Page 535 - Politics
BJP urges EC to take several measures to ensure free and fair polls in West Bengal
Alleging that there is "complete constitutional breakdown of governance" in West Bengal, the BJP on Thursday urged the Election Commission to take a number of measures, including action against criminals and history-sheeters, to ensure free and fair polls in the state. A party delegation, including Union ministers Prakash Javadekar, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Vijay Goel, met the poll panel, a day after it invoked Article 324 of the Constitution to curtail campaigning by a day in West Bengal for the seventh and last phase of the general elections, following violence between BJP and TMC workers in Kolkata. "From the reading of the (EC) order, it can be safely surmised that there is complete constitutional breakdown of governance, and law and order in the state... The denigration of the country's highest constitutional bodies like the EC and the prime minister's office by TMC chief Mamata Banerjee is itself the biggest danger to the India's democratic traditions and its constitution," the .
Decision on NPF's demands will be taken after LS Polls, says Manipur CM
Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh on Thursday said the demands of BJP's ally Naga People's Front (NPF) will be taken up senior party leaders after the Lok Sabha elections conclude.Speaking to ANI, Singh said, "There was an understanding between NPF and BJP during the formation of government in the state. But due to some unavoidable circumstances, the demands of NPF leaders are pending. These will be taken up by senior party leaders in the state after the Lok Sabha elections are over."On being asked about the possibility of a reshuffle in the Manipur government, Singh said, "Right now I cannot say anything about the Manipur government. We are in election mood now. I am here in Delhi for election campaign and I am positive that BJP is coming back in the centre. Modiji is coming back again."In the polls conducted last year for the 60-member Manipur state assembly, the NPF had emerged as the single-largest party with 27 seats, followed by BJP's former ally, the Nationalist Democratic ..
Was, is and will be a 'deshbhakt': Pragya Thakur's praise for Nathuram Godse
BJP's Pragya Singh Thakur on Thursday stoked yet another controversy by terming Nathuram Godse, the man who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi, as a 'deshbhakt' (patriot)."Nathuram Godse was a 'deshbhakt', is a 'deshbhakt' and will remain a 'deshbhakt'," Pragya said when questioned about actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan's remark that India's first terrorist was a Hindu, referring to Godse.The BJP candidate from Bhopal Lok Sabha seat claimed that comments like these by Haasan will dent his electoral prospects."People calling him a terrorist should instead look within, such people will be given a befitting reply in these elections," she said.Haasan, the chief of political outfit Makkal Needhi Maiam, had said, "I am not saying this because many Muslims are here. I am saying this in front of Mahatma Gandhi's statue. The first terrorist in independent India is a Hindu, his name is Nathuram Godse."Pragya Singh Thakur, an accused in the Malegaon blast case, is not new to controversial remarks. .
May under pressure to set her departure date
UK Prime Minister Theresa May will meet senior Conservative MPs later on Thursday who are demanding that she set a date for her departure from Downing Street, the media reported.
Regional parties' govt will be unstable, not last long: Moily
Senior Congress leader M Veerappa Moily Thursday said he does not rule out the possibility of regional parties forming government with the support of a Rahul Gandhi-led alliance, but said such a dispensation would not be stable and not last long. He said the third front experiments in the past with smaller parties heading the government -- whether it was led by V P Singh or Charan Singh or Chandrashekhar -- have been failures. "Any future government will be stable with one national party leading regional parties and the government," Moily told PTI in a telephonic interview, ahead of the declaration of Lok Sabha election results next week. Asked if he does not foresee the possibility of regional parties forming government with the Congress supporting it, the former Union Minister said: "I am not ruling out the possibility but it will not be a strong government. Stability will not be there for the government". He argued that a government would be stable only when it is led by .
NYAY scheme is 'diesel' for 'engine' of Indian economy, says Rahul Gandhi
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said the party's proposed NYAY scheme would prove to be the "diesel" to jump-start the engine of India's economy.Talking about the Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY) scheme, Gandhi, while addressing a poll rally here, said, "NYAY scheme is the diesel for the engine of Indian economy. The Indian economy will jump-start as soon as this diesel will be put into it... The NYAY scheme money will be put in the accounts of five crore women. I know that women use the money wisely."NYAY is a scheme under which the Congress has promised Rs 72,000 to 5 crore families every year if the party is voted to power.In Kushinagar, Gandhi said the NDA-led BJP government's decisions of demonetisation and implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST) caused "large-scale unemployment" in the country. "When Congress government comes to power in 2019, no farmer will be sent to jail for not repaying bank loans, he said.Gandhi said if Congress was voted to power at the Centre,
Modi's attacks on 'mahagatbandhan' betrays his fear: CPI-M
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's persistent attacks on the opposition alliance reveals the real phobia he harbours that a coalition government could replace his rule, the CPI-M has said.
BJP will make sedition law more stringent: Rajnath
Hitting out at the Congress for promising to abolish sedition law in its poll manifesto, Union Minister Rajnath Singh Thursday said the legislation will be made more stringent after BJP returns to power at the Centre. At a rally in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district in support of Ram Swaroop Sharma who is seeking re-election from Mandi Lok Sabha seat, he said Indian economy has become on of the fastest growing economy in the world and the IMF has praised the country for its economic growth. He also claimed that inflation has been controlled during the five years the BJP's rule. If voted to power again, the BJP will make the provisions of sedition law more stringent to check anti-national activities, Singh said, adding India has not acquired even an inch of land of any other country but if any other nation tries to do so, India will prevent it at any cost. In its poll manifesto, the Congress has promised to abolish the provision of sedition in the IPC and review the Armed Forces Special
Omar, Mehbooba hail Mamata for standing against BJP, question EC
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and her predecessor Omar Abdullah have extended support to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is locked in a bitter fight with BJP, while questioning the Election Commission's decision to ban campaigning in the state from 10 PM today.Taking to Twitter, Mufti hailed 'lioness' Mamata for speaking to BJP in the 'language it understands' and wrote, "Finally there's a lioness like Mamata Official who can speak the language BJP understands. Leaders like her, Mayawati and Priyanka Gandhi have shown gumption and stood up to the ruling party. These elections are a watershed moment for women in Indian politics entrenched in patriarchy".She also accused the Election Commission of being biased. "Bengal plunged into chaos and violence on Tuesday. Why did it take ECI 2 days to impose a ban on campaigning? Was it to facilitate PM's rallies? Such brazen bias by a constitutional body proves its subservient to the whims and fancies of .
Majority of Europeans expect EU collapse in 20 years: Poll
A majority of Europeans believe that the EU is likely to collapse within 20 years, despite record support for the bloc, according to a new poll.
Omar backs Mamata, says TMC will sweep polls in WB
National Conference leader Omar Abdullah Thursday said BJP's attempt to "polarise" the electorate in West Bengal will come to nothing as the Trinamool Congress will sweep the Lok Sabha polls in the state. "The BJP can team up with the EC in West Bengal, they can have a tailor-made campaign designed to fragment & polarise the electorate, they can have all their model code violations overlooked. None of it will matter because on the 23rd @MamataOfficial didi will sweep West Bengal," Abdullah said in a tweet, tagging West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister was apparently referring to the violence in Kolkata during BJP president Amit Shah's visit the other day. He was alluding May 23 when the results of Lok Sabha polls would be declared. Other opposition leaders and parties have also supported Banerjee as she protested against the Election Commission's decision to cut short the duration of poll campaign in the state in the wake of the ...
NCP accuses BJP of creating 'Emergency-like' situation
The BJP is deliberately creating an "Emergency-like situation" as it is staring at a defeat in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, the NCP alleged on Thursday, as it attacked the ruling party over the violence in West Bengal. The BJP hit back promptly, accusing the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal of creating the "Emergency-like situation" there by resorting to "repressive" measures. Maharashtra NCP chief Jayant Patil accused the BJP of sponsoring the violence in West Bengal and said it "won't be a surprise" if the saffron party declared Emergency formally. The former state minister alleged that as is the history, the "BJP carries out riots to win elections". "Different evidences prove that the West Bengal violence, was BJP-sponsored. The BJP workers can clearly be seen in a video as desecrating the statue of Pundit Vidyasagar," he said in a tweet in Marathi. "The BJP is deliberately creating an Emergency-like situation as it is staring at its defeat. It won't be a
Petition in Delhi court seeking ECI direction to review political parties' registration connotations
A petition has been filed in the Delhi High Court on Thursday seeking direction to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to review political parties registered with religious, caste, ethnic or linguistic connotations and de-register them if they fail to rename them within three months.The petitioner has also urged the ECI to review the flags of the political parties to ensure that they are not using a flag that is similar to the national flag, and de-register them if they fail to change their flag within three months.The petition filed by senior advocate and BJP leader Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay stated, "Presently there are many political parties such as Hindu Sena, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, Indian Union Muslim League etc. with religious, caste, ethnic, linguistic connotations...In addition, there are political parties including Indian National Congress, which use a flag similar to the national flag, which is against the spirit of Section 123 of the Representation of ...
Saudis accuse Iran of ordering Yemen rebel oil attack
Saudi Arabia's deputy defence minister, Khalid bin Salman, accused Iran Thursday of ordering drone attacks on two of its oil pumping stations that were claimed by Yemen's Huthi rebels. Tuesday's "attack by the Iranian-backed Huthi militias against the two Aramco pumping stations proves that these militias are merely a tool that Iran's regime uses to implement its expansionist agenda in the region," the prince said on Twitter. "The terrorist acts, ordered by the regime in Tehran, and carried out by the Huthis, are tightening the noose around the ongoing political efforts.
Sedition law will be made more stringent: Rajnath
Slamming the Congress over its poll promise of repealing the sedition law if voted to power, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said that the BJP government would make the law even more stringent.
BJP delegation meets EC, seeks action against Mamata
A BJP delegation on Thursday met Election Commission (EC) officials seeking action against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party President Amit Shah "awwal darje ke goonde" (goons of the highest order).
Is polarization helping BJP in West Bengal?
With the Lok Sabha elections being in the last leg, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) of West Bengal has sensed that the BJP has gained ground in the state, possibly at the cost of the Left, due to polarization efforts of the saffron party.
Mamata does not recognize me as PM: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee did not recognize him as her Prime Minister. Instead she treats the Pakistan Prime Minister as her Prime Minister.
Saudi-led raid on Yemen capital kills at least 6: hospital
A Saudi-led coalition air strike on the rebel-held Yemeni capital on Thursday killed at least six people and wounded 10, a doctor said at a Sanaa hospital. The casualties were all brought into the Republican Hospital from the same Sanaa neighbourhood, Dr Mokhtar Mohammed told AFP. The coalition carried out 11 strikes on the capital in all, among 19 across rebel-held territory, the rebels' Al-Masirah television reported.
EC has one set of rules for opposition and another for ruling party: M K Stalin
Launching a scathing attack on the Election Commission of India for cutting short the campaign period in West Bengal, DMK chief M K Stalin on Thursday backed Trinamal Congress saying the EC has one set of rules for the opposition and another for the ruling party."Ban on campaign in nine constituencies in #WestBengal. The EC has one set of rules for the opposition and another for the ruling party. Highly condemnable," he tweeted.This comes after the EC on Wednesday decided to cut short the campaign period in the state after violence was reported during Shah's roadshow in Kolkata.Accusing the BJP of vandalising the statue of the 19th-century social reformer Iswara Chandra Vidyasagar, he further said, "The BJP follows a typical pattern. It vandalised Periyar statue in Tamil Nadu and Iswara Chandra Vidyasagar in West Bengal."A bust of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was vandalised by the BJP workers at Vidyasagar College during the clashes in the state on Tuesday.Elections to 33 seats have ...