Page 543 - Politics
BJP, TMC trade charges over violence during Amit Shah's Kolkata roadshow
BJP and TMC on Wednesday traded charges accusing each other of letting loose violence during Amit Shah's roadshow in Kolkata on Tuesday even as West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took out a 7-km-long protest march in the state capital.The two parties also blamed each other over the vandalisation of the statue of social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar in a college named after him during Shah's roadshow.The day started with the BJP president Shah addressing a press conference in Delhi where he displayed some photos claiming proof of involvement of TMC students wing in the destruction of the statue.He also claimed that the keys to the gate of the college were with the TMC students and that BJP workers had no access to them.The BJP chief also claimed that he would not have been able to escape from the scene of the violence had the CRPF not been deployed.Shah accused the state police and the Election Commission of being a mute spectator."The Election Commission if just a silent
Thailand's oldest political party chooses new leader
Thailand's oldest political party chose an experienced insider as its new leader Wednesday following an abysmal performance in recent elections that led to the resignation of its previous chief. The Democrat Party voted for Jurin Laksanawisit to succeed Abhisit Vejjajiva, a former prime minister who resigned after the March 24 general election. Jurin has served in the Cabinets of two Democrat-led governments, most notably as education minister and public health minister, and has been elected to Parliament 11 times. More a party insider than a charismatic politician, he is not associated with the group of radicals who broke with the party in late 2013 to stage militant anti-government street demonstrations that eventually triggered a military coup in May 2014. Whether he will try to reconcile with the breakaway faction is unclear. Jurin, 63, has been acting leader since Abhisit's resignation. He comes from Phang-nga province in the south, where the Democrats traditionally do best. His .
Campaigning in WB to end tomorrow after EC's unprecedented action
In an unprecedented action, the Election Commission on Wednesday cut short the campaign period in West Bengal by a day for the final phase of Lok Sabha elections in view of the violence during BJP president Amit Shah's roadshow on Tuesday."No election campaigning to be held in nine parliamentary constituencies of West Bengal, namely Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jaynagar, Mathurapur, Jadavpur, Diamond Harbour, South and North Kolkata, from 10 pm tomorrow till the conclusion of polls," Deputy Election Commissioner Chandra Bhushan Kumar told media.Campaigning was originally scheduled to end at 5 pm on Friday for the nine constituencies that will go to polls on May 19.Tensions mounted yesterday after violence erupted during Shah's roadshow when the statue of iconic social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was vandalised in a college named after him.The decision was taken by the EC after the three-member commission held a meeting via video conference with the Chief Electoral Officer of ...
BJP, TMC trade charges on vandalisation of Vidyasagar statue
The vandalisation of a bust of 19th century social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar in Kolkata and subsequent clashes triggered a fierce blame game between the BJP and the Trinamool Congress on Wednesday, days ahead of the last phase of Lok Sabha polls. BJP Chief Amit Shah, at a press conference here, alleged that Mamata Banerjee's TMC was involved in vandalising Vidyasagar's bust and unleashing violence during his roadshow in Kolkata on Tuesday as part of a "conspiracy" to blame the BJP. On its part, the TMC released videos to claim that "BJP goons" damaged the statue and "hurt Bengali pride". The Mamata Banerjee-led party alleged the videos not only establish what the BJP did, but proved that Shah is a "liar" and a "dhokebaaz" (betrayer). The Congress and the CPI(M) too targeted the BJP over the damage to the bust at Vidyasagar College, which was on the route of Shah's rally. A Trinamool Parliamentary team comprising Derek O'Brien, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, Manish Gupta, Nadimul Haque .
EC halts campaigning in Bengal after 10 p.m. Thursday
In an unprecedented decision, the Election Commission on Wednesday ordered that campaigning for the final round of the Lok Sabha polls on Sunday will halt in West Bengal at 10 p.m. on Thursday.
BJP won't be able to prove majority after forming govt: Pawar
NCP chief Sharad Pawar has predicted a 13-day Vajpayee regime-like fate for the BJP if it tries to form the next government after the Lok Sabha poll results are announced on May 23. Pawar also said he does not think the BJP will be able to prove majority in Lok Sabha even if invited to form the new government. Speaking to a Marathi TV channel, he said opposition leaders will come together in Delhi a day or two before the counting of votes and discuss giving a stable government at the Centre. The BJP had emerged as the single largest party in 1996 general polls. On May 16, 1996 Atal Bihari Vajpayee took oath as the prime minister, only to resign 13 days later after he failed to get the majority on the floor of the House. Pawar said this time around, the BJP won't be able to prove majority in the Lok Sabha even if the President invites it to form the government. "He (the President) will give them 10 days, 15 days or three weeks to prove majority inside the House. I don't ..
Cong alleges BJP hand in attack on Aditi Singh
The Congress on Wednesday condemned the attack on its Rae Bareli legislator Aditi Singh, blaming it on what it called the "hired goons" of BJP in Uttar Pradesh. It sought a judicial probe to nail the criminal conspiracy behind the incident. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said the incident shows the true Modi-Shah model of governance in force in UP. He said the attack on Aditi Singh by "BJP goons" exposes the law and order situation in UP under the Yogi Adityanath government. "The Congress demands that the administration and local police take strict action against the culprits and a judicial enquiry ordered which will nail the criminal conspiracy by the BJP goons," he told reporters. "The Congress shall not be deterred by BJP's tactics of threat, violence, intimidation and criminal conspiracies against its leaders or workers. Scared of an imminent defeat at their doorstep, the Bharatiya Janata Party is using the most reprehensible modus operandi to target its political opponents.
DEOs, RO's undergo training on counting votes in EVMs, VVPATs
: District Election Officers and Returning Officers from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Gujarat, Puducherry and Lakshadweep underwent a one day training course here by senior Election Commission officials on the procedure to be followed for counting of votes on EVMs and VVPAT slips. An official release said senior deputy election commissioner Umesh Sinha and his colleagues Sandeep Saxena and Nikhil Kumar trained the DEOs and RO's. Counting of postal ballots was also explained to them. The training also covered the counting of electronically transmitted post ballot system, using the QR codes, it said. Chief Electoral Officer, Tamil Nadu, Satyabrata Sahoo and his Kerala counterpart Teeka Ram Meena, participated in the programme. The participants later visited a model counting centre set up at Anna University campus in the city, the release said. Counting of votes for the Lok Sabha polls, conducted in different phases across country, will be on May 23.
EC curtails West Bengal campaigning after Kolkata violence
The Election Commission on Wednesday ordered campaigning in nine West Bengal constituencies to end at 10 PM on Thursday night, a day before its scheduled deadline, in the wake of violence between BJP and TMC workers in Kolkata. The two paries have traded charges of inciting the violence during BJP president Amit Shah's massive road show in the state capital on Tuesday. During the violence, a bust of Bengali icon Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was vandalised. The Election Commission invoked Article 324 of the Constitution to curtail the campaigning for the last phase of the election on May 19. The EC also ordered the removal of Principal Secretary (Home) and Additional Director General, CID from their postings in West Bengal.
Xi warns against one civilization imposing itself on others
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday warned of disaster if any civilization sought to impose itself on others, calling the idea "stupid" as his country heads for an economic showdown with the US.
No BJP, NDA government after polls: Azad
Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday said that neither the BJP nor the NDA it leads will be able to form a government after the Lok Sabha elections.
A battle between Lalu's family and former aide in Pataliputra
Named after the ancient Indian city that was the seat of power during the rule of the mighty kingdom of Magadh, the Pataliputra Lok Sabha constituency is witnessing yet another contest between a former loyalist of RJD national president Lalu Prasad and his eldest daughter. Although Prasad has dominated the political landscape of Bihar for close to three decades, capturing Pataliputra that came into being after the 2018 delimitation has remained a Sisyphean task for the family that controls the RJD. Altogether 26 candidates are in the fray in the Lok Sabha constituency which comprises six assembly segments. Of these seats, four are held by the Congress-RJD combine while another was won, in the 2015 polls, by the JD (U), which was then an alliance partner but has now realigned with the BJP. The contest, however, is primarily between Ram Kripal Yadav - the sitting BJP MP and a Union minister - and Misa Bharti who had lost to the former five years ago and has entered the ...
BJP activists hold protest against alleged attack on Shah's
BJP activists held a protest here Wednesday against the alleged attack on party president Amit Shah's rally in Kolkata. BJP president in Telangana K Laxman hit out at Trinamool Congress leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, alleging that democracy faced threat in her rule. "Because of the high-handedness, aggressiveness under TMC, doubts are raised whether democracy is there in Bengal. Mamata Banerjee is doing politics by believing in violence, for the sake of power," Laxman told reporters. Political rivals of TMC are not allowed to campaign freely in the state, he alleged. Hindus in Bengal rebelled when their sentiments were hurt and permissions were not given for Durga Puja, he claimed. Hurdles were created whenever Shah visited the state for campaign and violence erupted Tuesday, he claimed. The TMC is unable to digest the growth of BJP in the state, he alleged. Banerjee indulged in personal criticism against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he ...
BJP condemns violence at Shah's rally in WB, hands over representation to Raj Guv
The BJP's Rajasthan unit on Wednesday condemned violence at the party president Amit Shah's election rally in West Bengal and handed over a representation to Governor Kalyan Singh here against the incident. BJP and TMC supporters clashed on the streets of Kolkata on Tuesday, during a massive roadshow of Shah who had to cut short the event mid-way due to the violence. "West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is functioning like this due to her dictatorial attitude. For her, this (fight) is about forthcoming assembly polls in West Bengal, it is not about Lok Sabha elections and she has done wrong," BJP state president Madan Lal Saini said. He said people of West Bengal will give a fitting reply to the violence in the polling on May 19. Saini led the delegation comprising former BJP state president Ashok Parnami, MLA Kalicharan Saraf, Rajya Sabha MP Ramkumar Verma and others, and handed over the representation, which is addressed to the President, to the Governor. Earlier Wednesday, ..
Our PM is very good with publicity: Priyanka Gandhi's latest jibe at Modi
Training guns at Narendra Modi ahead of the last phase of polling, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday asserted that the Prime Minister is "very good with publicity."Addressing an election rally here, Priyanka claimed that Modi's politics does not consist of development but of "publicity" and "lies"."A leader should always say the truth to people. Prime Minister Modi is doing politics based on lies and publicity. There is no development. Our Prime Minister is very good with publicity and his party is rich in both properties and publicity," she added.Comparing her father Rajiv Gandhi to the incumbent Prime Minister, Priyanka said, "I was ten years old when my father became Prime Minister and an MP from Amethi. No one has ever done the amount of development my father did. Modi, on the other hand, only believes in advertising."Priyanka, who is Congress' general secretary in charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh, went on to claim that development in Varanasi was not the same as ..
US orders non-emergency government staff to leave Iraq
The US State Department on Wednesday ordered the departure of non-emergency US government employees from Iraq amid increasing tensions with Iran and warned American citizens not to travel to the country, citing a "high risk for violence and kidnapping".
'Attack on MLA exposes law and order situation in UP'
A day after Congress MLA Aditi Singh was attacked by unidentified men in Uttar Pradesh's Rae Bareli, the Congress on Wednesday hit out at the BJP saying the incident exposes the law and order situation in the state under the Yogi Adityanath government.
Mamata throttling democracy: Trivendra Singh Rawat
Alleging the attack on BJP president Amit Shah's roadshow was carried out at the behest of TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat Wednesday said democracy is being "throttled" in West Bengal as she is "frustrated" at the prospect of defeat. BJP and TMC supporters Tuesday fought pitched battles on the streets of Kolkata during a massive roadshow by Shah, who escaped unhurt but was forced to cut short the jamboree and had to be escorted to safety by police. Both the parties have now engaged in claims and counterclaims over the incident. "As the prospect of defeat looms large, the TMC supremo is frustrated. She seems to have lost all faith in democracy. Whatever is happening in West Bengal amounts to throttling democracy," Rawat said. "The West Bengal administration first refused to grant permission to Yogi Adityanath to campaign at Banerjee's behest. Then our party chief's roadshow was attacked. All the violence is being perpetrated by TMC workers on
Paint my worst picture, won't lodge FIR: Modi tells Mamata
Hitting out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the arrest of state BJP youth wing leader for posting a meme on her, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday asked Banerjee to paint the "worst possible picture" of him, assuring that he will not lodge an FIR against her.
As air fares rise in summer, Qatar Airways asks India to allow additional flights to Doha
As summer air fares rise on high-volume routes connecting major Indian cities with Doha, Qatar Airways Wednesday said it has asked Indian aviation authorities to permit additional flights on such routes on temporary basis. "Our contingency plan is designed to make an additional number of seats available on certain high volume routes (Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore), but only a temporary basis and without formal changes to the current weekly seat capacity entitlement established under the 2009 Qatar-India bilateral aviation framework," said the airline. With Jet Airways shutting down its operations on April 17, there has been sudden reduction in the number of flights connecting Indian cities with Qatar's capital Doha. Consequently, the air fares for the peak summer season have shot up on these routes. "Qatar Airways' temporary contingency plan, which has been formally submitted to the relevant Indian authorities, aims to offer a viable travelling alternative to thousands of Indian ...