Page 764 - Politics
PM holds mega roadshow in Varanasi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday held a mega roadshow here, taking his parliamentary constituency, Varanasi, by storm a day ahead of filing his nomination papers. In a show strength, he was joined by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other senior BJP leaders. Modi started his seven-kilometer roadshow by first garlanding the statue of Banaras Hindu University founder Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya. The prime minister, who was wearing a saffron kurta and scarf, was cheered by a massive crowd as his cavalcade passed through the Lanka and Assi areas of the city. He is scheduled to perform the 'Ganga aarti' at the Dashashwamedh Ghat. Before reaching Varanasi, Modi had tweeted: "After bumper rallies in Darbhanga and Banda, I am heading to beloved Kashi." "There are a series of programmes lined up, which would give me another excellent opportunity to interact with my sisters and brothers of Kashi. Har Har Mahadev!" he had tweeted. The show of strength takes place on a day the
LS polls will see end of those chanting 'Namo, Namo': Mayawati
The ongoing Lok Sabha election will see the end of those chanting "Namo, Namo", BSP supremo Mayawati said on Thursday, while SP chief Akhilesh Yadav expressed confidence that the SP-BSP-RLD alliance will give a new prime minister to the country. Both the former Uttar Pradesh chief ministers were addressing a joint poll rally here, along with Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) president Ajit Singh, in favour of Dimple Yadav, the joint candidate of the opposition alliance from Kannauj. Dimple, the sitting Samajwadi Party (SP) MP and the wife of Akhilesh Yadav, is seeking re-election from this parliamentary seat. "This election will see the end of those chanting 'Namo, Namo' and pave the way for those who shout Jai Bheem. Seeing your response, it appears that you are going to ensure the victory of the alliance candidates," Mayawati told the crowd. Yadav called Prime Minister Narendra Modi a "prachar mantri", or minister for publicity, and claimed that the SP-BSP-RLD combine in Uttar Pradesh will ...
Anyone questioning PM Modi will not prosper, his graph will go down: Hans Raj Hans
Anyone who questions Prime Minister Narendra Modi's honesty will not prosper and his graph will go down with every passing day, Punjabi Sufi singer and BJP candidate from reserved North West Delhi parliamentary constituency Hans Raj Hans said on Thursday. Hans, who loves to be known as a Sufi and a 'fakir', emerged as a surprise candidate on the North West Delhi seat, dislodging sitting BJP MP Udit Raj as official party candidate, forcing the latter to rebel and join Congress. In an interview to the PTI, the Sufi singer rejected the opposition's charge of him being an outsider in the constituency and said this reflected their fear of defeat. "Who can question Modi's honesty. Go and check his property. See how his mother, brothers and sisters live. "Anyone questioning Modi's honesty should fear the god. His graph will go down day by day, I say this as a fakir. Even if your enemy does something good, you should praise him," Hans said. He also heaped praise on Modi for paying equal ...
EC to convene meeting on Friday over assembly polls in J-K
Election Commission of India (ECI) officials will meet on Friday to discuss assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.Officials of the Jammu and Kashmir government are also expected to attend the meeting to assess whether the state assembly elections can be conducted in June this year.While announcing the seven-phase Lok Sabha election schedule on March 10, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora had said that elections for the Jammu and Kashmir assembly would not be conducted along with the Lok Sabha elections.In June 2018, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had withdrawn support to the PDP, led by Mehbooba Mufti in the 87-member state assembly.Since the fallout of the coalition government, the state has been under President's rule.
PM Modi did 'injustice' with people in last 5 years: Rahul
Congress president Rahul Gandhi Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of doing "injustice" to the people of the country in the last five years, saying the 'acche din ayenge' slogan has now been replaced by 'chowkidar chor hai'. He said there will be only one 'Hindustan' where justice will be done when the Congress is voted to power. During the day, Gandhi addressed election rallies at Jalore, Ajmer and Kota in Rajasthan. "If rich people are not jailed for not paying off loans then farmers too will not be jailed. If lakhs and crores are given to them then the same will be given to farmers, labourers, tribals, Dalits and small traders. There will be no injustice in Hindustan. The country will not be divided in two Hindustans. There will be one Hindustan where justice will be done," the Congress president said at a rally in Jalore. "PM Narendra Modi did injustice with people of the country in the last five years. Demonetisation and GST were ways to rob poor, labourers, small ...
Want to be voice of Amritsar at Centre: Hardeep Puri
BJP candidate for the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat, Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Puri, on Thursday said he would like to become the voice of the people of city in the the Central Council of Ministers.
Saradha accused Mitra fielded in Bengal assembly bypoll
West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress on Thursday fielded former state minister Madan Mitra, who spent nearly 21 months in jail after his arrest by the CBI in connection with the Saradha ponzi scam, as its candidate for the Bhatpara assembly by-poll.
LS elections over, Cong-BJP in Karna now focus on assembly
With polls ending for all 28 LoK Sabha constituencies in Karnataka, Congress and BJP turned their focus Thursday on finalising candidates for Chincholi and Kundgol assembly constituencies for the May 19 by-elections. BJP held its core committee meeting under theleadership of state chief B S Yeddyurappa to finalise itscandidates for both the assembly segments. Pradesh Congress President Dinesh Gundu Rao too held meetings to discuss the preparations for the by-election and selection of candidates. Congress and JD(S) have decided to go to polls together by fielding a consensus candidate from the grand old party, as both seats were held by it. The outcome of by-polls along with Lok Sabha resultsis crucial for the ruling Congress-JD(S) alliance as it would have a bearing on the longevity of the coalition government, triggering the number game in the assembly. By-poll to Chincholi was necessitated as Umesh Jadhav quit as Congress MLA and joined the BJP to contest Lok Sabha ...
Misa Bharti files her nomination from Patliputra
Misa Bharti, elder daughter of jailed RJD chief Lalu Prasad, filed her nomination from the Patliputra Lok Sabha constituency in Bihar on Thursday. She was accompanied by her mother and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi and brother Tej Pratap Yadav.
CPI-M alleges BJP, Congress 'traded votes' in Kerala
Two days after Kerala went to the polls to elect 20 Lok Sabha members, a leader of the state's ruling CPI-M on Thursday alleged that there was an "unholy alliance" between the BJP and the Congress and they engaged in trading of votes.
BJP banks on Modi charisma to win Jharkhand seats
To retain Chatra, Palamau and Lohardaga Lok Sabha seats in Jharkhand, going to the polls on April 29 in the fourth phase of the seven-phased 2019 elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is banking heavily on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's charisma.
Opposition lacks vision, its sole agenda to remove Modi: Anupam Kher
Noted Bollywood actor Anupam Kher Thursday said the opposition's agenda was only to remove Prime Minister Narendra Modi from office and it does not talk about its blueprint or vision for the country. Exuding confidence in Modi's leadership, he said that under the prime minister the country was moving forward. "I have been living in America for the past nine months but I can see from social media and also sense that there is a wave in the prime minister's favour," said the actor, who accompanied his wife Kirron Kher for filing of nomination papers from the Chandigarh constituency . "Unfortunately, there is not much credibility with the other people (the opposition) except that they only talk about removing Mr Modi... They don't talk about what is their blueprint, what is their vision about India. They don't talk about what needs to be done or what they think they will do, rather their agenda is limited to removing Modi," he told PTI. He said there was a difference between a doer and ..
India will be poverty-free when it turns Congress-free:
As the Congress has failed to eradicate poverty during its five decades of rule, the country will actually become poverty-free when it will be Congress-free, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said. Claiming that the BJP-led NDA government has been able to take 7.5 crore people above the poverty line, Singh said those still living below it will be elevated in the coming five years. "The Congress has ruled the country for five decades, but India still fights poverty. The garibi hatao call only remained a slogan as Congress governments failed to take any concrete step to eradicate poverty," the BJP stalwart said. Mocking Congress president Rahul Gandhi's promise to make India poverty-free, Singh said Gandhi's tall claims are aimed at misleading the people for votes. "The fact is, the country can actually become poverty-free if it becomes Congress-free," he said. Singh was addressing a series of election meetings in Odisha's Jajpur, Bhadrak and Jagatsinghpur Lok Sabha ...
Their chief Ram Rahim in jail, Dera followers yet to decide who to vote for
Since the self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim was sentenced to life imprisonment in January for killing a journalist, followers of his Dera Sacha Sauda have been lying low at the sprawling 800-acre campus outside Sirsa in Haryana. The followers say they are also unsure about who to support in this election. The Dera has been an important vote bank for parties for over a decade. In 2007, it had formed a political affairs wing which decided which political party or politician it will support. During the 2007 Punjab Assembly election, it supported the Congress. In 2014 general election, the Dera openly supported the BJP. But after the sentencing of their flamboyant but controversial chief, the Dera and its political affairs wing became dysfunctional, locals and followers said. This, however, has not stopped political parties, including the BJP and the INLD, from saying they will not refrain from seeking support of the once-influential Dera Sacha Sauda. BJP leader and Haryana Chief ...
Ex-Army Chief Dalbir Singh Suhag named Indian High Commissioner to Seychelles
Former Indian Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Seychelles, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday."He is expected to take up the assignment shortly," a statement from the MEA read.The development puts to rest speculations about the former Army Chief joining politics.Dalbir Singh Suhag was the Army Chief when the Special Forces commandoes of the Indian Army conducted surgical strikes at terrorist launch pads inside Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoK).The strikes took place in the aftermath of the terrorist attack at an Army Camp in Uri, in which at least 20 soldiers of the Indian Army lost their lives.He was also at the forefront when the Indian Army had carried out similar strikes inside Myanmar to eliminate hideouts of the Naga insurgent groups.Suhag was commissioned in 5 Gorkha Rifles, an infantry unit of the Indian Army on June 16, 1974. He held numerous important posts throughout his
Modi defends raking up national security during polls, says
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday defended himself against opposition criticism for raking up the issue of national security during the election campaign, asserting uprooting terrorism is crucial to poverty alleviation. He underlined that national security is an important issue as the money spent on it could be utilised in a better way for the uplift of the poor. The prime minister rejected the Congress's claim of having waived farmers' loans in states ruled by it and the promise of replicating the measure across the country, if voted to power. He alleged that no poor dalit or adivasi gained from the loan waiver and only the opposition party's "chela chapaati" (cronies) enjoyed the benefits. Modi mocked regional satraps for nursing prime ministerial ambitions even while contesting only 20-40 or as little as eight seats in the case of Karnataka. "They (the opposition) ask why does Modi keep on talking about terrorism? It is not an issue. The voters understand that ...
Rahul Gandhi will be the only person responsible if the BJP comes back to power: Arvind Kejriwal
Congress President Rahul Gandhi will be the only person responsible if the BJP comes back to power, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Thursday said as he slammed the Gandhi scion days after both the parties failed to form an alliance in Delhi for the Lok Sabha elections. He was speaking at the launch of party's manifesto in which the AAP promised 85 per cent reservation in colleges and jobs for the people of the national capital. Kejriwal said the AAP would not have "dreamt" of forming an alliance with the Congress but agreed to save the country. "I can say that we tried our best to form an alliance with Congress and if the BJP comes back to power, only one person would be responsible for it and that would be Rahul Gandhi," he said. Kejriwal hit out at Gandhi, asking him which alliance is formed on Twitter. "I want to ask Rahul Gandhi which alliance is formed on Twitter. If they were serious about forming an alliance they should have come to the table for negotiations. Giving ...
Cong expels former Delhi MLA Bishan Sharma for anti-party activities
The Congress on Thursday announced the expulsion of former Delhi legislator Bishan Sharma for his involvement in anti-party activities for six years."As directed by president, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee, Shri Bishan Sharma, ex-MLA from Ghonda, has been expelled from the Congress party for six years with immediate effect for anti-party activities," a statement issued by the Congress said.Bishan was an MLA from Ghonda Assembly segment which falls under North East Lok Sabha constituency where state party president Sheila Dixit is seeking election to the Parliament.All seven parliamentary constituencies in Delhi will go to polls on May 12. Counting of votes will take place on May 23.
SP, BSP busy distributing my caste certificate: PM Modi in Banda
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hit out at the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), accusing the two parties of indulging in casteist politics."SP, BSP are busy distributing my caste certificate and "naamdar" of Congress is busy abusing the entire lower caste people on the pretext of Modi," he said while addressing an election rally here.The Prime Minister said these parties can only think of caste and religion. "They do not want to talk about 'Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat," he added."Tell me which caste did Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru, Laxmibai, Subhash Chandra Bose belong to. A great man is not known by his caste but by his actions. Everyone was Indian," Modi said.The Prime Minister said that if roads are being made in villages, then people of every caste and religion are using them, adding that the same is the case with electricity.He also alleged that sensing defeat in the ongoing general elections, the opposition parties have started talking about EVMs ...
Former Army chief Dalbir Suhag appointed Indian envoy to Seychelles
Former Army chief Dalbir Singh Suhag has been appointed as India's next high commissioner to Seychelles, a country which is of strategic importance to India in the Indian Ocean region. "He is expected to take up the assignment shortly," the Ministry of External Affairs said while making the announcement. General (retired) Suhag was the Army chief from July 31, 2014, to December 31, 2016. He was also part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in Sri Lanka in 1987. His appointment as Indian High Commissioner to Seychelles comes amid deepening military ties between India and the island nation. India is developing Assumption Island in Seychelles as a naval base to expand its footprint in the strategically-key region where China has been trying to enhance its military presence. An agreement to develop the island was inked in 2015 between India and Seychelles. In June last year, Seychelles President Danny Faure visited India during which both countries agreed to work together on the ...