Page 588 - Politics

Rahul posts photo of himself 'fixing' chopper

Congress President Rahul Gandhi has posted a picture of himself on Instagram which shows him trying to fix a helicopter.

Constituency profile: Shivraj fights for 'raj', Digvijay for 'garh' in MP's Rajgarh

Madhya Pradesh's former chief ministers Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Digvijay Singh are up against each other in Rajgarh where they are spearheading the electioneering to redeem their 'raj' (rule) and 'garh' (bastion), respectively. The two former CMs have apparently taken the centre stage of the poll battle for the Rajgarh parliamentary seat, which is about 140 km north-west of Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal and located in the Malwa plateau along MP's border with Rajasthan. While Chouhan has staked his reputation to repeat the BJP ticket to his trusted man and sitting MP Rodmal Nagar despite opposition from the cadre, Singh has placed his bet on his trusted aide and local party leader Mona Sustani, the first lady candidate of the area for the electoral race to Delhi. Medicine businessman Alok Kumar, who has seen elections to this seat for three decades, says the candidates in the fray here are secondary to the two former chief ministers. "So, while Shivraj Chouhan is working to ensure ...

Got idea for NYAY scheme from Modi ji's speech: Rahul Gandhi

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said everyone should listen to their opponents and added that it had helped him as his party got the idea for NYAY scheme from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speeches in 2014."We all should listen to the opposition because sometimes it says the correct thing. We listened to Narendra Modi's claim of depositing Rs 15 lakhs in every person's bank account in 2014; he could not fulfil his promises. But we took the idea from there and that is exactly what we are offering under the NYAY scheme," Gandhi said at an election rally here.NYAY is a scheme under which the Congress has promised Rs 72,000 to 5 crore families every year if the party is voted to power.Gandhi also said that Modi ji and other leaders of his party have stopped talking about the 'Acche Din' in the ongoing campaigns for the Lok Sabha 2019 because it never came under BJP's rule."Remember Modiji's Acche Din, he used them in 2014 but he doesn't even mention them nowadays. It is ...

Uneasy calm prevails in Kerala Congress (Mani)

The Kerala Congress (Mani), the third biggest party in the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), is yet to name a new party chief after the death of its founder and chieftain K.M. Mani last month.

Rahul denies poll code violation, urges fair treatment

Congress President Rahul Gandhi has told the Election Commission (EC) that he did not violate the Model Code of Conduct and asked it to maintain a fair, non-discriminatory and non-arbitrary attitude in dealing with complaints.

Did not quit JD(S), was expelled, says Siddaramaiah

Attacked time and again over shifting loyalty from JD(S) to Congress, former chief Minister Siddaramaiah Saturday clarified that he was expelled from that party by former prime minister and its supremo H D Deve Gowda. "They (BJP) ask why Siddaramaiah quit JD(S) and joined Congress. I did not quit JD(S).. I was expelled. You must know the truth.. I was expelled from the JD(S) by Mr Deve Gowda for my AHINDA activities. Now you know, I believe," Siddaramaiah told reporters at Kalaburagi. AHINDA in Kannada stands for minorities, backward castes and Dalits. The senior Congress leader was canvassing for party candidate Subhash Rathod, contesting the bypoll from Chincholi assembly constituency. The Chincholi seat fell vacant after disgruntled Congress MLA Umesh Jadhav resigned from the assembly to join the Bharatiya Janata Party and contested the Lok Sabha election from Gulbarga where he had a direct fight with Congress stalwart Mallikarjun Kharge. The BJP gave ticket to Jadhav's son Avinash

34 officers complete aviation course from CATS, Nashik

Twenty-eight officers were Saturday awarded the coveted 'Aviation Wings' after successfully completing their course at the Combat Army Aviation School (CATS) in Nashik. A CATS press release stated that the 28 officers completed the Combat Aviators Course serial number 31 while another six officers from the Army Aviation Corps were given the 'Aviation Instructors Badges' for successfully completing helicopter instructor course serial number 30. Captain Ankit Malik stood first in the combat aviation course while the helicopter instructor course was topped by Major Prabhpreet Singh, the release added.

Afghanistan: 5 Talibani militants killed in drone strike by US

At least five Talibani terrorists were killed in a drone strike by the US military in Laman area of Afghanistan on Saturday.According to Geo News, two missiles hit a house in the area, killing five militants affiliated with Hafiz Gul Bahadur terror group. The group is a faction of Pakistan's Taliban.A top commander, identified as Asadullah alias Shingri, of the group was among the dead.Last month, US President Donald Trump revoked a policy that asked the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to publish the number of civilians killed from drone strikes.The policy was formulated by the Obama administration in 2016 following the pressure from the international community for more transparency.Last month, the US military also acknowledged that civilians were killed during a strike in Somalia.Amnesty International had accused the US of killing civilians during a drone strike in Somalian in 2018.

Greenhorn sadhvi vs seasoned Singh, Bhopal set for mega fight

The Sangh Parivar's support base in Bhopal will be put to the test Sunday when BJP's Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur - a political novice - take on Congress stalwart Digvijay Singh in what is billed as one of the most interesting fights of this Lok Sabha polls. Hinduism vs Hindutva took centrestage in the poll campaign, putting development issues on the backburner. BJP's choice of Thakur to take on Singh, a former chief minister, has already underscored the saffron party's attempt to bring the Hindutva plank at the centrestage of polls in the high-profile constituency. And Thakur, on her part, has been claiming that she was tortured in police custody when under the UPA was in power at the behest of Singh, whom she has been calling anti-Hindu during her campaign. Arrested in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, Thakur (48) was given a clean chit by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), but the trial court refused to discharge her from the case. The court dropped the charges under the ...

MP: A day after EC notice, Sidhu continues attack on PM

Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu Saturday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was like that new bride who puts on a pretence, rather than actually working, in her marital household. The jibe comes a day after the Election Commission issued notice to Sidhu, a minister in the Congress government in Punjab, for making a derogatory statement about PM Modi and in the process violating the model code of conduct. "Modi is like a new bride who prepares less rotis but clangs her bangles more to show the neighbourhood that she is neck deep in work. I'm asking the PM the umpteenth time to list one achievement of his in his five-year tenure," Sidhu said here. Showing the latest edition of US news magazine 'Time', which has Modi on the cover with the caption 'Divider in Chief', Sidhu said the PM was not just that but also "liar in chief' and "Ambani and Adani's manager in chief". He said Modi's campaign was harping on nationalism as it had nothing to show by way of ...

Cong leaders stage protest against Modi, J-K Guv for their remarks on Rajiv Gandhi

Several leaders of the Jammu and Kashmir Congress Saturday staged a protest here against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Governor Satya Pal Malik for their remarks on former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. "We have assembled here to express our anger over the insult to the former prime minister who laid down his life for the country 28 years ago. It is most unfortunate that the state governor has joined the vilification campaign of BJP and Modi," J-K Congress chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma told reporters. On Thursday, the governor had said in Srinagar that Rajiv Gandhi was not initially corrupt but, under the influence of some people, he got involved in the Bofors corruption case. During a rally in Uttar Pradesh on May 4, Modi had targeted Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, saying, "Your father (Rajiv Gandhi) was termed Mr Clean by his courtiers, but his life ended as 'bhrashtachari' no 1 (corrupt number 1). Besides, Modi on Wednesday accused the Gandhi family of using warship INS Viraat .

Purulia: BJP emerges as force to reckon with as TMC hopes to ride on development to victory

In the villages of Purulia that are awash with summer hues, the orange palash flowers blend with political parties' symbols, even as the BJP's 'lotus' and TMC's 'grass and two flowers' vie for attention -- and political space. With elections in the constituency scheduled for Sunday, the saffron party's lotus appears on the walls of many mud house, side-by-side with the Trinamool Congress' symbol, signifying the BJP's emergence as a force to reckoned with. In some places, the tiger symbol of the All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) makes its presence felt as it roars from the red flags that can be seen from a distance. Following its impressive show in the 2018 panchayat elections in Purulia, the BJP is upbeat about wresting the Lok Sabha seat from the TMC. Left Front constituent AIFB, which held the seat from 1977 to 2011, before losing it to the TMC, is also positive about regaining its lost glory. But TMC candidate Mriganka Mahato is sure she will win from Purulia for the second consecutive

Month after Bashir ouster, Sudan far from civilian rule

One month after ousting veteran president Omar al-Bashir, Sudan's military rulers show no sign of handing power to a civilian administration and talks with protest leaders remain deadlocked. Thousands of protesters remain encamped outside army headquarters in central Khartoum, vowing to force the generals to cede power just as they forced Bashir from office. "We want civilian rule or we will stay here forever," said protester Iman Hussein, a regular at the sit-in which protesters have kept up since April 6. Protesters initially gathered at the army complex to seek the generals' help in ending Bashir's three decades of iron-fisted rule. On April 11, the army toppled Bashir in a palace coup replacing him with a military council formed entirely of generals that has shattered protesters' dreams of a civilian-led transition to democracy. The deepening economic crisis that fuelled the four months of nationwide protests which led to Bashir's ouster shows no sign of abating. Huge queues form .

Jaipur Foot transforming lives around the world: Naidu

Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday praised the iconic Jaipur Foot and said it has transformed the lives of thousands across the world.

Punjab CM slams Modi over Time magazine comment

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday took a dig at Narendra Modi over Time magazine describing the Prime Minister as "India's Divider in Chief" for his brazen attempts to divide India on the basis of caste and religion to further his political ambitions.

Congress accuses AAP of propagating false survey results to voters

Pawan Khera claimed the AAP was using a call centre to make such calls to voters

Police register FIR against youths for disrupting Congress meeting in Dewas

An FIR was lodged against some youths for allegedly disrupting a public meeting chaired by Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu, on Friday.The youth barged into the meeting and started raising slogans of 'PM Modi' and threw away the chairs placed there.The public meeting took place on Friday evening at the local tehsil chowk. The police filed FIR around late night on behest of Congress leader Ejaz Sheikh.The two youths were Lalu Soni and Arpan Upadhyay. A case was also registered against other BJP workers under section 147 and 127 of IPC.Dewas goes to polls in the last phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections on May 19. The counting of votes shall take place on May 23.

My dad paid Rs 6 cr to Kejriwal for ticket, alleges AAP candidate's son

Just a day before polling in Delhi, the son of an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate made a sensational allegation on Saturday, claiming that his father had paid Rs 6 crore to party chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to get the ticket.

Delhi polls: 16 women trying their luck, some just to prove a point

When Delhis 7 Lok Sabha seats go to polls on Sunday, 16 women candidates will be among the 164 people testing their political fortunes.

Opposition's continuing handicap - no leader (Column: Political Circus)

With Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ram Madhav now saying that his party will get a majority of its own in the Lok Sabha and not fall short of the requisite number as he had said earlier, the opposition will probably have to redouble its unity efforts.