Page 682 - Politics
Rahul writes to voters of Amethi, promises speeding up development projects 'blocked' by BJP
Congress president Rahul Gandhi has made an emotional appeal to the voters of his Lok Sabha constituency, Amethi, ahead of the polling day and promised to give momentum to the development works allegedly "blocked" by the BJP government. In a letter written to the members of his "Amethi pariwar" (Amethi family), Gandhi said he drew strength from them to stand firmly, listen to the woes of people and raise their voice. "It is my promise to the people of Amethi that as soon as the Congress forms its government at the Centre, the schemes blocked by the BJP will be started. On May 6, vote in large numbers to bring back this member of the family," the three-time MP from the seat said in the letter. The Congress president said his "Amethi pariwar" is aware that at the time of elections, those in the BJP start a "factory of lies" and run "rivers of cash" to draw voters, adding that the saffron party is not aware that Amethi's strength is its honesty, integrity and simplicity. Comparing the ...
AAP MLA Anil Bajpai joins BJP
Accusing poor treatment from the party leadership, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Anil Bajpai from Gandhinagar joined the BJP here.
Maoists blow up Arjun Munda's Seraikela poll office
Maoists blew up the election office of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda in Seraikela district early on Friday, but no one was hurt, police said.
FBI sent undercover investigator to meet Trump aide: report
The FBI sent an undercover investigator to meet with an advisor to Donald Trump's presidential campaign to try to determine if it was working with Russia, The New York Times reported Thursday. The investigator who met with George Papadopoulos at a London bar in September 2016 -- two months before the election that brought Trump to office -- was posing as a research assistant, the Times said, citing unnamed people familiar with the operation. The effort ultimately "yielded no fruitful information," the newspaper reported, but the revelation may provide further ammunition to Trump, who has denounced what he has termed "spying" on his presidential campaign. Attorney General William Barr echoed that characterization in testimony to Congress, saying that he will open an inquiry into "spying" against Trump by the FBI at the origins of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election. The 22-month investigation -- which Trump repeatedly dismissed as a ...
Centre, Maha govt committed to ensuring Naxals don't succeed in future: Ahir
Union Minister of State for Home Hansraj Ahir Friday asserted the Centre and the Maharashtra government would make all efforts to ensure that Naxals do not succeed in their plans again like they did at Gadchiroli two days ago. Sixteen people, including 15 policemen, were killed when Naxals blew up their vehicle by triggering an IED in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district Wednesday. The incident is very tragic and is seen as a challenge by the government, Ahir said. "We are not going to spare anybody... We had succeeded in putting an effective check on Naxals. Out of frustration, they came up with this audacious act, resulting in supreme sacrifice of our jawans," Ahir told PTI here. "They may have succeeded in their plan as of now. But, the Centre and the state are committed to ensuring that they don't succeed in future," he said when asked about the deadly attack in Gadchiroli. The Centre would support the state government and give whatever force and equipment the latter seeks, the Union
RSS should do politics on front foot: Ashok Gehlot
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday made a scathing attack on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in a series of tweets, saying the right wing organisation should do politics on front foot.
Modi govt first since 1996 unable to hold assembly polls in J-K on schedule: Omar
National Conference leader Omar Abdullah Friday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking credit for holding IPL tournament in the country while Lok Sabha elections were on claiming the BJP government at the Centre was the first not to hold assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir on time since 1996. "Why is the Hon PM talking about IPL? His is the first government since 1996 that has been unable/unwilling to have assembly elections in J&K on schedule. Why doesn't he talk about that also?" Abdullah said in a tweet. However, since 1967, the simultaneous polls never held in the state. Only in 1977, 1996, and 2014, they were held the same year, but even then not simultaneously. The former chief minister was responding to Prime Minister's speech at Karauli in Rajasthan. "The youth takes a lot of interest in IPL. But there were two occasions when it could not be played in India, it was played in South Africa. This happened in 2009 & 2014. The govt at the Centre was so ...
No Modi wave this time, people will not be swayed by 'jhumlas': AAP's Harmohan Dhawan
Former Union minister and AAP's candidate for the Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat Harmohan Dhawan Friday claimed that people will not be swayed by 'jhumlas' this time and will oust the BJP from power. He alleged that several promises which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had made during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls remained unfulfilled. "There is no Modi factor unlike in 2014. At that time, I also supported Narendra Modi as he ignited hope among people and made various promises, but failed to deliver on ground," 71-year-old Dhawan said. "All the promises, including bringing back black money, crediting every citizen's account with Rs 15 lakh, giving two crore jobs every year, scrapping Article 370, having uniform civil code and building Ram temple in Ayodhya, were reduced to jhumlas," Dhawan told PTI here. He accused the BJP of avoiding the real issues. "They do not talk about real issues, they do not talk about unemployment, they do not talk about farmers' issues. They came to power once by ...
Lucknow Cong candidate slams Shatrughan for canvassing for wife
The Congress candidate from Lucknow on Friday took strong exception to party leader Shatrughan Sinha canvassing for his wife, who is the Samajwadi Party candidate in the constituency. Shatrughan Sinha was present during the filing of nomination papers by his wife, Poonam Sinha. The actor-turned-politician attended an election meeting on Thursday with Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav. "From the behaviour of Shatrughan Sinha, it appears that although he has joined the Congress, but has not yet resigned from the RSS," Acharya Pramod, the Congress' Lucknow candidate, tweeted. Shatrughan Sinha had quit the Bharatiya Janata Party recently and is the Congress candidate from the Patna Sahib constituency in Bihar. Poonam Sinha is the SP-BSP-RLD alliance candidate from Lucknow, who is contesting against Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Pramod. Lucknow goes to polls in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha election next Monday.
Scindia richest candidate in LS sixth phase
With assets worth over Rs 374 crores, Congress candidate from Guna Jyotiraditya Scindia is the richest candidate contesting in Lok Sabha sixth phase elections.
Centre stands with people hit by Fani: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that the Centre stood with the people in states hit by cyclone Fani.
Amethi is not important for Rahul Gandhi: Smriti Irani
Congress president Rahul Gandhi communicating with the people of Amethi by writing a letter shows he is not giving due importance and has not visited the panchayats located in the constituency himself, said Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Union Minister Smriti Irani on Friday."His writing letter shows that he has not given importance to Amethi and thus didn't take the pain to visit 'nyay- panchayat' located in the constituency himself," said Irani.She was reacting to Gandhi's open letter to the people of Amethi.Gandhi, in a letter to his 'Amethi family,' urged the people to vote him back as their MP on May 6, the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha election, promising to push schemes for the region that were stalled by the BJP.In the letter addressed to "Mera Amethi parivaar (my Amethi family)", Gandhi wrote: "It is my promise to the people of Amethi that the moment the Congress comes to power at the centre, the schemes blocked by the BJP will be started. On 6 May, vote in large numbers to
BJP busy doing ads as farmers suffer: Priyanka
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday hit out at the BJP government for turning farmers into "watchmen" (chowkidars) and said that the government was busy doing advertisements, while the reality was completely different.
Congress sulking after Masood Azhar declared as global terrorist: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday attacked the Congress saying it was sulking over and questioning JeM chief Masood Azhar's designation as a global terrorist by the United Nations (UN) because the development took place during his government's tenure.He described the UN decision as a third strike against Pakistan."A few days back Masood Azhar was branded as an international terrorist. Congress has questioned the timing of the declaration (by the UN). Was this decision taken by the BJP or by my Cabinet? Should the UN have asked Congress before the declaration? Should they have asked Madam Ji (an apparent reference to Sonia Gandhi)," Modi said at an election rally here."Congress is sulking because they think how the Chaiwala can do what they could not do then?," he said.Congress, while welcoming the UN decision, had expressed disappointment that the listing resolution does not mention Pulwama terror attack and Jammu and Kashmir while recounting Azhar's role in terror ...
Pragya Thakur is answer to Hindu terror allegations: Yogi Adityanath
Unfazed by criticism over fielding a terror accused in elections, Utrtar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that Pragya Singh Thakur, an accused in the Malegaon blast case, is the "answer" to the Opposition's Hindu terror allegations."Pragya Thakur is the answer to Hindu terror. She dedicated her entire life to the nation and Congress tortured her. The Congress let terrorists go and targeted Aseemanand, Colonel Purohit. She will give a befitting reply to all," Adityanath told ANI in an exclusive interview.He was asked about BJP's decision to field Pragya Singh Thakur from Bhopal to take on Congress candidate and former Madhya Pradesh Digvijaya Singh. There has been wideranging criticism of the BJP decision by non-BJP parties that a person facing terror charges has been fielded in the Lok Sabha elections.Pragya Thakur, who is on bail, faces charges against her under the UAPA (Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act) in the blast in Malegaon in 2008 in which seven people were ...
AAP Gandhi Nagar MLA joins BJP
Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Gandhi Nagar Anil Bajpai Friday joined the BJP. 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 joined the BJP in presence of national vice president and Delhi BJP in-charge Shyam Jaju, and Union Minister Vijay Goel, at the Delhi unit office here. "I worked for the AAP for 15 years. I was hurt by lack of respect and peculiar type of functioning in the party. It has detracted from its original path", he said. On Wednesday, Sisodia alleged that the BJP offered Rs 10 crore each to seven AAP MLAs to switch sides. However, Bajpai denied having taken money for joining the BJP and said Kejriwal is in the habit of making allegations and then tendering apologies. Former Delhi BJP president and Union minister Goel Thursday claimed not seven but 14 AAP MLAs were in touch with his party and wanted to quit AAP due to "frustration and humiliation". Three municipal councilors
AAP's demand of full statehood to Delhi 'childish': Congress LS candidate JP Agarwal
Dubbing the AAP's demand for full statehood to Delhi "childish", Congress Lok Sabha candidate J P Agarwal claimed that the Arvind Kejriwal-led party was raising the issue to divert people's attention from its "failure" to fulfil the promises it had made in the 2015 assembly polls. He also sought to known from Chief Minister Kejriwal what he and his party had done in the last four years for full statehood to Delhi. The Congress has pitted Agarwal against Union minister and BJP leader Harsh Vardhan and AAP's Pankaj Gupta from the Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha seat, which goes to polls on May 12 along with the six other parliamentary constituencies in Delhi.Vardhan is the sitting MP from Chandni Chowk. "It is a childish demand (full statehood to Delhi). Will people trust them (AAP) or laugh at them," Agarwal told PTI in an interview. The AAP has made the issue its poll plank and has promised to get full statehood for Delhi if its candidates win all the seven seats in the national capital. "The
BJP seeks Tripura Chief Electoral Officer's removal
The BJP on Friday demanded the removal of Tripura Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sriram Taranikanti and accused him of being a "conspirator", a party official said here.
Afghanistan peace summit calls for immediate ceasefire
A five-day summit on peace in Afghanistan ended on Friday with a call for an urgent ceasefire and a schedule for a proposed withdrawal of foreign troops from the war-torn country.
Rahul pens emotional letter to Amethi people
Congress President Rahul Gandhi has written an emotional letter to the people of Amethi, asking them to vote for him and promising development of the region as soon as Congress forms government at the Centre.