Page 597 - Politics
Pope says he may add South Sudan leg onto Africa trip
Pope Francis says he may add a South Sudan leg onto his Africa trip in September if conditions there are "mature." Francis told a visiting nun from Juba on Friday he wants to go to South Sudan as part of his trip but can't promise. He planned to visit South Sudan with the archbishop of Canterbury in 2017, but security conditions prevented it. Recently, Francis hosted the South Sudanese president and opposition leader for a spiritual retreat at the Vatican, where he kissed their feet in pleading for them to make peace. Francis is to visit Madagascar, Mauritius and Mozambique Sept. 4-10. He told the nun he might have time to stop in South Sudan, "and when I say time, it's not about the time on the clock. It's whether the time is mature to go there.
JKPCC hits out at Governor Malik over remark on Rajiv Gandhi
Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president Ghulam Ahmad Mir Friday criticised Governor Satya Pal Malik for his remarks on former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, saying he was misusing his position to "please his boss". "Malik is misusing his position as State Governor in order to please his boss by joining the vilification campaign against Rajiv Gandhi who was martyred for the nation," Mir said in a statement. The Governor on Thursday told reporters here that Rajiv Gandhi was not initially corrupt but, under the influence of some people, he got involved in the Bofors corruption case. Reacting to the comments, Mir said: "Malik has joined the vilification campaign of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi least caring for his position as Governor, which prohibits him from indulging in this kind of malicious campaign against the former Prime Minister who is no more and laid down his life for the nation". The JKPCC chief said the Governor is also aware of the fact that .
Will hang myself if charges are proved: Gambhir on pamphlet row
The BJP's East Delhi Lok Sabha candidate Gautam Gambhir on Friday said that he will hang himself if Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal could prove that the cricketer-turned-politician was behind the distribution of derogatory pamphlets against his rival and AAP candidate Atishi.
Pamphlet row: Happy I wasn't accused of assassinating Gandhi, Kejriwal on BJP's "AAP propaganda" charge
Arvind Kejriwal on Monday cleared the air over post-poll alliance possibilities of Aam Aadmi Party and said they will support anyone who promises full-statehood to Delhi, except Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. He also refuted BJP's allegation of calling the derogatory pamphlets against party leader Atishi as "AAP propaganda" and said he was happy that BJP did not accuse me of getting Mahatma Gandhi assassinated."Everyone believes that no one is getting a full mandate. We will support whoever will be forming the government at the Centre except for Modi ji and Amit Shah, on the promise that Delhi will be given statehood," the Delhi Chief Minister told ANI.Siding with party colleague Atishi over the pamphlet row, Kejriwal said he cannot understand why "BJP can't tolerate achievements made by women". Atishi, the party's East Delhi, has accused her Lok Sabha election opponent Gautam Gambhir of distributing derogatory pamphlets against her."BJP accuses me of staging an attack on myself. BJP ...
Bringing Rajiv Gandhi into picture shows frustration of PM, BJP: Kuldeep Bishnoi
Senior Congress leader in Haryana Kuldeep Bishnoi Friday said by bringing former premier Rajiv Gandhi into the picture, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP have shown how "frustrated" they are. Modi at a rally in Uttar Pradesh last Saturday 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, in a sensational charge, the prime minister Wednesday accused the Gandhi family of using warship INS Viraat as its "personal taxi" when Rajiv Gandhi was the prime minister. Reacting to the comments, Bishnoi, a three-time MLA whose Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) was a BJP ally in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections in the state, told PTI here: "It is very unfortunate the way Mr Modi has spoken about Rajiv ji. It shows his frustration and shows how frustrated the BJP is. They know that people are going to vote them out for their non-performance". "The BJP promised moon to
Prime Ministerial contest now a 'one-horse race': Jaitley
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Friday claimed that the Prime Ministerial contest in the ongoing elections has become a "one-horse race" and exuded confidence that 'Modi mandate' could be larger than in 2014. He further said that with counting of results for general elections only 13 days away, traditional political rivals have started "open or secret parleys" on hopes that Indian voter is not wise and would give an indecisive verdict. "The Prime Ministerial contest is almost becoming a one horse race... The electorate is clear that it wants a five year Government and not a five month one. It is thus confronted with the choice of a Modi vs. Chaos. Obviously, the electorates' wisdom has to be trusted when he makes a choice. The Modi mandate' could be larger than 2014," Jaitley said. The Bharatiya Janata Party achieved an absolute majority with 282 seats out of 543 in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, while Congress got only 44 seats. The ongoing seven phase general elections for the Lok ...
High-pitch campaign for 8 Lok Sabha seats in MP draws to close
The high voltage campaign for the eight Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh, which includes Bhopal constituency where senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh is locked in a battle with BJP nominee and Malegaon blast accused Pragya Singh Thakur, came to an end on Friday evening. Polling for the eight seats- Bhopal, Morena, Bhind (SC), Gwalior, Guna, Sagar, Vidisha and Rajgarh will be held on Sunday from 7 am to 6 pm. This will be the third phase of polling in Madhya Pradesh, with the first and second phases having been held on April 29 and May 6. The last phase will be held on May 19. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi were among the leaders who addressed public meetings for these seats. While seven of these seats were won by the BJP in 2014, the Guna constituency was won by the Congress. Guna, one of the high-profile seats in this phase, would seal the fate of AICC general secretary and Congress candidate Jyotiraditya ...
Campaigning ends in Haryana, two Union ministers in fray
Campaigning ended Friday evening in the 10 Lok Sabha constituencies in Haryana, where two Union ministers are seeking re-election and a former chief minister, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, is trying to make it to the Lower House. The high-voltage electioneering for the May 12 polls saw the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress field a galaxy of stars. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah campaigned in the state even on the last day of electioneering. Modi addressed a rally in Rohtak, considered a stronghold of the Hooda family, where he brought up the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj and Nitin Gadkari have also visited the state where voting will take place over all seats in a single phase. Actor-turned-politician Hema Malini too dropped in for the BJP. For the Congress, party president Rahul Gandhi, general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Raj Babbar and Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu pitched ...
Telangana CM KCR visits Ramanathaswamy temple in Tamil Nadu
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao visited the Ramanathaswamy temple in Rameswaram on Friday.He also visited Dhanushkoti, Ramasetu, Panchamukhi Hanuman and other places at Rameswaram during his trip.Rao recently met his Kerala and Karnataka counterparts CM Pinarayi Vijayan and CM HD Kumaraswamy to discuss the formation of a federal front government post the results of Lok Sabha elections.Rao is trying to convince other regional parties about the possibility of a third front government in the Centre without the BJP and the Congress post the Lok Sabha polls.Rao's Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) which is currently in power in Telangana has a strong chance of winning seats in the Lok Sabha polls.Five of the seven phases of the general elections have concluded in the country. The remaining two phases are scheduled to be held on May 12 and 19. The counting of votes will take place on May 23.
Iran won't hold negotiations with US post sanctions
Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the government in Tehran will not hold negotiations with the US after it imposed new sanctions on Tehran, targeting revenue from its exports of industrial metals, officials said on Friday.
Leadership, roads key issues in Bhiwani, Hisar
Even after his five-year rule at the Centre, Prime Minister Narendra Modi still seems to be a strong force for many voters in Bhiwani-Mahendragarh and Hisar, two of the 10 Lok Sabha constituencies in Haryana going to the polls on May 12. But there are also those who feel his government could have done more.
PM, BJP slam Pitroda over 'hua to hua' remarks on 1984 anti-Sikh riots; he hits back, says words twisted
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday led a fresh BJP offensive on the Congress over its leader Sam Pitroda's "so what" remarks on 1984 anti-Sikh riots, saying it showed the "character and arrogance" of the opposition party. As his remarks kicked up a storm, Pitroda accused the BJP of twisting the three words in Hindi on the riots to "distort facts, divide us(Congress) and hide their failures" and said things of the past are not relevant in this election. Pitroda, a close aide of Rahul Gandhi and Overseas Congress' head, on Thursday said, 'hua to hua' (So what, it happened) about the anti-Sikh riots. He made this remark in response to a question on the riots by a newsman in Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh. The BJP demanded that UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi apologise to the nation while ally Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and his wife and union minister Harsimrat Kaur said the comments were "disgraceful" and reflected the mindset of the ...
Not seen such an "unsuccessful" PM, AP CM hits out at Modi
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he has not seen such an "unsuccessful" PM in independent India. The TDP President, who has intensified efforts for a possible post-poll alliance among like-minded opposition parties to stop the BJP juggernaut, targeted Modi on issues such as demonetisation and Goods and Services Tax. In a series of tweets Thursday, Naidu said, "People have lost confidence in the banking system. ATMs have been made scarecrows. Demonetisation has become a big scandal.They (the government) were unsuccessful in implementation of GST. Rupee slid badly. I have not seen such an unsuccessful PM in the last 72 years of independent India." Naidu also referred to documents reportedly going missing from the office of the Defence Ministry. "In anytime in Indian history, has documents related to national security been lost from Ministry of Defence?" Naidu said in a tweet. Naidu has been strident in ...
No MLA will quit Congress & join BJP, says Siddaramaiah
Asserting that the Congress-JD(S) coalition government will be stable, coordination committee chief and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah Friday said no MLA would leave the grand old party and go with the BJP. "BJP people are lying; no MLA will go with them.... the government that is there will be stable," Siddaramaiah told reporters in Kalburgi district. Alleging that Yeddyurappa has "lust" for power, hesaid "he had to resign in three days as Chief Minister. heshould be ashamed...but still he is claiming repeatedly that hewill become Chief Minister, 20 MLAs will come. From where willthey come?" "No one (is disgruntled in Congress), disgruntled arein the BJP," the CLP leader said and asked whether the BJP would 'buy" their MLAs and where they would get the money for that. questioned, "will BJP buy our MLAs? From where are they getting the money? Siddaramaiah's response came following Yeddyurappa's statement that the longevity of the Congress-JDS coalition government in
Mamata alleges use of hawala route, BJP denies
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Friday alleged that BJP is using the hawala route to transfer money for distribution among the voters and law enforcing agencies are not taking any action in this regard. The money is being transported under Z plus security and is changing hands through the hawala route among the people, she charged at a poll meeting here in support of TMC's Barasat Lok Sabha seat candidate Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar. The BJP has called Banerjee's charge "baseless". "This operation is being carried out by BJP during the night when campaigning is over. It is surprising that no enforcing agency is taking any action. We need to keep a watch on this," The TMC supremo alleged. Banerjee said that a BJP candidate was even caught carrying crores - a reference to the police seizing Rs 1.13 lakh from the vehicle of the saffron party's candidate and former IPS offficer Bharati Ghosh late Thursday night at Pingla area in Bengal's West Midnapore district. BJP, ...
Atishi files complaint in DCW, Sisodia threatens counter-defamation notice
AAP's East Delhi candidate Atishi on Friday complained to the Delhi Commission for Women over an "obscene and derogatory" pamphlet targeting her distributed in the constituency, saying she holds the BJP and her rival from the party Gautam Gambhir directly responsible. Gambhir had rejected the charge and sent a notice to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his deputy Manish Sisodia and Atishi for alleged defamation, demanding that they withdraw the allegation and tender an unconditional apology over the matter Sisodia on Friday threatened to file a counter-suit in the matter and said he would be sending a notice for defamation to him. "We are the ones being defamed, we will file a defamation case against him," he said. Atishi on Thursday broke down while reading the pamphlet against her, that she alleged has been distributed in the constituency at the behest Gambhir, a charge denied by the cricketer-turned-politician. The BJP alleged that the AAP was staging such incidents. Atishi ...
MP LS poll: Cong respects all religions, says C'garh CM
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel Friday accused the BJP of terming the Congress as a party of "minorities" and said his party respected all religions. Baghel was in the city to campaign for senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh who is pitted against the BJP's Pragya Singh Thakur, a Malegaon blast accused currently out on bail, and other party candidates. "The Congress believes in respecting all religions and the party candidate from Bhopal Lok Sabha seat (Digvijaya Singh) for long has been regularly visiting temples. He had even performed the Narmada Yatra by foot," Baghel said. "It is the BJP which has termed the Congress as a party of minorities," Baghel told reporters here. Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah, the Chhattisgarh CM said the ruling party was no longer the one it was under former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and veteran leader LK Advani. He claimed demonetisation and the Goods and Services Tax (GST) had adversely ...
Vajpayee wanted to sack Modi in 2002, Advani stalled it: Sinha
Former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha Friday claimed the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was set to dismiss Narendra Modi, Gujarat Chief Minister at the time, after the 2002 post-Godhra riots, but withheld the decision as Home Minister L K Advani had threatened to resign from the Cabinet on the issue. Speaking at a meet-the-press programme here, the former Union finance minister also dismissed as a non-issue the controversy over the alleged misuse of INS Viraat by former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. "After the communal riots in Gujarat, Atal Bihari Vajpayee had decided that then state chief minister Narendra Modi should resign. "While going to the national executive committee meeting in Goa in 2002, Atal ji had made up his mind that the Gujarat government would be dismissed if Modi ji refused to resign," he claimed. "There was a meeting within the party. According to my information, Advani ji had opposed this (dismissing the Modi government) and he told Atal ji that
BJP, NDA will get more seats, form full majority govt: Modi
Rohtak (Haryana) (India), May 10 (ANI) Commenting for the first time on attempts by regional parties to cobble up an anti-BJP coalition post-poll, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday pooh-poohed their attempts saying the BJP and NDA would get more seats than they have at present and form a "strong, full majority" government.He also said the Congress was "arrogant" and people will drag the party below its current strength of 44 in the Lok Sabha.In an interview to ANI in the midst of his hectic election campaign in Haryana, Modi also spoke of his government's commitment to protect the country from terrorism from whichever route it comes into India."People are saying that BJP will get more seats than it has now. The allies in the NDA will get more seats than now. We will get full majority and give a strong government. We are getting more seats even in places where BJP was not there. We are getting seats from all corners of India. The more they (opposition) abuse me, our victory is ...
HC says authorities to decide on allowing tusker in Pooram
The Kerala High Court Friday refused to interfere in a petition seeking to allow a 54-year-old celebrity jumbo to take part in the state's famous Thrissur Pooram festival next week, saying the authorities concerned should take a decision on the matter. When the plea came up for consideration, Justice Anu Sivaraman said a decision on allowing the tusker named 'Thechikkottukavu Ramachandran', India's tallest captive elephant, to participate in an important ritual related to the Pooram festival has to be taken by the authorities concerned. In their plea, owners of the elephant said they are concerned as district authorities may not permit it to participate in the ritual. With the court refusing to interfere with the matter, an expert committee has to take a call on the issue. It will be chaired by Thrissur district collector and comprising experts, including divisional forest officer and veterinary doctors, Following the high court decision, the Kerala government sought the legal ...