Page 606 - Politics
Modi has no moral right to seek votes from people of Punjab: Amarinder
A day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's election rally in Punjab, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said Thursday the BJP leader has "no moral right" to ask for votes from the people of the state. The PM will address his first rally in Punjab in this Lok Sabha polls on Friday at Hoshiarpur. "Modi has no moral right to ask for votes in Punjab, for which he had done absolutely nothing and whose people he had left to fend for themselves," Singh said at a rally here. "The Modi government did nothing for Punjab or its people in the last two years and two months since the Congress government took over in the state," the chief minister said. He asserted that his government was left to fend for itself despite the "massive debt legacy" left behind by the previous BJP-SAD government. Not only has the state gone ahead with its promised farm loan waiver scheme but also expanded the primary health insurance cover to 42 lakh families, the chief minister said. Describing Modi as a "self-obsessed ...
BJP denied Parrikar's son ticket because of 'family raj'
Former Defence Minister late Manohar Parrikar's son Utpal Parrikar may have been denied a ticket for the May 19 Panaji Assembly bypoll because of constant bombardment by the media over dynasty politics, state BJP spokesperson and Panchayat Minister Mauvin Godinho said on Thursday.
Congress too moves SC demanding fresh poll in West Tripura
The Congress in Tripura said it filed a petition in the Supreme Court on Thursday seeking fresh election in the entire West Tripura Lok Sabha seat, where polling was allegedly rigged by the ruling BJP. The Congress' move came a day after the state CPI(M) filed a similar petition in the apex court. The two parties took the legal step after the Election Commission ordered that repoll will be held in 168 out of the 1,679 polling stations of West Tripura seat on May 12. The Left party Thursday claimed that announcement of repoll in so many polling stations in a single constituency is "political defeat" for the BJP. Polling in the constituency was held on April 11 and the CPI(M) and the Congress had demanded repoll in the entire constituency, alleging large-scale rigging by the BJP. "Our petition was filed in the Supreme Court today. Senior party leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi will fight the case," state Congress vice-president Tapas Dey told PTI here. CPI(M)'s West Tripura ...
Delhi polls: Campaigning to end Friday evening with 48-hour silence period
High-octane, high octave electoral campaigns in Delhi will come to a standstill on Friday evening ahead of the Lok Sabha poll here on May 12, which is largely being seen as a three-way contest among the BJP, the Congress and the AAP. All three major parties in the capital have stepped up political heat against their opponents at the fag end, bringing in a fare share of controversies. The latest row being the allegation levelled by East Delhi AAP candidate Atishi on Thursday, who read out a pamphlet containing "obscene and derogatory" remarks against her that she claimed has been distributed in the constituency by her BJP rival Gautam Gambhir. The cricketer-turned-politician making his debut in politics, vehemently denied the charge, saying he will quit the race if the allegation was proved right, and that he will file a defamation suit against the leaders of the Arvind Kejriwal-led party. Ever since the final list of candidates were announced in April, all parties have been ...
US-China trade tensions 'threat to the global economy': IMF
Trade tensions and the exchange of tariffs between the United States and China pose a "threat to the global economy", the International Monetary Fund warned on Thursday. Renewed tensions between the two economic superpowers were hanging over the negotiations that were set to resume later Thursday and IMF spokesman Gerry Rice renewed the call for a "speedy resolution". "Clearly tensions between the United States and China in the trade sphere are a threat to the global economy," Rice told reporters. "As we have said before, everybody loses in a protracted trade conflict." The US-China talks seemed on the verge of collapse this week after President Donald Trump said he would more than double punitive tariffs on USD 200 billion in Chinese goods starting Friday, accusing Beijing of backtracking on commitments made during the year-long negotiations. Beijing denied the charge on Thursday and warned of unspecified retaliation should the new 25 per cent duties take effect. Nevertheless, Vice ..
US aircraft carrier passes Suez Canal on Iran deployment
American aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln passed through the Suez Canal Thursday, Egyptian authorities said, as a US strike group heads towards the Gulf amid rising tensions between Washington and Tehran. US President Donald Trump's national security advisor John Bolton on Sunday announced the deployment of an aircraft strike group and bomber task force in a "clear and unmistakable" message to Iran that it would respond to any attack on the US or its allies. To reach the Gulf, the carrier must pass through the strategically vital Suez Canal which connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea. General Ralph Groover, the US defence attache in Cairo, commended Egyptian authorities for ensuring the vessel's "complete safety" during its passage, according to a statement from the canal's Port Authority. A senior official from the authority, who preferred to remain anonymous, confirmed to AFP that the carrier had passed through the canal "smoothly". "We have nothing to do with (its) ...
Viraat row: Cong alleges Modi demeaning office of PM, spreading 'lies' due to 'imminent defeat'
The war of words between the Congress and the BJP turned shriller on Wednesday as the opposition party hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi after he accused Rajiv Gandhi of using warship INS Viraat as a "personal taxi" for a family holiday, saying he is spreading "canards and lies" due to "imminent defeat". Seeking to turn the tables on Modi, the Congress accused him of misusing IAF aircraft for his poll campaign. The opposition party addressed three press conferences during the day to rebut Modi's allegations and cited statements of three former Navy Vice Admirals, who claimed that then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was on an official visit to Lakshadweep when he also visited INS Viraat. They also claimed that there was no foreigner on board the Naval warship. The party charged Modi with being a "serial liar", dubbed him a "Master of Dis-Iinformation" and his party as "Bahut Jhooth Party" (BJP), and said he is "demeaning" the office of the Prime Minister. "Lies, propaganda and ...
Punjab CM questions Modi over his audacity in seeking votes
Hours before Narendra Modi was set to arrive in Punjab to campaign for the BJP-SAD, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh asked what audacity the Prime Minister had to seek votes from the people of the state for which he had done nothing.
Is Ram BJP's election agent? Asks Mamata
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not talk about Lord Ram during his five-year term, adding that the latter and his party used the Lord's name for electoral benefit."Is Ram BJP's election agent", said Banerjee while addressing an election rally here.Also present at the event was Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. Who claimed that Banerjee would act as a kingmaker in the formation of next government at the Centre.Campaigning for her party's candidate, Banerjee said, "BJP did not remember Ram for five years. Prime Minister forgets that there is Ram but remembers him only during elections. Is Ram his election agent?"Banerjee also cornered Modi on Chowkidar campaign and said, "He was never a Chaiwala. He has lied to people. Now he thinks of himself as a Chowkidar. What kind of Chowkidar is he?"Asserting that she respects Central forces, Banerjee also questioned BJP's demand of deploying central forces in West Bengal .
INS Viraat was stationed in Lakshwadeep for security reasons: Habibullah
Former Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah Thursday dismissed the claims of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Rajiv Gandhi used INS Viraat as a "personal taxi" for a holiday with his friends and family and said the aircraft carrier was stationed in Lakshwadeep for security reasons. Habibullah, who was administrator of Lakshwadeep from August 1987, recalled that the then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi had come to Kavaratti to attend a meeting of the Island Development Authority where the Island Development Council was to be inaugurated and no family member was present with him except his wife Sonia Gandhi. After the inauguration, the Council had to meet members of the Union Cabinet in connection with setting up of panchayati raj institutions in the islands, Habibullah told PTI. "Two things have been confused. There was a meeting of Island Development Authority in Kavaratti, which is the headquarters of Lakshwadeep. Second, after the official program, there was a holiday of ..
Congress wave in Delhi, undercurrent against BJP: Maken
A Congress wave is "sweeping" the national capital, former Union minister and New Delhi parliamentary seat candidate Ajay Maken claimed on Thursday, saying there was an "undercurrent against the BJP". The former Delhi Congress chief is pitted against BJP's sitting MP from New Delhi Meenakshi Lekh and AAP's Brijesh Goel in a triangular electoral contest. Maken, eyeing support of a large number of government employees in the constituency, accused the BJP of "ruining" public sector enterprises and claimed people are looking at the Congress for an able government. "A Congress wave is sweeping the national capital, as there is an undercurrent of angst against the BJP. Congress candidates will emerge victorious in Delhi. People are now fondly recalling the 15-year rule of the party in Delhi and the 10 years of the UPA government at the Centre," he said. Maken, who was the Urban development minister in the Congress-led UPA government, promised that his party will provide relief to the ...
'Mahamilawatis' will put nation's security in peril, don't bring in 'khichdi' govt: PM
Accusing the mahamilawati opposition parties of putting national security in peril, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday urged people not to vote for a "khichdi" coalition that will only bring in anarchy and instability. These are the parties indulging in politics of vote bank and caste equations, these 'mahamilawatis' had put the country in danger, he said. These people had allowed Pakistan to dominate India, he said at a rally in Azamgarh, the constituency where Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav is the SP-BSP-RLD alliance candidate. The prime minister also addressed meetings in Allahabad and Jaunpur, as the politically crucial state approaches the final two phases of polling. Modi has been referring to the opposition alliance in UP and possible coalitions elsewhere in the country as mahamilwati, or adulterated. In Jaunpur, he suggested that the SP and Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party will fall out soon. Behenji will come to realise the game played to throw her out of Uttar ...
BJP respects Rajiv Gandhi, that doesn't mean it won't talk about his govt's misrule: Saitharaman
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Thursday described Rajiv Gandhi a martyr and said though the BJP respects him, that doesn't mean it won't talk about the "misrule and corruption" of his government. She was backing Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his claim that the Gandhi family used the Navy's iconic aircraft carrier INS Viraat as its "personal taxi" when Rajiv Gandhi headed the Congress government in 1980s, to which the grand old party has raised strong objection. Sitharaman claimed the issue related to the alleged misuse of INS Viraat by the Gandhi family had been in public domain for long and maintained that two leading national news magazines had written about it at length in 2013. "The details regarding INS Viraat is in public domain. All know about it," the defence minister told reporters. Sitharaman was replying to a query on Modi's claim that the Navy was made to host the Gandhi family and Rajiv Gandhi's in-laws, and a helicopter was also deployed in their service. "INS ...
Bigwigs in fray as 8 seats in MP go to polls on May 12
After 13 of the 29 Lok Sabha constituencies in Madhya Pradesh voted in the previous two phases, quite a few bigwigs are in the fray as eight more seats get ready to vote in the sixth phase of polling on May 12.
World praising India for successful Kumbh event: PM Modi in Prayagraj
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday sought to take credit for successfully organising the Kumbh fair in Prayagraj, claiming that the entire world has been praising India for making excellent arrangements for the world's largest religious congregation."On one side, there was a Commonwealth games scam and on the other there is the Kumbh fair. Crores of people come from across the world. Prayagraj made such arrangements that the world is praising India," he said at an election rally here.PM Modi asserted that successfully organising an event as big as the Kumbh fair builds the image of the country. "Such events make the image of Uttar Pradesh and India," he said.Modi claimed that his government was working in the right direction to make revered Ganga clean.He said, "We are striving in the right direction to make Ganga clean."Aiming to tap young voters staying in Prayagraj to prepare for competitive exams, he said, "This is the first time that students belonging to general category ..
Qureshi, Swaraj likely to interact during SCO meeting in Kyrgyzstan
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and her Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj are likely to interact during the upcoming meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Kyrgyzstan later this month, a top Pakistani official said Thursday. "The two foreign ministers would be present in the meeting and in all likelihood would interact amongst themselves and with other leaders," Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal told the media here. But he hastened to clarify that "no formal meeting is, however, envisaged". The SCO Ministerial meeting will take place in Kyrgyzstan on May 21-22. The economic and security grouping was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India and Pakistan became its members in 2017. In September, India called off a meeting between Swaraj and Qureshi at the UN citing the release of postal stamps "glorifying" a Kashmiri militant by Pakistan as one of ...
Not AAP, but only Congress can defeat Narendra Modi: Rahul
Congress president Rahul Gandhi Thursday accused the AAP of "opening doors" for Narendra Modi and the BJP in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. Canvassing support for Congress's East Delhi candidate Arvinder Singh Lovely, Gandhi, in a rally, asserted that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) cannot defeat Modi, but his party can. Prime Minister Modi and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal make promises that cannot be fulfilled, he said. "The Aam Aadmi Party gave a slogan (in 2014) 'Arvind Kejriwal for CM and Narendra Modi for PM'. The doors for Narendra Modi were opened by the Aam Aadmi Party," Gandhi said. This is Gandhi's second rally in the national capital in a week. On Wednesday, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also held roadshows in support of her party's East Delhi and South Delhi candidates Sheila Dikshit and Vijender Singh.
BJP didn't field Utpal possibly to avoid 'dynastic politics'
A senior BJP leader from Goa Thursday said the party might have refused to field former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's son, Utpal, for the upcoming Panaji Assembly bypoll to avoid the charge that it was promoting "dynastic politics". State Panchayat Minister and BJP MLA Mauvin Godinho said the opposition parties and the media were discussing that giving ticket to Utpal would amount to promoting "family raj" (dynastic politics). The BJP has fielded former MLA Siddharth Kunkolienkar from Panaji constituency, where by-election would be held on May 19. The party had shortlisted the names of Utpal and Kunkolienkar for this seat. The election is necessitated following the death of Parrikar on March 17. "Perhaps, the 'family raj' issue could be the reason why Utpal was not given the ticket to contest because that was what the opposition parties and media were questioning," Godinho said in a press conference. "The media wrote about it. So, perhaps that could be one of the ...
INS Viraat row: fmr Navy chief Ramdas, others reject Modi's charge, Cong calls PM ''serial liar''
A full-blown controversy broke out on Thursday over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's allegation that Rajiv Gandhi used INS Viraat as a "personal taxi" with former Navy chief Admiral (retd) L Ramdas as well as a former commanding officer of the aircraft carrier rejecting it and the charge becoming fodder for a political slugfest between the Congress and the BJP. While the Congress alleged that Modi is a "serial liar" who has made Indian Air Force jets his "own taxi", the BJP hit back with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley saying that the "kaamdars" used India's naval fleet to strike at terror, "naamdars" used them for personal reasons. While addressing an election rally here on Wednesday, Modi cited a old media report to allege that Gandhi used the INS Viraat to go on a holiday with his friends and in-laws as if it was his "personal taxi". Contradicting Modi, Wajahat Habibullah, who was the then administrator of Lakshwadeep, said the late prime minister and his wife had come to attend a ...
Two rival women candidates in the race to unseat BJP MP from Bhiwani
Just 11 women candidates are in the fray for the May 12 Lok Sabha polls in Haryana and two of them are locked in the contest for the Bhiwani-Mahendragarh Lok Sabha constituency. Forty-three-year-old Shruti Choudhry of the Congress is the granddaughter of former Haryana chief minister Bansi Lal and daughter of sitting Congress MLA from Tosham Kiran Choudhary. The other is JJP-AAP candidate Swati Yadav (30), an electrical engineer-turned-politician, who pursued her higher studies in the US. They take on Bharatiya Janata Party's sitting MP Dharambir Singh, who had won the 2014 general election, defeating his nearest rival Bahadur Singh of the INLD by a margin of over 1.29 lakh votes while Choudhry had finished third. In the 53 years of its existence, Haryana has elected only five women MPs and in the 2014 general elections, not even a single woman candidate could manage to win in the state known for its skewed gender ratio. Although, no women candidates contesting independently in the ...