Page 542 - Politics
BJP delegation meets Vice President over attack on Shah
A BJP delegation on Wednesday met Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu and demanded that a report should be sought from the West Bengal government and action taken for attack on its President Amit Shah during his roadshow in Kolkata on Tuesday.
Priyanka holds road show in Varanasi
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi on Wednesday held a mega road show here along an almost the same route that Prime Minister Narendra Modis road show had followed on April 25.
Priyanka Gandhi holds roadshow in Varanasi
Congress' general secretary in charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday held a mega roadshow in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Lok Sabha constituency, Varanasi.Priyanka was joined by Congress' Varanasi Lok Sabha candidate Ajay Rai and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. She was seen waving to locals lined up on the streets in large numbers as her convoy passed through the city.Before the commencement of the roadshow, Priyanka paid tribute to Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya by garlanding his statue at the gate of Banaras Hindu University.This comes almost three weeks after Prime Minister Modi held a roadshow and performed Ganga aarti in Varanasi a day before filing his nomination for the ongoing polls.The Prime Minister also began the roadshow after paying tributes to Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya's statue outside Banaras Hindu University. The rally, spanning over six kilometres, passed through Lanka and Madanpura areas of the city and came to an end at the ...
BJP alleges 'conspiracy' by TMC to eliminate Amit Shah
BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain on Wednesday alleged that the violence during a road show by Amit Shah in Kolkata was a conspiracy by the Trinamool Congress to eliminate the BJP chief. "TMC hatched a conspiracy to eliminate Amit Shah. Had CRPF jawans not saved him, he would have been eliminated," the BJP spokesperson told reporters here. BJP and TMC supporters clashed on the streets of Kolkata during a massive road show on Tuesday of Shah who had to cut short the event mid-way due to the violence. The violence apparently began after suspected TMC supporters hurled stones at the BJP convoy from inside the hostel of Vidyasagar College. Furious BJP workers retaliated and during the clash a bust of polymath and philosopher Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar inside the campus was damaged. The BJP and the TMC on Wednesday blamed each other for the incident. At a press conference in Delhi, Shah said it would have been difficult for him to survive the attack on his convoy but for the security of Central .
Priyanka slams UP govt over alleged attack on Rae Bareli MLA, Cong seeks judicial probe
A day after an alleged attack on Rae Bareli MLA Aditi Singh, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called it an assault on democracy while a party delegation met Governor Ram Naik, demanding a judicial probe. The Congress has alleged that the MLA was on her way to oversee the voting for a no-confidence motion against zila panchayat chairman Avadhesh Pratap Singh, who is the brother of BJP's Lok Sabha candidate Dinesh Singh. "This is an attack on democracy. Nothing of this sort has ever happened in Rae Bareli. Country-made weapons, bricks and lathis were used in the attack. Zila panchayat members were dragged from their vehicles," Priyanka Gandhi alleged. In Lucknow, a delegation led by UP Congress chief Raj Babbar sought a judicial probe into the alleged attack. Priyanka Gandhi claimed that one of the zila panchayat members was run over by a vehicle. "What kind of democracy is this? It is the BJP government in the state when such incidents are taking place while the entire ...
Britain's May ridiculed over government staff food bank
The leader of Britain's main opposition party ridiculed Theresa May's embattled government Wednesday over revelations that it had set up an emergency food bank for the cleaners in one of its ministries. The Sunday Times discovered that the assistance programme was hurriedly but quietly established to help mitigate a "payroll blunder" involving a services contractor that began in March. The newspaper published an email sent to one government business department's staff saying that some cleaners were "unable to travel to work as they have no money for bus fares". Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn seized on the story during May's weekly question-and-answer session in parliament. "Can the prime minister tell us what is going wrong in modern Britain that a government office in the centre of London has a food bank for some of its very low-paid staff to get something to eat?" Corbyn demanded. "Is this a government for the many or in the pockets of an elite few?" May fought back by noting ...
Considering BJP request to shut offshore casinos: Goa CM
With casinos emerging as a key issue in the Panaji bypoll, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday said that his government was considering a state BJP proposal to shut down offshore casinos operating in the coastal state.
Democracy has turned to Goondacracy in West Bengal : Modi
A day after the violence during Amit Shah's roadshow in Kolkata, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a broadside against Mamata Banerjee Wednesday saying that democracy has turned to "goondacracy" in West Bengal. Banerjee, he alleged, had created a state of Emergency in the state and said her government is out to destroy everything in the state. Only people's conviction and courage will evict her "torturous rule", he told election rallies at Taki on the Indo-Bangla border in North 24 Parganas district and at Diamond Harbour in South 24 Parganas district ahead of the last phase of polls. The days of the "bua-bhatija" government in the state are numbered going by the mood of the people and help BJP win the majority of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state, Modi said. The prime minister was referring to Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, who is considered the number two in TMC and is seeking re-election from Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha seat. "Everybody has the ...
PM Modi hits out at Mamata, says her nephew's office will be locked up after May 23
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday hit out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her 'anarchist behaviour' in the state and said her nephew Abhishek Banerjee's office will be 'locked' up soon after the results of Lok Sabha polls."After election results, Didi's nephew office will be locked. I was told that his office, as per Trinamool Congress (TMC) tradition, was built after occupying the public road. Didi, your party has earned a lot by tolabaaji (extortion), at least do not occupy public roads for the construction of nephew's office," said Modi at an election rally here.Abhishek Banerjee is the sitting MP of the Diamond Harbour parliamentary constituency in south 24 Parganas District.Prime Minister Modi also cornered TMC supremo for violence, during BJP chief Amit Shah's roadshow in Kolkata."The whole country has seen what happened in Kolkata yesterday. Didi's administration and goons tried its best to harm BJP's roadshows in the city. But people of Kolkata have .
Kamal Haasan reiterates Hindu terror remark
Days after creating a row with his Hindu terrorist remark, Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) founder Kamal Haasan reiterated on Wednesday that independent India's first extremist was a Hindu.
Modi should have taken Manmohan's advice before demonetisation: Rahul
Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi Wednesday contrasted Manmohan Singh who led the UPA government and Narendra Modi, saying the prime minister wouldn't have destroyed the economy if he had taken advice from his predecessor. Modi used to make fun of Manmohan Singh. But after five years now, Modi ji does not make fun of Manmohan ji. Today the country is making fun of him, Gandhi said at an election rally here. Accusing Modi of destroying the economy with his two decisions, he said had the PM taken the advice of Manmohan Singh he would not have rolled out demonetisation and the Goods and Services Tax (GST). Gandhi referred to it as the Gabbar Singh Tax. He claimed that the former PM had rightly predicted a fall of two percentage points in the country's GDP due to demonetisation. The Congress leader targeted Modi for likening the country's economy under the Manmohan Singh as sleeping elephant, and asked where he was when the hard-working Punjab farmers ushered in the green ...
BJP concerned about people, Sonia about son's PMship: Gadkari
Union minister Nitin Gadkari Wednesday said while the BJP is concerned about resolving the people's woes, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi is worried about how her son and Congress president Rahul Gandhi becomes the prime minister. He was addressing a rally at Alirajpur under Ratlam Jhabua Lok Sabha seat in Madhya Pradesh. "We are worried about how people should get power, farmers get right price for their produce, but Sonia ji is worried that how Rahul should become the prime minister," he said. "In Congress, a prime minister is born to a prime minister, a chief minister to a chief minister, an MP to an MP and an MLA is born to an MLA. There is no existence of a common woker in that party," he said. Warning Pakistan over cross-border terrorism, he said India will be forced to take a tough decision of stopping its share of water from three common rivers. Addressing a rally in Manwar under Dhar Lok Sabha seat earlier, Gadkari said although only 30 per cent of the Ganga river
Mamata attacks Modi, calls Amit Shah 'unimportant'
Calling the vandalism of Bengali social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's bust as "BJP's pre-planned conspiracy", West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said the Prime Minister lacked "shame" while negating the allegations against his party.
In unprecedented action, EC curtails West Bengal campaigning after Kolkata violence
In first such action in India's electoral history, the Election Commission on Wednesday 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. In a hurriedly-convened press conference, Deputy Election Commissioner Chandra Bhushan Kumar said it was for the first time that such an action has been taken using constitutional powers of the poll panel. The Election Commission (EC) also ordered the removal of Principal Secretary (Home) Atri Bhattacharya and Additional Director General, CID, Rajiv Kumar from their postings in West Bengal. The EC's action came a day after parts of Kolkata witnessed wide-spread violence during BJP president Amit Shah's massive road show in Kolkata. A bust of 19th century Bengali icon Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was also vandalised during the violence, "This is for the first time such a measure has been taken using the EC's ...
In a first, EC orders curtailment of campaign in Bengal, removes 2 top officials
In an unprecedented step, the Election Commission on Wednesday ordered end to poll campaign from 10 p.m. on Thursday in West Bengals remaining 9 Lok Sabha constituencies which go to the polls on May 19, cutting it short by a day in view of the widespread violence witnessed in the state.
Cong rebel MLA's meeting with colleague fuels speculations
A meeting between rebel Congress legislator Ramesh Jarkiholi and his close confidant and law maker Mahesh Kumathalli on Wednesday created flutters within the grand old party with speculation about them quitting the party once again coming to the fore. Ramesh Jarkiholi, who has been hobnobbing with the BJP for some time now, has threatened that he along with other MLAs would soon resign en masse from the Congress, which had caused fear among the ruling coalition leaders as it would trigger thenumbers game in the assembly. However, there were reports about Ramesh beingdeserted in his attempt to mobilise Congress MLAs to resign,as several legislators considered close to him like Shrimant Patil of Kagawad and Mahesh Kumathalli and B Nagendra ofBellary have pledged their loyalty to the party. But the Wednesday meeting between Jarkiholi and Kumathalli has rekindled the speculation that the MLAs are still together and working out a strategy post the Lok Sabha election results .
Vandalism of Vidyasagar's bust shows BJP's pseudo-nationalism: Chandrababu Naidu
A day after the bust of polymath Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was vandalised in Kolkata during BJP chief Amit Shah's roadshow, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday claimed that the incident is an indication of the party's "pseudo-nationalism."Naidu took to Twitter to condemn the violence that erupted in Kolkata yesterday and said the agitation was a representation of BJP's "true colours.""Strongly condemn the violence perpetrated by the BJP and its workers yesterday in Kolkata. After desperately trying to destabilise the state government of West Bengal through CBI, ED and IT, they are now resorting to direct violence which shows their true colours," Naidu's tweet read."Vandalising the statue of a great reformer like Sri Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar is an indication of the pseudo-nationalism practised by the BJP. This incident underlines the need for all the opposition parties to stand united against the destructive tactics of Amit Shah-led BJP," he said in another .
SAD accuses Rahul Gandhi of politicising desecration incidents
Rahul Gandhi's visit to Bargari on Wednesday evoked a sharp reaction from the Shiromani Akali Dal which accused the Congress of politicising the sensitive issue of desecration of religious scriptures to "divert people's attention from zero performance of Amarinder Singh government. Bargari had witnessed the first incident of desecration of the holy 'Guru Granth Sahib' in 2015. Addressing a rally there, Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday raised the issue and promised strict action against those involved. The visit of Rahul Gandhi at Bargari is the saddest day in the history of Sikh religion as the perpetrator of genocide and demolishing of Akal Takht has come wearing a mask of falsehood to portray sympathy, Akali leaders Bikram Singh Majithia and Manjinder Singh Sirsa said in a statement here. Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal accused Gandhi of committing sacrilege by visiting Bargari village to politicize the grave issue. The Akali leader said she has "prayed to the almighty that divine ...
SP-BSP-RLD alliance in UP will wipe out BJP in last phase of LS polls: Akhilesh
Claiming that BJP is "afraid" of the SP-BSP-RLD alliance in Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav Wednesday said the combine would "wipe out" the saffron party completely in the Lok Sabha election's last phase of polling to be held on May 19. Thirteen of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh will go to polls in the last phase. "The BJP is afraid of our alliance. Till the sixth phase, people have discarded the saffron party, and in the seventh phase they will be completely wiped out as people are supporting our alliance which is for social justice, farmers and the poor," Yadav said. Addressing a joint election rally in Mau with BSP supremo Mayawati, he alleged that the BJP governments both at the Centre and Uttar Pradesh have been a "failure" and a new India would be formed when the alliance "gives a new prime minister" to the country. BSP chief Mayawati said, "People are fed up with the BJP government's anti-people policies and they will throw them out of the power. ...
Rahul to hold roadshow, address rally in Patna on Thursday
Congress President Rahul Gandhi will campaign in Patna on Thursday for party candidate Shatrughan Sinha and RJD's Misa Bharti. Gandhi will address a rally in Vikram at 3.30 pm for Bharti, Congress's Bihar unit in-charge Shakti Singh Gohil told reporters. At 4.30 pm, his roadshow for Sinha will start from Moinul Haque Stadium in Rajendra Nagar and will culminate at 'T' point of Nala Road, he added. While, Sinha is fighting the elections from Patna Sahib, Bharti, the eldest daughter of RJD chief Lalu Prasad, has been fielded in the Pataliputra Lok Sabha seat. The RJD and the Congress are fighting the elections together as part of an opposition grand alliance in Bihar. BJP chief Amit Shah also held a roadshow in the city on May 11.