Page 532 - Politics
Goa Congress seeks top poll officer's transfer
The Congress on Thursday reiterated its call for the ouster of Goa Chief Electoral Officer Kunal, ahead of the May 19 Panaji Assembly by-election, citing fears that the poll panel and the ruling BJP may create a law and order situation like the one playing out in West Bengal.
Former Kolkata Police chief Rajeev Kumar reports to MHA, day after relieved from duty by EC
Senior IPS officer and former Kolkata Police chief Rajeev Kumar on Thursday reported at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), a day after he was relieved from duty in West Bengal by the Election Commission, officials said. Kumar, who was involved in a face-off with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the agency's investigation in Saradha and Rose Valley chit fund scams, was on Wednesday removed as Additional Director General, CID, in West Bengal for allegedly failing to control the incidents of violence in the state. He was directed to report to the Home Ministry, the cadre controlling authority for the Indian Police Service (IPS) officers, by the Commission, the officials said. In an unprecedented move, the Election Commission had on Wednesday invoked Article 324 and 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 ...
Sadhvi Pragya calls Godse 'deshbhakt', BJP condemns statement
Triggering a new controversy, BJP's Lok Sabha candidate from Bhopal Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur on Thursday called Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse a "deshbhakt" (patriot), triggering an immediate denunciation from her own party.
Encounter breaks out between terrorists, security personnel in Shopian
An encounter broke out between terrorists and security forces in Handew village of Shopian on Thursday, making it the third such incident to be reported in the state today.The gun battle between the two sides is underway.Earlier in the day, a cordon and search operation was launched by security forces in Dalipora area of Pulwama district, in which three Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists and an Indian Army jawan were killed.Meanwhile, another encounter broke out in Kupwara district of North Kashmir..
On May 23 it will be "bye-bye" for Modi, claims Rahul at Bihar
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has carefully avoided speaking on the issue of corruption during campaign, but we have not allowed him to escape, Congress President Rahul Gandhi said Thursday, claiming it will be "bye-bye" for him on May 23. Addressing a rally in the Pataliputra Lok Sabha segment, from where Misa Bharti daughter of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad is in the fray, Gandhi attacked Modi for skirting questions on promises he had made like Rs 15 lakh in bank accounts of all poor and creation of two crore jobs. Asserting that the ruling BJP was headed for a defeat in the Lok Sabha polls, the Congress chief claimed Modi would get a befitting reply from the people angry over his failure to fulfil promises made five years ago when votes in the current elections are counted on May 23. In a veiled attack on the interviews given by the prime minister, including the one to the Bollywood star Akshay Kumar, Gandhi said questions and answers are choreographed to skirt the issue of
India delivers replacement Mi-24 helicopters to Afghanistan
India on Thursday delivered the first pair of replacement Mi-24 attack helicopters to Afghanistan.Indian Ambassador to Afghanistan, Vinay Kumar made the hand over to Afghanistan Defence Minister, Asadullah Khalid, Tolo News reported citing a statement issued by the Indian Embassy in Kabul.India had first delivered the Mi-24 Helicopters to Afghanistan in December 2015.Three countries, including India, Belarus and India, had reportedly inked a trilateral pact to supply the refurbished Mi-24 helicopters in 2018.India has been one of the largest donors of Mi-24 helicopters to Afghanistan and has contributed almost USD three billion as aid to the war-torn country since 2001.Four additional Mi-24 helicopters are expected to help the Afghan forces in their fight against the Taliban in order to end the 18 years of war in Afghanistan.The Taliban has continued their attacks despite engaging in the US-led peace talks and have also refrained to engage in direct talks with the Afghan government.
BJP's schemes attract big headlines but don't materialise: Priyanka Gandhi in UP
Upping the ante ahead of the conclusion of polling in the country, Congress general secretary in charge of Eastern Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday said BJP has "hollow policies" and indulges in publicity."BJP is a party who makes promises but delivers nothing. BJP and its leaders are involved in just publicity and they will make big promises. Their whole publicity is hollow and all policies are hollow," she said at an election rally here.Gandhi lashed out at BJP for providing schemes which attract "big headlines in newspapers" but fail to materialise."You must have heard about BJP slogans over electricity bills where they have claimed that they have reduced them. I went to several villages and two women told me that they were getting bills of 50,000 and 35,000 respectively for a month even though electricity is just coming for 7 to 8 hours," she said.On the penultimate day of election campaigning before 13 seats in Uttar Pradesh go to polls, Priyanka asserted that ...
If Godse is 'nationalist', am proud to be called 'anti-national': Mehbooba Mufti
Former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir and PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday hit out at the BJP and said she takes pride in being termed 'anti-national' if a Hindu fanatic Nathuram Godse, who gunned down the father of the nation, is being hailed as a nationalist."I take pride in being called an anti-national when a Hindu fanatic who gunned down Gandhi ji is hailed as a nationalist," Mufti wrote on her Twitter handle.She also said, "aisi nationalism aur desh bhakti humaray bas ki naheen. Yeh aapko mubarak. (Such kind of nationalism and patriotism are not our cup of tea. Congratulations to you!).Muftis response comes in the wake of BJP's candidate Pragya Singh Thakur's remarks terming Nathuram Godse, the man who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi, as a 'deshbhakt' (patriot).Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdhullah also condemned Pragya's remarks on Godse."If the killer of the father of the nation is a patriot does that make Mahatma Gandhi ...
'My wife will never lie', says Navjot Sidhu on her claim blaming Pb CM over denial of LS ticket
Days after his wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu stirred up a controversy by alleging that Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and senior Congress leader Asha Kumari ensured that she was denied the Lok Sabha ticket from Amritsar, Navjot Singh Sidhu Thursday backed her accusation, saying she would "never lie". "My wife has that much strength and moral authority that she will never lie. This is my answer," Navjot Singh Sidhu, who is Tourism and Culture minister, said when asked about his wife's allegations. On May 14, Congress leader and former MLA Navjot Kaur Sidhu had alleged that it was Amarinder Singh and party's Punjab affairs in-charge Kumari who ensured that she does not get the party ticket from the Amritsar parliamentary constituency. Kaur, who had also been seeking ticket from the Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat, had alleged that the chief minister had claimed that he alone was capable to lead the Congress to victory on 13 parliamentary seats in the state. "Capt Sahab and Asha Kumari think ..
Cong-JDS govt will not collapse after LS polls: Karna Dy CM
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara Thursday asserted that the Congress-JDS coalition government would not collapse even as state BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa claimed hisparty's tally would increase in the assembly after by-polls and Lok Sabha election results. "Kumaraswamy is the Chief Minister, on his behalf as Deputy Chief Minister in this government I'm making this statement that the government will not collapse for any reason" Parameshwara said. Speaking to reports in Kalaburagi, he said, "Not on May 23, 24 or 25.... we will run the government for remaining four years. As promised to the people of the state while taking oath, we will give a good and pro people government in the state." "So government won't fall, even if Yeddyurappa makes 'japa' (chanting about government collapse) another hundred times," he added. Meanwhile, revealing the number game that will emerge in the assembly after bypoll and Lok Sabha election results, Yeddyurappa said, there would ..
CBDT orders transfer posting of 20 principal chief commissioners
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has announced transfer postings of 20 principal chief commissioners of the Income Tax Department.A CBDT official told ANI that Monday's order was issued after seeking the Election Commission's approval.A total of 14 officers were promoted on March 9, a day before the schedule of the Lok Sabha elections was announced and the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) came into effect.Besides, six others currently posted at Patna, Pune, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bhubaneswar and Sikkim have been transferred -- four to New Delhi, one to Kochi and one to Kolkata.The CBDT has asked the Income Tax Department to maximise revenue collection and enlarge the basket of tax-paying people in the country.The taxpayers (direct taxes) base is currently over six crore. The government wants to enhance this base so that more people pay legitimate taxes on their income..
BJP will win 74 plus seats in UP: Ravi Kishan
Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Gorakhpur candidate Ravi Kishan has said that the party will win more than 74 (of the 80) seats in Uttar Pradesh in the Lok Sabha elections.
Modi may visit Kedarnath, Badrinath on May 18-19
After his whirlwind elections tours, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to pay a two-day visit to Kedarnath and Badrinath in Uttarakhand.
Caste arithmetic not major factor in Punjab polls
Caste politics may take centre stage in most north Indian states, but in agrarian Punjab where Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes make up 55 per cent of state's population, it doesn't play any decisive role, say political experts.
Iran to increase uranium, heavy water production: official
Iran is preparing to increase enriched uranium and heavy water production as part of its decision to stop some commitments made under the nuclear deal, an official said Thursday. "The process of increasing the 'capacity and production pace' of enriched uranium and heavy water has started since the day the president (Hassan Rouhani) ordered it," Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman for Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, told the semi-official ISNA news agency. On May 8, Rouhani announced that Iran would stop observing restrictions on stocks of enriched uranium and heavy water agreed under the 2015 nuclear deal with major world powers. He said it was in retaliation for the unilateral US withdrawal last year from the agreement known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and sanctions imposed by Washington on Tehran. Since Rouhani's announcement, Iran has ceased to limit its stocks of heavy water and enriched uranium to 130 tonnes and 300 kilogrammes respectively as agreed under the .
India's soul under attack from Godse's successors, Modi-Shah must apologise: Cong
Congress on Thursday came all guns blazing against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah demanding an "apology" from them after BJP leader Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur hailed Nathuram Godse, the man who murdered Mahatma Gandhi, as a "true patriot".Addressing a press conference here, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala termed the statement made by Thakur an 'attack on India's soul.'"India's soul is again under attack from the successors of Godse, the current ruling dispensation. BJP's leaders are describing Godse as true nationalist and declaring those who sacrificed their lives for the nation like Hemant Karkare as anti-nationals," Surjewala told media here."You have the audacity to commit sacrilege by saying that murderer of Mahatma Gandhi was a martyr. Just because a BJP spokesperson says will not do. Narendra Modi and Amit Shah must apologise to the nation and withdraw her (Sadhvi's) candidature. You cannot hide behind the statement of the person," he ...
PM should apologise over Pragya's remark on Godse: Digvijaya
Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah should apologise over Pragya Singh Thakur's remark that Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse was a "patriot". Malegaon blast accused Pragya Singh Thakur, who is contesting the Bhopal Lok Sabha seat against Digvijaya Singh, Thursday kicked up a row as she called Godse a "patriot". Talking to a news channel at Agar Malwa in Madhya Pradesh, she said, "Nathuram Godse was a 'deshbhakt' (patriot), he is and will remain a 'deshbhakt'..." Condemning her statement, Digvijaya Singh said praising Godse was not patriotism, but an "anti-national" act. "Narendra Modi ji, Amit Shah ji and BJP leaders from Madhya Pradesh should apologise to the country. I condemn the words used against the Father of the Nation. Nathuram Godse was a killer and eulogising him is not patriotism, but an anti-national act," the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister told reporters here. Recently, ...
Ganga Ma will punish you: Mayawati trains guns at BJP
With electioneering at its peak for the last phase of Lok Sabha elections, BSP chief Mayawati on Thursday claimed that the same 'Ganga Ma' who helped BJP win the 2014 Lok Sabha polls will punish the party this time around by ensuring its defeat."BJP will be known for its hatred and divisive politics. It has only cared about rich businessmen and no poor have been benefited from its policies. It has not delivered what it had promised in 2014. Ganga maa helped you (BJP) by ensuring your victory in 2014, but you did not take the benefit of her blessing. This year she will punish you and throw you out," Mayawati said while addressing a joint election rally with SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav.Mayawati went on to say that Congress' "bad policies and rule" led to the emergence of SP and BSP."We all know, Congress remained in power for a long time but due to its bad decision and policies, it was thrown out of Centre. Benefits were not handed down to Dalits during the Congress regime. It was due to ..
Thai English-language daily The Nation to end print edition
The Nation, one of Thailand's two English-language dailies, has announced it will stop publishing its print edition by the end of June but will continue with an online version. The CEO of the Nation Multimedia Group, Somchai Meesaen, said Thursday the newspaper will switch to digital platforms starting July 1 because its profit has declined in the past decade. The Nation was founded in 1971 largely as a progressive alternative to the English-language market-leading Bangkok Post, which was seen as too conservative as pro-democracy activists were struggling against a military dictatorship. The Nation for many years was a gadfly to the more established Post, which survives it, and was rarely financially strong, though it launched a companion television channel in 2000.
Iran's Zarif says 'no possibility' of talks with US: Kyodo
Iran's foreign minister said Thursday there is "no possibility" of negotiations with the United States to reduce spiralling tensions, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported. "No, there is no possibility for negotiations," the news agency cited Mohammad Javad Zarif as telling reporters in Tokyo, where he is meeting with Japanese officials. Kyodo said the comment was in response to a question on whether he would be open to bilateral talks with Washington aimed at easing tensions.