Page 696 - Politics
Burqa banned in Ravana's Lanka, why not in Ram's Ayodhya: Sena
The Shiv Sena Wednesday welcomed Sri Lankan government's decision to ban burqa and masks on grounds of national security and asked the Narendra Modi-led regime to follow suit. In an editorial in party mouthpiece Saamana, the Sena asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to follow Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisenas footsteps and ban burqas and other face-covering garments in India considering the threat it poses to the nations security. The Sena mouthpiece said, "We welcome the decision by the Sri Lankan president. If this can happen in Ravana's Lanka, when will it happen in Ram's Ayodhya," it said. The editorial said even France, New Zealand, Australia and England have banned burqa. "Why is India lagging behind," it asked. The editorial said this task (of banning burqa) is as gutsy as the surgical strikes. "Face masks can prove detrimental in identifying people and the ban was necessary under emergency situation. The Sri Lankan president has shown courage. Modi should .
BJP charges AAP with 'minority appeasement', demands campaign ban by EC on Kejriwal
The BJP on Wednesday filed a complaint with the Election Commission against AAP leaders including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal alleging they were using Delhi Waqf Board funds for their "minority appeasement" politics. A delegation of BJP leaders including Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Sambit Patra and Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta met the Chief Election Commissioner and filed the complaint which alleged "mis-appropriation" of Waqffunds. The Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) termed the complaint as "politically motivated". Gupta claimed, "The Delhi Waqf Board passed a resolution during operation of model of code of conduct authorising withdrawal of money from bank account of the Board through signatures of any two among the chairman, any member and chief executive officer(CEO)," Gupta claimed. This resolution was approved by Delhi Finance Minister although it violated an earlier memorandum of the government, dated June 3, 2015, as per which signature of the ...
"Frustrated" Modi only worried about dresses worn by oppn
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu Wednesday continued his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the "frustrated man" was only worried about the dresses worn by the opposition leaders. The Telugu Desam Party president also again hit out at the Election Commission of India, alleging that it talked all illogical things. Taking on the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister pointed out that the Model Code of Conduct (for elections) was not preventing Modi from talking or doing anything. "All the PM's speeches are objectionable. Army jawans' sacrifices, Balakot, hate speeches...his reference to 40 MLAs of West Bengal being in touch with him... There are 40 complaints over MCC violation by PM, but there is no action. They (ECI) are only thinking about controlling opposition parties. Not taking action against the Prime Minister despite Supreme Court directive. This is atrocious," Chandrababu Naidu said at a press conference here. Alleging that the Prime ...
Rahul promises 33 pc women quota in jobs, Parliament, state
Congress chief Rahul Gandhi Wednesday promised 33 per cent reservation to women in central government jobs, in both houses of Parliament and in state assemblies if his party came to power. Talking about his party's proposed Nyay minimum income scheme, he also said the money for it will come from people like "Anil, Nirav, Vijay, Mehul...Narendra". He also slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the national security plank, referring to Wednesday's Naxal attack in Maharashtra which has a BJP-led government. Addressing a campaign rally at Pipariya in Madhya Pradesh's Hoshangabad Lok Saha seat, he reiterated the promise of minimum income under Nyay (Nyuntam Aay Yojna). "Don't be angry," he said, addressing the men in the gathering. "(But) The money under Nyay is going to be deposited in the bank accounts of women...Rs 72,000 a year. "Congress will give 33 per cent reservation to women in jobs of national government. We are also going to introduce 33 per cent quota for women
Abhay Chautala canvasses for son Arjun, says save him from 'Kaurava-like opponents'
Drawing an analogy from the epic Mahabharata, senior INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala Wednesday urged people to make his son Arjun victorious in the Kurukshetra Lok Sabha seat to save him from "Kaurava-like opponents". The BJP has fielded its Haryana minister Nayab Saini from the parliamentary constituency, the Congress has nominated Nirmal Singh while Jaibhagwan Sharma is the candidate of Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), which was formed after the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) split last year following a feud within the Chautala family. "We have fielded Arjun to fight your battle. If he is to be saved from Kaurava-like opponents then you will have to vote for him and make him victorious. With this the Kauravas will be eliminated," Abhay Singh Chautala told people at election meetings in Kalayat and Pundri, under the Kurukshetra seat. Addressing a public meeting in Kurukshetra recently, Arjun Chautala had said, "In Mahabharata, Arjun (the third of the Pandava brothers) did not want to ..
Rathore 'intrigued' by Modi's mode of communication
Union Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore is fascinated by the mode of communication used by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which he feels has influenced each and every section of people in the country.
Vaghani ban: Congress says EC delayed action under pressure
A day after the Election Commission barred Gujarat BJP chief Jitu Vaghani from campaigning for 72 hours for using "intemperate" language, the Congress Wednesday questionned its relevance as the state had already voted in the Lok Sabha polls. The Congress claimed that the poll body delayed the order against Vaghani due to some "pressure". The EC Tuesday barred the BJP leader from campaigning for 72 hours, with effect from 4 pm on May 2, for using "intemperate and abusive" language during a rally in Surat on April 7. Voting for all the 26 Lok Sabha constituencies in Gujarat was held on April 29 in a single phase. State Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi alleged that such "delayed action" by the EC proves that it is working under some kind of pressure. When contacted, Vaghani refused to comment. "After receiving our complaint, the EC should have taken immediate steps to stop Vaghani from campaigning ahead of the April 23 polling. However, it chose to act after elections got
Terror factories in neighbourhood waiting for weak govt: PM
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. This is a new India which will strike terrorists in their den, within the border and outside it, he said at an election rally in Gosaiganj, about 25 km from the temple town of Ayodhya, in which he focused much of his attention on terrorism. Gosaiganj is in the same district as Ayodhya but falls in the Ambedkarnagar Lok Sabha constituency. Recalling the Easter Day blasts across Sri Lanka, he said, "We saw what happened in Sri Lanka. The same situation prevailed in our country before 2014. Can we forget the blast in Ayodhya? There were terrorist attacks on a daily basis." In the past five years, he asserted, this has stopped. "It doesn't mean terrorism has stopped. Terrorism factories are running in our neighbourhood. It is an industry there and it is their business. They are waiting for a weak government.
Barr faces tough questions on handling of Mueller report
US Attorney General Bill Barr faces tough questions in the Senate Wednesday after the explosive revelation that Special Counsel Robert Mueller had objected to his downplaying of the Russia investigation report's allegations against President Donald Trump. Barr appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee amid an uproar over revelations that Mueller felt that Barr, in declaring in late March that the Russia report cleared Trump of wrongdoing, had misrepresented the evidence and conclusions of the nearly two-year investigation. Three days after Barr's March 24 summary of the report allowed Trump to declare that he was completely exonerated, Mueller wrote that his summary generated "public confusion" about the report's results. Barr's four-page summary "did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance," of the investigation's conclusions, the letter said. The 448-page report, finally released on April 18, said it did not find evidence that Trump's campaign conspired with ...
Kazakhstan arrests dozens in pre-vote protest
Dozens of protesters opposed to Kazakhstan's authoritarian regime were arrested by police in the largest city Almaty on Wednesday after decrying a snap election critics liken to a succession plan. At least 200 people gathered in Almaty's central park to listen to activists who criticised the three-decade rule of Nursultan Nazarbayev and a June vote that his ally is expected to win. Slogans shouted by protesters included "down with dictatorship", "we have a choice" and "we are the power". Protesters also chanted slogans critical of Nazarbayev's ally Kassym-Jomart Tokayev after the 65-year-old was nominated for the ballot by the ruling party last month. Nazarbayev, 78, shocked the country in March by calling time on his presidency and allowing Tokayev to succeed him, initially on an interim basis. Nazarbayev is still expected to call the shots in the oil-rich nation of 18 million people. He is recognised by the constitution as "Leader of the Nation" and has retained key positions ...
BJP will return to power : Shah
BJP president Amit Shah Wednesday exuded confidence that the party will return to power in the ongoing parliamentary elections with Narendra Modi as prime minister. He stepped up his attack on TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is among BJP's most strident critics, and said she was supporting those who wished to divide the country byseparating Kashmir from India. "But this party (BJP) will continue its fight to ensure that Kashmir remains an integral part of India, no matter who is in power at the Centre," Shah said addressing rallies in different Lok Sabha constituencies of West Bengal which go to the polls in the fifth phase on May 6. "Today we are in power and Narendra Modi is the prime minister. In the coming days too he will continue as the PM. But if a day comes when the BJP is no longer at the helm, its workers will still fight to ensure that Kashmir remains an integral part of India," he said. He iterated that the saffron party, if ...
Our block, district heads more capable than Modi, Shah: Mamata
Targeting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for its inability to check Maoist activities, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said that BJP President Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi lacked the capabilities that even block and district-level presidents of the Trinamool Congress possessed.
After Azhar's designation, China defends Pakistan
Moments after it okayed the resolution to blacklist Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar at the UN sanctions panel, China defended Pakistan, saying the country had made enormous contributions to fighting terrorism.
BJP credits Modi's leadership as UN designates Masood Azhar global terrorist
The BJP Wednesday credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the United Nations designating Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a "global terrorist", saying India is in safe hands under him. "India stands vindicated. Masood Azhar is now a global terrorist. India is in safe hands. This marks a high point for the prime minister's foreign policy," senior BJP leader and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said. Calling it a "historic success" for India, the BJP used one of its Lok Sabha election slogans, 'Modi hai to mumkin hai' (It is possible if Modi is there), as it reacted to what is being seen as a major diplomatic win for the country. With the BJP making nationalism a key plank of its campaign, the party is set to highlight the development for political dividends in the election season. While BJP leaders rushed to give credit to the government, some opposition leaders, including Shashi Tharoor of the Congress, referred to reports that references to the Pulwama terror attack and ...
Modi says patrons of terror praying for his exit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that patrons of terror are praying for his exit from power.
France welcomes listing of Masood Azhar as global terrorist by UN
France Wednesday welcomed the listing of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN, saying the decision signalled the successful realisation of efforts to ban him. In a huge diplomatic victory for India, the UN designated Pakistan-based JeM chief Azhar as a 'global terrorist' after China lifted its hold on a proposal to blacklist him. "For many years now, French diplomacy has been relentlessly pleading for sanctioning Mr Azhar, head of the terrorist group responsible, notably, for the Pulwama attack last February," a spokesperson of France's Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs said. The official said, "This decision taken at the United Nations Security Council signals the successful realisation of our efforts." France also said it remained mobilised at all levels and all fora to take effective measures against terrorism. In application of its Monetary and Financial Code, France had adopted national sanctions against Azhar on March 15. A UNSC designation ...
Taxpayer on the hook as UK scraps Brexit ferry contracts
The British government said Wednesday it was scrapping Brexit-related contracts with ferry companies at a cost to taxpayers of tens of millions of pounds (dollars) after the ferry deals sparked a political and legal firestorm. "Freight capacity contracts for the summer period are no longer needed and have therefore been terminated," the Department for Transport said. The ferries were part of the government's planning for a "no-deal" Brexit in case Britain leaves the European Union without an agreement on divorce terms and future ties. That could cause gridlock at ports by ripping up the trade rulebook and imposing tariffs, customs checks and other barriers between the U.K. and the EU, its biggest trading partner. But the contracts came under fire earlier this year when it emerged that one firm involved had no ships and no experience running a ferry service. Transport Secretary Chris Grayling defended the contracts, saying they had been a prudent "insurance policy." The department said
Found no objection to list Azhar after studying revised materials: China
China, which lifted its technical hold on listing JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN, said on Wednesday that it took the decision after it found no objection to the listing proposal by the US, the UK and France following a careful study of the revised materials. In a huge diplomatic win for India, the United Nations Wednesday designated Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Azhar as a "global terrorist" after China lifted its hold on a proposal to blacklist him. The 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council has detailed criteria for the listing procedures. China always believes that the relevant work should be carried out in an objective, unbiased and professional manner and based on solid evidence and consensus among all parties, a press release issued by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said. "On this listing issue, China has been communicating with relevant parties in a constructive and responsible fashion. Recently, relevant ...
France welcomes UN move to designate Azhar as 'global terrorist'
France on Wednesday welcomed the United Nations' move to designate Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a "global terrorist", saying it "signals the successful realisation" of its efforts. France along with the UK and the US 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. "We welcome the designation today, by the UNSC 1267 Sanctions Committee, of Masood Azhar on the UN's ISIL (Da'esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions List," according to a statement issued by the Foreign Affairs of France. For many years, French diplomacy has been relentlessly pleading for sanctioning Azhar, "head of the terrorist group responsible, notably, for the Pulwama attack", it said. France had adopted national sanctions against Azhar on March 15. The UNSC's decision "signals the successful realisation of our efforts", .
Centre sanctioned 69 highways in Himachal: Gadkari
BJP leader and Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday said the Central government has sanctioned 69 national highways in Himachal Pradesh, the construction of most of which are underway.