Page 660 - Politics
Pondy CM demands Lt Governor's resignation
Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy Sunday urged Kiran Bedi to quit as Lt Governor after the Madras High Court had recently held that the Lt Governor "cannot interfere in the day-to-day activities of the elected government in the union territory." The High court had laid down very clearly that the Lt Governor had no powers to act independently and that she must work "in tandem with the Chief Minister and the Council of Ministers," he told reporters here. He said the Madras High Court had given the historic verdict recently on a writ petition filed by Congress legislator K Lakshminarayanan questioning the Lt Governor's interference in routine administration by elected government'. Referring to various issues in which "interference by Bedi had impeded implementation of decisions of the cabinet," the Chief Minister said she had put obstacles in implementation of the cabinet decision to write off farm loans due from ryots to the cooperative banks. He also pointed out ...
'Love and a huge hug': Rahul replies to Modi's attack at Rajiv Gandhi
Congress chief Rahul Gandhi Sunday replied with "love and a huge hug" to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "bhrashtachari no. 1" barb against his father Rajiv Gandhi. Rahul's comments came after Modi at a poll rally had said that Rajiv Gandhi's life ended as "bhrashtachari no. 1" (corrupt no. 1 ). "Modi Ji, The battle is over. Your Karma awaits you. Projecting your inner beliefs about yourself onto my father won't protect you. All my love and a huge hug. Rahul," the Congress president tweeted. At a rally in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, Modi targeted the former prime minister while attacking Rahul. "Your father was termed Mr Clean by his courtiers, but his life ended as bhrashtachari no 1," Modi had said. Modi had claimed that Rahul had admitted in an interview that his only aim is to tarnish his image. "By hurling abuses, you cannot turn the 50 long years of Modi's tapasya (struggle) into dust," the prime minister had said. "By tarnishing my image and by making me look small, these people .
Sudan protester dies from wounds in Darfur clashes: medics
A Sudanese protester has died from injuries suffered in clashes between security forces and demonstrators from a camp for displaced people in conflict-wracked Darfur, medics said on Sunday. Violence erupted Saturday when crowds of protesters from camp Attash clashed with soldiers and paramilitary forces in Nyala, the provincial capital of South Darfur state, the official SUNA news agency reported. "One person died from injuries suffered in the abdomen during the dispersal of protesters in Nyala by security forces," a doctors' committee that is part of the protest campaign against the country's military rulers said in a statement. A medic from a hospital in Darfur where the protester had been treated confirmed his death. Deadly clashes have rocked Sudan since December when protests broke out against the iron-fisted rule of veteran leader Omar al-Bashir, who was ousted by the army on April 11. Officials say at least 65 people have died in protest-related violence. On Saturday, SUNA ...
J&K Governor orders probe into political workers' killings
Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik on Sunday directed authorities to conduct a probe into the killings of political workers by militants.
Netanyahu vows more 'massive strikes' in response to Gaza rockets
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday he had ordered the military to launch further strikes on Gaza Strip militants in response to rocket fire from the territory, as an escalation entered its second day. "I instructed the (military) this morning to continue its massive strikes on terror elements in the Gaza Strip and ordered (it) to reinforce the troops around the Gaza Strip with tanks, artillery and infantry forces," Netanyahu said at the start of a cabinet meeting. Israel said around 450 rockets or mortars had been fired from the Palestinian enclave run by Hamas since Saturday, and it responded with waves of air and tank strikes. Gazan authorities reported six Palestinians killed in the Israeli strikes, including at least two militants. But Israel disputed their account of the deaths of a pregnant mother and her baby, blaming errant Hamas fire. One 58-year-old Israeli man was killed overnight by a rocket strike on the city of Ashkelon near the Gaza border, Israeli ...
250 rockets fired from Gaza at Israel
Approximately 250 rockets were fired by Gaza militants towards Israel, which has responded with airstrikes on over 100 targets across the coastal enclave, to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Sunday.
UPA will win at Centre, all Rajasthan LS seats: Pilot (IANS interview)
Rajasthan Congress President and state Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot has said that the party was confident of winning all Lok Sabha seats in the state under its "Mission 25", and that a Congress-led UPA-3 government will be formed at the Centre after the election results are declared on May 23.
Rahul Gandhi roots for poor people only when elections approach: Amit Shah
Whenever elections approach, Rahul Gandhi starts rooting for poor people, otherwise, he stays aloof, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah said on Sunday.Addressing an election rally here, he sharpened his attack on the Congress president Rahul Gandhi and said: "Congress never cared about poor people. They only raised the slogan of 'Garibi Hatao' (eradicate poverty) but did nothing about it. Whenever election season approached, he starts rooting for the poor people, otherwise, he stays aloof."Continuing his tirade against the Congress party, he said: "Congress party had promised to do away with sedition law if their party is voted to power. If it is scrapped, you will not be able to put anyone who spies on India behind the bars."The Congress in its election manifesto released on April 2 had promised to remove the sedition law to give a "fillip to freedom of expression".He also recalled the incidents, which took place in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in February ...
Modi first PM who didn't do single press conference and didn't give report card: Bhupesh Baghel
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday accused Bharatiya Janata Party of being bereft of real issues and vision and fighting these elections on pseudo-nationalism.Addressing a press briefing, Baghel said: "In these elections, BJP is neither talking about their past five years of work nor their vision for the next five years. Election Commission continuously speaks against usage of armed forces in elections, yet the BJP is repeatedly violating the model code. This makes it clear that BJP has nothing to talk about and they are fighting these elections on the name of pseudo-nationalism."He also attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said: "BJP party workers are seeking vote on the name of Narendra Modi and 'Modi ji' is seeking vote on the name of Army's valor."Sharpening his attack against Modi, Baghel cited various initiatives of the Central government and said, "Narendra Modi is the first prime minister who did not do a single press conference in ...
Pondy CM seeks contribution for Odisha cyclone relief fund
Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy Sunday appealed to different sections of people here to contribute liberally to the Odisha Cyclone Relief Fund as the state has suffered the worst impact of the cyclone. Addressing reporters at his residence here, he expressed grief over the extensive damage the cyclone Fani had caused in Odisha. He said he would have a meeting with the natives of Odisha residingin Puducherry and bring to their notice the various steps they and the Puducherry government could jointly take to help the people of Odisha. The Chief Minister said he would also hold a meeting with the Territorial chief secretary to work out a relief plan for Odisha.
UK's May urges Corbyn to agree on Brexit deal
British Prime Minister Theresa May has urged Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the main opposition Labour Party, to "put differences aside" and agree on a Brexit deal, the media reported on Sunday.
PM's remarks on Rajiv Gandhi shows desperation: Chidambaram
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram Sunday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his remarks on Rajiv Gandhi, saying it showed his "desperation" and "fear of defeat". In a series of tweets, the former Union Finance Minister wondered if any religion sanctioned speaking ill of the dead. A day after Modi took a jibe at former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi at his party rally at Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh, Chidambaram said, "The PM's remarks on former PM Rajiv Gandhi show the extent of his desperation and fear of defeat." Quoting a Latin saying 'De mortuis nihil nisi bonum' which meant "Of the dead, speaking nothing but the good," Chidambaram asked: Has the PM heard of this ancient wisdom? "Does any religion allow anyone to speak ill of the dead?" he asked. Accusing the Congress and its president Rahul Gandhi of attempting to tarnish his image over the Rafale issue, Modi had said, "Your father was termed 'Mr Clean' by his courtiers, but his life ended as 'Bhrastachari number ..
Polarised North Macedonians vote for president
North Macedonians returned to the ballot box on a rainy Sunday for a presidential run-off that risks creating a headache for the ruling Social Democrats, whose candidate is pitted against a nationalist-backed rival. Turnout figures will be as important as who takes the lead, with 40 per cent of the electorate needed to vote to validate the poll. The two candidates, the ruling party's Stevo Pendarovski and right-wing favourite Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, finished in a near dead heat in the first round last month. Their tie traced the split between pro-West and nationalist camps who have clashed over the government's recent move to change the country's name to North Macedonia, which ended a long-running row with Greece. But record-low turnout in the first round, at barely over 41 per cent, also reflected a failure to galvanise most of the 1.8 million voters. If it sinks below 40 per cent Sunday, the entire poll will be annulled, threatening a new period of political uncertainty in one
Cattle rancher leads the way as Panama elects new president
Social-democrat Laurentino Cortizo is the favourite to win as 2.7 million Panamanians take to the polls on Sunday to elect a new president following a campaign dominated by talk of corruption. Cortizo, a 66-year-old businessman and cattle rancher, was 10 points clear of his closest challenger, former foreign minister Romulo Roux of the Democratic Change party, with polls showing independent Ricardo Lombana a close third. Sunday's winner will succeed Juan Carlos Varela, who is unable to stand for re-election as Panama's constitution limits presidents to a single five-year term. Corruption played a significant role in election campaigning in a country struggling to shed its image as a money-laundering paradise following the Panama Papers scandal three years ago. Equally damaging was the admission by Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht that it had paid USD 59 million in bribes in Panama between 2010 and 2014 to secure major public works contracts. Cortizo, a veteran politician and ...
Over 65L J'khand voters to seal fate of 61 nominees on May 6
Union Minister Jayant Sinha, former chief minister Arjun Munda and ex-MLA Kalicharan Munda are among the 61 candidates whose fate will be sealed in the second phase of elections in Jharkhand. Polling will be held between 7 am and 4 pm Monday amid tight security in four Lok Sabha constituencies -Hazaribagh, Koderma, Ranchi and Khunti (ST) - where over 65 lakh electorate is set to exercise their franchise in 8,834 polling stations, an election official said. While Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha is seeking a re-election from Hazaribag, BJP candidate Arjun Munda is taking on Kalicharan Munda of the Congress in Khunti constituency. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu were among those who campaigned for Sinha in Hazaribag. Sinha is pitted against Congress leader and 'Mahagathbandhan' candidate Gopal Sahu. Among others constesting Monday's election from the seat is CPI's state unit secretary and ..
Polling for fifth phase tomorrow; Rahul, Sonia, Rajnath, Smriti in fray
The fate of several key leaders including Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Union Minister Smriti Irani will be decided on Monday in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha polls which will witness voting in 51 constituencies spread across seven states.Fourteen seats in Uttar Pradesh, 12 in Rajasthan, seven each in West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh, five in Bihar and four in Jharkhand will go to polls in addition to Ladakh and Anantnag constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir.This is a key phase for BJP in UP since it had won 12 out of the 14 seats in the 2014 general elections. The party is now facing the combined force of SP, BSP and RLD, which had contested separately last time.According to the Election Commission of India, over 8.75 crore voters are eligible to cast their ballot to decide the fate of 674 candidates. As many as 96,000 polling stations have been set up and security arrangements made for the smooth conduct of the ...
Pak Army opens fire at forward posts, villages along LoC in J-K
Pakistan Army Sunday lobbed mortars and opened fire from small arms at forward posts and villages along the LoC in Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu and Kashmir, a defence spokesman said. The shelling and firing from across the border in Krishna Ghati sector in Poonch and Keri sector in Rajouri started around 1100 hours, the spokesman said. He said the Indian Army is retaliating befittingly and there was no immediate report of any casualty on the Indian side in the Pakistani firing. Ending over a fortnight-long lull, Pakistan on Thursday targeted Shahpur and Kirni sectors of Poonch followed by firing in Qasba sector in the same district the next day.
Deadly escalation sees fresh rocket fire from Gaza, Israeli retaliation
Gaza militants fired fresh rocket barrages at Israel early Sunday in a deadly escalation that has seen Israel respond with waves of strikes as a fragile truce again faltered and a further escalation was feared. Gazan authorities reported four Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes in the escalation that began Saturday, but Israel disputed their account of the deaths of a pregnant mother and her baby. One 58-year-old Israeli man was killed by a rocket strike on the city of Ashkelon near the Gaza border, Israeli police and the hospital said. The latest flare-up came with Hamas, the Islamist movement that rules the blockaded Gaza Strip, seeking further concessions from Israel under the ceasefire. Israel said 430 rockets had been fired from the Palestinian enclave since Saturday and its air defences intercepted many of them. Beyond the man killed, an 80-year-old woman was seriously injured in a rocket strike on the Israeli city of Kiryat Gat, police and medics said. A man was also ...
Sibal on Azhar ban: Can PM say terror will end now?
Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal wants Prime Minister Narendra Modi to state whether terrorism in India will end since Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar has been declared a global terrorist by the UN Security Council.
Mayawati appeals to vote for Congress in Amethi, Rae Bareli
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Sunday appealed to the workers of the Samajwadi Party (SP)-BSP alliance to vote for the Congress in Monday's election when people in Uttar Pradesh's Amethi and Rae Bareli will cast their ballots.