Page 694 - Politics
Chudasama's election: EC recommends action against returning officer
The Election Commission (EC) Wednesday told the Gujarat High Court that it has recommended action against the returning officer and observer in Dhokla Assembly constituency from where state minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama won in 2017. The EC told Justice Paresh Upadhyay that on April 30 it recommended disciplinary proceedings against then returning officer Dhaval Jani and poll observer Vinita Bohra. The court was hearing an election petition filed by Congress' Ashwin Rathod -- who had lost to Chudasama by just 327 votes -- challenging the poll result. The court, on April 2, had observed that Jani's examination in the court brought out facts "so glaring that this court has thought it prudent to put the above noted facts to the notice of the Election Commission, so that it can consider...and take appropriate corrective/ preventive measures, if it so desires". Rathod's petition claimed that Chudasama indulged in "corrupt practises and breach of many of the mandatory instructions of the .
Better if Pragya's nomination had been cancelled: Digvijay
Congress candidate from Bhopal Lok Sabha seat Digvijay Singh Wednesday welcomed the Election Commission's order barring his BJP rival Pragya Singh Thakur from campaigning for 72 hours. It would have been better if her nomination had been cancelled, he said, reacting to the development. "The EC's decision is welcome," he said on Twitter. "It is natural when the BJP fields (a person) accused of terrorism and those (who) indulge in the politics of communal hatred. It would be better had the nomination of such candidates was cancelled for safeguarding the ideals of democratic values," he tweeted. While Thakur herself could not be contacted for reaction, Madhya Pradesh BJP spokesperson Rajnish Agrawal said his party follows the Election Commission's decisions. It will, nevertheless, study the order and take a call on whether it should be challenged, he said. According to a BJP source, after her statements on former Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare and Babri mosque ...
US military action in Venezuela 'possible': Pompeo
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday the administration of President Donald Trump was prepared to take military action to stem the crisis in Venezuela. "The president has been crystal clear and incredibly consistent. Military action is possible. If that's what's required, that's what the United States will do," Pompeo said on Fox Business Network. Pompeo said the US would prefer a peaceful transition of power, with President Nicolas Maduro leaving and new elections held to choose new leaders. "But the president has made clear in the event that there comes a moment -- and we will all have to make decisions about when that moment is and the president will ultimately have to make that decision -- he's prepared to do that if that's what's required." In a separate interview with CNN, National Security Advisor John Bolton said Pompeo would be speaking later today with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to discuss the situation. Bolton and Pompeo have accused Russia and ...
JD(S) minister says his party workers might have voted for
Karnataka minister G T Deve Gowda Wednesday said his party JD(S)' workers in Mysuru and elsewhere might have voted for the BJP, underlining the unease between ruling coalition partners. The Congress and JDS had fought the Lok Sabha elections together, but the seat sharing understanding was marred by differences between members of the two parties which had been bitter rivals before they joined hands to form government. "There were some differences between the two parties. Take Udbur for example. People fought like there any panchayat election. "Those who were in Congress voted for Congress and those in JD(S) voted for the BJP. Similar things happened elsewhere too," Gowda told reporters in Mysuru. Gowda added that if the two parties could have combined their strength, there was no scope for the BJP to win even five seats out of 28 in Karnataka. He also pointed out that coalition should have been formalised much earlier for better coordination and results. The statement ...
Sidhu has been stumped over Masood Azhar: Vijay Goel
Union Minister Vijay Goel on Wednesday said Congress leader and Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, who praised Pakistan, has been stumped as dreaded terrorist Masood Azhar living in that country has been declared as global terrorist by the UN Security Council.
Pak summons Afghan envoy over terror attack along border
Pakistan Wednesday summoned Afghanistan's envoy to lodge protest over terrorist attack along the Pak-Afghan border in which three Pakistan soldiers were killed and seven others injured. A group of 60-70 terrorists from across the border attacked the security forces fencing the Pak-Afghan border in Alwara at North Waziristan district, an army statement said. Three soldiers were killed in the attack while seven others were injured. Several terrorists were killed in the retaliatory firing by the Pakistan Army, it added. Foreign Office said that the Afghan Charge d' Affaires was called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the Additional Secretary (Afghanistan and West Asia) and Pakistan's strong protest was lodged over a cross-border terrorist attack in North Waziristan last night, launched by terrorist groups coming from Afghanistan." The terrorists launched fire raids and physical attacks on Pakistani military troops operating in North Waziristan district to fence the border. It ...
Diplomatic experts hail Azhar's designation as global terrorist
Diplomatic experts in India hailed the listing of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN Wednesday, but doubted whether the move would push Pakistan to give up the use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy. In a huge diplomatic victory for India, the UN Sanctions Committee Wednesday designated Azhar as a global terrorist after China lifted its hold on a proposal to ban him. Reacting to Azhar's designation, former foreign secretary Salman Haider said he sees it as a "very favourable development". "It is something we have been trying to achieve from quite some time and China has been stonewalling and refusing to respond to what is a very obvious case India has been making repeatedly," he told PTI. But now, China has changed track and India should welcome this, Haider said. "It is good and we hope that will be followed up with equally significant measures on the same front," he said. Gopalaswami Parthasarathy, former Indian High Commissioner to ...
India welcomes UN listing of Masood Azhar as global terrorist; PM calls it big success
India Wednesday welcomed the listing of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN with Prime Minister Narendra Modi describing it as a "big success" for the country's efforts to root out terrorism. Political parties cutting across ideological divide as well as strategic affairs experts also hailed the UN action against the Pakistan-based Azhar, nearly a decade after India first pushed for banning the terrorist, who is the mastermind of several major terror strikes in India. "It is a big success for India's efforts to root out terrorism... India's voice is being heard globally. India's views cannot be ignored any longer, it has been proved," Modi said an election rally in Jaipur. In its reaction, the External Affairs Ministry called Azhar's designation as a UN proscribed terrorist as a step in the right direction to demonstrate the international community's resolve to fight against terrorism and its enablers. The UN Sanctions Committee on Wednesday designated .
UK welcomes listing of JeM chief Masood Azhar as global terrorist by UN
The UK government on Wednesday welcomed the "long overdue" listing of the Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN Security Council. The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said the UN Security Council's designation of the head of the Pakistan-based terror group chief as a global terrorist was a positive development for the South Asian region. "The listing of Masood Azhar, leader of the Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist group, is very welcome and long overdue," an FCO spokesperson said. "The UK has consistently called for this action to be taken, and we worked closely with our international partners to ensure the right result. This is a positive development for the security and stability of the South Asia region, the spokesperson noted. In what is being seen a major diplomatic win for India, the UN blacklisted Azhar after China lifted its "technical hold" on a proposal initiated by the US, the UK, and France in the wake of the Pulwama attack, which claimed the
Fadnavis must resign after deadly Naxal attack, says oppn
Opposition Congress and the NCP Wednesday demanded Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's resignation following the Naxal attack in Gadchiroli in which 15 policemen and a civilian were killed. The Congress also demanded a compensation of Rs 50 lakh each for the families of the deceased jawans, all members of the Quick Response Team (QRT) of the Gadchiroli police. Fadnavis holds the home portfolio and "he should step down immediately", NCP chief Sharad Pawar tweeted. "Those who feel shame of conscience if not shame of public opinion would have resigned. But the people who are in power today are not going to do so," he added. Claiming that the Naxal activities in the state were increasing, Pawar said it was the result of "rulers neglecting law and order situation in the Naxal-affected areas". "Hence, there is no option but to condemn the attack and express grief over the jawans' deaths," the NCP president said. State NCP chief and former Maharashtra home minister Jayant Patil ..
Accepted Azhar's listing on fresh evidence: China
China on Wednesday said it acted against Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar after India shared fresh evidence on the man who plotted several deadly attacks.
NORTH HIGHLIGHTS 9.30 PM
These are the top stories from the northern region at 9.30 pm AYODHYA/KAUSHAMBI ELN52 UP-2NDLD PM Ayodhya/Kaushambi (UP): Terming terrorism the biggest threat facing India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said terror factories running in the neighbourhood are waiting for a weak government here. NEW DELHI ELN29 UP-PRIYANKA-LD ALLIANCE Salon (UP): The Congress is not at all cutting into votes of the SP-BSP-RLD alliance in Uttar Pradesh as the party has fielded candidates either with prospects of victory or having potential to damage BJP's chances in the state, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said Wednesday. VARANASI ELN44 UP-2NDLD-BSF JAWAN Varanasi: Amid high drama, dismissed BSF jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav's nomination as the Samajwadi Party candidate against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency was Wednesday rejected by poll authorities. SITAPUR (UP) ELN27 UP-RAHUL RALLY Sitapur (UP): Congress president Rahul Gandhi Wednesday termed
Azhar's listing: India says step to show resolve against terror
India on Wednesday welcomed the decision of the UN Security Councils 1267 Sanctions Committee to declare Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, saying it was a "step in the right direction to demonstrate the international communitys resolve to fight against terrorism and its enablers".
EC clean chit to PM on Latur speech
The Election Commission Wednesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech in Latur last month in which he had urged first time voters to dedicate their vote in the name of the Balakot air strike heroes and the soldiers killed in the Pulwama attack is not violative of its instructions on invoking armed forces in poll campaigns. "The matter has been examined in detail in accordance with the extant advisories, provisions of the Model Code of Conduct and after examination of complete transcript of speech of 11 pages as per the certified copy sent by the Returning Officer, 40 Osmanabad parliamentary constituency. Commission is of the considered view that in this matter no such violation of the extant advisories/provisions is attracted," the EC said. Addressing a rally in Ausa in Maharashtra's Latur on April 9, Modi said, "Can your first vote be dedicated to those who carried out the air strike." "I want to tell the first-time voters: can your first vote be dedicated to the veer jawans ..
Shah credits Modi for UN move on Azhar, Cong 'disappointed' at no mention of Pulwama
Top BJP leaders, including its president Amit Shah, credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the UN designating Masood Azhar a global terrorist on Wednesday, while the Congress noted its "disappointment" over no mention of the Jaish-e-Mohammad chief's role in the Pulwama terror attack in the decision. Political parties cutting across ideological divide welcomed the development. Shah said Modi's diplomatic efforts led to the United Nation's decision as he pitched for his "strong and decisive" leadership. "That is why India needs a strong & decisive leader. Grateful to PM Narendra Modi and his diplomatic efforts that led to the UN designating Masood Azhar as a global terrorist. It was long over due. This also reflects PM Modi's commitment towards zero tolerance against terrorism," Shah tweeted. Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said it was a welcome step but added that the opposition party was disappointed that the UN listing does not mention the Pulwama terror attack, .
Will review sedition law, make it more stringent after coming back to power: Rajnath
Senior BJP leader and Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said the sedition law will be reviewed for any weaknesses and made more stringent after his party returns to power at the Centre. Singh, addressing a gathering at Delhi's Shastri Park area in support of party candidates for Lok Sabha elections Manoj Tiwari and Gautam Gambhir, also paid tribute to the Maharashtra policemen who were killed in an IED blast in the state's Naxal-affected Gadchiroli district. "We will see if there are any weaknesses in the sedition law after coming back to power. We will make it so stringent that it will quiver the souls of traitors," the home minister said. He also took shots at the opposition for raising questions over the number of terrorists killed in the Balakot air strike. "Should our soldiers stop to count the bodies after strikes? Only vultures count bodies, not the warriors," he said. Singh asserted that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will secure two-third majority in ...
Jaish chief Masood Azhar now global terrorist; India, France welcome it (2nd Lead)
In a huge diplomatic victory for India, the UN Security Council on Wednesday declared Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, a move that was being blocked by China for nearly 10 years.
Pakistan tries face-saver after Azhar's UNSC listing
An embarrassed Pakistan on Wednesday said the listing of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist had been agreed upon after "all political references, including removal of attempts to link it with the terror attack in Pulwama and maligning the struggle of the Kashmiris".
Pak to 'immediately' enforce sanctions imposed on Azhar, claims Pulwama attack removed from proposal
Pakistan on Wednesday said it would "immediately enforce the sanctions" imposed by the UN on JeM chief Masood Azhar and agreed to his listing after all "political references", including attempts to link him to the Pulwama attack were removed from the proposal. In a major diplomatic win for India, the United Nations designated Pakistan-based Azhar as a "global terrorist" after China lifted its hold on a proposal by the US, the UK and France to blacklist him. The US, the UK and France had moved the proposal to designate Azhar as a "global terrorist" in the UN Security Council's 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee in February, just days after the deadly Pulwama terror attack carried out by the JeM in Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan foreign office spokesman Mohammad Faisal said Pakistan would "immediately enforce the sanctions" imposed on Azhar. "Formal action will be taken on three counts: travel ban, arms embargo and travel restrictions. That is the requirement...Pakistan is a responsible ...
Disappointed that Azhar's designation doesn't mention Pulwama, J-K: Cong
The Congress Wednesday welcomed the designation of JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN, but expressed disappointment that the listing "does not mention Pulwama and Jammu and Kashmir" while recounting his role in terror activities. The Congress said it expected the Modi government to act with a "greater speed" in pursuing the case with China as several precious lives in terror attacks like Pulwama could have been avoided. The Modi government should now push for a declaration of bounty on Azhar's head as was ensured by the UPA in the case of Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, the Congress said. In a major diplomatic win for India, the United Nations designated Pakistan-based Azhar as a global terrorist after China lifted its hold on a proposal by the US, UK and France to blacklist him. Azhar's "belated" declaration as a global terrorist by UN is surely a welcome step and India's fight against terrorism is resolute and the entire nation is one in fighting the