Page 42 - Politics

Opposition agrees with government's position on Ukraine: Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Friday that the Opposition by and large agrees with the BJP-led government's current position on the Russia-Ukraine conflict and that by virtue of being a large country, it is natural for India to have a range of bilateral relationships across the world. During a press conference at the Press Club in Brussels, he was asked by a Ukrainian news agency about the cautious approach taken by the Modi government on the Russia-Ukraine conflict and if such an approach was dictated by the supply of oil from Russia to the country. He was asked to spell out the Opposition's view on the government's stance on this conflict in Europe, which is expected to dominate the G20 Summit agenda as well. I think the Opposition by and large, would agree with India's current position on the conflict, Gandhi responded. We have a relationship with Russia. And I don't think the Opposition would have a different view than what the government is currently proposing, he ...

Finland's govt survives no-confidence vote over 2 right-wing ministers

Finland's centre-right government that includes nationalist and anti-immigration lawmakers survived a no-confidence motion from three opposition parties on Friday over two ministers from the right-wing populist Finns Party at the center of a racism scandal that has rocked the Nordic country. Lawmakers voted 106-65 in favour of the Cabinet of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo. Debate ahead of the vote focused on writings from 2008 and 2016 by Finance Minister Riikka Purra, leader of the Finns Party, and Economic Affairs Minister Wille Rydman, a member of the same party, which were deemed racist. The opposition, particularly the Social Democratic Party, criticized Orpo's government for not distancing itself enough from Purra's and Rydman's writings and not doing enough to tackle discrimination and racism in Finland, a country of 5.5 million that became NATO's 31st member in April. The issue has crippled the government, which took office less than three months ago after Orpo's conservative

Former UP Deputy CM Dinesh Sharma elected to Rajya Sabha unopposed

Former Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma has been declared elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from the state as the BJP leader was the only candidate to file nomination for the September 15 by-election, officials said on Friday. The by-election was necessitated due to the death of incumbent MP Hardwar Dubey, who was also from the BJP. The term of the seat is till November 2026. "Dinesh Sharma has been declared elected unopposed," Assistant Returning Officer Ajit Sharma told PTI. Barring Sharma, no other candidate had filed nomination papers, he said. After being elected unopposed, Sharma, in a statement, expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP national president J P Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, UP BJP chief Bhupendra Chaudhary and BJP's central and state leadership. He added that he will try to live up to the trust reposed in him by the party leadership. "Now the onl

Congress engaged in uniting Bharat, BJP trying to break it: Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday asked why the BJP has triggered the India-Bharat row and accused it of trying to break the country. He asserted that the Congress is engaged in uniting Bharat. If the BJP hates the word India', then why it has named schemes like Startup India', Digital India', Skill India' and Make in India', asked Kharge. He was speaking at Bharose Ka Sammelan', an event organised here in poll-bound Chhattisgarh by the Congress government, at Thekwa village of Rajnandgaon district. Kharge said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should see the work of the Bhupesh Baghel government in the state to know how it can be done in five years. We have formed an alliance INDIA for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and now BJP is saying the country's name India should be changed to Bharat. There is both India and Bharat in the Constitution itself. Then why are they triggering a dispute over it, Kharge said. Kharge said the BJP claims that the Congress is against calling In

India or Bharat? Panic reactions, distraction tactics, says Rahul Gandhi

Gandhi also said such controversies seem to play out every time his party raises concerns of "crony capitalism"

U'khand bypoll: BJP maintains lead in Bageshwar, Dhami congratulates people

The counting of votes for the Bageshwar assembly by-election started today at 8 am in the presence of Election Observer Rajesh Kumar at Degree College Bageshwar

'Full-scale assault' on democratic institutions of India: Rahul Gandhi

There is a "full-scale assault" on the democratic institutions of India and there are concerns in the European Union (EU) quarters over this attempt to stifle the country's democratic structures, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Friday. Interacting with reporters at a media briefing in Brussels, Gandhi, who is on a European tour starting with Belgium, addressed a broad range of topics including the Russia-Ukraine conflict to say that the Opposition agrees with the government's current position on the issue. On India hosting the G20 Summit, Gandhi said it was a good thing and pointed to the lack of an invitation for Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge to the event as reflective of a type of thinking from the government that did not value the leader of 60 per cent of India's population. There is an increase in discrimination and violence in India and there is a full-scale assault on the democratic institutions of our country, that everybody knows, said Gandhi. The BJP has ...

TMC wrests West Bengal's Dhupguri assembly seat from BJP in bypoll

The ruling TMC wrested the Dhupguri assembly seat in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district on Friday from the BJP in a by-election, officials said. TMC candidate Nirmal Chandra Roy, a college professor, won the seat by over 4,000 votes. His nearest rival was BJP's Tapasi Roy, the widow of a CRPF jawan killed in a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir in 2021, they said. CPI(M) candidate Ishwar Chandra Roy, who was backed by the Congress, was at a distant third spot, they added. TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said the people of Dhupguri embraced politics of development over hatred and bigotry. "Saluting every AITC worker for their tireless efforts in connecting with the people. We're committed to leaving no stone unturned in ensuring Dhupguri's all-round development," he posted on X. The counting was held amid tight security at the Jalpaiguri II campus of North Bengal University. The polling for the by-election was held on September 5. A voter turnout of 78 per cent

WB assembly passes resolution to observe Bengali new year as State Day

The West Bengal assembly Thursday passed a resolution by an overwhelming majority to observe 'Poila Baisakh' or Bengali New Year as the State Day, even as the opposition BJP demanded that June 20, 1947when the state's legislature had agreed to partition Bengal be commemorated as foundation day. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who spoke at length to explain the motion said the decision to observe the Bengali New Year, a day when most people in Bengal gift each other new clothes and businesses start a new ledger, said the day would be celebrated irrespective of any approval from the governor with whom she has crossed swords over appointment of university officials. The resolution was passed by an overwhelming 167 members or 73 per cent of those voting and present, favouring it. Sixty-two MLAs of the BJP, who want to observe June 20 as the State Day, voted against it. The lone ISF MLA in the house abstained from the motion. The resolution under Rule 169 was tabled in the assembly, ...

Cong holds marches in Jammu to mark Bharat Jodo Yatra's first anniversary

The Congress on Thursday held marches across the Jammu region to mark the first anniversary of the Kanyakumari-to-Kashmir Bharat Jodo Yatra, carrying forward the "message of love, religious harmony and brotherhood". In Jammu, the main yatra was led by Rajni Patil, the Congress' Jammu and Kashmir in-charge. She was accompanied by the party's Jammu and Kashmir unit chief Vikar Rasool Wani and leader Manoj Yadav. Last year's cross-country march witnessed Rahul Gandhi and several Congress leaders traverse over 4,000 kilometres and interact with a cross-section of society. Gandhi launched the yatra on September 7, 2022, in Kanyakumari. It ended on January 30 this year as Gandhi capped his ambitious 145-day journey in Srinagar. The yatra replicated the Bharat Jodo Yatra and began with Patil hoisting the Tricolour. The march moved from Miran Sahib towards Satwari Chowk amid slogans of "Bharat jodo, nafrat chhodo". Similar yatras were held by all Congress district units, led by senior ...

A Raja likens Sanatan Dharma to HIV; BJP says reflects oppn's 'Hinduphobia'

"Let any number of Stalins come, they cannot eradicate Sanatan Dharma," Eknath Shinde said, talking to the media in Thane after attending Dahi Handi (Janmashtami) celebrations

PM spells out dos and don'ts for ministerial colleagues during G20 meet

Modi spoke on the issues during his interaction with the Union Council of Ministers in which he laid down the dos and don'ts to be observed by them during the upcoming G20 summit

Spell out Parl session's agenda, not keep country in dark: 'INDIA' bloc

Opposition parties of the INDIA alliance on Tuesday demanded that the government maintain transparency and not keep the country in the dark on the agenda of the special session of Parliament from September 18 to 22, even as they called for early passage of the women's reservation bill. Sources said former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi will write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for early passage of the bill in the Lok Sabha during the upcoming session as the same has already been passed by the Rajya Sabha. At a meeting, the opposition parties decided to move together in the upcoming session and also raise the Adani issue. They also decided to hold the first INDIA parties' joint public rally in Madhya Pradesh and the next meeting in Bhopal. The leaders of several opposition parties, who attended the dinner meeting hosted by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge at his residence here, also discussed the strategy to be adopted during the upcoming session. Kharge said the Narendra Modi ...

Around 76% votes turnover till 5 pm in West Bengal's Dhupguri assembly

Around 76 per cent of 2.6 lakh eligible voters exercised their franchise in the by-election to the Dhupguri assembly seat in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district till 5 pm on Tuesday, an official said. Two BJP leaders including an MLA, who are not residents of the constituency, were found in a party office. One of them, the BJP district president, had to leave as he could not show any document allowing him entry into Dhupguri during the voting. "Till 5 pm, 75.82 per cent of votes were cast. Tight security measures are in place and there is an adequate number of forces, the Election Commission official told PTI. All the booths are manned by central paramilitary forces, and the casting of votes will continue till 6.30 pm, he said. Meanwhile, Falakata BJP MLA Dipak Barman and district party president Bapi Goswami were present at an election office in the constituency though they are not residents of Dhupguri. As per the rules, outsiders are not permitted to enter the constituency during

Cong focuses on minority appeasement, Modi govt on welfare of tribals: Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday accused the Congress of resorting to minority appeasement and said the BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in contrast focuses on the welfare of tribals, Dalits, the poor and backward classes. Shah also expressed confidence that his party will win more than 150 seats in the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections, which are due in November this year. He was addressing a public rally during a function organised to flag off the BJP's Jan Ashirwad Yatra', a mass-contact programme, in Mandla of Mahakaushal region. Quoting former PM Manmohan Singh's statement that minorities must have the first claim on resources, Shah said the Congress was too much into appeasement of minorities but the situation changed when Modi became the PM in 2014. After becoming PM, Modi said that his government would work for the welfare of tribals, Dalits, the poor and backward classes who have the right to resources, Shah said. Now, you have to choose between

Will BJP rename Bharat if INDIA bloc rechristens itself 'BHARAT': Kejriwal

Amid a controversy over G20 dinner invites purportedly sent on behalf of the 'President of Bharat', Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday asked a "flustered" BJP whether it would change the name of Bharat if the opposition alliance INDIA rechristens itself Bharat. The Congress on Tuesday alleged that an invite sent by the Narendra Modi government for a G20 dinner refers to the President as "President of Bharat" and not India. "There is no official information about it but I have heard rumours. Why is this happening? Some parties have come together to form the INDIA bloc. If INDIA alliance changes its name to Bharat, will they rename Bharat?" Kejriwal said at a press conference. "This is treason." Kejriwal said the BJP was so disturbed by the opposition alliance that when it was first announced it tried to divert people's attention from it with its 'One nation, One election' proposal. On another controversy DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin triggered with his remarks on Sanata

Bring Bengal's workers back: CM Mamata Banerjee to builders, investors

The proposed Bengal Silicon Valley Tech Hub in New Town, Kolkata, is also expected to attract investment of Rs 30,000 crore

Idea of 'one nation, one election' attack on Indian Union: Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday alleged that the idea of "one nation, one election" is an attack on the Indian Union and all its states. In a post on X, Gandhi said, "INDIA, that is Bharat, is a Union of States." "The idea of 'one nation, one election' is an attack on the Union and all its States," Gandhi said. Gandhi's attack comes after the government set up a high-level committee headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind on the possibility of holding simultaneous elections. Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has already declined to be part of the committee. He has also lamented the exclusion of Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge from the committee. The government has included in the committee Ghulam Nabi Azad, the former leader of the opposition, instead of Kharge. The government on Saturday notified the eight-member committee to examine and make recommendations at the earliest on the issue of holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha,

After 20 yrs, left inches towards pre-poll pact with Congress in Telangana

After a gap of 20 years, the CPI and CPM in Telangana are now inching towards a per-poll alliance with the Congress in the state for the upcoming Assembly polls. The development comes days after Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao-led BRS announced the candidates list of 115 seats out of the total 119, dashing the hopes of the Left parties that were looking to form a pre poll alliance with the ruling party. The communist parties supported the BRS candidate in the Munugode by-election held in November last year. After his party's victory, Rao thanked the CPI and CPM for the association, and said the friendship will continue, in order to keep the surging BJP at bay. Assembly polls in Telangana are scheduled to be held towards the end of the calendar year. According to CPM Telangana secretary Tammineni Veerabhadram, the party has received a call from Manikrao Thakare Congress' Telangana in-charge for discussion on the subject. However, a formal round of talks is yet to take place. Th

Sonia Gandhi admitted to hospital in Delhi due to fever, condition stable

Currently, Sonia Gandhi is under doctors' observation and is currently stable, sources said