mandya. Deve Gowda too lost from Tumkur. BJP leaders have predicted the collapse of the ...
BJP names Kamakhya Prasad Tasa as Rajya Sabha candidate from Assam
The BJP Monday named Kamakhya Prasad Tasa as its candidate for the Rajya Sabha elections in Assam. Tasa, who has long been associated with the BJP and working for tea garden workers, was elected to the Lok Sabha in 2014 from the Jorhat seat, but the party did not field him in this general election. The party has not named the candidate for the second seat from the state, but it may support its Assam ally AGP for this. There has been speculation that the saffron party may back Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, its ally in Bihar, for one of the seats in Assam after it promised to send him to the Rajya Sabha at the earliest opportunity during seat sharing talks for the Lok Sabha polls. Paswan did not contest the general elections this time. The Congress held the seats, including one by former prime minister Manmohan Singh. With a BJP government now at the helm and the party enjoying a strong majority in the state assembly, its candidates are likely to win the two seats. The BJP also named
AAP names Sanjay Singh as Odisha in-charge
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday appointed Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh as its Odisha in-charge, days after it appointed him as the party's Rajasthan in-charge.
Power blocs lose grip on European Parliament (2nd Lead)
The big centre-right and centre-left blocs in the European Parliament have lost their combined majority as voters turned out in record numbers to bolster radical alternatives, including the Greens and the far-right, in the European Parliamentary elections, according to media reports on Monday.
Punjab again posts Vijay Partap to head SIT probing sacrilege cases
The Punjab government on Monday again posted Inspector General of Police Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh to head the Special Investigative Team (SIT) probing the involvement of former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son Sukhbir Singh Badal in the sacrilege cases and police firing in 2015.
Pak dissidents condemn excessive use of force against Pashtun protesters
A group of prominent Pakistani dissidents on Monday condemned the excessive use of force by the Pakistani military at unarmed protestors of the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) in North Waziristan. "The loss of three lives and several others injured in firing carried out by the military soldiers reflects utter disregard for human life, dignity and law," the South Asians Against Terrorism and for Human Rights or SAATH Forum sad in a statement. The statement was signed, among others, by Pakistan's former envoy to the US Husain Haqqani, columnists Dr Mohammed Taqi, Marvi Sirmed, Gul Bukhari, Taha Siddiqui, former MP Farahnaz Ispahani, and academics Dr Asim Yusufzai and Nabila Kiani. It called upon Imran Khan's civilian government to rein in the military, stop this abuse of power, and address the grievances of the affected Pashtun population that has been victim of state and non-state violence since 9/11. "We call upon the government to conduct an independent investigation into this sad ...
Disquiet in Cong ranks as Rahul insists on resigning, fate of Raj and K'taka govts uncertain
Faced with a colossal electoral defeat, the Congress was on Monday riven by internal turmoil with Rahul Gandhi insisting on quitting as party president while its governments in Rajasthan and Karnataka teetered on the brink. In the midst of the disquiet, several state Congress chiefs, including Punjab's Sunil Jakhar, Jharkhand's Ajoy Kumar and Assam's Ripun Bora, also offered to resign following the party's drubbing in the elections, party insiders said. Congress sources said Gandhi is insisting on resigning his post and is understood to have conveyed to several leaders that it is time for the grand old party to look for a new chief. The Congress won only 52 out of 542 parliamentary seats in the Lok Sabha polls, just six more than its 2014 tally. The party could not open its account in 18 states and union territories. Taking responsibility for the defeat, Gandhi on Saturday offered to resign as party president at a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the highest ...