Page 522 - Politics
Will bring better scheme than Cong's 'Nyay' if voted to power: Mayawati
BSP chief Mayawati on Friday downplayed the Congress' 'Nyay' scheme and promised to introduce a better one to eradicate poverty from the country if 'Mahagathbandhan' comes to power at the Centre."Like the BJP, the Congress is also making big promises. Its promise to give Rs 6,000 per month to the poor will not help in eradicating poverty. If we get a chance to form government at the Centre, we will make provisions to permanently employ poor people in government and private sectors," Mayawati said at an election rally here.The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister appealed to the people to vote for the SP-BSP-RLD alliance so that it can form the government at the Centre.Attacking the ruling BJP for what she called 'communal, castiest, and RSS-influenced policies," she said the Congress is responsible for the saffron party's rise and its "dictatorial and egoistic rule" rule in most of the states and at the Centre.She said: "Actually the Congress is responsible for the BJP's dictatorial ...
Congress governments kept poll promises in states: Rahul
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday spoke about the promises kept by Congress governments in different states and asserted that his party's ambitious Nyay Yojana would jumpstart the economy when implemented.
Goa Congress slams BJP over failing to protect candidate
Following an attack on Sidharth Kuncalienkar, the BJP candidate for the Panaji Assembly bypolls, Goa Congress President Girish Chodankar on Friday slammed the BJP-led coalition government in the coastal state over its failure to protect its own candidate.
Brussels Jewish Museum attacker transferred to France
The French leader of the 2014 attack at the Jewish Museum in Brussels has been transferred to France in relation to the hostage taking of French journalists in Syria. A French judicial official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to speak publicly on the investigation, said Friday that Mehdi Nemmouche has been transferred to a French prison to face charges of "abduction and illegal sequestration with links to a terrorist enterprise." The charges relate to allegations that he was involved in the kidnapping of four French journalists held in Syria between June 2013 and May 2014. Nemmouche was sentenced last December to life in prison in Belgium on terror charges for shooting dead an Israeli couple and two people working at the museum.
TRS bracing for different post poll scenario ahead of LS results
Ahead of the Lok Sabha election results next week, the TRS is hedging its bets and bracing for different post-poll scenario, as it seemingly keeps its options open. A senior TRS leader also said his party expects the Congress to not cross the 100-seats mark. "If the Congress falls flat and does not cross 100, it does not make sense at all (to join forces with it) as it will not be able to lead (the government)", the leader said. Sources said the TRS response would depend on how the BJP and Congress approach the situation in the event of NDA and UPA falling short of the majority mark. "More importantly, they (BJP and Congress) would want to keep the other out from power," another leader of TRS (Telangana Rashtra Samithi) led by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said. "Right now, the situation is fluid. Let's see how things shape up. We are keeping a close watch," sources said. Rao had been pushing the idea of a federal front of non-Congress, non-BJP federal front of regional ...
Iran urges China, Russia 'concrete action' to save nuclear deal
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Friday urged China and Russia to take "concrete action" to safeguard the 2015 nuclear deal as he warned of a "dangerous" situation amid rising tensions with the US. Tensions have ratcheted up with the US deploying an aircraft carrier group and B-52 bombers to the Gulf last week over alleged threats from Iran. On a visit to Beijing, Zarif said he would talk with Chinese officials about "bilateral ties and the very dangerous issues that are ongoing in our region today", according to a video published on the Iranian foreign ministry website. Washington has deployed more troops in the Gulf, one of the world's most strategic waterways, in what US officials said was a reaction to photographs showing Iran had loaded missiles onto small traditional boats. On Wednesday the US State Department ordered the evacuation of most personnel from the US embassy and consulate in Iraq, fearing an attack by Iranian-directed Shiite militias. Iran on Thursday
TDP demands re-poll in 19 polling centres
With the Election Commission ordering re-poll in five polling booth following a demand of the YSR Congress Party, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) too has demanded re-polling in 19 polling booths in seven constituencies across Andhra Pradesh.
Disciplinary inquiry against Pragya, others on Godse remark: Amit Shah
Distancing from the statements of party leaders Pragya Singh Thakur, Ananth Hegde and Nalin Kumar Kateel calling Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse a "patriot", BJP President Amit Shah on Friday said the party's Disciplinary Committee will inquire into the matter and submit a report within 10 days.
In WB constituencies where campaigning was curtailed, 16 political events affected
Eight major political partes had planned at least 16 events in West Bengal for Friday, the day when campaigning was to actually end in the state for the May 19 Lok Sabha elections. On Wednesday, the Election Commission had ordered campaigning in nine West Bengal constituencies to end at 10 pm on Thursday, a day before its scheduled deadline, in the wake of violence between BJP and TMC workers in Kolkata. The Trinamool Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress, CPI(M), CPI, Bahujan Samaj Party, All-India Forward Block and the Revolutionary Socialist Front had planned a total of 16 events for Friday, according to available data. These events included processions and meetings. On Thursday, The Trinamool Congress, Congress, BJP, BSP, CPI and the CPI(M) had sought permission from poll authorities in West Bengal to hold at least 20 campaigning events, including processions, meetings and 'street corner' meets. Citing planned events, sources in the commission had on Thursday said that the ...
TMC helped BJP to gain ground in Bengal, not CPI(M): Yechury
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury has refuted claims that it was helping the BJP get a foothold in Bengal, and asserted the Left will come out with "surprising results" in the Lok Sabha polls. He said it was the Trinamool Congress which had facilitated the BJP-RSS to gain ground in the state. "It is a blatant lie that CPI(M) workers are helping the BJP. It is a canard spread by the saffron party and the TMC. They are trying to create a narrative that in Bengal, the fight is between the BJP and the Trinamool. This is completely wrong. "I can assure you that the Left will come out with surprising results. Our performance will be like (football legend) Lionel Messi scoring a goal dribbling past his opponents," Yechury said in an interview to a Bengali news channel on Thursday. The senior CPI(M) leader's comments come in the backdrop of allegations by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee that the Left was working towards transfer of its vote share to the BJP in
BJP leaders condemn TIME magazine's portrayal of Modi as divider
Condemning a TIME magazine article which described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as 'divider in chief', BJP leaders in Telangana Friday said the prime minister in reality is a "unifier, integrator and harmoniser". "The press conference is to condemn the article written by a UK citizen, a Pakistani Muslim, on Narendra Modi," Karuna Gopal, BJP national manifesto sub-committee member, told reporters here. BJP takes serious objection to the portrayal of Modi as a "divider" and "communal bigot", she said. A nation-wide protest is being launched against the magazine and the author of the article, she said. The article distorted facts and presented "lopsided, skewed information about India, its development parameters, Narendra Modi's focus," she said. The timing of the article is totally objectionable, she added. "Don't you think this article is going to influence the electoral outcome?" she said. Modi is not a divider and is, in fact, a "unifier, harmoniser and an integrator," Gopal ...
On last day of poll campaigning, Priyanka holds roadshow in UP's Kushinagar
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday held a roadshow in Uttar Pradesh's Kushinagar Lok Sabha constituency on the last day of poll campaigning.Priyanka, sitting atop a black car along with Congress candidate from Kushinagar seat, RPN Singh, waved to the crowd and shook hands while urging people to vote on May 19.Singh is contesting against BJP's Vijay Kumar Dubey from Kushinagar seat, where polling will be held in the seventh and the final phase of the Lok Sabha election on Sunday.Earlier today, Priyanka also held a roadshow in Mirzapur while campaigning for Congress leader from the constituency, Lalitesh Pati Tripathi.While addressing the crowd, Priyanka said that it would have been great if they had chosen legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan as the Prime Minister."You have chosen the greatest actor as Prime Minister. It would have been better if you had made Amitabh Bachchan as Prime Minister, anyhow they did not do anything for you," she said candidly.The election ...
Naveen fit candidate to be PM: BJD leader
Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Vice President and Minister Surya Narayan Patro on Friday said Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is fit to be the Prime Minister of the country.
Kumaraswamy's statements not to be taken seriously: Mallikarjun Kharge
Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday said that Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy's remarks regarding him not being made CM was being taken out of context."Kumaraswamy's statements were said in a particular context during the elections. It should not be taken seriously," Kharge told ANI.Kumaraswamy in a veiled jibe at the Congress party had said on Tuesday, "Mallikarjun Kharge should have become the Chief Minister long ago. I feel that injustice has happened with him. I would like to clearly state that, even I feel that, Kharge has not been given recognition for all the work he has done."Kharge on Friday also condemned the statements made by BJP MPs Navin Kateel, Anantkumar Hegde and BJP leader Pragya Singh Thakur on Nathuram Godse and added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah duo were supporting them."Leaders like Kateel do not know that such statements can lead to violence. This type of statement is condemnable. Modi and Shah are supporting .
Brexit talks collapse as UK Opposition blames 'weak' Theresa May
A day after British Prime Minister Theresa May was forced to set a June timeline for her exit from Downing Street, the Opposition Labour Party ended the cross-party Brexit talks on Friday without arriving at any agreement. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn wrote to May to declare an end to the process, blaming the "weakness and instability" of her government as a leadership contest gets underway within the ruling Conservative Party. "The increasing weakness and instability of your government means there cannot be confidence in securing whatever might be agreed between us," Corbyn wrote. "As you have been setting out your decision to stand down and Cabinet ministers are competing to succeed you, the position of the government has become ever more unstable and its authority eroded," he noted. Stressing that his party had conducted the exercise in "good faith" and that some constructive effort had gone into finding a possible consensus, there has been growing concern within the Opposition ...
Campaigning for seventh phase of Lok Sabha elections ends
Campaigning in the bitterly-fought high-stakes Lok Sabha elections, in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a second term, came to an end this evening with parties making claims about their victory ahead of polling in 59 constituencies spread over six states and one union territory on May 19.In West Bengal, campaigning in the last nine constituencies ended on Thursday night after the Election Commission cut short electioneering by a day in the wake of violence during BJP president Amit Shah's road show on Tuesday.The seventh and final phase will cover 13 seats in Uttar Pradesh; all 13 in Punjab, nine in West Bengal, eight each in Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, all four constituencies in Himachal Pradesh, three in Jharkhand and the lone seat of Chandigarh. A total of 918 candidates are in the fray to test their destiny in the last phase.Those whose fortunes will be decided in the final phase are Modi in Varanasi, former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal (Ferozepur), his ..
'Can be differences in ideology but PM's post must be respected': Krishna Bose
There can be differences in ideology but one should respect the prime minister's post, former TMC MP and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's kin Krishna Bose said, amid a war of words between Narendra Modi and Mamata Banerjee. The octogenarian said Modi, too, should not forget that state governments are elected and have powers. "I may not agree with the ideology of the BJP but as long as Narendra Modi is the elected prime minister of the country, I have to be respectful towards him. I will respect him as the PM of the country but not as the head of a political party with whom I do not agree," Bose told PTI in an interview. Referring to Modi's "speed-breaker didi" jibe at Banerjee and her "expiry prime minister" retort, the former four-time Lok Sabha MP said the remarks were absolutely unnecessary. "I do not take it only as a part of a speech of an election campaign saying who is a speed breaker or who is not a prime minister at all. It is much more serious than that... But I do not think ...
Can't forgive Pragya for insulting Bapu: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said he will never forgive BJP's Lok Sabha candidate from Bhopal Pragya Singh Thakur and others for glorifying Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse as "deshbhakt" (patriot).
Navjot Kaur Sidhu blames Amarinder, Asha Kumari for denial of LS ticket from Amritsar
Congress leader Navjot Kaur Sidhu on Friday blamed Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and party's Punjab affairs in-charge Asha Kumari for denial of ticket to her from Amritsar Lok Sabha seat."I was denied Amritsar seat by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and Asha Kumari, citing that Dussehra incident has hampered my image. Amritsar is my home seat. I and my husband have worked hard to develop the region," she told ANI."It was not fair to tell me to go to Bhatinda where I do not know anyone. I do not know about a single booth worker there. I do not know about the infrastructure of the region," she said.The Congress leader said that apart from Amritsar, she wanted to contest from Anandpur Sahib Lok Sabha constituency because of Kartarpur corridor factor. "I was also thinking about contesting from Anandpur Sahib because of Kartapur corridor factor. Sikhs wanted me to contest from there, but then I thought if I live in Amritsar, then why not to contest from there," she ...
BJP and TMC like offering voters two kinds of poison: Brinda Karat
"Whatever the brand, poison kills," says CPI(M) Politbureau member Brinda Karat, warning people in West Bengal against voting for either the BJP or the state's ruling TMC. With the saffron party making inroads into the state and the fear that Left votes are getting transferred to it enmasse, Karat tried to explain the vacuum created by the Left in a state it ruled for 34 years. "You can't think that you can taste this poison or that. The TMC's policies have led to great discontent among the people of Bengal against the party. The BJP is using its central-state powers and huge money to claim that it's the only alternative here. It is like offering people two choices of poison - BJP and TMC," Karat told PTI in a recent interview. Sitting in the CPI(M) office in Belpahari, once a Maoist stronghold, around 200 km from Kolkata, she warned the electorate to not vote for either the Trinamool Congress or the Bharatiya Janata Party and said, "Whatever the brand, poison kills." Discussing the ..