Page 45 - Politics

Rahul Gandhi prone to making baseless, absurd comments: BJP's Trivedi

The BJP on Friday rejected Rahul Gandhi's charge that China has encroached on Indian territory as baseless and absurd, as it asserted that it is the opposition party which has committed "historic, unpardonable crime" in dealings with Beijing. BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi quoted from selected works of first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru to say that his government had sent over 3,500 tonnes of rice in 1952 for the consumption of the Chinese Army which was "starving". He also asked the Congress to release its reported agreement with the Chinese Communist Party when the UPA was in power. Addressing a press conference, he alleged that the decision to send rice for the Chinese Army when India's relations with China had started getting strained was not a mistake but a "historic and unpardonable" crime. Gandhi has a habit of making baseless and absurd comments about China, he said, adding that the former Congress president makes remarks on India, its people and the RSS in a similar

West Bengal govt should implement AB-PMJAY at ground level: Mandaviya

The West Bengal government should implement the central medical insurance scheme AB-PMJAY at the ground level for the benefit of people, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Friday. The central government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is committed to providing quality healthcare services to all citizens of the state, Mandaviya said during his visit to West Bengal. The minister reviewed various programmes delivering health services in the state, including the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY). "The state government should implement Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme at the ground level for benefit to the people of West Bengal. We are taking all necessary steps to ensure that the health services in the state are of the highest quality," he said. During his visit, he reviewed Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres, National TB Elimination Programme, the status of funds released under the National Health Mission (NHM

Special court extends DMK minister Senthil Balaji's remand till Monday

A Special Court trying cases relating to MPs and MLAs of Tamil Nadu on Friday extended the remand of DMK Minister V Senthil Balaji, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) till August 28, 2023. Special Judge Sivakumar, before whom Balaji was produced through video conferencing by the jail authorities, extended the minister's remand to judicial custody till Monday. Directing the jail authorities to produce Senthil Balaji physically before the court, the judge posted to August 28, further hearing of the case. After several rounds of litigation before the courts up to the level of Supreme Court, the Enforcement Directorate had on August 7 taken custody of Balaji for five days and after the completion of the period, it had produced him before Principal Sessions Judge S Alli, who remanded him to judicial custody till August 25. The ED had also filed a charge sheet running to about 3,000 pages before the PSJ on the same day. The PSJ had on August 14 taken the charge sheet on file

INDIA alliance logo to be unveiled at coalition's meet in Mumbai next week

There is a possibility that new political parties, especially from northeast India, will take part in the two-day gathering, said the Rajya Sabha MP

Narco-finance, terror discussed at high-level meet chaired by Amit Shah

Internal security, terrorism, narco-finance and cyber security were some of the key subjects discussed at a high-level security conference chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah here on Thursday. The two-day conference, attended by top security officers, also discussed emerging national security challenges. On the first day of the conference, deliberations were held on various subjects of national security, including trends in terror, narco-financing in India, use of forensic science in investigation, social challenges, emergency preparedness for nuclear and radiological exigencies and cyber security framework, officials said. Inaugurating the conference, Shah said the central government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is committed to ensuring a safe and secure nation by strengthening all aspects of national security mechanism. The home minister reiterated the government's commitment to tackle the menace of drug trafficking, besides other issues related to

Manipur CM, cabinet minister leave for Delhi; likely to meet Amit Shah

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh along with a few of his cabinet colleagues went to New Delhi on Thursday, officials said. During the visit to the national capital, Singh is expected to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss the situation in his state, where ethnic clashes broke out in May, they said. Singh and his colleagues went to Delhi in a chartered flight, and are likely to return to the state at night, they added. Among those accompanying the CM are state ministers Govindas Konthoujam and Sapam Ranjan, officials said.

MP Cabinet expansion on cards, 3 to 4 new members likely to get in

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is expected to expand his cabinet soon, a senior leader of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said on Thursday, an exercise planned just months ahead of assembly polls. Three to four new members are likely to be inducted in the cabinet of Chouhan, whose current term in office started in March 2020, said the BJP leader. The names of ex-ministers Rajendra Shukla -- a Brahmin leader and the MLA from Rewa in the Vindh region and Gaurishankar Bisen -- the legislator from Balaghat in the Mahakoshal region who is chairman of the MP Backward Class Commission, have almost been finalised for induction in the cabinet, he said. Deliberations are on between Chouhan and senior party functionaries over the induction of Rahul Singh Lodhi and former MP minister Jalam Singh --- both from the OBC community who make up more than 45 per cent of Madhya Pradesh's population, said the BJP leader. Lodhi, a first-time MLA from Khargapur in Tikamgarh .

Donald Trump seems inescapable but many Republicans embrace his absence

Donald Trump's decision to skip the first Republican debate may hurt television ratings and put more pressure on the eight contenders who will be on stage. But plenty of rank-and-file conservatives said they were eager to see their options without the former president dominating the conversation. People are just so focused on the circus, said Melissa Watford, a 53-year-old Republican from suburban Atlanta. He's just a distraction. Distraction, distraction, distraction. Watford's husband, Jack, said he would still consider supporting Trump if he wins the nomination, but he described the former president as clickbait and expressed relief that he is yielding the stage Wednesday in Milwaukee. When he's out of the picture, the 61-year-old said, you can actually hear other candidates, actually listen to them. The Watfords represent a notable share of Republican primary voters who, regardless of their feelings about Trump, want the party to wrestle with its identity and choices rather tha

IAS officer Tekam joins BJP, likely to contest from Keshkal seat in C'gargh

IAS officer Neelkanth Tekam who recently resigned from service joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday and is likely to contest the upcoming assembly polls in Chhattisgarh. Tekam joined the party in the presence of the BJP's state in-charge Om Mathur, state unit chief Arun Sao, former chief minister Raman Singh and other senior leaders during a party workers' convention in Keshkal town in Kondagaon district. Tekam, a state-cadre officer who was elevated to the Indian Administrative Service in 2008, had served as Kondagaon collector in the past, and is likely to contest from Keshkal assembly seat in the district. He was the director of treasury and accounts when he applied for voluntary retirement. The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) accepted his resignation on August 17. Asked whether he was going to contest from Keshkal, Tekam told PTI, "If it happens, its impact will be seen in all 12 seats of Bastar as I have worked in all the places of the region. "The

Govt's submission to SC on plea challenging caste survey exposes BJP: JD(U)

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U) on Monday alleged that BJP's "anti-poor, anti-OBC, anti-reservations" stance stood "exposed" with the Centre's submission before the Supreme Court on a petition challenging the state's caste survey. JD(U) national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh 'Lalan', while citing the submission of Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta, also pointed out that "former Attorney General" had appeared as the petitioners' counsel before the Apex Court. "The BJP seeks to project a pro-OBC face for electoral gains. Its boast of Prime Minister Narendra Modi being an ati pichhra (extremely backward class) is a part of this strategy. But its character has been anti-poor, anti-OBC and anti-reservations", Lalan said. "The BJP has always claimed that it is in support of the caste survey, which as the chief minister says, would benefit not just the OBCs but also all sections of the society, including the economically weaker sections. But it has tried to put hurdles befor

Kharge's CWC: Average age 61 yrs, 66% from SCs, OBCs, women, minorities

The average age in the newly-formed 84-member Congress Working Committee under party chief Mallikarjun Kharge is 61 years, with the eldest member being former prime minister Manmohan Singh at 90. The youngest in the CWC is 31-year-old Neeraj Kundan, who is an ex-officio member of the body as the president of the National Students Union of India (NSUI), the students' wing of the party. The Congress has failed to fulfil its promise of having 50 per cent of people below the age of 50 years made in its Udaipur declaration but has maintained 66.6 per cent reservation for SCs, STs, OBCs, minorities and women as promised during its Raipur plenary session. An analysis of the decision-making body of the Congress party reveals that it has 12 members of the Scheduled Castes, four from Scheduled Tribes, 16 from other backward classes, nine among minorities and 15 women, besides 43 general category people. There are 21 'youth' members around the age of 50 years like Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Sachi

Priyanka Gandhi likely to visit violence-hit Manipur soon: Congress leader

Senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is likely to visit violence-hit Manipur and Tripura soon, a party leader said on Monday. Senior Congress MLA of Tripura Sudip Roy Barman said he has already spoken to the her regarding the visit. "I have already spoken to our leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and she is scheduled to visit Manipur and Tripura very soon," he told reporters at the state Congress headquarters here. He said that during her Tripura visit, the Congress leader will visit Tripureswari temple in Gomati district. Roy Barman, who was inducted into the Congress Working Committee (CWC) as a permanent invitee, was felicitated by his supporters at the party office. He is the first Congress leader from Tripura to be inducted into the CWC, the party's top decision-making body. "My inclusion in CWC is not only a matter of personal pride, but also the pride of the Congress leaders and workers who have been fearlessly working in the northeastern state," he said. State Congres

Era of 'corruption and scams' before 2014, now every penny goes to poor: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the era of "corruption and scams" prevailed before 2014 when the rights of the poor and their money were robbed, but now every penny is directly reaching their bank accounts. Citing a NITI Aayog report, Modi said 13.50 crore Indians have come out of BPL (below poverty line) category in five years. The data shows an increasing number of people are paying taxes, which shows their trust that the government is putting their money to good use, he said. The prime minister was virtually addressing the training-cum-orientation programme of newly-appointed teachers at the CM Rise Government Mahatma Gandhi Higher Secondary School in Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal. He said positive news started coming up in the first year of "Amrit Kaal" itself, which shows the increasing prosperity and decreasing poverty. The NITI Aayog report said that 13.50 crore Indians have come out of BPL (below poverty line) category in five years. The number of Income Tax ..

Telangana elections: BRS MLAs face competition for tickets within party

While sitting legislators have asserted that they are confident about re-nomination, names of relatives of the MLAs and other leaders are also coming up for the ticket

Does the BJP really need a new Constitution?

While in the presidential system, like in the US, the executive faces assessment every two years, in the parliamentary system, the executive is, in principle, held accountable on a daily basis

Logo of opposition 'INDIA' bloc likely to be unveiled during Mumbai meet

The logo of opposition INDIA alliance is likely to be unveiled during the front's meeting in Mumbai on August 31 and September 1, sources said on Sunday. Approximately 80 leaders from more than 26 political parties are expected to attend the third meeting of the INDIA alliance in the country's financial capital, they said. At present, 26 parties are part of the grouping and a few more are set to join the alliance during the two-day meeting, the sources added. The logo of INDIA alliance may be unveiled on September 1 before the beginning of the day-long deliberations, according to them. The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, known by its abbreviation INDIA, is an opposition front announced by the leaders of 26 parties to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to challenge the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). This opposition bloc's first meeting was held in Patna in June and the second in Bengaluru last month. The leaders of the

Cong prez Kharge reconstitutes CWC, inducts Sachin Pilot in 39-member list

Tharoor, Pilot, and Tewari, along with several other new appointees, expressed their gratitude to the Congress president and the Gandhi family

Parl panel members seek schedule revision to discuss key criminal law bills

Some members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs which is set to discuss the three key criminal law bills have protested against being asked at "short notice" to participate in meetings to discuss the proposed legislations. At least three members - TMC's Derek O'Brien and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, and Congress leader Digvijay Singh - have written to the committee chairman Brijlal questioning the scheduling of the meetings on August 24, 25 and 26 and demanding that the dates be revised, sources said. The committee is scheduled to discuss the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill, 2023, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita Bill, 2023 and Bharatiya Sakhshya Bill, 2023 that seek to overhaul the Indian criminal justice system by replacing the Indian Penal Code 1860, the Code of Criminal Procedure 1898, and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872. The committee, according to the original schedule, was to meet on August 24 to adopt a draft report on 'Prison-Condition Infrastructure and Reforms

BJP, Cong leaders to visit T'gana, with polls to be held in few months

With the Legislative Assembly elections scheduled to be held in a couple of months, top leaders like Union Home Minister Amit Shah and AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge are expected to visit Telangana this month. Shah is likely to address a public meeting at Khammam on August 27, BJP sources said on Sunday. On August 18, Union Minister and state BJP President G Kishan Reddy had inspected the ground in Khammam where Shah is likely to address the public meeting. Shah was supposed to attend the rally at Khammam in June itself but had to postpone due to severe cyclonic conditions that hit the west coast then. Meanwhile, Kharge would release the party's 'SC, ST Declaration' at a public meeting to be held at Chevella near here on August 26, TPCC spokesperson Mahesh Konagala said. Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and other SC, ST leaders of the party from the state had a meeting with Kharge in Delhi on Sunday in connection with the 'SC, ST Declaration' and

Cong prez Kharge forms new CWC, includes some G23 members in his new team

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday reconstituted the party's top decision-making body, the Congress Working Committee (CWC). While 39 members of the all-important panel are general members, it has 32 permanent invitees, including some in-charges of state and 13 special invitees, including presidents of the Youth Congress, the National Students' Union of India, the Mahila Congress and the Seva Dal as ex-officio members. Shashi Tharoor, anand Sharma and Mukul Wasnik, who were part of the group of 23 leaders that had raised questions on the party's leadership under Sonia Gandhi, are among the general members of the new CWC. Manish Tewari and Veerappa Moily, who were also part of the grouping, have been made permanent invitees. Former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi and Pratibha Singh have also been included in the important panel, according to a Congress statement. Sachin Pilot, who rebelled against the party's government in Rajasthan and was later removed as