Page 584 - Politics

Trump to US companies: make products at home

Amid rising fears over US-Chinese trade tensions and mounting tariffs, President Donald Trump said Saturday that firms could easily avoid additional costs by producing goods in the United States. "Such an easy way to avoid Tariffs? Make or produce your goods and products in the good old USA. It's very simple!" he said Saturday on Twitter, echoing a similar message he sent Friday -- and even retweeted. Trump had accused Beijing of reneging on its commitments in trade talks and ordered new punitive duties, which took effect Friday, on USD 200 billion worth of Chinese imports, raising them to 25 percent from 10 percent. He then cranked up the heat further, ordering a tariff hike on almost all remaining imports -- USD 300 billion worth, according to US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer -- from the world's second-biggest economy. Those tariffs would not take effect for months, after a period of public comment. The developments came as two days of US-Chinese talks ended Friday with no .

AAP dropped Anna Hazare like 'hot potato' after coming to power: Javadekar

Senior BJP leader Prakash Javadekar Saturday accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of dropping anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare like a "hot potato" after coming to power. A day ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in Delhi, Javadekar showed a purported video of Hazare, in which the activist claimed that Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal after coming to power has not once met him. Hazare, in the video, can also be heard saying that "power and money can make people do anything. Earlier (during the anti-corruption movement) he (Kejriwal) used to say that he will not take salary. His mind has distracted since he got power." The AAP emerged from Hazare's anti-corruption movement in 2011, but when they got power "they dropped Hazare like a hot potato", Javadekar alleged. In late 2012, Kejriwal and a number of other leaders of the movement announced the formation of the AAP to fight the 2013 Delhi assembly elections, but Hazare decided not to join them. Javadekar also sought an ...

Harsimrat alleges disruption in poll rally, slams state police

Union minister and SAD candidate from Bathinda Lok Sabha constituency Harsimrat Kaur BadalSaturday accused the Punjab Police of refusing to take action against miscreants who tried to disrupt her poll rally here. Lashing out at the state police for "working at the behest" of the ruling Congress government, the Akali Dal leader said: "There is a total collapse of law and order in Bathinda." Claiming that her life was "endangered", Harsimrat Kaur Badal said that the Amarinder Singh government had "vitiated" the poll atmosphere in the state by not allowing her to enter Mandi Kalan village in Maur assembly segment on Saturday evening. She also alleged that her supporters in the village were locked up. "In direct contrast the miscreants who were adamant on disturbing my poll meeting were given a free hand and no attempt was made to rein them in," she claimed in a party release here. "All this happened despite prior information given to the Bathinda SSP about the Congress conspiracy to ...

Pakistan bans 11 groups for having links with JuD, JeM terror groups

The Pakistan government has banned 11 Lahore-based organisations for having links with proscribed outifts JeM led by global terrorist Masood Azhar, JuD of 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed and the FIF. Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Azhar was designated as a global terrorist by the United Nations on May 1. The JeM claimed responsibility for the Pulwama suicide attack that killed 40 CRPF soldiers and led to a spike in military tensions between India and Pakistan. Pakistan in February banned Saeed-led Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and its charity wing Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF) amidst intense global pressure to rein in the militant groups. The decision to ban the 11 organisations was taken during a meeting between Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan and Interior Minister Ijaz Shah on Friday. After the February 14 Pulwama attack, in which 40 Indian security personnel were killed by a suicide bomber of the Pakistan-based JeM, Khan had said Islamabad would not spare any .

DEO Leh finds Army probe satisfactory

Following a letter by the Army that said the allegations against some commanding officers asking soldiers for their voting preferences were probed into and found incorrect, sources said.

BJP-Trinamool workers clash in Bengal

Incidents of clashes between Trinamool Congress and BJP activists were reported from parts of West Bengal on Saturday, a day before the penultimate phase of Lok Sabha polls in the state.

24 candidates in fray as Gurugram goes to polls

Over 22 lakh voters will decide the fate of 24 candidates as Gurugram, along with nine other parliamentary constituencies in Haryana, goes to the polls in the sixth phase of Lok Sabha elections on Sunday.

Triangular contest in Delhi as it goes to polls on Sunday

The stage is set as the national capital goes to Lok Sabha polls on Sunday where the incumbent BJP, Delhi's ruling AAP and the Congress are locked in a fight on all seven seats. The Congress is looking to bounce back after ending up at the third spot in the 2014 elections. The lead up to the polls has not been without drama, with allegations and counter-allegations flying, and it had all the trappings of a soap opera that could give the daily shows a run for their money. The high-octane poll campaigning in the national capital ended on Friday but not before it saw a plethora of stars descending here to campaign for their respective parties. If Hema Malini and Sunny Deol provided the Bollywood quotient to the saffron party's campaign, Raj Babbar and Nagma added the star quotient to the Congress. Prakash Raj, Swara Bhaskar and Gul Panag campaigned for the AAP. From Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal being slapped to AAP's East Delhi candidate Atishi breaking down at a press conference over .

BJP candidates 'fooling' people to make Modi win again: Udit Raj

BJP's Lok Sabha candidates are asking for votes only for Narendra Modi and "fooling" the people to make him win again, sitting North West Delhi MP Udit Raj, who recently moved to the Congress from the saffron party, alleged Saturday. They are asking for votes neither for themselves nor for the party, but only for Prime Minister Modi, claimed Raj, who joined the Congress after he was not given a ticket by the BJP. BJP leaders are "fooling the people to make Modi win, which actually means that Modi will win and people will lose", he claimed in a statement, a day before polling in Delhi. "In such a situation, neither the qualification of a candidate nor the future development plan for the people is needed. "The issues of electricity, water, employment, health, education, police, traffic, inflation etc. are the responsibility of the MP, doesn't the public want these facilities or development?" he asked. The seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital go to polls on Sunday. Raj's ...

Even Rahul doesn't know who is Congress' PM candidate: Yogi Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday took a dig at the opposition parties for not declaring their Prime Ministerial candidate, saying even the Congress president Rahul Gandhi does not know who will be his Prime Minister if the party is voted to power."If you ask Congress leaders who are their PM candidate, forget that they will tell you some name. Even their president himself cannot tell who is their PM candidate? Since they know their party is not coming to power, so there is no point in declaring a PM candidate," Yogi said at an election rally here.The UP Chief Minister said that the opposition parties lack leadership and there was a confusion in the SP-BSP-RLD alliance over their candidate for the top job.He said: "The Congress lacks leadership. It has no policies. SP-BSP alliance is no different. You ask a Samajwadi Party leader, he will name Akhilesh Yadav. Ask a Bahujan Samaj Party leader, he will project Mayawati ji.""But if you ask the SP people if they ...

Shah holds roadshow in Patna, Priyanka to follow

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah here on Saturday held a roadshow, a day ahead of voting in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha polls.

Had Jinnah been made PM, partition would not have happened, says BJP LS candidate

BJP's Lok Sabha candidate Guman Singh Damor on Saturday stoked controversy, stating if Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had not insisted to be the first Prime Minister of India and let Mohammad Ali Jinnah occupy the top post, the partition would not have happened."If at the time of India's independence, Jawaharlal Nehru had not been obstinate about being the PM, then the country's partition would not have taken place. Mohammad Ali Jinnah was an advocate and a learned person," said Damor while speaking at an election meeting."If Jinnah would have been made the PM, then the country wouldn't have been divided. The sole responsibility of the partition rests with the Congress," he said.Damor's statement comes at a time when the narrative of the BJP is hinged on national security and anti-Pakistan line, and is likely to ruffle up a political storm in the country, which is undergoing the General Elections.By now, five phases of Lok Sabha elections are over. The sixth phase of polling is taking place .

Former TRS MLA C Kanaka Reddy dies at 63

Former Telangana Rashtra Samithi MLA C Kanaka Reddy died here Saturday following ill-health, TRC sources said. Reddy, 63, represented Malkajgiri constituency in the Assembly during 2014-2018. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, TRS working president K T Rama Rao and other party leaders condoled the death of Reddy, a release from the chief minister's office said.

Dikshit, Kejriwal engage in friendly Twitter banter on poll eve

On the eve of Lok Sabha polls in the national capital, Delhi Congress chief Sheila Dikshit and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal engaged in friendly banter on Twitter over the former's health. Dikshit asked Kejriwal why he is spreading rumours about her health. "Why are you spreading rumours about my health. If you have nothing to do, then come over and have food at my place. You can also see how my health is, have food and also learn to fight elections without spreading rumours," she tweeted in Hindi. A senior Congress leader said Dikshit posted the tweet after learning that volunteers of Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are spreading rumours in northeast Delhi that she is unable to actively take part in campaigning because of her health. Dikshit, a former three-time Delhi chief minister, is contesting the polls from North East Delhi seat. Kejriwal promptly denied having said anything about her health. "When did I say anything about your health? Never. My family has taught me .

Siddaramaiah slams Yeddyurappa for remark on disgruntled MLAs

Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah Saturday hit out at Karnataka BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa for his reported statement that the longevity of the coalition government would depend on the stand taken by about 20 "disgruntled" Congress legislators after the Lok Sabha poll results. Siddaramaiah said the BJP leaders were depressed after their "failed attempt" to topple the Congress-JDS coalition government by luring MLAs with cash and position. "The BJP should first explain from where did they get money. Which is this money? What should we call this black money? Has it been given by Narendra Modi or by Amit Shah or by Yeddyurappa himself?" Siddaramaiah said. Siddaramaiah reminded BJP that destabilising a coalition government by bribing the MLAs was not the opposition job. "Yeddyurappa and BJP have miserably failed in discharging duties as opposition party. This is not the first time Yeddyurappa is making such statements. When there is severe drought situation what is ...

NW Delhi is capital's swing Lok Sabha constituency

Of the seven Lok Sabha seats, the national capital too has its "swing" constituency -- North West Delhi -- that has swung between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since its creation after the delimitation in 2008.

How can I slap PM Modi whose chest is of 56-inch: Mamata

Taking a pot shot at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's '56-inch chest' remark from 2014 general elections campaigning, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said that she would never dare to slap or touch Modi as his chest is of 56-inch.Addressing a public rally here, Banerjee denied saying that she will slap Modi."I did not say that I will slap you (Modi) literally. I said that I will give a slap of democracy. Why would I slap you? If I slap you, my hand will break. Then why should I? Your chest is of 56-inch. How can I slap you? I don't want to slap or touch you," she said.Banerjee responded after Prime Minister Modi said that her slap would be a blessing for him.She had recently accused Modi of lying and said that when he attacked her party for being a "tolabaaz" (toll collector), she wanted to give him a "tight slap of democracy."Hours ahead of a rally in Basirhat, Banerjee addressed a gathering at Dum Dum, where she claimed that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) is not ..

Ahead of polling in Delhi, candidates visit temples, hone booth-level tactics

Ahead of polling on all seven parliamentary constituencies in Delhi on Sunday, the candidates on Saturday started their day by visiting places of worship, relaxed a bit with their family members and were also busy in fine-tuning their final booth-level preparations.

IS claims forming 'province' in India, security agencies junk it

After the Army said it had "eliminated" Ishfaq Sofi of ISJK (Islamic State Jammu and Kashmir), the terror outfit has reportedly claimed to have established a "province" in India, which was rubbished by the Indian security apparatus.

Delhi voters also decide the next central government

In Delhi, which goes to the polls on Sunday, voters have given mandate to one party in all seven seats, eight out of 16 times.