Page 710 - Politics
Kejriwal welcomes Madras HC decision on Puducherry LG Kiran Bedi
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday welcomed the Madras High Court verdict which held that Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi "cannot interfere" in the day-to-day affairs of the elected government of the Union Territory, saying the Constitution is clear but the Modi government has "refused" to allow non-BJP elected governments to function. In a setback to Bedi, the Madras High Court on Tuesday held that "the elected government functioning through the Council of Ministers cannot be defeated by the act of the Administrator... by way of interfering in the day to day affairs of the Government". Reacting to the verdict, Kejriwal called Bedi "Modi government's political nominee". Bedi, who was part of Anna Hazare's Lokpal agitation, fell out with Kejriwal over the formation of Aam Aadmi Party in 2012. She later joined the BJP and was its chief ministerial candidate in 2015 Assembly polls, which the party lost. She was appointed as Lt Governor of Puducherry in May 2016. "Welcome .
PM sharpens attack on oppn after 4th round of polling
Intensifying his attack on the opposition, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday said that after the fourth round of Lok Sabha polling, leaders of his rival parties have lost their sleep. "Those doing 'mahamilavat' (grand adulteration) are having sleepless nights," he said at an election meeting here. Modi has been ridiculing opposition alliance as 'mahamilavat'. "Earlier opposition parties played the game of 'kaun banega PM (who will become the PM)', now, after four phases of polling, they are playing 'hide and seek'," Modi said.
Cong seeks TRS support to enable Rahul Gandhi form govt at
: The Congress Tuesday sought the Telangana Rashtra Samitis support to enable Rahul Gandhi form the next government at the Centre after the ongoing general elections to enable the state get Special Category Status. Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president N Raghuveera Reddy wrote a letter to TRS president and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao in this regard. "I would first like to thank you for categorically extending support to the demand for according Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh. Since the BJP has rejected the SCS demand and Congress president Rahul Gandhi promised to sign the first file granting SCS to AP upon becoming the Prime Minister, I request you to support our party to form the next government at the Centre," Raghuveera said in the letter. AP would get special status only if a government under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi was formed at the Centre, he said, adding that the Congress had listed this in its election manifesto. "I have .
SC notice on PM's poll code 'breaches' as EC meets on issue (2nd Lead)
The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Election Commission on the Congress' plea seeking direction to the poll panel to take action on complaints of alleged violation of the Model Code of Conduct by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah.
North Indian leaders from Mumbai to campaign in home state UP
With the four-phase Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra coming to an end Monday, politicians of all hues, especially those from Uttar Pradesh who are settled in Mumbai, are set to campaign in their home state. Leaders of the BJP, the Congress, the SP and the BSP are expected to campaign for candidates of their respective parties in the northern state which votes in seven phases till May 19. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who topped the list of political leaders for holding maximum number of rallies in the state, will also hit the hustings in Uttar Pradesh. When contacted, the CM told PTI Tuesday that he is awaiting his formal campaign schedule. According to highly-placed sources in the BJP, Fadnavis is likely to address at least 12 rallies, mainly in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, including in Varanasi and Gorakhpur. In the recently-concluded elections in Maharashtra, the chief minister addressed a total of 87 rallies for the BJP-Shiv Sena combine. "Besides ...
PM Modi is losing LS polls; Rahul Gandhi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is losing the Lok Sabha polls, Congress president Rahul Gandhi claimed on Tuesday."Modi is losing this election. Look at the face of Narendra Modi. The glow on his face has vanished. Watch his interviews, he speaks very cautiously now. Congress is coming to power," he said at a rally here.Reiterating his charge in connection with the Rafale jet deal, Gandhi alleged that Modi siphoned off Rs 30,000 crore from the Indian Air Force and gave it to businessman Anil Ambani."After we come to power, there will be an investigation and two names would come out - Anil Ambani and Narendra Modi," he said.The Congress president alleged that demonetisation and Goods and Services Tax, which he dubbed as Gabbar Singh tax, harmed the poor and farmers in the country"They (BJP) made you stand in queues after demonetisation. I want to ask you - were thieves like Anil Ambani, Mehul Choksi and Vijay Mallya standing in queues with you?" he said.The Gandhi scion accused the ...
SC issues notice to EC seeking action against PM Modi, Amit Shah
The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued a notice to Election Commission of India (ECI) after hearing Congress MP Sushmita Dev's petition against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah for allegedly violating Model Code of Conduct (MCC).The apex court has adjourned the matter for next hearing on May 2.Congress MP on Monday moved Supreme Court seeking action from the Election Commission on complaints against PM Modi and Shah.Dev contended that multiple complaints have been lodged against PM Modi and Shah over the violation of electoral laws like the Conduct of Election Rules but the ECI has not responded to any of these representations.The Congress parliamentarian urged the court to direct or order the ECI to expeditiously act on the complaints pending before it against the Prime Minister and the BJP president.
SC notice to EC on Congress' poll code complaints against PM
The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Election Commission on the Congress' plea seeking direction to the poll panel to take action on complaints of alleged violation of the Model Code of Conduct by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah.
Former Congress MLA Bhisham Sharma joins BJP
Former Congress MLA from Delhi's Ghonda Assembly constituency Bhisham Sharma on Tuesday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Oppn wants govt that is helpless before corruption, black
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday tore into the opposition, charging it with working towards forming a government that is "weak, loosely knit and helpless" before black money and corruption. He also assailed the Congress and Lalu Prasad's RJD, alliance partners in Bihar, over financial scandals that rocked their governments in the past. Modi ridiculed opposition parties that are incapable of winning even as many Lok Sabha seats as are required for their representative to be designated as the Leader of the Opposition for nursing prime ministerial ambitions. "Those who are in jail or are staring at prison terms, cannot tolerate a strong government in New Delhi for a second. They want a government that is weak, loosely knit and helpless so that they may do manmaani (act as they please)," he told an election rally here. The prime minister asserted the drive against black money and corruption launched by his government will not slacken. Referring to the alleged ...
NDA govt indifferent to needs of West Bengal people: Mamata
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Tuesday accused the NDA government of being "indifferent to the needs of the people" of her state, claiming that repeated requests to the Centre for approval of several projects have fallen on deaf ears. In a scathing attack on the prime minister, she also said that Narendra Modi's promise of bringing 'achche din' to the country was "fake and hollow". "What has he (Modi) done for the people in the last five years? Farmers are committing suicide and unemployment is on the rise. The price of gas cylinders have increased from Rs 450 to Rs 1000. The prime minister, it seems, is not bothered about any of these issues," he said. Iterating that her attempts to bring about development in the state have been stalled by the Centre on several occasions, Banerjee said her government had been trying to acquire Dunlop (ailing tyre factory) here, but the NDA government has not cooperated in the matter. "Over the last three years, I have been ..
BJP contestant says meeting TMC leader on poll day was a
Facing flak from within BJP for meeting a senior TMC leader, its candidate from the prestigious Jadavpur seat Anupam Hazra Tuesday blamed the media for politicising his "courtesy visit". Hazra, who had switched over from Trinamool Congress in March after being expelled for anti-party activities, left the BJP red faced after he met senior TMC leader Anubrata Mondal fuelling speculation over his return to the party. He had called on Mondal, TMC's Birbhum district president, at the latter's party office on Monday, the day when polling in two seats of Birbhum district was held in the fourth phase. "I had met Anubrata Mandal in a courtesy visit yesterday. It has nothing to do with politics. His mother passed away few days ago so I went to meet him. What's wrong in it? The media has unnecessarily politicised it," he said at a press conference at the state BJP office with party leader Mukul Roy seated next to him. Polling in Jadavpur seat will be held in the last phase on May .
Cong, AAP competing with each other, not me: Meenakshi Lekhi
Meenakshi Lekhi, BJP candidate from New Delhi constituency on Tuesday said that the present and previous governments failed to fulfill the promises they made to the public."I am assured of my victory...the present and previous government failed to deliver and fulfill the promises they made to the public. The opposition Congress and the AAP are competing with each other and not with me," Lekhi told ANI.When asked about her agenda for the elections, she said, "The agenda is very simple, the kind of work I have done as a member of parliament and the central government schemes implemented in the area are the two key issues we are bringing forward."Launching a scathing attack on the Congress party over the sealing drive in Delhi, the BJP candidate said, "People affected by sealing know that the matter began when Congress was in power. The people very well know who is behind the conspiracy."Clashes broke out between locals and police personnel in Delhi's Mayapuri area on April 13 after MCD .
Mayawati slams Congress, threatens to go solo in MP
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Tuesday said that she would reconsider her party's support to the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh.
UPA will form next Central government: ex-Himachal CM
Congress veteran and former six-time Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Tuesday said the Congress-led UPA would form the next government at the Centre under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi.
MP LS poll: PM Modi to address rally in Hoshangabad on Wed
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a poll rally Wednesday at Itarsi town which is part of the Hoshangabad Lok Sabha seat. Modi will address the rally at around 3 pm, Madhya Pradesh BJP media in charge Lokendra Parashar said Tuesday. The BJP has fielded sitting MP Rao Uday Pratap Singh from Hoshangabad while Congress is banking on senior party leader Shailendra Diwan to wrest the seat. Hoshangabad will go to polls on May 6.
Cong, its chief Rahul 'sulked' after Balakot airstrike: Amit Shah
BJP chief Amit Shah Tuesday attacked Congress president Rahul Gandhi, alleging that he and his party "sulked" after the airstrike in Pakistan's Balakot as his dreams of becoming prime minister got shattered. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has worked for the security of the country and has given befitting replies to terrorists, he said while addressing an election rally in Rajasthan's Dausa area. "Rahul baba and his company sulked after the airstrike in Balakot in Pakistan. His dream of becoming the country's prime minister got shattered. Now, they are seeking proof of the airstrike for vote bank," the BJP chief said. The Indian Air Force had carried out a strike on a terrorist camp in Balakot on February 26 after the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed on February 14. He said Gandhi is asking what the BJP did in Rajasthan."We have been in government (at the Centre) for just five years.Your four generations have ruled the country for 55 years," Shah said ...
Indian Overseas Congress volunteers to campaign for Rahul Gandhi
Mohinder Singh Gilzian, president of the Overseas wing of Congress in the USA, on Tuesday said their team had campaigned for the party in the elections held in southern states and are now preparing to focus on the states in north India."Our team from America was campaigning before the elections in Kerala, Andhra and Telangana. In the north, we will campaign in Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. We have arranged a bus for the tour from Uttar Pradesh to Himachal. We will ask people to make Rahul Gandhi the prime minister," Mohinder said told ANI.Manoj Sheoran, president of the Overseas wing of Congress in Australia said the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government had failed to fulfil its promises in the past five years and therefore the people should vote for Congress to set things right."We will ask people to vote for Congress because in the last five years we have seen BJP and Modiji trying to destroy the pillars of democracy and engaging in divisive politics.
SC directs Centre to file response by May 4 to petitions seeking review of Rafale verdict
The Supreme Court directed the Centre on Tuesday to file response by May 4 to the petitions seeking review of last December's verdict by which the apex court had dismissed the pleas challenging India's deal to procure 36 Rafale fighter jets from France. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi did not allow the plea of the Centre that it be granted four weeks time to file its response to the pleas. It asked it to submit the response latest by Saturday. The bench, which also comprised Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph, has fixed May 6 for hearing the petitions. Former Union ministers Arun Shourie and Yashwant Sinha and activist lawyer Prashant Bhushan have filed a petition seeking review of the December 14, 2018 verdict of the apex court giving clean chit to the Rafale deal. Besides the trio, AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh has also filed a separate review petition in the case. In the verdict, the apex court said there was no occasion to doubt the decision-making process .
L-G Kiran Bedi can't interfere in daily affairs of Puducherry govt.: Madras HC
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court ruled that the Puducherry Lt. Governor, Kiran Bedi "does not have the power to interfere in the day to day activities of the Union Territory government."Bedi has been at loggerheads with the Puducherry government on various issues, with Narayanasamy accusing her of delaying clearance to welfare schemes and bypassing the elected government.Two months back, the Chief Minister had begun a protest outside the Raj Bhawan, Bedi's official residence, alleging that she was misusing her powers and also interfering in the day-to-day activities of the government. Protesting outside the Raj Bhawan wearing black clothes, Narayanasamy alleged that Bedi was forcing upon the law-abiding citizens' rules such as compulsorily wearing helmets, among others.The order of the High Court comes following a petition which stated that the LG's interference in the Union Territories Daily affair is against the Union Territories elected representatives rights.The LG ...