Page 555 - Politics

AIMIM chief backs Haasan's remarks on Nathuram Godse

AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi Tuesday came out in support of Makkal Needhi Maiyam founder Kamal Haasan's remarks on Nathuram Godse and asked what else should a person who killed Mahatma Gandhi be called, if not a terrorist. "The one who killed Mahatma Gandhi, whom we regard as Father of the Nation, what do we call him? We call him Mahatma or 'rakshas' (demon)? Call him terrorist or assassin?" he said. "If not calling the person who killed Bapu as terrorist, what else you call him?" he told reporters here. Haasan has said independent India's first "extremist was a Hindu"-- Nathuram Godse who killed Mahatma Gandhi, stoking a controversy with the BJP on Monday asserting that an "assassin" is very different from a terrorist. Asked about criticism against Prime Minister Narendra Modi as to why he talked about late Rajiv Gandhi's visit on warship INS Virat after many years, Owaisi asked why did the 'Canadian citizen' (actor Akshay Kumar) who interviewed Modi go on a ...

BJP fulfilled basic needs, will fulfil aspirations if voted again: Yogi

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said Tuesday the BJP government at the Centre worked to address the basic needs of people in the past five years and it will strive to fulfil their aspirations if voted to power again. He criticised the Samajwadi Party for practising "nepotism" while doing politics in the name of socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia. "A family of one political party accumulated a lot of wealth while doing politics in the name of Lohia who was against nepotism," Adityanath charged. He said BJP's priority is to make India safe and strong with inclusive growth and women empowerment and take the country ahead at the global level. "The party will also put in efforts within the constitutional framework to build a Ram temple in Ayodhya," Adityanath said in Kushinagar district. "Our government during the past five years fulfilled the basic requirements of people and now we have to fulfil their aspirations. BJP will work for women as nothing is possible without them,"

Rahul bats for 'new language' in politics, not of hatred and violence

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday stressed the need to adopt a 'new language' in politics, saying that using hatred and violence against each other is 'bad' for the country."I am pushing for a new language in politics. Let us fight each other brutally on issues. Let's fight hard on ideology. But let's not use hatred and violence against each other. It's bad for (India)," Rahul tweeted.Rahul's tweet assumes significance as political leaders have been launching stinging attacks on their opponents by making tasteless comments against them while electioneering in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had claimed that his father and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and his family had used a naval warship as a 'personal taxi' for a vacation in Lakshadweep in the late 1980s.Prime Minister Modi had even called the late leader as "Bhrashtachari No. 1"Slamming Modi for making such comments against his father, Rahul said in a rally in New Delhi on May .

DMK to be with Congress, unsure of third front

The DMK said on Tuesday that it will stick with the Congress even after the Lok Sabha elections and that this had been conveyed to Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao who favours a non-Congress, non-BJP coalition to govern India.

US to deport over 70 Pakistanis; to arrive on special chartered plane

The US will deport over 70 "illegal" Pakistani nationals and a special chartered plane will bring them back on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said Tuesday. Briefing the National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Qureshi said all these individuals were detained and prosecuted for immigration violations, criminal conduct and other serious charges. "The United States is going to deport over 70 illegal Pakistanis. Pakistan has asked the United States to fulfil legal requirements about the Pakistanis being deported," Geo News quoted Qureshi as saying. "These Pakistanis will return to the country via a special charter plane tomorrow," he said. Qureshi rejected reports of the US imposing visa restrictions on Pakistan but acknowledged that three Pakistani officials have been banned by the Trump administration from travelling to America. "The US has banned visit visa for three officials due to some reasons. These include joint secretary, additional secretary ...

MK in touch with BJP, claims BJP TN President

The BJP's Tamil Nadu President Tamilisai Soundararajan Tuesday claimed DMK was in touch with her party for a possible post-poll tie-up, a statement that received sharp rebuke from M K Stalin, who asked her to prove her statement or quit politics. Soundararajan's remarks in this connection were made before reporters at Tuticorin in the presence of AIADMK leader and Tamil Nadu Food Minister R Kamaraj. BJP and AIADMK had faced the April 18 Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu as allies. The BJP's claim comes a day after TRS supremo and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekara Rao met DMK President Stalin here as part of his outreach to regional parties in his bid to stitch up a federal front, sans the BJP and Congress. Asked about reports of Stalin being in talks with BJP, Soundararajan said "that is true" and laughed. "Because on one side (Stalin allies with) Rahul (Gandhi), Chandrasekhar Rao on the other, and (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi on another side," she said. "All know ...

Indian Navy introduces entrance test for officers direct entry

Indian Navy on Tuesday introduced Indian Navy Entrance Test (INET) for direct entry of officers after graduation."#IndianNavy introduces Indian Navy Entrance Test (Officers) for all graduate entries. INET (Officers) shall be conducted twice a year w.e.f Sep19. University Entry Scheme(UES) & Combined Defence Services (CDS) entries to continue as hitherto," tweeted the Spokesperson of the Indian Navy.INET is a new computer-based entrance test introduced by the Indian Navy which will be conducted twice a year from September 2019 in various centres across the city.The entrance examination will be held along with the University Entry Scheme (UES), Combined Defence Services (CDS), Naval Academy exam and National Defence Academy.

WB govt writes to EC, asks to reconsider decision of not having local officer in charge of QRTs

The West Bengal government on Monday wrote a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Aariz Aftab, asking for the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in the state for 7th phase of Lok Sabha elections. The government further requested him to re-examine the decision of "not having a local officer in charge of Quick Response Teams (QRTs)"."You will agree that the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) are deployed as reinforcements and extra resources in the joint effort for conducting free and fair elections. They need to have with them the local officers who know the locality and the situation, and can communicate with the voters whose democratic rights are to be protected," the letter written by Atri Bhattacharya, Principal Secretary to Government of West Bengal read."I would, therefore, request that the decision for not having a local officer in charge of QRTs be re-examined. I would also most earnestly request that the CAPF officers and personnel be sensitised to the ...

Modi congratulates South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on his re-election

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday congratulated South African president Cyril Ramaphosa on his re-election as the president."Heartiest congratulations and best wishes to President @CyrilRamaphosa on his re-election. India and South Africa are close partners with many shared values and common interests. I am confident that our relationship will continue to grow deeper and stronger," Modi said in a tweet.The South African president was the Chief Guest for India's Republic Day ceremony this year.Cyril Ramaphosa's party African National Congress (ANC) won the general elections, with his party securing the 57.51 per cent votes.Ramaphosa took over as the president of South Africa in February 2018 after the then President Jacob Zuma was forced to resign due to charges of corruption.Incidentally, this is for the first time that ANC has got less than 60 per cent votes in national polls.

Kolkata: BJP alleges posters, flags removed by TMC ahead of Shah's rally

The BJP on Tuesday alleged that its party posters and flags were removed by TMC workers and police ahead of party president Amit Shah's roadshow in the city."Mamata ji's goons and police removed all the posters and flags of our party. They escaped soon after we reached here," BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya told ANI.Since the Lok Sabha elections began on April 10, both BJP and TMC have been at loggerheads in West Bengal.Workers of two parties have repeatedly clashed with each other on polling days.The BJP has alleged TMC of attacking its party workers and their convoys while campaigning in different parts of the state.West Bengal has 42 Lok Sabha seats. While election to 31 parliamentary constituencies has been already held, polling in the remaining eight seats will be held on May 19.Counting of votes will take place on May 23.

Congress failed to get Masood declared as global terrorist: Yogi Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and BJP leader Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday accused the Congress party of failing to get Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar declared as "global terrorist" while in power."Congress could not get Masood Azhar declared as global terrorists. Modiji was able to get him declared as a global terrorist and the process to seize all his properties across the world has been initiated," Adityanath said while addressing an election rally here.The UP Chief Minister further claimed that Masood Azhar's countdown has begun."You will see, Masood Azhar will be killed like a dog just like Osama Bin Laden," the Chief Minister said.Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "tackling terrorism", Yogi said, "Every terrorist in the world knows that if they do something detrimental to the security of India, then Modiji will find him even from beneath the surface of the earth. If you (terrorists) hide in Pakistan, we will kill you inside Pakistan. This is the capability of New ...

IFS trainee officers call on President Ram Nath Kovind

President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday addressed officer trainees of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and urged them as diplomats to bring "strategic thinking" into the centre and help anchor the interests of the country.Officer trainees of the Indian Foreign Service, 2018 batch as well as two officer trainees from the Royal Bhutan Foreign Service, called on the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday at Rashtrapati Bhavan here.Addressing the officer trainees, the President said, "India's role and influence in the international arena is expanding. Geopolitics and geo-economics are drawing Asia to the centre of global power relations. And in this matrix, India has an important role to play - as a driver of global growth and as an influential voice in global governance.""International community has greater appreciation of India and its global standing now. Nations are looking to us for solutions to global challenges - be it climate change, cybersecurity, humanitarian disasters or ..

Cong has 56-inch heart, waived off farm loans of Chouhan's family members too: Rahul Gandhi

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday reiterated his claim that Chief Minister Kamal Nath led Congress government has waived off the loans of family members of the former chief minister and BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan."I will show you clearly, look at these forms. Congress party waived off farm loans of Shivraj Singh Chouhan's family members, but he is telling lies to Madhya Pradesh that farm loans were not waived off," said Gandhi, while addressing an election rally here.Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's '56-inch chest' remark, Gandhi said: "Modi ji has 56-inch chest but the Congress party has a 56-inch heart. The party has waived off loans of thousands of BJP workers.""If we say that the farm loans of people of Madhya Pradesh will be waived off, then it will be done whether Shivraj Singh Chouhan's family members are going to benefit or not. All are ours. We do not hate anyone," he said.Stepping up his attack on PM Modi for allegedly insulting Gandhi family, ..

Priyanka Gandhi's Sundernagar rally cancelled due to bad weather

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's public rally in Himachal Pradesh's Sundernagar district has been cancelled due to bad weather, party leader Anand Sharma said on Tuesday."Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's public rally in Sundernagar has been cancelled as her chopper could not take off from Kangra airport. The IMD had forecast bad weather between Kangra-Sundernagar," Sharma told ANI.The Congress leader further said that the pilot of the chopper has filed a report in the matter.

Asaduddin Owaisi backs Kamal Hassan's Hindu terrorist remark; supports KCR's Federal Front

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday backed actor-politician Kamal Hassan "first Hindu terrorist" remarks and said the person who shot dead the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi, should indeed be called a terrorist."The person who had killed Mahatma Gandhi should be called a terrorist. What else should we call such a person who killed Bapu," Owaisi told reporters here.Owaisi was referring to Haasan's statement on Monday where he called Nathuram Godse, the man who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi, as the first Hindu terrorist in independent India. His statement sparked controversy and drew criticism from BJP leaders and Hindu outfits. The BJP had approached the Election Commission seeking action against the actor-politician for violating the Model Code of Conduct."Those who forget the assassination of the father of the nation do not love him. All those who were involved in the killing of Mahatma Gandhi were terrorists. The enquiry was conducted under Kapur commission and those who ...

Pradhan terms Aiyar's 'Neech Aadmi' remark against PM Modi as uncultured

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday termed former Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's 'Neech Aadmi' (low man) remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi as uncultured.The Congress party distanced itself from the controversy, saying that Aiyar's remark was his personal, and did not reflect the party's view.Talking to ANI, Pradhan said: "Aiyar is very arrogant and has always been a blind supporter of Gandhi family. It was an uncultured remark."Agreed president of Republican Party of India (RPI) Ramdas Athawale: "Aiyar's statement is wrong. It shows the desperation of the Congress party. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has worked for all sections of the society.""The Congress party is unhappy with the fact that a person who belongs to the Other Backward Caste (OBC) has become the Prime Minister of the country," added Athawale.The Congress party's national spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill said that the article only expresses the personal opinion of Aiyar."It is also very imperative ..

LS polls: EC announces holiday in Punjab on May 19

The Election Commission of India (ECI), on Tuesday, announced a holiday on May 19, in view of the Parliamentary Constituency election in Punjab to facilitate voters to exercise their franchise to vote.Chief Electoral Officer of Punjab, S Karuna Raju, said that the employees of the industrial establishment and commercial establishments were entitled to take a paid holiday on the polling day."As per the provisions of Section 135B of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and instructions issued by the ECI, the employees of industrial establishments, commercial establishments, shops and establishments can have a paid holiday on the date of polling in Punjab on May 19," Raju told reporters here.The Punjab Government also issued directions to ensure strict compliance of the guidelines of the Election Commission of India (ECI) concerning observance of the 'Dry Day' period on the polling day of the Parliamentary Constituency poll in the state."As per the guidelines of the ECI, the sale .

Stalin rules out tying up with BJP after elections

However, he significantly added that it will be known only after the counting of votes.Reacting sharply to Tamil Nadu BJP President Tamilisai Soundararajan's claim that DMK was known for changing colours and that it was "establishing contacts" with BJP, Stalin hit back asking her to prove the charge and vowed to quit politics if they proved it.He denied that he has held any meeting with anyone in BJP.The DMK chief also asked her if she and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will quit politcs if they fail to prove the meeting,"I condemn the statement made by BJP State President Tamilisai in the morning today and it's nothing new for the BJP to sow confusion whenever they are set to lose."It is the DMK which proposed Rahul Gandhi's name for the prime minister's post first and it is I who called PM Modi as sadist, fascist and dictator. The BJP, which could not stand my campaign against them, has stooped to this level," he said.Referring to his meeting with Telangana Chief Minister K ...

Ghulam Nabi Azad complaints to CEC against Hry min Manish Grover for 'intimidating' voters in Rohtak

Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad has written to the chief election commissioner seeking appropriate action against Haryana minister Manish Grover for allegedly intimidating voters in Rohtak on May 12, a charge which the BJP leader has vehemently denied. Congress' Rohtak candidate Deepender Singh Hooda, who is seeking re-election for a fourth term, Sunday accused Grover, who is BJP's Rohtak MLA, of intimidating voters by forcibly entering some polling booths. Rohtak along with nine other parliamentary constituencies in Haryana went to polls in the sixth phase of polling on May 12. In his letter to the chief election commissioner on May 13, Azad, who is Congress general secretary in-charge of Haryana, has sought appropriate action against Grover for "illegally sabotaging" the polling. Azad wrote that a delegation of Congress leaders from Rohtak district had brought the matter to his notice. "I was completely taken aback by the brazen misuse of muscle power by Manish Grover, the ..

Mayawati takes exception to roadshows, BJP says she lacks courage to hold them

BSP supremo Mayawati Tuesday attacked rival parties over temple visits and roadshows, prompting the BJP to hit back that she lacked the courage herself to hit the road. At a press conference here, Mayawati said the Election Commission should act against leaders who visited temples while they are banned from campaigning. This was an apparent reference to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath who offered prayers at temples during the three-day electioneering ban on him over his Ali-Bajrang Bali remark. Mayawati demanded that the EC should include the money spent on roadshows and temple visits in the parties' election expenditure. Hours later, the BJP reacted that leaders like her are unable to muster courage to hit the road. "When the BJP was not in power, we took to the streets to register our protest against the then governments and raise various issues, UP BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi told PTI. Now, since we are in power, we interact with the masses through roadshows and ..