Page 677 - Politics
Cyprus police chief sacked over serial killings 'negligence'
Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades on Friday sacked the country's police chief as pressure mounted over the authorities' botched and delayed response to the killings of seven foreign women and girls. A letter by the president to Zacharias Chrysostomou, seen by AFP, informed the police chief that his services would be considered "terminated" as of May 7. Anastasiades said his decision was based on "the apparent negligence and dereliction of duty of the police in investigating reports of missing persons". He said this negligence led to the case "not being solved in a timely manner, while some of the horrific crimes that shocked Cyprus could have been prevented". The announcement came a day after Justice Minister Ionas Nicolaou announced his resignation over the case, which went undetected for nearly three years, and after the president held a meeting with Chrysostomou. A suspect identified in Cypriot media as 35-year-old Greek Cypriot army officer Nicos Metaxas has confessed to the ...
Nothing wrong with Cong demand for proof of Balakot air strikes: Amarinder Singh
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said Friday that there was "nothing wrong" in seeking proof of the Balakot air strikes as demanded by the Congress from the central government. "If the strikes were as successful as the Modi government claimed them to be, it was actually a matter of immense pride for our country and for all of us. So let us see how our forces destroyed Pakistan buildings and shattered their inflated ego," the chief minister told a TV channel. He was asked to comment on BJP's allegation that the Congress was being anti-nationalist by asking proof of the operation, according to a party release here. "This is not the first time proof had been asked. Even in the 1965 war, an Army major brought chopped ears of those killed on the other side of the border to put all doubts of a certain Indian operation at rest," the chief minister said. Photographs were released of the Kargil operation too, Singh said, adding that demanding proof from the government was not unpatriotic .
After Madras HC judgment, Puducherry LG Kiran Bedi writes 'open letter' to Puducherrians
Puducherry Lt Governor (LG) Kiran Bedi on Tuesday wrote an open letter to the residents of the Union Territory. Her open letter comes in the wake of Madras High Court ruling that the elected government has more powers than the LG in the union territory.The original letter in Tamil has been posted by the twitter handle of the Office of Lt Governor.Bedi talks of several initiatives started by her for providing "better administration" to the people."Here is an enumeration of the following actions or initiatives (or 'interference' in day to day administration) by the Lieutenant Governor's Office in the last three years (nearing completion on May 29th)," she wrote in the letter.Bedi then mentions various initiatives- Beginning with the cleaning of beaches, streets, drains, canals and lakes. Rewarding Swachhata workers, Municipal and PWD workers and volunteers for their cleaning and maintaining the same.She also claimed of responding to all public grievances reaching Raj Nivas and opening ..
Cong crying 'me too, me too' on surgical strikes: PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday took a dig at the Congress' claim of six surgical strikes being conducted during the UPA tenure, saying the party is now trying to prove that such military actions were also undertaken during its term, which he dismissed as "strikes carried out on paper while sitting in AC rooms".
Modi takes dig at Priyanka: Not snake charmers, India is now about IT-expert 'mouse charmers'
A day after Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra impressed photographers during an interaction with snake charmers, Modi accused her of projecting an image of the country that did not sit well with the reality. Now it is 'mouse charmers' and not 'snake charmers', Modi said Friday, referring to the young Indians in the IT sector. He did not directly name the Congress general secretary. Photojournalists covering Priyanka Gandhi's election campaign in her mother Sonia Gandhi's constituency of Rae Bareli had caught her talking with snake charmers. Nothing will happen, it's fine, she had said when someone warned her against holding a snake. At an election rally here, Modi referred to a photo of Jawaharlal Nehru. There was a time when the 'naamdars' of the Congress used to feel happy showing snake charmers to foreign guests, he said. There is popular picture of the first prime minister showing a snake charmer to foreign guests. It is available on social media. He was feeling proud, he ...
PM's remark on UPA surgical strikes abuse to forces: Congress
Slamming Prime Minister Narendra Modi for mocking the Congress on its claims of surgical strikes carried out during the UPA regime, the grand old party said on Friday that Modi's comment was a direct abuse of the indomitable courage and bravery of the armed forces.
Guj: Pak boat seized by BSF in Kutch, fishermen escape
A Pakistani fishing boat was seized by the Border Security Force (BSF) near Sir Creek area off the Gujarat coast, an official said Friday. Fishermen on the boat, however, managed to escape by swimming towards the Pakistani side after spotting BSF patrol boats in the creek area, said the official, adding that nothing suspicious was found from the seized boat. A search operation was launched by the BSF in the adjoining creek areas after the incident. In the past too, BSF has either caught Pak fishermen, or found abandoned boats, as they often venture into the Indian side for fishing.
Modi hits out at Cong, for not stopping India's share of river water flowing to Pak
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday hit out at the Congress for not preventing India's share of water from flowing into Pakistan and asked whether it was right to provide water to a country which dreams of inflicting thousands of wounds on India?"Congress couldn't stop India's share of river water from flowing into Pakistan. Was it right to provide water to Pakistan which dreams of inflicting thousands of wounds to India? Pakistan which has been giving wounds to us, can we give our water to them?" asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing an election rally here."While Congress gave India's share of water to Pakistan, Rajasthan and Bikaner are craving for a drop," he added.Referring to the BJP-led government at the Centre as a 'strong government', Prime Minister Modi said: "It is important to have a strong government as it can give right direction to the country and speed up its development. When India has a strong government, it is easy to convey one's views to the world .
Masood listing by UN watershed: France
The listing of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar by the UN as a global terrorist is a "solid proof" of the international community's strong support to India's fight against terrorism, French Ambassador Alexandre Ziegler said Friday. He said France has also been hit hard by terrorism and the fight against terror remains high in its national and international agenda. "The listing of Masood Azhar by the UN Sanctions Committee is a watershed (moment) in our long fight against terrorism. I am very proud that France has played a fundamental role in achieving this diplomatic win," Ziegler told reporters. "It's an important political decision because we have reached a consensus with the members of the Security Council. This is solid proof of the international community's strong support to India's fight against terrorism," he added. The UN Sanctions Committee on Wednesday designated Azhar as global terrorist after China lifted its hold on a proposal to ban him, nearly a decade after New ...
Didn't violate model code of conduct: Kejriwal to Delhi chief electoral officer
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has replied to the chief electoral officer on allegations of asking people to take money from the BJP and the Congress but vote for his party, saying that he meant to tell voters to not be swayed by money, officials said Friday. The Delhi BJP had filed a complaint on April 29, alleging that the AAP was distributing pamphlets in slum areas asking people to take money from the BJP and the Congress but vote only for his party. Kejriwal had also made similar comments during a rally in east Delhi on Thursday. The AAP supremo sent his reply to the Delhi chief electoral officer on Thursday evening in which he said that he was not in violation of the model code of conduct. "We are not encouraging voters to take money and vote. We are just telling people to vote for our party irrespective of whether money is offered. You should not oblige those who are paying money to you," Kejriwal said in the reply, according to officials privy to the development. The ...
Pak PM Imran Khan sweats when Modi starts speaking in poll
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Friday said that Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan sweats when Narendra Modi starts speaking in election meetings across the country. Addressing a public meeting through video conferencing from Lucknow, as he could not reach Hazaribagh following cyclonic Fani hitting Odisha coast, Adityanath said that Modi's leadership could protect country's security. Whenever Prime Minister Narendra Modi starts speaking in election meetings throughout the country, Pakistan Prime Minister starts sweating. It is Narendra Modis leadership that can protect security and safety of people of India, Adityanath said. Without mentioning massacre of 40 CRPF personnel in Pulwama on February 14 and the subsequent Balakot air strike on February 26, Adityanath said that Modi gave a befitting reply to Pakistan. He praised achievements under the leadership of Modi, asserting 1.5 crore housing units for the poor were built. Saying he would have been glad if .
3 UDF workers cast bogus votes in Kasargod: Kerala CEO
: Kerala Chief Electoral Officer Teeka Ram Meena Friday said three Congress led UDF workers had cast bogus votes as alleged by the ruling CPI(M)-headed Left Democratic Front in Kasaragod constituency in the April 23 Lok Sabha polls. After perusing reports filed by District Collectors of Kannur and Kasargod districts,the CEO said strong action would be taken against those who engaged in bogus voting. The LDF had released 'digital evidence' of the bogus voting by two men, suspected to be IUML workers, in a polling booth in Kasaragod. "The polling officers have said that they had no knowledge about the electoral malpractices...Three persons have done bogus voting, as per the reports submitted by the returning officers," Meena told reporters here. He said three men--Mohammed Fayiz, Abdul Samad and Mohammed K M were seen coming to the polling booth and casting votes more than once. "Prima facie, this is a clear case of bogus voting. We will direct the returning officers to ...
30 pc Ganga clean, so Priyanka could drink its water: Gadkari
Claiming that 30 per cent of the Ganga river has been cleaned up so far, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said Friday that only this enabled Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to drink its water. The senior BJP leader whose portfolios include River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation addressed a poll rally at Aathner in Betul Lok Sabha constituency in Madhya Pradesh. "We have finished only 30 per cent work (of Ganga clean-up) yet. During the last Kumbh Mela, the prime minister of Mauritius did not take a dip in the river as the water was dirty," he said. "This time, Priyanka Gandhi drank the Ganga's water many times (when she visited Varanasi). Had we not improved the river's condition, how could you have drunk its water?" Gadkari asked. He also said she could travel by a boat through the river because the NDA government developed a waterway from Allahabad to Varanasi. People can now visit Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath round the year because the ..
Delhi poll body seeks reply from Kejriwal over remarks on Hans Raj Hans
The Delhi Chief Electoral Officer has sought the reply of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and others for accusing BJP's northwest Delhi candidate, Hans Raj Hans, of converting to Islam in 2014 and claiming he cannot contest the election as the seat is reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) category, officials said Friday. Kejriwal along with minister Rajendra Pal Gautam and AAP candidate Gugan Singh have to send their replies by Saturday 5 pm. A report will be prepared and forwarded to the Election Commission, they said. Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta and Hans Friday filed a complaint with the Chief Electoral Officer, Delhi against the AAP leaders, following which the poll body sought replies from Kejriwal, Gautam and Singh, who is pitted against Hans for the reserved seat, the officials said. In a tweet on Thursday, the AAP supremo claimed Hans would finally be declared ineligible to contest the polls, and urged the voters of North West Delhi not to waste their .
Manoj Tiwari urges Amethi people to think why Rahul contesting from second seat
BJP MP and one of the party's star campaigners Manoj Tiwari appealed to people of Amethi on Friday to think as to why sitting MP Rahul Gandhi "had to look for a safe place" in the south for contesting election. "You must think why your three-time MP fled Amethi (seat) in search of some secure place in the south. This means that Rahul Gandhi has lost trust of Amethi people," Tiwari said addressing a public meeting at Gauriganj here. This time, Gandhi is contesting from the Wayanad Lok sabha seat in Kerala, besides the Congress bastion of Amethi. Tiwari, who is also president of the Delhi unit of the BJP, termed Gandhi's decision to contest from a second seat as "shameful for a three times MP from Amethi, who is also president of his party (Congress)". "If the people of Amethi miss this chance for great change, they may miss a lot in future," the BJP leader said. Referring to the Batla House encounter of 2008, the BJP leader said he was "surprised how Congress leaders narrated that ...
PM's remark on surgical strikes an abuse to courage and bravery of soldiers: Cong
Taking umbrage at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remark that the Congress is lying about surgical strikes under the UPA government, the party Friday said the statement is an abuse to the bravery of soldiers and it has never used the strikes as election fodder. The Congress said Modi's "shameless utterances" that surgical strikes were only on "paper" and Congress leaders thought of them like video games were a direct abuse to the indomitable courage and bravery of the soldiers. "Tragically, Modiji has even faulted the statement of the then Army chief, General Bikram Singh on the surgical strike dated December 23, 2013. This reflects political bankruptcy of a prime minister when faced with an imminent defeat in the 2019 elections," the party claimed in a statement. At the rally in Rajasthan's Sikar, Modi said a Congress leader had claimed four months back that three surgical strikes were conducted during the Congress' term and now another leader is saying six surgical strikes were ...
Cong surgical strikes only on paper, party telling lies: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday mocked the me too Congress claim that its government had also conducted surgical strikes across the Line of Control and accused the party of telling lies. Addressing a rally in Sikar, he suggested that Congress leaders were confusing video games with such strikes. He said the party first ignored the strikes carried out under his government and then opposed them. Now it's me too, me too, he said using the English term. He also addressed public meetings in Hindaun and Bikaner, accusing Congress at both places of not acting strongly against terrorism. Only a mazboot' government can do so, he said. He expressed the Centre's solidarity with people in cyclone-hit states and said Rs 1,000 crore has already been released for relief work. Modi's remarks on retaliatory strikes against Pakistan-based terror groups come a day after the Congress claimed that six cross-border strikes were carried out during the UPA government's term as well. "They initially ...
BJP accuses MP minister of luring voters in Indore
A Madhya Pradesh minister has been accused by the BJP of offering gym equipment worth Rs 25 lakh to people in return for ensuring a Congress win from the Indore Lok Sabha seat. A video of the incident has gone viral and the BJP has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission. In the video, Madhya Pradesh Minister for Sports and Youth Welfare Jitu Patwari is seen telling people at a meeting that he would provide gym equipment worth Rs 25 lakh if they ensure victory of Congress candidate Pankaj Sanghvi. Sanghvi, who is pitted against the BJP's Shankar Lalwani, was also present in this meeting, according to BJP functionaries. State BJP spokesperson Umesh Sharma said, "In an election meeting, Patwari is telling people in Malvi dialect to gather people going to akharas for exercise. In clear words, he is luring voters by saying that in exchange for Sanghvi's victory, he would provide gym equipment worth Rs 25 lakh." "The video shows that Congress candidate Sanghvi was ...
France welcomes 17th edition of Varuna bilateral exercise with India
France on Friday welcomed the two-part Varuna bilateral exercise with India, calling it a "swift development" of bilateral relations in the maritime security."Varuna is a decades-long exercise illustrative of our historic and strategic partnership...France is an all-weather, unconditional and predictable partner, and with India, our naval cooperation has been exemplary...It is an integral and key part of our bilateral strategic partnership since 1998," an official statement outlined.The first phase of the exercise, namely Varuna 19.1, began off Goa's coast on May 1 and is scheduled to culminate on May 10. Varuna 19.2, on the other hand, is slated to be held in May-end near Djibouti.A statement issued by the Embassy of France in New Delhi outlined that the exercise -- which was initiated in 1983 -- implements two key documents which were adopted during French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit to India last year: the Joint Strategic Vision of India- France Cooperation in the ...
PM's travel itinerary in last 125 days: 200 programmes across 27 states and Union Territories
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held 200 programmes, most of them electoral in nature, across 27 states and Union Territories, over the last 125 days beginning December 25, according to information provided by his official website."The Prime Minister joined 30 programmes in Delhi itself. 14 Cabinet meetings have been held since the start of the year. These numbers speak for themselves. They also offer a unique glimpse into the working style and multi-tasking abilities of PM Modi," read a statement on his website www.narendramodi.in.One example of PM Modi's hectic schedule was his visit to Jammu and Kashmir. In February, PM Modi embarked on a visit to Jammu and Kashmir where in one day he covered all three regions of the state- Ladakh, Jammu and the Kashmir Valley.Since January 2019, PM Modi has made multiple visits to Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Tripura. These visits were scheduled before the Model Code of Conduct was enforced by the Election Commission, therefore a great emphasis on ..