Page 632 - Politics
AMMK seeks DMK's support to 'send home' AIADMK
TTV Dhinakaran-led AMMK Tuesday sought DMK's support in "sending home" the ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu post May 23, saying the principal opposition party should help it in dethroning the K Palaniswami government. Senior Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) leader Thangatamilselvan exuded confidence that his party would win the by-polls to all 22 Assembly seats in the state, following which the incumbent government "won't have majority." The counting of votes polled in the by-elections to the 22 seats will take place on May 23. Thangatamilselvan told reporters here that if the DMK did not support the AMMK in seeking a no-confidence motion, it amounts to the M K Stalin-led party being "afraid of us." While by-elections to 18 assembly seats were held on April 18 along with the Lok Sabha elections, four others will go to the polls on May 19. The outcome of the by-polls is crucial for Tamil Nadu as it would determine the continuance of the ruling AIADMK in power. Claiming that
Speeches by PM Modi and BJP chief promote feelings of enmity: Congress MP alleges in SC
Congress MP Sushmita Dev on Tuesday claimed before the Supreme Court that the Election Commission has failed to appreciate that the alleged "hate speeches" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP Chief Amit Shah are "corrupt practices" and promote the feeling of enmity on religious grounds. In an affidavit, Dev, who placed before the apex court various orders of the poll panel on complaints of model code violation against Modi and Shah, said that the Election Commission has passed orders in a "cryptic manner without mentioning any reason whatsoever, in stark violation of the law laid down by this court" while disposing of some complaints. The Congress party has on May 6 lodged a fresh complaint before the poll panel against Modi for his remarks which "maligned and tarnished the image" of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, Dev said in the affidavit filed in the court The apex court had on Monday asked the Congress MP to bring on record EC's orders giving clean chit to Modi and Shah, ..
AAP throws five questions to Modi to answer at rally
As the BJP gears up for a public rally by Narendra Modi here on Wednesday, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday threw five questions at the Prime Minister and "hoped" he will answer the public.
Ahead of PM's rally, AAP poses questions on statehood, sealing
The AAP has posed five questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, including why he "failed" to fulfil his promise of full statehood and did not bring in an ordinance to stop sealing in the city, and said he should answer them during his rally at Ramlila Maidan here. Modi will address a big rally at Ramlila Maidan on Wednesday. BJP's Delhi unit has planned to organise at least two public meetings to seek support for its all seven candidates in the national capital. "The first question is why the promise of full statehood made by Modi five years ago at the same location was not fulfilled till now. Why did you lie about it," senior AAP leader Gopal Rai asked. He said the prime minister should tell people of Delhi that why they get only Rs 325 crore in return when they pay Rs 1.5 lakh crore as tax. "The third question is why the people of Delhi are treated as second class citizens even though they supported BJP in the last elections and gave all seven MPs to them," he asked. "The fourth ..
Danish PM calls election for June 5, immigration in focus
Denmark's centre-right prime minister, currently governing with the support of an anti-immigration party, on Tuesday called a general election for June 5, with the left-wing opposition leading opinion polls. "I want to use all of my strength, my capabilities and my experience to continue to lead Denmark. And I ask Danes to re-elect me in the legislative elections to be held on June 5," Lars Lokke Rasmussen said in parliament. The latest opinion polls credit the opposition left-wing bloc, headed by the Social Democrats, with 54 per cent of voter support, compared to 46 percent for Rasmussen and his right-wing bloc. Rasmussen was required to hold legislative elections at the latest by June 17 when his four-year term ends. The right-wing has struggled in the polls as Danes clamour for a change and, more importantly, amid an erosion of support for the far-right Danish People's Party. Its longstanding anti-immigration line has been broadly adopted by most political parties across the board
Modi should get "tight slap" of democracy: Mamata
"Narendra Modi should get a tight slap of democracy," a furious TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee said Tuesday, hitting back at the prime minister for alleging repeatedly that her government is run by extortionist syndicates. She also questioned the BJP's nationalistic and patriotic claims, saying it was an "RSS man" who killed Mahatma Gandhi. "I do not bow my head in politics. When Modi alleges that Trinamool Congress is a party of syndicates...its government is run by syndicates, I feel he should get a tight slap of democracy (be defeated in election)," she said at a public meeting at Raghunathpur in Purulia. Calling Modi a prime minister who is "known for telling lies", Banerjee said during his visits to West Bengal for election he says her government does not allow Durga Puja and other Hindu rituals to be performed. "Do you believe those allegations?" she asked. Joining issue with the prime minister over his claim that she does not allow people to chant "Jai Sri Ram" and
Cong leader Duli Chand Lohiya joins AAP
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday said Congress leader Duli Chand Lohiya has joined the party in the presence of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Kejriwal welcomed him and said "with Duli Chand Lohiya in AAP, the Congress will have upper hand in the Rajouri Garden Assembly area", the AAP said in a statement. The statement quoted Lohiya as saying that he was inspired by the work of the AAP in Delhi. He said he joined the AAP as policies of the Congress were "anti-people" and it had no vision for Delhi. AAP West Delhi candidate Balbir Singh Jakhar, welcoming Lohiya into the party, said his joining would help the AAP not only in Rajouri Garden but across West Delhi.
'TMC the Tushtikaran mafia congress': Sitharaman
Terming West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) as "Tushtikaran (appeasement) Mafia Congress", Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of carrying out "politics of appeasement" and mafia rule in the state.
Withdrawal of security to political workers in J-K 'immature decision': BJP leader
The BJP's Jammu and Kashmir general secretary Yudhvir Sethi Tuesday said the recent withdrawal of security to political activists in the state was an "immature decision" of security agencies. He urged the governor administration to review the entire security setup by convening a meeting of police, civil administration and the estate department so that those facing genuine threat could be provided immediate protection and government accommodation. Sethi also demanded that the officials who recommended the withdrawal of the security cover should be taken to task. The BJP leader expressed shock over the killing of the BJP's Anantnag vice-president Gul Mohammad Mir on Saturday night, adding that the way security was withdrawn from protected persons in the recent past spoke of "poor assessment" by those in-charge of the security setup. "The valour of the security forces is appreciable but those sitting as soft targets need to be protected," he told reporters at the party headquarters ...
Amit Shah retorts to Priyanka Gandhi's 'Duryodhan' jibe
BJP President Amit Shah on Tuesday flayed Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for comparing Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Duryodhan, the evil prince from Mahabharata, and said the Lok Sabha poll results on May 23 will determine whether Modi is Duryodhan or Arjun (the protagonist of Mahabharata).
MP govt has cleared crop loans of 21 lakh farmers till now: CM
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath Tuesday said so far crop loans of over 21 lakh farmers have been cleared by his government and rejected the BJP's claim of the Congress not fulfilling its pre-poll promise on loan waiver. BJP national vice-president and former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has claimed the ruling Congress has failed to implement the farm loan waiver scheme it had promised ahead of the November assembly polls. However, Nath rejected Chouhan's assertion and reeled out statistics on implementation of the scheme. "Within hours of coming to power (in December) we issued orders for waiving farm loans as promised. The process of doing it is going on and as of now we have waived agriculture loans of 21.06 lakh farmers in the state," he told reporters at his residence here. In run up to the assembly polls, Congress president Rahul Gandhi had announced to write-off agriculture loans of up to Rs 2 lakh within 10 days of his party coming to power in ...
Madhesi party merges with former Nepal PM's party to form new political outfit
Deputy Prime Minister Upendra Yadav-led Madhesi party has merged with former prime minister Baburam Bhattarai-led Naya Shakti Party to form a new political outfit Samajwadi Party-Nepal. The new party, which was formed Monday, will be an alternative to both the Nepali Congress (NC)and the Nepal Communist Party (NCP), and would be based in the Terai-Madhes region in the southern plains, Bhattarai said. Announcing the merger of the Naya Shakti Party-Nepal with the Federal Socialist Front-Nepal on Tuesday, he said they were not only unifying two parties, but the entire country. According to the agreement of merger, Bhattarai will chair the Samajwadi Party-Nepal's federal council, while Yadav, who is also the Health Minister, chair the central committee. Rajendra Shrestha will be the co-chairperson. Apart from them, there would be eight vice-chairpersons. The new party will institutionalise federal democratic republic and its political ideology is would be "Prosperous Federal Socialism' ..
Retd IAF man joins Cong, says PM politicising military's work
Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling BJP of 'politicising' the work of the armed forces, former Air Force veteran from Gujarat, Anil Kumar Kaushik, joined the Congress here on Tuesday. Kaushik served in the IAF for 17 years as a flight engineer before retiring in the 1990s at the rank of sergeant. Kaushik, who joined the Congress in the presence of Gujarat unit chief Amit Chavda, claimed he is upset the way PM Modi and other BJP leaders were seeking votes in the names of the armed forces. "The Congress never took credit for several important army operations, such as liberation of Goa and East Pakistan (that went on to become modern day Bangladesh). Surgical strikes also took place in the past. But, the party (Congress) never used such army operations to get political mileage," Kaushik told reporters. "However, today's BJP government is politicising the Army's work. Instead of talking about real issues, BJP leaders are seeking votes in the name of armed ...
Money raised from note ban given to 15 people by Modi: Rahul
Ranchi, May 7 IANS) Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of giving away money raised after demonetization to 15 industrialists of the country.
Congress says we 'insulted' former PM, they don't see how they insult present PM: Amit Shah
BJP president Amit Shah on Tuesday said if his party gets 23 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal and forms the government once again in the Centre then they will kick out every infiltrator from the country."Do you want to get rid of infiltrators or not? BJP government is going to give citizenship to Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, Buddhists and Christians. Give us 23 seats in Bengal and we will kick out every infiltrator," Shah said during an election rally in Belda."The Modi government will first give citizenship to refugees under the Citizen Amendment Bill. Later, infiltrators will be kicked out from Calcutta to Kutch and from Kashmir to Kanyakumari," he added.The BJP president also alleged that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has stopped people to cast their votes in the elections. "In Bengal, Mamata didi has throttled the democracy. More than 60 BJP workers were killed in Panchayat elections. She stopped people from casting their vote," he said."The Central government has sent Rs 4,24,000 crore ..
Grim law and order a major issue in Pratapgarh: Congress
Alleging that the law and order situation is "grim" in the district, erstwhile princess of Kalakankar state in Pratapgarh and Congress candidate Ratna Singh is trying to regain the seat once more in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.Singh, who has held the seat for three terms in the past, is pitted against BJP's Sangam Lal Gupta and Jansatta Dal's Akshay Pratap Singh. SP-BSP-RLD alliance has also fielded Ashok Kumar Tripathi from the seat.Busy in campaigning, Singh has also got the support of Prashuram Sena, an organisation with a considerable following in the area.Speaking to ANI, Singh said, "People are getting ransom calls and murders are happening in the city. There is no control on crimes in the region."She also stated that the issue of national security will not be affecting the elections."National security is not an issue. Our army has been showing its valour from past 70 years", she said.Singh is also being backed by Congress stalwart Pramod Tiwari and Rampur-Khaas MLA Aradhana
Abe wants to meet Kim without conditions
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wants to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un without conditions to resolve mutual mistrust and sort out ongoing bilateral issues, a government spokesperson said on Tuesday.
Congress moves SC against Modi's statement on Rajiv Gandhi
The Congress on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court against Prime Minister Narendra Modi terming former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi "Bhrashtachari No 1 (Corrupt No 1)" at poll rally in Uttar Pradesh last week.
Kejriwal chief minister of Delhi or leader of dharnas: Yogi Adityanath
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Tuesday took a jibe at his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal, asking whether the AAP supremo was the head of city administration or leader of dharnas and demonstrations. Addressing a rally here in support of BJP's East Delhi candidate Gautam Gambhir, Adityanath said, "We are confident that he will be opening our victory tally in Delhi just as he opened for team India in cricket." The Uttar Prdesh chief minister said he landed at the Hindon Air Base first and after entering Delhi, he said he was appalled after seeing the condition of roads here. "The AAP government has turned Delhi into a city of potholes and has hurt the sentiments of people of the city," Adityanath alleged. "Kejriwal has nothing to do with 'vikas' (development) and he does not have any interest in working in collaboration with the central government for the betterment of national capital," he claimed. Taking a jibe at Kejriwal, he asked whether the AAP supremo was a ...
Why Rahul did not go to Amethi on polling day?
Why Congress President Rahul Gandhi never made it to Amethi on polling day?