Page 645 - Politics
PM Modi's remarks on former PM Rajiv Gandhi outright despicable: Captain Amarinder Singh
Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], May 6 (ANI): Taking him head-on over his remarks on Rajiv Gandhi, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi who he said had hit the "nadir of pettiness" in his desperation to stay in power."Faced with imminent ouster from the seat of power, power-hungry Modi has lost all sense of decency and proportion in his election campaign, reducing it to a shameless mockery of public norms," he told the media commenting on Modi'sremarks,"Your father was termed 'Mr Clean' by his courtiers, but his life ended as 'Bhrashtachari Number 1,' Modi had said at a public meeting two days ago."Modi's remarks were outright despicable and reflective of his loathsome mindset," said the Chief Minister."The universal criticism the Prime Minister has faced over his comments showed that no sane individual or political institution that looked at elections as a serious democratic process could condone such malicious and baseless ...
Modi, Priyanka Yahoo's most-searched politicians
In this election season, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the most-searched politician in India, followed by Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, according to the poll search trends on Yahoo India.
There will be political ups and downs after LS poll results, says Yeddyurappa
Indicating that the stability of the ruling coalition in Karnataka depended on the stand taken by disgruntled Congress legislators, state BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa said Monday there will be "political ups and downs" after the general election results are declared on May 23. He ruled out any possibility of his party's alliance with the JD(S), if such a situation were to arise. The former chief minister, however, said that those in BJP were not "political sanyasis." Yeddyurappa said it was too early to speak about the stability of the state government. "I want to say one thing clearly: Kumaraswamy had betrayed me after deciding to share power 20 months each (in 2006). There is no question of coming to an understanding with JD(S). There is no question of coalition government (with that party)," Yeddyurappa said. Speaking to reporters in Kalaburagi, he claimed more than 20 Congress legislators were feeling disgruntled. Let's wait and see what decision they will take, he said. "It's too ...
Two AIADMK MLAs hail SC stay on disqualification proceedings
Hailing the Supreme Court decision to stay disqualification proceedings against them as a victory for democracy and justice, two AIADMK MLAs on Monday asserted that they have remained loyal to the party and have earned the wrath of its top leaders for expressing their views for the party's longevity. "Democracy and justice have won today," said E Rathinasabapathy, who has been accused of indulging in anti-party activities along with V T Kalaiselvan The Supreme Court on Monday stayed disqualification proceedings against the MLAs who were served notice by the Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker under the anti-defection law after their party accused them of siding with expelled AIADMK leader and Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam founder T T V Dhinakaran.. "After the demise of Amma (former chief minister J Jayalalithaa), there was a lot of confusion in the party. We were united during the chaos. "We were united even when the no confidence motion was moved against Chief Minister K Palaniswami," ...
Smriti accuses Rahul of 'booth capturing' in Amethi, 42.18 pc polling till 5 pm
More than 40 per cent people had voted in Amethi till 3 pm on Monday, officials said as acrimony marked the keenly-watched election with BJP candidate Smriti Irani alleging that Congress chief Rahul Gandhi was "ensuring booth capturing". According to officials, the turnout till 3 pm was 42.18 per cent in the constituency, long considered a Gandhi family turf. Voting began at 7 am. Officials said the maximum turnout was in the Muslim dominated Salon assembly segment which recorded 44.6 per cent polling till 3 pm. This was followed by Jagdishpur with 41 per cent. Irani, who crisscrossed the area from early morning, visiting booths to meet party workers, accused Gandhi of capturing booths. "Alert @ECISVEEP Congress President @Rahul Gandhi ensuring booth capturing," the Union minister said on Twitter. She also tagged a video in which an elderly women is seen alleging that her hand was forcibly put on the 'panja' (hand) election symbol of the Congress though she wanted to vote for the ...
Missing Chinese student alleges police abuse in video
A missing student labour activist has accused Chinese police of abusing him over several days, including by forcing him to listen to a three-hour speech by President Xi Jinping, amid a crackdown on campus activism. In a video and written testimony published after he disappeared last week, Peking University student Qiu Zhanxuan said local police "tormented" him over a five-day period late February. Intimidation tactics included a forced strip search and listening to Xi's marathon speech from the Communist Party's five-yearly congress in 2017 on high volume. "They also wanted to force me to write a pledge to voluntarily give up all educational opportunities," Qiu said in his video statement, which was published by the Jasic Workers Solidarity Group, a labour rights movement in southern China. His statements appear to have been pre-recorded and released following his disappearance. "Dear comrades, friends, by the time you read this article, I am already behind bars and have lost my ...
BJP ally SBSP quits Yogi Adityanath government in UP
In the midst of Lok Sabha elections, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ally on Monday claimed to have walked out of the Yogi Adityanth government.
Modi utters untruths to sharpen communal polarisation: Yechury hits back
Hitting back, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said on Monday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi "uttered untruths" to sharpen communal polarisation. Modi at an election rally in West Bengal's Jhargram slammed Yechury for his "derogatory" remarks against Ramayana and Mahabharata. "As is his wont, Modi distorted what was said in Bhopal where BJP has fielded a terror-accused. Like terror knows no religion, violent people can be found in all groups. Even epics Ramayana & Mahabharata speak of such people. To sharpen communal polarisation, Modi utters untruths," Yechury tweeted. Modi said that it had become a "fashion for communists to use derogatory language against Hinduism". Yechury had recently branded epics Ramayana and Mahabharata as specimens of Hindu violence.
Anantnag Lok Sabha seat: Congress alleges bogus voting, seeks re-polling in several booths
The Congress has sought re-polling in several booths in Shopian and Pulwama districts of the Anantnag parliamentary constituency, alleging that the NC and the PDP indulged in bogus voting in many areas. In a statement, the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee president allege bogus voting in some booths under Pampore and Rajpora Assembly segments. The matter has been reported to the Returning Officer for immediate necessary action, he said. National Conference candidate Hasnain Masoodi and his son Yawar Masoodi picked up a fight with a Congress leader, snatched his mobile, and did not allow him to enter a polling booth, he alleged. He also alleged booth-capturing by PDP workers in some places.
'Frustrated' BJP trying to create fissures in SP-BSP alliance: Mayawati
BSP supremo Mayawati Monday said the "frustrated" leaders of the BJP including Prime Minister Narendra Modi were trying to create fissures in the SP-BSP alliance in Uttar Pradesh. Mayawati was reacting to Modi's speech at an election rally in Pratapgarh on Saturday alleging that the Samajwadi Party was "going soft" on the Congress, as opposed to the Bahujan Samaj Party which was attacking the grand old party. He had also claimed that the SP had benefitted due to the alliance and Mayawati had now understood that the Akhilesh Yadav-led party and the Congress were playing a "big game" with her. "The BJP is frustrated and is trying to create fissures in the alliance," she said, claiming that the joint candidates of the alliance were way ahead of the saffron party nominees in the four phases of polling that has concluded so far. Voting is being held in 14 Lok Sabha constituencies of Uttar Pradesh on Monday under phase five of the ongoing general elections. The state will also vote in the ..
Ex-Maharashtra CM Rane targets Manohar Joshi
Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Narayan Rane, who was with the Shiv Sena earlier, has targeted his erstwhile party colleague and predecessor Manohar Joshi, saying he was a "weak" Chief Minister because of which the party could not deliver on its promises in four years of government in 1995.
Samajwadis allege booth capturing in Kunda
The Samajwadi Party has alleged booth capturing in Kunda in Uttar Pradesh's Kaushambi Lok Sabha seat. He claimed that booth capturing had taken place at more than 50 polling booths.
Trinamool tries 'soft drinks' tactics in Bengal
As the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections got underway in West Bengal on Monday, the ruling Trinamool Congress offered free 'soft drinks' to the voters in an area under the Sreerampur Lok Sabha constituency. The party had tried similar tactics in the previous phases too.
New Delhi: Sealing drive, local issues to be deciding factors in LS polls
In the New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency -- the powerhouse seat which is home to some of the most affluent residential areas and busy trading hubs, anger among traders over the Supreme Court-monitored sealing drive is the main talking point. Issues like the Seventh Pay Commission provisions, water, sanitation and pollution may also be the deciding factors in election scheduled for May 12. The sealing drive was first launched in 2006 and the last round began in December 2017. Traders' bodies, including the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), have been very vocal about the issue, demanding promulgation of an ordinance to stop sealing in the city. CAIT's secretary general Praveen Khandelwal has said lakhs of traders have been badly hit by the sealing drive. Former president of Paper Merchants Association, Delhi, Rajinder Gupta has said the sealing drive "really broke the back of traders" and frustration is bound to be there as it's a matter of livelihood. With the BJP-ruled ...
Modi hit nadir of pettiness: Punjab CM
Taking on Narendra Modi over his remarks on late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday said the Prime Minister had hit the nadir of pettiness in his desperation to stay in power.
End rocket attacks on Israel, they will bring more misery: Trump warns Palestinians
The US supports Israel "100 per cent" in its defence against a barrage of deadly rocket attacks by militant groups in Gaza, US President Donald Trump has said, warning Palestinians that such actions would bring them "nothing but more misery". Tensions flared up on Saturday between Israel and Palestine with massive rocket fire from Gaza, drawing waves of Israeli retaliatory strikes which continued throughout Sunday. At least 23 Palestinians, including at least nine militants, were killed. Four civilians in Israel were killed, at least three of them Israeli citizens. "Once again, Israel faces a barrage of deadly rocket attacks by terrorist groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad. We support Israel 100 per cent in its defense of its citizens," " Trump said in a tweet on Sunday. "To the Gazan people these terrorist acts against Israel will bring you nothing but more misery. End the violence and work towards peace - it can happen!" Trump said in a tweet. According to media reports, the militant ...
SC to hear Rafale review pleas and contempt petition against Rahul Gandhi together on May 10
The Supreme Court Monday said it would hear together on May 10 the pleas seeking review of its verdict on the Rafale fighter jet case and the contempt petition against Congress President Rahul Gandhi for wrongly attributing to the apex court the "chokidar chor hai" remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A special bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said the petitions seeking review of its December 14 verdict of last year will come up for hearing on May 10. The bench, also comprising Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph, expressed surprise as to how the review pleas and the contempt petition against Gandhi were listed on different dates when it had earlier ordered that both the cases will be heard together. "We are little perplexed that the two cases are listed on two different dates when the order was that these matters will be heard together," the bench said. Gandhi had made the contemptuous remark, "chowkidar chor hai", against Modi, which the apex court had said was ...
Wrong to link killing of political activists by militants with security withdrawal: J-K guv Malik
Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik Monday said it was wrong to link the withdrawal of security from certain people with the killing of political activists by militants in the Valley. He was addressing a press conference at the civil secretariat here, which reopened on Monday after functioning in winter capital Jammu for six months as part of the nearly 150-year-old practice known in the state as 'Darbar Move'. Asked about the accusation that BJP's district vice president for Anantnag, Gul Mohammad Mir, who was killed by militants on Saturday, became a soft target for the ultras as his security had been withdrawn, Malik said certain quarters were spreading "rumours" that the killing took place due to the withdrawal of security. "This is disinformation, he (Mir) was never categorised. I regret (the killing). There have been some other killings recently which are unfortunate, but it is totally wrong to link them with security withdrawal because the persons were never categorised .
Was camping at Kharagpur to monitor Cyclone Fani, couldn't
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Monday said that she was unable to receive Prime Minister Narendra Modi's calls made to her office as she was then camping at Kharagpur to closely monitor the possible advent of Cyclone Fani in the state. Prime Minister Modi has said that he had called Banerjee twice on Saturday but his calls were not returned. He had called up West Bengal governor Keshari Nath Tripathi to inquire about the ground situation in the wake of the cyclone on Saturday prompting TMC to accuse Modi of trying to bypass the chief minister and that he does not respect the country's federal structurey. Banerjee addressing a rally at Gopiballavpur sub-division of Jhargram Monday said "I was in Kharagpur monitoring the cyclone but the prime minister's calls were made to my office (in Kolkata) so I could not respond to them." She said that Modi had called her for a meeting at Kalaikunda, where he landed for an election meeting after touring the cyclone ...
J-K: Pakistan violates cease fire in Poonch
Pakistan violated ceasefire in Krishna Gahti sector of Poonch district here on Monday afternoon.According to India Army, Pakistan initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by shelling mortars and firing small arms along the Line of Control (LoC).The violation is effectively being retaliated by Indian Army.Yesterday, a civilian was injured in ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Degwar village of Poonch district.