Page 544 - Politics
After Jind episode, Khattar asks CEC if he can stay in poll-bound Chandigarh after campaign ends
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who had to move the high court after election officials refused to grant him permission for overnight halt in Jind on Friday citing the model code of conduct, has now written to the Election Commission asking if he can stay in state capital Chandigarh when it goes to polls on May 19. Stranded due to bad weather, Khattar was allowed to stay at a guest house in Jind only after the Punjab and Haryana High Court conducted a late night hearing on a plea by his aide. Haryana's Advocate General Baldev Raj Mahajan had said earlier that the Jind deputy commissioner, who is also the Returning Officer, had cited the model code of conduct while refusing permission to Khattar and reasoned that after the campaigning is over, ministers and MLAs cannot stay overnight in constituencies except where they are registered voters. Khattar is a registered voter in Karnal, from where he is an MLA. After the peculiar situation on Khattar's stay on Friday, his ...
Mamata orchestrated attack on Amit Shah: Modi
Accusing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of orchestrating the attack on BJP President Amit Shah during his roadshow in Kolkata on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that attempts were being made to terrorise and intimidate the saffron party activists.
Indian envoy presents his credentials to Madagascar president
Abhay Kumar, who has been appointed as India's Ambassador to Madagascar, presented his credentials to President Rajoelina on Wednesday.Kumar, who joined the Indian Foreign Service in 2003, has earlier served in various diplomatic capacities in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kathmandu and Brasilia. He is the 21st Ambassador of India to Madagascar, which has over 18,000 people of Indian origin.Indian bilateral relations with the island nation are emerging strong. President Ram Nath Kovind visited Madagascar in March 2018 during which a bilateral Defence Cooperation agreement was signed.India has extended USD 27.5 million Line of Credit to Madagascar for the development of Agriculture. Also, a Radiotherapy machine worth a million dollars has been installed in Madagascar's capital by India for the treatment of cancer patients.
TMC delegation meets EC, submits proof of BJP's hand in Amit Shah's roadshow violence
A Trinamool Congress (TMC) delegation on Wednesday met the Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday and submitted evidence to show that violence seen during BJP president Amit Shah's Kolkata roadshow on Tuesday was perpetrated by BJP workers.He said that the TMC delegation has handed over the video footage to the Election Commission, which show BJP workers had vandalised the statue of social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar."Today, we showed the video footage to the Election Commission (EC) has proof. Proof one is that everybody who jumped in was BJP because of the colour they were wearing. Proof two is that they were caught on camera breaking that statue," he said.TMC leader Derek O'Brien told media after meeting the EC that "We live in the hope that the people of West Bengal once and for all will overthrow Modi and Shah. The same tricks they used in Gujarat in 2002. They are trying it everywhere. The only difference is in Bengal there is Mamata Banerjee.""We are disappointed and ...
Kolkata: Mamata holds 7-km march to protest roadshow violence
A day after BJP president Amit Shah's roadshow took a violent turn, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee held a march here on Wednesday to protest against the clashes that took place, including vandalisation of social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's bust.With the political temperature soaring in the state, Banerjee and her TMC supporters held a 7 kilometre-long march from Beliaghata to Shyambazar in north Kolkata.Banerjee, clad in her trademark white saree, greeted hundreds of people who thronged the streets during the march which took place amidst heightened security.On Tuesday, clashes broke out after miscreants threw sticks at Shah's convoy.The incident took place on College Street when TMC supporters allegedly began sloganeering. Furious BJP supporters responded by pelting stones and sticks at the Calcutta University gates, resulting in chaos and mayhem.During the clashes, Vidyasagar's bust was allegedly vandalised by BJP workers at Vidyasagar College.While BJP accused .
FIR against Shah a mockery of democracy: Rajnath
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her government of misusing the state machinery to intimidate BJP leaders and workers.
Pak condemns drone strikes on Saudi Arabia's oil facility
Pakistan on Wednesday strongly condemned drone strikes on two oil pumping stations on Saudi Arabia's east-west pipeline and extended full support against any threat to stability and security of the kingdom. Tuesday's drone strikes hit two pumping stations on the kingdom's east-west pipeline, which can carry five million barrels of crude per day and provides a strategic alternative route for Saudi exports if the shipping lane from the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz is closed. Condemning the drone strikes, the Foreign Office said, Pakistan expresses its solidarity with Saudi Arabia and reiterates its full support against any threat to stability and security of the kingdom." The foreign office said that Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and reaffirms its commitment for continued efforts and cooperation with Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the International community for its elimination. Yemen's Huthi rebels claimed responsibility for the strikes and said they
Priyanka's Varanasi roadshow gathers crowds
In a big show of strength in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's constituency, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra started her roadshow here Wednesday evening. Accompanied by Congress candidate for the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat against Modi, Priyanka Gandhi began by garlanding the statue of Madan Mohan Malviya at the gates of the Banaras Hindu University. Priyanka Gandhi and other leaders, including Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, waved at the large crowd as the procession wound its way through Varanasi's roads. Congress workers raised anti-Modi slogans along the route. The Congress show of strength in the temple town comes nearly three weeks after Modi held his own roadshow here, a day before filing his nomination papers. The local unit of the Congress had made elaborate arrangements to pull in the crowds for the roadshow, a party leader said. Like Modi's roadshow, Priyanka Gandhi's event will also end at the Dashashwamedh ghat. She will then offer prayers, first at
Bengal will help BJP cross 300-seat mark: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will cross the 300-seat mark in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections and that the people of Bengal will play a significant role in helping the party achieve the target.
Row erupts in UK over definition of Islamophobia
Police chiefs and Muslim groups in the UK have clashed over a proposed official definition of Islamophobia as part of efforts to tackle anti-Muslim crimes in Britain. The definition, proposed by the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on British Muslims based on wide consultation over the issue, reads: "Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness." But the UK's National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) warned in a statement on Wednesday that the definition may be too broad and cause confusion. "We take all reports of hate crime very seriously and will investigate them thoroughly. However, we have some concerns about the proposed definition of Islamophobia made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims," said NPCC Chair Martin Hewitt. "We are concerned that the definition is too broad as currently drafted, could cause confusion for officers enforcing it and could be used to challenge legitimate free .
TMC behind violence in Bengal, EC 'mute spectator' to poll code violations: Amit Shah
BJP chief Amit Shah Wednesday blamed West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress for violence during his roadshow in Kolkata and accused the Election Commission of "double standards" for remaining a "mute spectator" to rigging and violation of the poll code in the state. He rejected TMC's allegation that BJP workers vandalised a bust of educationist and social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, claiming the regional party was behind it. The countdown to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's days in power will begin on May 23, when general election results will be declared, Shah warned. At a press conference a day after the violence, he said it would have been difficult for him to survive the attack on his convoy but for the security provided by the CRPF, a central police force. "I want to tell the Election Commission that it has become a mute spectator to attempts to rig polls in West Bengal. It should immediately intervene. History-sheeters...are arrested during elections across the country.
AIIMS imposes conditions for holding an event, docs term the order arbitrary and illegal
A section of AIIMS faculty members have termed as "arbitrary and illegal" the administration's imposition of conditions for holding a session to discuss caste discrimination at institutes of higher learning, and said it was an attempt to curb their fundamental rights. The organisers have postponed the event, which was to be held on Monday, in protest and have also sought revocation of the terms. A group of doctors, belonging to the forum AIIMS Front for Social Consciousness, had decided to hold a discussion on the topic "Ambedkar's views on Social Relations: Caste discrimination in Institutions of Higher Learning" and had written to the administration to book a lecture hall for the same. In its reply, the AIIMS registrar issued certain directions for the event to be conducted. "No society/forum/association has been allowed to host or participate in the event. No political discussions should be held. No press/media coverage should be done and no press release should be issued without ..
PTI Exclusive: Pakistan's airspace to remain shut for Indian flights till May 30
Pakistan on Wednesday decided not to lift its airspace ban for Indian flights till May 30, as Islamabad is awaiting the outcome of the Lok Sabha polls in India. Pakistan fully closed its airspace after an Indian Air Force strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror camp in Balakot on February 26. However, Pakistan opened its airspace for all flights except for New Delhi, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur on March 27. "The top officials of defence and aviation ministries held a meeting on Wednesday to reconsider opening its airspace for Indian flights. They decided that Pakistan's airspace will remain banned for the Indian flights till May 30, a senior government official told PTI after the meeting. He said the Civil Aviation Authority has also notified the decision to the airmen. The authority issued a notification (Notam) after the meeting to pilots, advising them of circumstances relating to the state of flying. The official said the government will now consider lifting of the ban on ...
Congress' allies jail commoners in WB for chanting 'Jai Shri Ram': Irani launches veiled jibe at TMC
In a veiled attack at TMC, Union Minister Smriti Irani on Wednesday said that if a common citizen is heard chanting 'Jai Shri Ram', "allies of Congress" will put that individual behind bars."In Himachal Pradesh, you are lucky that when you chant 'Jai Shri Ram', at least you are not arrested. Today in India, there is a state where if a common citizen merely says 'Jai Sri Ram' allies of Congress put that person in jail," she said at a public rally in Palampur, which falls under Kangra Lok Sabha constituency, while campaigning for sitting MP Shanta Kumar.Many top BJP leaders, including Modi and BJP president Amit Shah, have dared West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to arrest them if they chanted 'Jai Shri Ram'.Recently, a video had gone viral on social media where three people were reportedly arrested for chanting 'Jai Shri Ram' when Banerjee's convoy was passing by in West Bengal.Irani said she has never witnessed a situation in India where the president of a political party was .
US orders withdrawal of non-emergency staff from Iraq
The United States on Wednesday ordered all non-emergency government employees to leave Iraq immediately."@StateDept has ordered the departure of non-emergency USG employees from Iraq, both at the Embassy in Baghdad and Consulate in Erbil," the US Embassy in Baghdad tweeted.In a statement, the Embassy said Washington has "limited ability to provide emergency services to the US citizens in Iraq.""Normal visa services at both posts in Iraq and Erbil will be temporarily suspended," it added.The decision came amid reports of rising tensions in the Middle East after the Trump administration warned of potential threats against American forces in the region from Iran or Iranian-backed proxies, the Voice of America reported.Last week, the US deployed an aircraft carrier and nuclear-capable bomber planes to the Persian Gulf, with a Patriot missile battery and an amphibious warship on the way. The Patriot system offers protection from aircraft and missiles, while the warship carries Marines and .
Ground slipping beneath Didi, says Modi who claims Bengal will help BJP win over 300 seats
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in West Bengal today said "the ground is slipping from under the feet" of chief minister Mamata Banerjee whose frustration at the public support for the BJP in the state will help his party form a government with overwhelming majority.The West Bengal Chief Minister is afraid of the Lok Sabha election results and "scared to see her own shadow", Modi said at an election rally here, a day after violence at BJP President Amit Shah's roadshow in Kolkata. A bust of social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was also desecrated and BJP and Trinamool Congress have blamed each other for the violence."The reason for organised attacks on BJP rallies in West Bengal is your fear. Didi, your nervousness and the public support which BJP is getting in the state has assured me that Bengal will ensure that BJP crosses 300 in these elections," Modi said at an election rally here."All the surveys are giving BJP a full majority on its own, but Didi after seeing your frustration
77.46% polling in ZPTC, MPTC elections in Telangana
: The total percentage of votes polled in the three phases of elections held to the mandal parishad territorial constituencies (MPTCs) and zilla parishad territorial constituencies (ZPTCs) in Telangana stood at 77.46 per cent, a senior official said Wednesday. As many as 1,20,86,385 of the total 1,56,02,845 voters exercised their franchise in the polls to the two upper tiers of local bodies. "77.46 per cent of voters turned up for the elections," State Election Commissioner V Nagi Reddy told reporters here. The highest poll percentage was recorded in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district with 87.02 per cent; the lowest was in Vikarabad district at 70.40, he said. The Telangana State Election Commission last month released the election schedule for 5,817 MPTCs and 538 ZPTCs. Unanimous elections had taken place for 158 MPTCs and four ZPTCs. The first phase of polling was held on May 6, the second on May 10 and the third and final phase on Tuesday. A total of 2,426 candidates for ...
Abhinandan's unit dons 'Falcon Slayers' uniform patches to mark F-16 downing
Srinagar based no. 51 squadron of the Indian Air Force, also called "sword arms" is using new shoulder patches which showcases the bravery of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman by calling itself the 'Falcon Slayers' to commemorate the downing of an F-16 belonging to the Pakistani Air Force during an aerial battle on February 27.The squadron, which has a fleet of MiG-21s, also calls itself "AMRAAM dodgers" as its aircrafts evaded four to five AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles fired by PAF F-16 jets.The patch shows a MiG 21 in the foreground and red-coloured F-16 in the background with 'Falcon slayers' written on top and 'AMRAAM dodgers' written at the bottom. The patches have been designed by Saurav Chordia.On February 27, a day after the IAF bombed terrorist camps in Pakistan's Balakot, PAF attempted to carry out an attack on Indian military installations in Jammu and Kashmir. The attack was foiled by the heroics of IAF pilots, who used specific manoeuvres to dodge the multiple AMRAAMs fired ..
Guj promises action over blocking of Dalit wedding processions
In the wake of some incidents of Dalit wedding processions being stopped by some groups in parts of Gujarat recently, the BJP government in the state Wednesday assured to take stern action against such elements. The Congress, however, said that such "hollow promises" by the government fails to provide "justice" to the Dalits. Talking to reporters in Gandhinagar, Minister of State for Home, Pradeepsinh Jadeja, accused the Congress of creating a rift between Dalits and other communities. He was referring to an incident in Lhor village in Mehsana, where some local leaders, including the sarpanch, gave a call of social boycott after a Dalit groom took out his procession riding on a horse two weeks ago. "The Gujarat government is always with the Dalits. They also have the right to take out wedding processions like others. Our government is also concerned about some recent incidents. I want to assure you that stern action will be taken against those who were behind these ...
Saudi Arabia says oil facility attacks target world supplies
Saudi Arabia, the world's top crude exporter, said Wednesday that attacks on two of its tankers and a major pipeline targeted the security of global oil supplies. Drone attacks claimed by Iran-aligned Yemeni rebels shut down one of the kingdom's main oil pipelines on Tuesday, further ratcheting up Gulf tensions after the mysterious sabotage of four ships, two of them Saudi tankers, on Sunday. "The cabinet affirms that these acts of terrorism and sabotage ... do not only target the kingdom but also the security of world oil supplies and the global economy," it said after a meeting chaired by King Salman in the Red Sea city of Jeddah on Tuesday evening. Tuesday's drone strikes hit two pumping stations on the kingdom's east-west pipeline, which can carry five million barrels of crude per day and provides a strategic alternative route for Saudi exports if the shipping lane from the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz is closed. Yemen's Huthi rebels claimed responsibility for the strikes and