Page 758 - Politics

Salman Khurshid downplays FIR filed against him for insulting UP CM

Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid on Friday downplayed the First Information Report (FIR) filed against him for allegedly insulting Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath."Now the BJP is so frightened that they have filed an FIR against me. They have filed an FIR because told someone (Yogi Adityanath) that I am his father...I challenge those who have filed the FIR. How many lawyers of the Supreme Court do we have to answer? The FIR will be answered, I will answer the FIR... Tell them, tell the Supreme Court that, in front of it I will destroy the FIR's in pieces," Congress party's Farrukhabad candidate Khurshid said while addressing a public gathering here.As per reports, Khurshid is facing an FIR by Raydeepchandra, VSP's state media in-charge in Uttar Pradesh' Farrukhabad on April 23 for allegedly calling himself "baap" of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and hurting 'religious sentiments'."Whom does Yogi want to fight? I am happy Yogi wants to debate with me. .

First time pro-incumbency wave in country: PM

Pro-incumbency wave is being witnessed for the first time in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told party workers Friday before filing his nomination papers here. Noting that the mood is festive from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, Modi said party workers are the real candidates. The prime minister said he has worked honestly for good governance and the people have made up their minds that they want Modi sarkar again. "During yesterday's roadshow here, I have sensed the hard work of party cadre," he said amid chants of "Modi Modi" from the gathering.

Trump aims for major nuclear deal with Russia, China

US President Donald Trump is aiming for a grand nuclear deal with Russia and China, that he sees as a potential signature foreign policy achievement, the media reported on Friday.

People want Modi government once again: PM

A day after his massive roadshow in this Uttar Pradesh temple city, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held a rally of booth workers, calling each one a Narendra Modi -- instilling in them confidence that the nation once more will vote for him.

Bookies bet on 245 seats for BJP, 77 for Congress

With 240 constituencies still to go to the hustings, satta markets are betting on the BJP to win the Lok Sabha elections.

Kim invites Putin to visit North Korea, invitation 'readily accepted'

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Thursday extended an invitation to his Russian counterpart to visit North Korea at "a convenient time" and the invitation was "readily accepted", state media reported.The invitation comes shortly after the North Korean leader held talks with Putin in the port city of Vladivostok."The dignified supreme leader 's comrade once again expressed his deep appreciation for the friendship and warm hospitality of friends of friendly Russia. He promised a new reunion with Mr. Putin in North Korea," Korean Central News Agency said in a report.The two leaders met for their maiden summit in Vladivostok, amid a deadlock between Washington and Pyongyang over North Korea's nuclear programme.The Russian leader greeted Kim as the latter arrived at the federal university here for the talks.At the meeting, Putin said, "Russia supports the efforts of the leadership of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea for the realisation of seasonal dialogue and improvement of ...

PM Modi to file his nomination from Varanasi Parliamentary seat today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will file his nomination for Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency here on Friday.All senior leaders of the BJP, NDA and North East Democratic Alliance are expected to be present in the city to mark the occasion. For today, the Prime Minister is expected to begin his schedule with prayers at the iconic Kashi Vishwanath Temple.According to sources, BJP workers are giving final touches to the itinerary of the day, which includes another road show as Prime Minister proceeds to file his nomination. He may also hold media interaction.A day before, the Prime Minister held a grand roadshow in Varanasi along with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Union Minister JP Nadda, UP and Delhi BJP chiefs, Mahendra Nath Pandey and Manoj Tiwari.The roadshow began after paying his tributes at Pt Madan Mohan Malviya's statue outside Banaras Hindu University. The rally, stretching over 6km, had passed through Lanka and Madanpura areas of the city and end at the famed ...

SP is 'Samapt Party', BSP 'Bilkul Samapt Party' says KP Maurya

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Thursday said Samajwadi Party is a 'Samapt (finished) Party' and Bahujan Samaj Party is a 'Bilkul Samapt (completely finished) Party'."I always say SP is a 'Samapt Party' and BSP is a 'Bilkul Samapt Party'," said Maurya here in an election rally.Criticising the Congress party, the Deputy Chief Minister claimed that his party will win both Amethi and Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh. "You have already worked towards finishing off the Congress party in Uttar Pradesh. They are breathing through two seats - Amethi and Raebareli but this time there will be 'Lotus' on both of them," he said.Last week, Maurya had slammed Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) chief Mayawati over her remarks that "Mulayam Singh not a 'Fake OBC' leader like PM Modi" remarks."It is Mayawati's anxiety that is making her say so. On one hand, you have 'nakli bhatija' (fake nephew) on other you have 'nakli bua.' (fake aunt). They are insulting the Prime Minister by using

Biden called law professor over 1990s harassment hearing

White House hopeful Joe Biden called Anita Hill -- the woman at the centre of emblematic sex harassment hearings three decades ago -- to voice regret for "what she endured," US media reported. The former vice president, who launched into the 2020 race Thursday, has long faced criticism over the aggressive questioning of Hill during the 1991 Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Clarence Thomas, which Biden chaired. His phone call earlier this month appeared to be an attempt to defuse a key vulnerability for the Democratic candidate, who faces accusations of touching women inappropriately. In a statement to several media, the Biden campaign said he and Hill "had a private discussion where he shared with her directly his regret for what she endured and his admiration for everything she has done to change the culture around sexual harassment in this country." Hill, a law professor, confirmed the call to The New York Times but also said Biden stopped short of an apology, saying she was .

Ukraine seeks UN action over Russian passports move

Ukraine has appealed to the UN Security Council to take action to oppose a decision by President Vladimir Putin to grant Russian passports to Ukrainians living in eastern areas controlled by pro-Moscow separatists. Putin signed a decree allowing residents of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions to apply for Russian citizenship under a fast-track process that would deliver the passports within three months. The decision came just days after the victory in presidential elections of Volodymyr Zelensky, who has called for more international sanctions against Russia over the move. Ukrainian Ambassador Volodymyr Yelchenko told a council meeting that the decree was "simply illegal" and called for "real action," even if Russia would likely veto or block a measure opposing the decree. Russian citizenship rights to Ukrainians amount to a "creeping annexation" of east Ukraine and "consolidation of the total Russian control over the occupied territories," he said. "I call on this Council to prevent ...

Putin accepts Kim's invitation to visit North Korea: KCNA

Kim Jong Un invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit North Korea, and the offer was "readily accepted", state media in Pyongyang said Friday. Kim asked Putin to visit North Korea "at a convenient time" during their summit talks in Vladivostok on Thursday, the Korean Central News Agency reported, and "the invitation was readily accepted".

Gunmen kill mayor, 2 others in Mexico

The mayor of Mixtla de Altamirano, her husband and her driver were murdered by gunmen in the Mexican Gulf state of Veracruz, officials said.

BJP's Fatima Rasool says ready to campaign for Sadhvi if she 'apologises' to Muslims

BJP leader Fatima Rasool Siddique on Thursday said that she would campaign for Malegaon blast accused and her party candidate from Bhopal Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur if she apologizes to Muslims for her recent statements."I respect saffron but does Thakur respect hijab? If Thakur respects hijab then she must apologise to the Muslim community and then I will surely campaign for her," Siddique said while speaking to ANI.Last week, Thakur had said that she is "proud" to accept that she was involved in the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992.Expressing discontentment over the controversial statements delivered by Thakur, Siddique said: "What Thakur has said was obnoxious and communal and her views can tarnish the image of the party. I will not campaign for someone who says a thing like waging a 'dharm yudh' (crusade). Her statement against former Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare has hurt us badly.""Shivraj Singh Chouhan has a good ...

Macron introduces 'significant' tax cuts after months of yellow vest protests

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday pledged a "significant" cut in income tax especially the "middle-class", and vowed to implement a bulk of other reforms in his government."I asked myself: Should we stop everything that was done over the past two years? Did we take a wrong turn? I believe quite the opposite," Macron told reporters at the Elysee Palace.The press conference was first in two years after Macron took over his office as France's president, Al Jazeera reported.The reform measures come as a response by the French government to five months of demonstrations by "gilets jaunes" (yellow vests) anti-government demonstrators.The initiative would be financed by closing loopholes, squeezing government spending, but the French would also have to work more, he said."The feeling of our fellow citizens: "You have asked us for changes to us, and you have not changed. "It's not false. We must change our democracy, our organization, our administration," the President took to ...

North Korea slapped US with $2 million medical bill of Otto Warmbier

North Korea had slapped the United States with a USD two million medical bill for Otto Warmbier, an American school student held captive by Pyongyang in 2016 according to the latest report.North Korea further insisted that the U.S. sign a pledge to pay the bill before releasing Warmbier a year later, The Washington Post, reported on Thursday quoting sources familiar with the matter.Warmbier, who travelled to North Korea as a part of his college trip, was released from custody in 2017 in a vegetative state and died just six days after he returned home to the U.S.Sources said that the bill was given to former State Department Special Representative for North Korea, Joseph Yun, who had orders from President Donald Trump to bring Warmbier home.Yun had signed the bill after informing then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson about it, the source added.However, Yun has denied confirming such reports."I cannot confirm that," Yun told CNN."These are diplomatic exchanges and negotiations that I ..

Polls offer choice between development & "anarchy": Fadnavis

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Thursday said the voters in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections have to choose between the BJP's development agenda and "anarchy" represented by the Congress-led opposition. He said the Congress-led UPA government had no guts to act when Mumbai was attacked by terrorists in 2008. Addressing an election rally in support of BJP-Sena alliance's Lok Sabha candidate from Bhiwandi Kapil Patil, he said the voters should give a second term to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Fadnavis came down heavily on the Congress for its string of "failures" during its decades long rule in the country. During his almost half an hour speech, the BJP leader listed the achievements of the Modi government. "What the Congress gave to the common man during its 60-year rule was nothing but 'anachar' (misrule), 'brashtachar' (corruption), he said. Fadnavis said speeches of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and other party leaders were "entertaining" as they are ...

After Didi, stopped by Dada from campaigning: Shivraj

Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who was stopped from using his helicopter to campaign in Chhindwara after 5 p.m., termed it a "part of a conspiracy" while the BJP complained to the CEO against the District Magistrate.

Priyanka 'chickened out' from Varanasi: Jaitley

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday took a swipe at the Congress over party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra not contesting against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Varanasi and said she has "chickened out" and the country has been denied the opportunity to see that "it does not accept inexperienced dynasts with no other credentials".

Others have children too: Uddhav's dig at Pawar family

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said Thursday that NCP supremo Sharad Pawar only thought of his family while distributing tickets for the Lok Sabha elections. Thackeray was addressing a campaign rally in Maval constituency, where the NCP has fielded Parth Pawar, Sharad Pawar's grand-nephew and senior party leader Ajit Pawar's son. Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule is seeking re-election from Baramati. "If not me, my son. If not son, my nephew. Do others have no children?" the Sena chief said. "In Satara, we fielded son of a Mathadi (head-loader) worker," he added. Parth Pawar is facing Shiv Senas Shrirang Barne in Maval. The NDA has resolved to abolish Article 370 of the Constitution which gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and ensure that anti-nationals "get hanged" through the sedition law, Thackeray said. Terming Bangladesh an "enemy", he said late Sena patriarch Bal Thackeray had called for Bangladeshis to be kicked out of the country. "(West) Bengal has .

North Korea demands US pay for comatose student's medical bill: Report

North Korea demanded that the United States pay a USD 2 million medical bill for US student Otto Warmbier, who went into a coma after being tortured in the totalitarian country, a report said Thursday. The Washington Post quoted unidentified sources as saying that a US official was made to sign a pledge to pay an invoice for the medical costs before being allowed to fly Warmbier back home from Pyongyang in 2017. The envoy signed the pledge on instructions from President Donald Trump, according to the Post report. It was unclear whether the bill was ever paid, the report said. Warmbier, a University of Virginia student, was imprisoned after being accused of taking down a propaganda poster in his hotel during a tour trip to North Korea. He fell into a coma after apparently being tortured behind bars and died days after arriving back in the United States. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders' only reaction to the report was: "We do not comment on hostage negotiations, which is why they .