Page 769 - Politics
People have named BJP as Bhagti Janata Party: Akhilesh
Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday said that people have coined a new name for the BJP as the 'Bhagti Janata Party' as Prime Minister Narendra Modi refuses to hold a press conference.
PM Modi rebuffs oppn criticism of using national security to
Rebuffing the oppositions criticisms that the ruling NDA is using the national security issue for electoral gains, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday said rooting out terror is essential so that the money can be used to improve the living conditions of the poor. Addressing a rally in this north Bihar town, Modi also claimed that Congress-led opposition was in jitters after the "favourable response" to the NDA in the first three phases of elections. He alleged, "The Mahamilavati gang has given up seeking proof of Balakot terror strikes and started finding fault with EVMs." In a veiled attack on Lalu Prasads RJD, the prime minister commended Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi, for bringing electricity to the remotest village in the state and making the 'lantern' the opposition partys poll symbol redundant in Bihar. Both Nitish Kumar and Sushil Kumar Modi were present on the dais. Modi also spoke about the "Darbhanga module" of home-grown ...
Australia leader plays down terror threat at Gallipoli event
Australia's prime minister on Thursday played down any potential link between the arrest of a suspected Islamic State group member in Turkey and a World War I battle commemoration attended by hundreds of Australians and New Zealanders at the Gallipoli peninsula. A Syrian national was detained in Tekirdag province before the annual gathering for a dawn service at ANZAC Cove to mark the April 25, 1915, landing of Australian and New Zealand Army Corps troops in an ill-fated campaign to take the Dardanelles Straits, according to media reports. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the arrest took place three driving hours from the Gallipoli service and no changes to security had been made as a result. "The reports that we are receiving are inconclusive about any link between that arrest and any possible planned event at Gallipoli itself," Morrison told reporters. "In fact, to make that assumption would be, I think, making a very big assumption." Morrison said Australian Defence Force Chief ..
Zakir Naik alleges political witch-hunt after Interpol takes up India's red notice against him
Controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, who is facing NIA probe over charges of committing unlawful activities in India, termed the reports claiming Interpol taking up India's request to issue Red Corner Notice (RCN) against him, "a political witch-hunt"."I'm aware of the pressure the Indian government has been applying on the Interpol to issue a red corner notice against me. It's part of an elaborate witch hunt," Naik said in a statement.The statement from the Islamic preacher comes Interpol reportedly accepted India's request to issue a RCN against him. "I have no reason to believe that Interpol will succumb to any kind of undue pressure," he contended."I can confirm that there is no red corner notice against me as of date. One of the Indian newspapers seems to have jumped the gun and reported internal deliberations of the Indian government, which as a matter of fact, has been going on for over two years now," he added.Naik is facing probe both in India and Bangladesh after two ..
Indian govt pressurising Interpol for red corner notice: Naik
Controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik on Thursday accused the Indian government of engaging in a "witch-hunt" and putting pressure on the Interpol to issue a red corner notice against him. In a statement issued here, Naik, who fled India in 2016, said he was aware of the "pressure the Indian government was applying on the Interpol" to issue a red corner notice against him. "It's part of an elaborate witch-hunt. But having verified with a few member countries, I can confirm that there is no red corner notice against me as of date," he claimed. "One of the Indian newspapers seems to have jumped the gun and reported internal deliberations of the Indian government which, as a matter of fact, have been going on for over two years now," he said. Naik said the Interpol had already cancelled a red corner notice against him once. "And it's been one-and-a-half years since the government submitted a charge sheet and started applying pressure on the Interpol. But as things stand, I have no ..
Kim, Putin vow to seek closer ties at first talks
Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to seek closer ties as they met face-to-face Thursday for the first time. The meeting in Russia's Far Eastern city of Vladivostok came with Kim looking for support in his nuclear stand-off with Washington and Putin keen to put Moscow forward as a player in another global flashpoint. In brief statements before heading in to the talks, both leaders expressed their hopes for strengthening historic ties. "I think it will be a very useful meeting in developing the relationship between the two countries, who have a long friendship and history, into a more stable and sound one," Kim said. "As the world is focused on the Korean peninsula, I think we will hold a very meaningful dialogue." Putin told Kim he supports ongoing efforts to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula and wants to boost economic ties. "I am confident that your visit... will help us to better understand how we can resolve the situation on the Korean ..
'BJP insulting 130cr voters by questioning opposition's PM choice'
BSP chief Mayawati on Thursday slammed the BJP for repeatedly raising questions on the opposition's choice of Prime Ministerial candidate and said the saffron party is insulting 130 crore people of the country.
Putin, Kim Jong-un hold first ever summit
Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held their first ever summit here on Thursday, with the two nations expressing hope that the historic meeting will revive the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Trinamool war room and its strategy to counter BJP
From using a "jumla meter that 'nails the BJPs "lies" to highlighting the achievements of the eight-year-old Mamata Banerjee government, West Bengals ruling Trinamool Congress has built a "pro-active campaign" for the Lok Sabha polls with the help of social media and conventional canvassing.
Couple entry for Badals in Punjab amid "match-fixing" allegations (Poll Trivia)
The Shiromani Akali Dal's first couple -- party President Sukhbir Singh Badal and his Union Minister wife Harsimrat Kaur Badal, are making a couple entry in the Lok Sabha elections in Punjab this time.
Parrikar's son among 2 shortlisted by BJP for Panaji bypoll
Utpal Parrikar, the elder son of late Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar, is one of the two persons shortlisted by the BJP to contest the upcoming bypoll in the Panaji Assembly seat, a party leader said on Thursday. Goa BJP president Vinay Tendulkar on Wednesday held discussions with various party units, including the Panaji block committee, to discuss the names of probables, he said. "Two names have been shortlisted, one is Utpal Parrikar and the other is Siddharth Kunkolienkar," the senior BJP leader said on condition of anonymity. Both the names would be sent to the party's parliamentary board in New Delhi for a final decision, he added. The Panaji Assembly bypoll, scheduled on May 19, was necessitated following the death of sitting BJP MLA and the then chief minister Manohar Parrikar last month. Utpal Parrikar, 38, who has done a Masters degree course from the US and is presently into business, earlier said he would be ready to take any responsibility given to him ..
Putin, Kim meet for 1st time in Vladivostok
Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un came face-to-face for the first time ever in Vladivostok on Thursday, where the two leaders are slated to kick-off a summit.
Pyongyang replaces top official dealing with Seoul
North Korea has ousted Kim Yong-chol as the head of relations with South Korea, said a South Korean government official on Thursday.
US Navy drafting new guidelines for reporting UFOs
The US Navy is drafting new guidelines for pilots and other personnel to report encounters with "unidentified aircraft", a significant new step in creating a formal process to collect and analyse the unexplained sightings and destigmatise them, the media reported.
Cong slams govt over issue of minimum support prices
The Congress on Thursday slammed the Modi government over the issue ofminimum support prices, alleging that farmers are getting 20 per cent less than MSP. Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, citing a media report, said the promise made in 2014 was to give the farmers anMSP 50 per cent over the cost of production, but they are getting 20 per cent less than the MSP. "This is Modi Ji's injustice," he said. Mandi prices of four major rabi crops were 4-20% below their MSPs since the winter harvesting began from April 1, the report said, citingofficial data. The Congress has been attacking the government, alleging largescale farmer distress, a claim strongly rejected by the government.
Putin arrives in Vladivostok for first summit with Kim
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Vladivostok on Thursday for his first-ever talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the Kremlin press service said. Kim's armoured train arrived in the city in Russia's Far East on Wednesday and the two were set for a meeting on an island off the coast.
Mulvaney said bringing up Russian political interference concern wasn't a great subject: Report
Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney had urged former Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen not to bring up concerns of Russian interference in the 2020 presidential election with President Donald Trump.Quoting senior administration officials, The New York Times reported that Mulvaney told Nielsen in a meeting this year that concerns about future Russian interference "wasn't a great subject and should be kept below his level".The White House chief of staff made it clear that Trump still equated any public discussion of malign Russian election activity with questions about the legitimacy of his victory, the officials added.Nielsen eventually dropped her plans to organize a White House meeting of cabinet secretaries to coordinate a strategy to protect next year's elections.However, in response to queries over the meeting, Mulvaney, on the same day, told CNN that he didn't "recall anything along those lines happening in any meeting" and insisted that the Trump ...
TMC has "syndicate morcha" : Nirmala Sitharaman
Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman hit out at the Trinamool Congress stating that ruling party in the state is a "syndicate morcha" and is unlike other parties that have women, youth and various other wings and fronts."Unlike other parties where women's wing, youth wing and other types of fronts exist, I feel that TMC has only "syndicate morcha" and Didi (Mamata Banerjee) runs a 'tolabaji' here through this "syndicate morcha". That is why police cannot do anything in West Bengal. There is Narada-Saradha here," Sitharaman said here on Wednesday.She said that TMC stands only for Tushtikaran (appeasement), Mafia and Corruption"Our President says that Trinamool Congress' T stands for Tushtikaran (appeasement), M stands for Mafia, C is for Congress/Corruption. Congress means Corruption," she said.Sitharaman was addressing a rally in support of BJP's Medinipur Lok Sabha seat contestant Dilip Kumar Ghosh. For the 2019 election, Trinamool Congress has fielded Manas Ranjan Bhunia while .
PM Modi to file nomination on 26 April, security beefed up in wake of roadshow today
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a major road show in his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi on Thursday before he sets out to file his nomination paper on Friday, April 26.The PM's roadshow will pass through the main areas of the temple town before culminating at Dashashwamedh Ghat where he will participate in "Ganga Aarti", the BJP said.Top BJP leaders including party president Amit Shah and other leaders of NDA including many Chief Ministers are expected to attend the roadshow going from Lanka near Banaras Hindu University to the Dashashwamedh Ghat via Godoliya.PM Modi is expected to be accompanied by seniormost leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party including Union ministers Nitin Gadkari, Sushma Swaraj, Piyush Goyal and others.Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled states are expected to be in Varanasi. NDA leaders including Shiromani Akali Dal chief Parkash Singh Badal, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Lok Jan Shakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan will .
US expresses 'deep concern' over Myanmar court decision on Reuters journalists
The United States on Wednesday condemned Myanmar Supreme Court's decision to uphold the sentencing of two Reuters journalists, expressing "deep concern" about freedom of expression and urging that the two be reunited with their families."Burma's Supreme Court decision yesterday to uphold the sentencing of Pulitzer-prize winning journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, despite serious irregularities in the case against them, sends a profoundly negative signal about freedom of expression and the protection of journalists in Burma," the State Department said in a statement, while addressing the country with its former name.On Tuesday, the Supreme Court of Myanmar rejected the appeal of the two journalists, who were sentenced to seven years in jail for breaking the Official Secrets Act."The United States is deeply concerned by recent arrests of reporters, political activists, civil society members, and satirical performers in Burma," the statement said."We urge Burma to protect hard-earned ...