Page 679 - Politics
Indo-French naval exercise biggest ever this year: Barbry
The naval exercise between India and France this year is the biggest ever with a combined fleet of ten ships, including two aircraft carriers, taking part, said Sonia Barbry, Consul General of France in Mumbai, Friday. She told PTI here that the scale of the exercise, titled Varuna 2019, also indicated that India now has a naval fleet that is of "Western standard". Varuna 2019 began off the coast of Goa on May 1 and is slated to continue till May 10. The French Navy's aircraft carrier FNS Charles de Gaulle, destroyers FNS Forbin and FNS Provence, frigate FNS Latouche-Treville, tanker FNS Marne and a nuclear submarine are participating this year. From India, aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, destroyer INS Mumbai, Teg-class frigate INS Tarkash, Shishumar-class submarine INS Shankul and Deepak-class fleet tanker INS Deepak are taking part in the drill. The exercise has close to3,000 French Naval officers participating in it. "The annual naval exercise Varuna has been scaled
AAP Gandhi Nagar MLA joins BJP amid trading of barbs over horse trading
In a setback to the AAP just over a week before polling for Lok Sabha seats takes place in Delhi, its sitting MLA from Gandhi Nagar Anil Bajpai Friday joined the BJP amid trading of barbs between the two parties over horse trading charges. Bajpai said that he quit the AAP as he felt "suffocated" over the "misbehaviour and insult" meted out the party and claimed that several other legislators of the ruling party in the national capital felt the same way. The move comes at a time when AAP leaders, including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, have accused the BJP of indulging in horse trading. Bajpai is the second AAP lawmaker to join the BJP in the last couple of months. AAP MP from Punjab Harinder Singh Khalsa, who was suspended from the party, joined the BJP in March. The Delhi MLA joined the BJP in presence of party national vice-president and city BJP in-charge Shyam Jaju and Union minister Vijay Goel at the Delhi unit office of the saffron party. "I worked with the AAP for many .
Congress fast catching up with BJP on radio jingles
As the elections hit midway, India's two largest political parties have ramped up their publicity drive to reach out to maximum number of voters with catchy radio jingles that have flooded FM channels across the country.
Modi govt can't take credit for UN action on Azhar: Raj Babbar
Senior Congress leader Raj Babbar claimed Friday that the United Nations (UN) designated Jaish- e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a "global terrorist" for his activities in Afghanistan, and not for the Pulwama and Pathankot terror attacks in India. The credit for getting Azhar designated as a global terrorist went to the previous UPA government because it was related to Afghanistan and was the result of a process started by the Manmohan Singh government in 2008-09, he told reporters here. Babbar, who heads the Uttar Pradesh unit of Congress, further said that while designating Azhar as a global terrorist, the UN did not mention Pulwama and Pathankot attacks, but the Narendra Modi government was claiming credit for the development. "You (the then BJP government headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee) had released Masood Azhar and taken him to Kandahar," he said, referring to the 1999 Indian Airlines aircraft hijacking. "The credit for getting Masood Azhar designated as global ...
Congress will work to strengthen patent laws: Rahul
Congress President Rahul Gandhi said the party will work towards strengthening the patent laws in the country and will also formed a patent bank through which businessmen would easily get the technology at low prices. "Congress will work towards strengthening patent laws. We will help Indian researchers and inventors in getting international patent protection," Gandhi said in a Facebook post. He added,"We will also create a patent bank, through which the businessmen would be able to get patent technology at low prices." On Thursday, food and beverages giant PepsiCo India had said that it will withdraw its lawsuit against four Gujarat potato farmers accused of infringing its patent. PepsiCo in April sued four farmers for cultivating a potato variety grown exclusively for its popular Lay's potato chips. India-domiciled companies filed over 4,600 patents in the US between 2015-2018, a majority of which were from the technology domain, a report by industry body Nasscom said on April ...
Rafale controversy Indian issue, says French diplomat
The controversy over purchase of Rafale fighter jets is an Indian issue and the country will realise the aircraft's "amazing" technology once it starts using them, a top French envoy said Friday. Sonia Barbry, Consul General of France in Mumbai, said the purchase deal came after following all due processes. "For us, we believe the controversy over Rafale is an Indian issue. We have done all the process. We have gone through all the processes. And we know India has very specific need of such aircraft," Barbry told PTI here. Terming Rafale as the best combat aircraft in the market, she said, "France will soon deliver the first lot of aircraft in a few months. Let India use them, they will see what an amazing technology it is and then the Indian government will be free to decide what they want to do." She claimed that India would require more such aircraft. The Rafale deal is at the centre of an acrimonious fight between the BJP-led Union government and the Congress, with ..
India's image portrayed as 'land of snake charmers' even after decades of indepedence: PM Modi takes swipe at Priyanka Gandhi
Taking a swipe at Congress' general secretary, Priyanka Gandhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday accused Congress of portraying India as a 'land of snake charmers' even after decades of independence. "There was a time when Congress used to please foreign guest throw snake charming. The whole world used to believe that India is only the land of snake charmers and magic. Our image is still being projected as such even after decades," Prime Minister said while addressing an election rally here.This comes a day after Priyanka Gandhi had an unusual encounter while on the campaign trail in the Rae Bareli constituency of Uttar Pradesh where she met snake charmers and even petted and held snakes in her hands.Referring to growth in IT sector, Prime Minister stressed that the citizens of India are moving ahead with the help of computer's 'mouse' and not snakes, in the world of latest technology and innovation. "They are forgetting the fact that India has moved ahead of snake, it is moving
Main UK parties take Brexit battering in local elections
Britain's two main parties suffered a drubbing Friday in English local elections as voters vented their frustration with the prolonged Brexit deadlock. Prime Minister Theresa May's governing Conservatives lost control of several local authorities and hundreds of seats but the main opposition Labour party failed to capitalise and also lost ground, with voters turning to smaller parties instead. The results do not bode well for the two main parties ahead of the European Parliament elections, set to take place in Britain on May 23. After voting in June 2016 to leave the European Union, Britain was meant to depart on March 29 this year - meaning it would not have contested the European polls. However, its exit date has been postponed until October 31 because the country's bitterly divided MPs have been unable to agree on a divorce deal struck with the EU. The Conservatives and Labour are in talks to try to find a solution that can command cross-party support, although it is highly ...
Strong govt needed to carry out strikes across LoC: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday said a strong government is needed for taking decisions like carrying out strikes across the Line of Control and implementing the Enemy Property Act. Addressing an election rally here, Modi said property worth Rs 1,800 crore which belonged to people who moved to Pakistan during Partition had been acquired under the Enemy Property Act, something which the Congress "delayed for years after Partition for vote bank". He said it was the strong government of 'chowkidar' that implemented the act. "For years, the Congress remained kind towards the property of those who moved to Pakistan from India after Partition. They had their property here. Independent India should have acquired such enemy property but Congress delayed this for vote bank," Modi said. He said decisions like carrying out surgical strike and air strike along the LoC are taken when there is a strong government in the country. "When the government is strong, India can stand firm when ...
Govt facilities to ex-CMs illegal: Uttarakhand HC
The Uttarakhand High Court on Friday declared all government facilities including palatial houses to former Chief Ministers of the hill state as "illegal and unconstitutional".
India "politicising" FATF proceedings against Pakistan: Pak FO
India has been "politicising" the proceedings at the FATF against Pakistan, the Foreign Office claimed Friday, a day after the Indian government said it seeks downgrading of Pakistan on the global watch dog's terrorism financing list. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on Thursday that India will ask the global money laundering and terror finance watchdog to put Pakistan on a blacklist of countries that fail to meet international standards in stopping financial crime. "We want Pakistan downgraded on the FATF list," Jaitley told reporters in New Delhi, adding that the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) was due to meet in mid-May and India would make its request then. "The statement re-confirms Pakistan's longstanding concerns that this technical forum is being politicised by India against Pakistan," Pakistan Foreign Office said. "India has made several efforts in the past as well to politicise the proceedings at FATF," it said in a statement. The last plenary of the FATF in
Cong delegation meet ECI, discusses issues regarding EVM
A Congress delegation including Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Ahmed Patel and Jairam Ramesh approached the Election Commission on Friday to raise some issues regarding Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) in the Lok Sabha Elections.Speaking to media, Singhvi said, "We spoke on the issues concerning. Firstly, there should be a provision for action against a candidate, if any tampering is found in any EVM during the auto check VVPAT trail...As of now, there is no provision of action by the Election Commission in such cases."He further said, "Secondly, the details of EVMs during counting should be made available like EVM number from a particular booth...Thirdly, We have asked for details of malfunctioned EVMs and if an EVM is replaced then whether a mock trial is conducted or not."Singhvi also said, "We spoke on the issues in Amethi Parliamentary constituency.""The Uttar Pradesh government is hostile and it deliberately stopped schemes in Amethi as it is a constituency of Congress president Rahul ..
Defence Ministry clears Navy's Rs 3600 crore deal with Russia for 10 Kamov-31 choppers
The Defence Ministry on Friday approved Indian Navy's proposal to acquire 10 Kamov-31 choppers from Russia at a cost of around Rs 3,600 crore to strengthen its capability against aerial threats to its aircraft carriers and large warships."The Defence Ministry cleared the Rs 3,600 crore proposal for buying around 10 Kamov-31 Airborne Early Warning and Control choppers for the aircraft carrier operations and deployment on future warships," government sources told ANI.The decision was taken by the Defence Ministry at a meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council led by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.The Navy already has a fleet of 12 of these Kamov-31 choppers which sanitise the air space around the aircraft carriers and destroyers operating in open seas.For the anti-submarine warfare operations, the Navy has a fleet of Russian Kamov-28 choppers along with the Seaking choppers which were procured long back in the 1980s and are in need of an upgrade.The Narendra Modi led government ...
AP gearing up for civic polls
After the Lok Sabha and state Assembly elections, Andhra Pradesh is now gearing up for polls to urban local bodies and panchayat raj institutions. Dates for these elections are likely to be finalised only after the new government assumes office in the State after May 23, official sources indicated. The five-year term of both urban local bodies (ULBs) and panchayat raj institutions (PRIs) will end this month. Accordingly, the State Election Commissioner N Ramesh Kumar held a meeting here Friday with officials concerned to review the preparedness for the elections. Andhra Pradesh has a three-tier panchayat raj system: the village panchayat, mandal parishad and zilla parishad. Elections to village panchayats are conducted on an apolitical basis. "In the first leg, elections to over 13,000 village panchayats will be conducted. This will be followed by elections to mandal and zilla parishads. Elections to ULBs will be held in the third leg," the SEC said. While ballot papers ...
Maha to approach SC against HC ruling on Maratha quota: Patil
The Maharashtra government will approach the Supreme Court against the Bombay High Court's ruling that the 16 per cent quota offered to Marathas will not be applicable on admissions to the post-graduate medical course this year. Maharashtra minister Chandrakant Patil Friday said the government will knock on the door of the apex court Saturday. "The state government will approach the Supreme Court tomorrow. We will argue before the court that we initiated the admission process for the post-graduate medical courses after the law was enacted," Patil told a regional news channel. The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court had Thursday said the 16 per cent reservation for the community under the 'socially and economically backward classes (SEBC)' category will not be applicable to the said courses this year. The Maharashtra government, on March 8, 2019, had written a letter to the Directorate of Medical Education and Research to incorporate the SEBC quota from academic year ...
22 lakh government jobs to be filled within a year of Congress forming government: Rahul Gandhi
There are twenty-two lakh government jobs lying vacant in the country and as soon as Congress comes to power we will ensure those positions are filled within a year said Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday."Lakhs of youth were made unemployed by the Modi government but today 22 lakh government jobs are vacant. I promise you that within a year of us coming to power we will fill all the positions," he said speaking at an election rally here.Rahul also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP had stayed silent on the promises made in 2014 as they were not yet fulfilled."Modiji doesn't talk about employment, neither can he say anything on nor does he talk about the promise of depositing 15 lakhs in your bank accounts now. But listen to his speeches from 2014, these were his big promises," he said.Gandhi also promised a separate budget for farmers if voted to power.He also spoke about implementing the NYAY scheme under which Congress has promised Rs 72,000 to poor families ...
Sultanpur is not Amethi's neighbour, has own identity now: Varun
BJP leader Varun Gandhi claimed on Friday that he had ensured "national identity" to Sultanpur constituency of Uttar Pradesh, which he said was earlier known as Amethi's neighbouring district. Amethi is currently represented by Varun Gandhi's cousin, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi. "I have ensured national identity to Sultanpur. It was earlier known as Amethi's neighbouring district," Varun Gandhi said at a rally here in support of his mother, Union minister Maneka Gandhi. Without taking any names, Varun Gandhi, who is the sitting Sultanpur MP, urged the people to not vote for "gunde-mawali (hooligans)" and ensure the Bharatiya Janata Party's victory. "If you feel poverty and it pinches, bear it. But if you elect a criminal, it will pinch more," Varun Gandhi said, claiming that he was the only MP who did took any salary. Varun Gandhi is now contesting from Pilibhit, while Maneka Gandhi is the BJP candidate from Sultanpur.
Cong candidates will bite the dust in Lok Sabha polls: Majithia
Senior Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia Friday said Congress candidates will bite the dust in Lok Sabha polls in Punjab. Majithia also predicted that several ministers will be axed and many legislators will not get party tickets if Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's "diktat" is implemented in letter and spirit. "The face of council of ministers in Punjab will be completely changed after May 23 this year as more than 70 per cent of the ministers are likely to be axed and two third of party legislators will not be fielded in the next assembly polls if the diktat of Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh is implemented in letter and spirit," Majithia said. "As per the information pouring in from the entire state, Congress candidates are likely to lose in nearly 70 per cent of the assembly segments currently represented by ministers in the state assembly," he claimed in a statement issued here. "This will require a major reshuffle in the council of ministers as all such ministers ...
Azhar listing sends strong message about importance of collective action to uphold global peace: UK
The listing of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the United Nations has send a "strong message" about the importance of collective action to uphold global peace and stability, the UK Foreign Office said. The UK, along with the US and France, was the designating state at the UN for listing Azhar under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the Security Council. "The UK strongly supports this UN listing and has worked closely with international partners to achieve this result," a UK Foreign Office statement, given to PTI here by the UK Mission to the UN on Friday, said. "We welcome the unity of the decision taken by the UN, which sends a strong message about the importance of collective action to uphold global peace and stability, it added. In a huge diplomatic win for India, the UN on Wednesday designated Pakistan-based Azhar as a global terrorist after China lifted its hold on a proposal to blacklist him under the Security Council's Sanctions ...
Filed petition in SC seeking stay on TN Speaker's notice: AIADMK MLA Kalaiselvan
Days after being slapped with a notice by Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal seeking an explanation under the anti-defection law for "anti-party" activities, an AIADMK MLA Friday said he has moved the Supreme Court for a stay on the notice. Dhanapal had on Tuesday issued notices to A Prabhu (Kallakurichi), VT Kalaiselvan (Vriddhachalam) and E Rathinasabapathy (Aranthangi) loyal to T T V Dhinakaran, the general secretary of Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK), days after the ruling party petitioned the Tamil Nadu Assembly speaker for action against them. Rathinasabapathy and Kalaiselvan said they were in receipt of the notice from the speaker, seeking an explanation for alleged anti-party activities. "We have filed a petition in the Supreme Court, seeking a stay on the notice of Speaker Dhanapal. It has been admitted and the matter is coming up for hearing on May 6," Kalaiselvan told PTI. The legislator said that in the petition, it was affirmed that they were firmly with the ...