Page 698 - Politics
There is undercurrent against Modi, he will not become PM again: Ashok Gehlot
Rajasthan Chief Minister and Congress leader Ashok Gehlot Wednesday claimed that Narendra Modi will not become prime minister this time as there is an undercurrent against him in the country. He claimed the saffron party's rhetoric that "the Congress did nothing in the last 70 years" will lead to its downfall. "There is an undercurrent against Narendra Modi and he is not going to become prime minister again. Modi and Amit Shah are leaving no stone unturned to create an atmosphere (of a wave) but people understand this," Gehlot said at a press conference here. He also accused Modi of using objectionable language against him. "I have an objection that in Jodhpur, Modi attacked the chief minister of Rajasthan and said that I am speaking the language of Pakistan. He has no right to make such serious allegation against a chief minister," Gehlot said. The Rajasthan chief minister alleged that Modi always speaks lies and has carved a place in politics on the basis of falsehood. "Someone has .
Naxal attack a threat to democracy: Shiv Sena
Expressing anguish over the Gadchiroli naxal attack in Maharashtra in which 15 police personnel and a civilian were killed, the Shiv Sena Wednesday said the incident seems to be a "threat" to democracy. Condemning the incident, Sena spokesperson Neelam Gorhe recalled that maximum voter turnout was recorded in the Gadchiroli-Chimur constituency in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra. "The attack looks like a threat to democracy. It is sad to see such dastardly attack taking place on Foundation Day of Maharashtra state," she said. Sena chief whip in Parliament Sanjay Raut said attacks had been taking place in (Gadchiroli) in the last few days as well, "but I think the state and Union governments will jointly take action against naxals". The Shiv Sena is an alliance partner in the BJP-led governments at the Centre and Maharashtra.
Weaker candidates will cut into BJP votes: Priyanka
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday said that the party's strong candidates will win on their own while the weaker candidates will cut into the votes of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Iran slams US plan to declare Brotherhood terrorists
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Wednesday criticised the United States for seeking to blacklist the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group. "The United States is supporting the biggest terrorist in our region, and that is Israel," Zarif told reporters on the sidelines of the Asian Cooperation Dialogue in Doha. "Trying to designate others as terrorists, the United States (is) not in a position, theoretically and practically, to start naming others as terrorist organisations," he said when asked about US President Donald Trump's bid to designate the Brotherhood as a terrorist group. "We reject any attempt by the United States in this regard." In April, the US declared Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards a "foreign terrorist organisation". The Brotherhood, a nearly century-old Islamist movement born in Egypt with pockets of support across the Arab world, was designated a terrorist organisation by Cairo after the military in 2013 ousted Mohamed Morsi, a democratically ...
What is Sunny Deol's vision for Gurdaspur, asks Jakhar
Congress candidate from Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat Sunil Jakhar Wednesday asked his political opponent and BJP nominee Sunny Deol to share his vision for the constituency, telling him that "politics is a serious business and not a time pass activity". The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded Deol, a Jat Sikh, from Gurdaspur constituency and he will be locking horns with sitting MP Jakhar, Aam Aadmi Party's Peter Masih and Punjab Democratic Alliance's Lal Chand. "He (Deol) should share his vision for Gurdaspur constituency. What will be his agenda for the people here? Voters would also like to know what has been his contribution to the society other than being in movies," Jakhar said. Taking a dig at Deol's short speech in BJP's rally in Gurdaspur on Monday, Jakhar, who is also the state Congress chief said, "He did not give any speech and just uttered dialogues from his movie. I think he has failed to understand the people of Gurdaspur." "Voters here want to know his viewpoints on ..
Iran wants 'good' relations with Saudi Arabia, UAE
Iran said Wednesday it hopes to have good relations with arch-rival Saudi Arabia and its allies, and called for an end to their bitter dispute with Gulf neighbour Qatar. Riyadh broke off relations with Tehran in 2016 after protesters angry at its execution of a top Shiite cleric torched its diplomatic missions in Iran. The following year the kingdom and its allies Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates imposed a trade and travel boycott on Qatar, demanding that it mirror their hardline policies towards Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood. "We have extremely good relations with Qatar, Kuwait, Oman," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said, referring to the two Gulf Arab countries which remained neutral in the dispute. "We hope to have the same type of relations with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates," Zarif told reporters on the sidelines of the Asian Cooperation Dialogue in Doha. "We also hope that countries within the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) could resolve
No evidence to suggest India using Afghan soil to create trouble in Pak: US
The US on Wednesday rejected Pakistan's claim that India was using Afghanistan for spreading terrorism in the country, saying there was "no evidence" to support Islamabad's allegations. "I don't have the evidence what you're referring to, but our policy is clear that no country should support non-state actors," Alice Wells, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, said while interacting with a group of journalists at the US Embassy here. Pakistan has long been expressing its concerns regarding India allegedly using the Afghan soil to create trouble and often presented as evidence the case of Indian prisoner Kulbushan Jadhav, who has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of "espionage and terrorism" in April 2017. Islamabad claims that its security forces arrested Jadhav from restive Balochistan province on March 3, 2016 after he reportedly entered from Iran. However, India maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from ...
CPI(M) extends support to AAP in Delhi
The CPI(M) on Wednesday appealed to the people of Delhi to vote for the Aam Aadmi Party and defeat the BJP in the national capital. In a statement, the party's Delhi State Committee said in the last five years of the NDA government an "unmitigated disaster" had been unleashed in the country. "This government has promoted heinous attacks on Muslims and Dalits and has actively engaged in sharpening of communal polarisation. There has been a sharp increase in crimes against women and girls. The Modi government has launched severe attacks on democratic rights of the people and undermined different Constitutional authorities. It has sought to subvert the secular and democratic essence of the Constitution," the CPI(M) said. It said the saffron party has pursued neo-liberal policies that have led to increased unemployment and heaped severe economic burden and miseries on the working class, peasantry and other toilers. "On the other hand it has provided numerous concessions to corporates and .
If SP-BSP alliance 'mahamilawat' then what's NDA: Akhilesh Yadav
Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday slammed Bharatiya Janata Party for calling SP-BSP coalition 'mahamilawat', saying the NDA is in even bigger problem because it is tied up with more than 35 parties."The BJP has tied up with 38 political parties for Lok Sabha elections and yet they call the SP-BSP coalition 'Mahamilawat'. Just imagine if our two-party alliance is a problem then what does it make their coalition," Akhilesh said at an election rally here."The SP leader asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had fooled the nation by branding himself as a tea maker, but situations are different now as landslide voting in the favour of SP-BSP has taken place so far."He came as a chaiwallah (tea-maker) and fooled the public. Don't know what drugs were there in the tea. In the first four phases of the elections, there has been a wave in our favour. The storm of Mahagathbandhan has most likely swept away the BJP. The onus of ensuring their complete defeat falls on you
Security of people equally important as country's security: Priyanka Gandhi
Targetting the Narendra Modi-led central government for emphasising more on national security, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday said that the security of the people, including women, farmers, and youth is equally important."It is good that you are keeping us safe from Pakistan. However, during elections, the issue should be more on the security of the people. You need to protect women. You need to help a farmer when he or she is in distress. You need to ensure a job to a youth. If you address all these, that means you have ensured their security. Ensuring that the country's security is important but the security of the people should not be left behind," Priyanka said at a gathering here.Continuing her attack on Modi, Priyanka claimed that while Modi went to America and Japan and hugged leaders there, he did not reciprocate his gesture in the country where he did not hug family members of a poor family in Varanasi."There was no development in the last five .
BJP using martyrdom of jawans for election purposes: Mayawati
BSP chief Mayawati Wednesday accused the BJP of using the martyrdom of jawans for election purposes and regretted that the country's borders are still not totally secure. She also alleged that like the previous Congress government, the BJP dispensation too is using the CBI, ED and the Income Tax department against its political opponents for electoral gains. "Under such circumstance, the electorate have to see to it that neither the BJP nor the Congress... comes to power at the centre," the BSP chief said at an election meeting here. Claiming that the BJP will be voted out of power this time because of its pro-RSS, capitalist, communal and casteist policies, Mayawati said no amount of "drama" or 'jumlebazi' (rhetoric) will help the party. "The borders of the country are not totally secure under the BJP government as a result of which terror attacks are taking place and several jawans are being martyred. It is most unfortunate that they are anyhow using this for election purposes," the
Putin fast tracks Russian citizenship for Ukrainians
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a new decree fast-tracking Russian citizenship for some Ukrainians despite concerns the move will exacerbate the crisis between the countries. Under a decree published Wednesday, several categories of Ukrainian nationals will have the right to a simplified nationality process including those who already have Russian residence permits. Other categories include Ukrainian citizens who were born in Crimea but left the peninsula before Russia annexed it in March, 2014. The fast-track procedure is implemented to protect "rights and human and civil freedoms", said the decree which Putin signed on Monday. The move comes after a comedian with no political experience, Volodymyr Zelensky, won a landslide victory in presidential elections in Ukraine last month. The Kremlin has not congratulated Zelensky while Putin said Moscow was thinking of making it easier for all Ukrainians to obtain Russian citizenship. Putin had already signed a decree on April ..
Congress, SP and BSP support terrorism: Yogi Adityanath
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday claimed that the Congress, Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) support terrorism, while on the other hand, the BJP is fighting it."What SP and BSP used to do when they were in power in Uttar Pradesh? They make efforts to take back the cases of those people, who did terror attack on Ram Janmabhoomi, those people who did terror attack on Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple in Kashi, those people, who did terror attack on CRPF camp in Rampur, those people, who did terror attacks on Lucknow, Faizabad and Varanasi courts and those people, who did serial bomb blasts in Gorakhpur," Adityanath said while addressing a rally here."On one side there is BJP, which is fighting against terrorism, Naxalism and crime, one the other side you must have seen the alliance of Congress, SP, and BSP, which supports terrorism," he added.As many as 14 Lok Sabha constituencies of Uttar Pradesh are all set to go for polls in the fifth phase of ...
Tej Bahadur Yadav's nomination for Varanasi rejected, says will move Supreme Court
The nomination of former BSF constable and Samajwadi Party candidate Tej Bahadur Yadav, who filed his papers against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency, was rejected on Wednesday after he failed to submit a certificate.The Returning Officer (RO) Surendra Singh on Tuesday had issued a notice to Yadav, asking him to submit the certificate whether or not he was dismissed from the service for corruption or disloyalty to the government."You have not submitted the certificate to the effect that whether or not you were dismissed from the service for corruption or disloyalty with your nomination papers. You are directed through this notice to submit the aforementioned certificate till 11 am on May 1, 2019," the notice issued on Tuesday read.Yadav, however, has alleged foul play and said that he would knock the doors of the Supreme Court on Thursday."My nomination has been rejected wrongly. I was asked to produce a certificate at 6.15 pm on Tuesday. We produced the
PM condemns Naxal attack, Congress slams government
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday strongly condemned the dastardly Naxal attack in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra in which 15 police commandos were killed, saying those responsible will not be spared even as the Congress party slammed the Centre for "failing to secure the country".
EC asked to file affidavit on parties' expenditure
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed the Election Commission to file an affidavit indicating its powers to ensure implementation or enforcement of its guidelines regarding disclosure of expenditure by political parties.
PM recalls 1954 Kumbh stampede, contrasts it with this year's mela
Lauding the arrangements by the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh for this year's Kumbh Mela, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday recalled the 1954 stampede at the religious gathering in Allahabad when Jawaharlal Nehru was PM. "When Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was prime minister, thousands of people were killed in the Kumbh stampede in Allahabad," Modi said at an election meeting here. News reports from the time had, however, put the toll in the hundreds, with some saying that about 800 people were killed. The prime minister alleged that for saving the image of the then government, the media, too, had suppressed the news. "The stampede victims' families names were never mentioned and not a single rupee was given to them (as compensation). It was insensitivity and this sin was committed by the country's first prime minister," Modi said. Praising the efforts of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in successfully organising Kumbh in Prayagraj, he said, "Earlier there used to be allegations of ...
TMC will win all 42 seats, BJP zero in Bengal
Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Wednesday claimed that her party will win all the 42 seats Lok Sabha seats in the state and BJP will draw a blank. "I am sure that BJP will not come to power in the country and in West Bengal it will draw a blank this time, down from two seats it got in the last LS polls", Banerjee told a public rally at Andul in Howrah district in support of TMC candidate footballer-turned-politician Prasun Banerjee. Referring to BJP president Amit Shah's statement at a rally at Kalyani in the state during the day, Banerjee without naming him said "a person has come and said the National Register of Citizens will be implemented in the state when his party comes to power. Let them (BJP) come to power first and then we will show how they dare do it", she said. Shah had said that NRC would be implemented in Bengal to weed out infiltrators. Banerjee said that election to 300 L S seats is already over and BJP is ...
Ban on civilian traffic on J-K highway deliberate move by BJP to impose emergency in Kashmir: Mir
Congress candidate for the Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency G A Mir Wednesday alleged that the ban on civilian traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway was a deliberate move by the BJP and the RSS to impose emergency in Kashmir. "The saffron party (BJP) has sensed defeat, which has resulted in it victimising people of Kashmir one way or the other. Steps like ban on civilian traffic on the highway and mass arrests are aimed at diverting the attention of the nation from their failures but it is not going to happen," he said. "The anti-people steps taken by the government is a deliberate move to impose emergency in Kashmir," Mir said, addressing election meetings in Shopian and Wachi areas of south Kashmir. He said the Congress will review all such moves taken from time to time to ensure that "injustice", meted out to people by the state administration and the Centre, comes to an end. "Besides, we will ensure that people are not intimidated and punished for no fault of theirs," Mir .
15 troopers among 16 killed in Maoist blast in Maharashtra (3rd Lead)
Maoists struck in a big way in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli on Wednesday, killing 15 police commandos and a civilian in a land mine blast.