Page 806 - Politics
NDA has shown that running honest government is possible in this country: PM Narendra Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday said the NDA has shown that running an honest government is possible in the country and accused the Congress of cheating people for seven decades. Addressing an election rally here, Modi said that his government has taken decisive action against terrorism while the opposition has let down the country with the "saboot gang" seeking proof of the Balakot air strike. "The NDA has shown that running an honest government in the country is possible. With your support a new tradition of honesty is being established in the entire country," the prime minister said. The prime minister targeted the previous UPA government saying that it pressured the banks to give loan to "its millionaire friends, but our government gave loans to poor, tribals and youths under the MUDRA scheme". "Now, if someone has fled abroad, either he will have to return or he will be extradited just like Michel 'mama' of Naamdaars. If any rich does not return money taken as loans from ...
China criticizes US effort to reduce Iran oil sales
China, one of Iran's biggest oil export markets, on Monday criticised Washington's decision to tell Beijing and other governments to stop buying crude from Tehran or face sanctions. China opposes Washington's "unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction," said a foreign ministry spokesman, Geng Shuang. He said Beijing's dealings with Iran are "reasonable and legitimate." US officials told reporters the Trump administration will inform other governments they no longer will be exempt from sanctions. China, which relies on imports for about half of its oil, could present the toughest diplomatic challenge in trying to enforce the Trump administration's ambition of driving down Iran's oil exports. Beijing has supported global efforts to curb the spread of nuclear weapons technology. But it rejects unilateral US action and previously opposed linking trade to Iran's nuclear program. The communist government will "protect the legitimate rights" of its companies, Geng said. He gave no ...
'Kamalchaap chowkidar' is 'chor' will be decided on May 23: Rahul Gandhi
In an apparent reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday asserted that the "Janta ki Adalat (people's court) will decide on May 23 that "kamalchaap chowkidar (lotus imprinted watchman)" is a "chor (thief)".The counting of votes for the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections will take place on May 23, which will decide the fate of all political parties in fray. Lotus is the election symbol of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)."On May 23rd, it will be decided in the court of the public that kamalchaap chowkidar is the chor. Justice will prevail. The chowkidar who looted money from the poor people and benefited the rich friends will be punished," Rahul tweeted.He also challenged Modi to a 15-minute debate on corruption, alleging wrongdoing in the Rafale fighter jet deal with France."I would like to challenge Narendra Modi to debate with me on corruption for 15 minutes. Dudh ka dudh, pani ka pani ho jayega. I am telling you, Narendra Modi Ji ...
Demonstration staged outside Bihar Congress HQ denouncing
A demonstration was staged here Monday outside the state Congress headquarters by a group of persons who carried placards dubbing actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha as a dalaal (broker) of Lalu Prasads RJD and raised slogans demanding cancellation of his candidature from the Patna Sahib Lok Sabha constituency. BPCC spokesman H K Verma, however, asserted that the demonstrators were not in any way associated with the party and suspected that they were sent to the Sadaqat Ashram by rivals at a time when Sinha was not inside the premises. The demonstrators alleged that Sinha was "dropped from a parachute" at RJD's behest and accused BPCC chief Madan Mohan Jha, AICC in-charge for the state Shaktisinh Gohil and state party campaign committee chief Akhilesh Prasad Singh of having "sold" the seat which the Congress has not won so far. Earlier, on Sunday Sinha was booed and heckled at the state headquarters where he addressed a party meeting wherein he told leaders and workers ...
Priyanka accuses Irani of distributing shoes to insult Rahul
Dubbing the BJP's Amethi candidate Smriti Irani as an "outsider", Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday accused her of distributing shoes in order to insult Rahul Gandhi and said the people in the Congress chief's Lok Sabha constituency are not beggars. Interacting with the voters in this key parliamentary constituency, the Congress general secretary in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh said the people of Amethi and Rae Bareli have self-respect and they do not beg from anyone. "...if anyone has to beg, it is them (BJP), who will beg for your votes," a visibly agitated Priyanka told the voters in the presence of reporters at a "nukkad sabha". She also slammed "outsider" Irani for distributing shoes in Amethi. "She (Irani) thinks she can insult Rahul Gandhi by doing this," Priyanka said, adding that the Union minister was in fact insulting the people of Amethi. "The people of Amethi are very sensible. You all know who was going to open a food park in Amethi and the fact that it .
Gujarat: Polling for 26 LS seats, bypoll in 4 Assembly seats
BJP chief Amit Shah and 370 other candidates are in the poll fray in Gujarat where voting for all the 26 Lok Sabha seats will be held in a single phase Tuesday. BJP had won all the 26 seats in the 2014 elections. Poll officials said bypoll in Dhrangadhra, Manavadar, Unjha and Jamnagar (Rural) Assembly seats in the state will also be held Tuesday. Altogether 45 candidates are contesting from these four seats, they added. The bypolls were necessitated after Congress MLAs in the four seats quit and joined the BJP. The Talala Assembly bypoll, which was to be held simultaneously on Tuesday, was stayed by the Supreme Court. Altogether 51,851 booths have been set up, state chief electoral officer S Murali Krishnasaid. The state police and central security forces have been deployed in large numbers to guard the polling booths. While Shah is contesting from Gandhinagar Lok Sabha Seat, Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Jaswantsinh Bhabhor, is the BJP nominee from Dahod ...
PM's 'boastful' claims on nukes not in interest of national security: Sharma
Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma on Monday hit out Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks on nuclear arsenal, saying his "boastful claims" of being "ready for an atomic missile attack" on Pakistan are uncalled for and not in the interest of national security. Modi, at an election rally in Rajasthan's Barmer, Sunday said India is no more afraid of nuclear threats of Pakistan. "Otherwise, Pakistan used to give nuclear threats. What do we have? Have we kept it for 'Diwali'? (Warna aay din nuclear button hai, ye kehte the. Hamare paas kya hai? Ye Diwali ke liye rakha hai kya)," the prime minister had said. Slamming Modi for his remarks, Sharma tweeted: "PM Narendra Modi's election speeches and irresponsible statements point to the growing desperation in the BJP. Prime Minister's boastful claims of being ready for a nuclear missile attack on Pakistan and US intervention are uncalled for and not in interest of national security." Sharma's remarks were also in reference to Modi's ..
Six AAP candidates file nominations for upcoming polls in Delhi
Six candidates of the Aam Aadmi Party filed their nominations on Monday for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in Delhi. The six candidates who filed their papers are Chandni Chowk candidate Pankaj Gupta, East Delhi candidate Atishi, North West Delhi candidate Gugan Singh, South Delhi candidate Raghav Chadha, North East Delhi candidate Dilip Pandey and New Delhi candidate Brajesh Goel. While Chandha carried out a roadshow on Sunday against, what he said was, the "gundaraj" of South Delhi incumbent BJP's Ramesh Biduri, the other five candidates carried out mega roadshows before filing their papers this morning. Senior party leaders accompanied the candidates. Atishi was accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, while Gupta was accompanied by senior party leader Satyendar Jain. Singh was partnered by Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh and Pandey was seen with senior party leader Gopal Rai. Goyal filed his nomination in the presence of senior leader N D Gupta. The party's west Delhi ...
Adityanath invokes army to depict strong India
Senior BJP leader and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Monday invoked the Indian Armed Forces to depict a strong India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Adityanath, who had earlier been reprimanded by the Election Commission for referring to Indian Army as 'Modiji ki Sena', claimed that during Congress rule China used to enter Indian territory "at will" and play with the country's security. "But you have seen how strongly the government has acted under Modiji's leadership. Dokalam is an example before you. China had tried to enter Dokalam, which is in Bhutan, an Indian protectorate. "Indian soldiers did not allow China to enter and after a two-month stand off, was forced to move back," he said. Speaking at election rallies at Bongaon in North 24 Parganas distrct and Baharampur in Murshidabad district, the UP chief minister claimed that Congress wants to play with the security of 130 crore people of the country. In its election manifesto ..
BJP reaching out to city traders through various initiatives: Union Minister Vijay Goel
Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in Delhi, the BJP has gone all out to woo the city traders - the party's traditional vote bank - by reaching out to them through various initiatives, Union minister Vijay Goel said Monday. Encouraged by the "huge success" of Rashtriya Vyapari Dhanyawad Mahasammelan at Talkatora stadium held last Friday, the party believes Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pro-trader announcements will offset the "negative publicity" generated by moves like sealing, demonetisation and Goods and Services Tax (GST). Goel, who belongs to the traders community and has been busy in recent months in reaching out the city traders, was instrumental in holding the traders Mahasammelan addressed by the Prime Minister. "Thousands of traders from the city as well as other parts of the country attended the Mahasammelan. Its success shows that traders in the country are still strongly backing the BJP," Goel told PTI. The BJP Sankalp Patra promising a National Traders' Welfare Board, ...
Priyanka slams Smriti for misleading Amethi voters
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday slammed Union Minister Smriti Irani, saying she is out to insult the people of Amethi and Rae Bareli -- the strongholds of the Gandhis.
Bengal polls phase three crucial for Congress
The high-octane Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal reach an exciting third leg on Tuesday, as the poll caravan rolls to the culturally rich South Dinjapur and then moves to Malda -- famed for its mouth-watering mangoes --before entering Murshidabad in South Bengal, which was once the capital of the Nawabs of Bengal, Bihar and Odisha.
India shares 'all evidences' on JeM, Azhar with China(3rd Lead)
India has shared with China "all evidences" of the terrorist activities of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and its chief Masood Azhar, the External Affairs Ministry said here on Monday as Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale held talks with the Chinese leadership in Beijing.
Tejashwi says absence from Rahul's rallies part of strategy;
With his absence from Congress president Rahul Gandhi's rallies in Bihar triggering speculation of a rift in the Mahagathbandhan,RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav Monday dismissed the conjecture and asserted he would share stage with Gandhi in the state in coming days. He attributed this to part of strategy so that leaders of the grand alliance cover more places during campaign. Gandhi addressed four election rallies so far in the state in Purnea (on March 23), Gaya (April 9), Katihar (April 10) and Supaul (April 20), but Tejashwi Yadav did not share the stage with the Congress president which was taken as a signal of fissure within the opposition alliance. I will definitely share the stage with him (Rahul Gandhi) and you will see it in the coming days. This is a part of strategy that we (leaders of Grand Alliance) should cover more and more places during election campaigning, Yadav told reporters here. To present a picture of unity, prominent leaders of the alliance ...
Wayanad hogs limelight in poll season courtesy Rahul
All eyes are on the Wayanad parliamentary constituency on the slopes of the Western Ghats in Kerala, chosen by Congress chief Rahul Gandhi to seek people's mandate, besides his family bastion Amethi in Uttar Pradesh. He is facing CPI's P P Suneer fielded by Kerala's ruling LDF in the April 23 election on the soil of legendary king Pazhassi Raja who fought a guerilla war against British colonialists. The NDA has fielded Thushar Vellappally of Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) from the constituency comprising seven assembly segments in Wayanad, Malappuram and Kozhikode districts. The Wayanad seat, which was created in 2009, shares its borders with the Nilgiris of Tamil Nadu and the Mysuru region of Karnataka. It is predominantly rural and of its seven assembly segments, three are in Wayanad district, three in Malappuram and one in Kozhikode district. Two assembly segments in the constituency -- Sulthan Bathery and Mananthavady -- are reserved for tribals who constitute around 18 per cent ..
Do-or-die battle for Left, Congress in Kerala
After a high decibel 40-day-long campaign, Kerala will go to single phase polls Tuesday with Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, Union minister Alphons Kannamthanam and sitting MP Shashi Tharoor among those whose fortunes will be decided. It is a do-or-die battle for both the ruling CPI(M)-led LDF and opposition Congress-headed UDF in most of the 20 Lok Sabha seats this time in the state, known for its decades-long bipolar politics. The BJP-led NDA is posing a formidable challenge to the two traditional fronts in at least three constituencies -- Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta and Thrissur. The saffron party is hoping to capitalise on the Sabarimala women entry issue and ensure the Lotusblooms this time from the state in the Lower House of Parliament. A key seat will be Wayanad from where Rahul Gandhi is contesting besides his pocket borough Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, Thiruvananthapuram where Tharoor is eyeing a hat-trick and Ernakulam, the costal city from where Kannamthanam .
Post Pulwama terror attack, top JeM commanders eliminated in targeted action by India
Top Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) commanders have been eliminated in targeted action by India post the Pulwama terror attack, sources said on Monday.Of the 66 terrorists killed in Jammu and Kashmir this year, 27 belong to the Pakistan-based terror outfit out of which 19 were eliminated after the February 14 Pulwama attack, sources added.Within 45 days of the Pulwama attack, the entire JeM team involved in the attack neutralised through a combination of technical and human intelligence-based operations. This also includes arrest and deportation of Jaish cadre who were involved in the operation, sources mentioned.After the Pulwama attack, sources said, four Jaish terrorists involved directly in the attack were killed while four others were arrested in different operations.Sources said inputs were gathered after the interrogation of around 40 Jaish overground supporters in the Kashmir valley.Top Indian security brass feels Pakistan trying to obfuscate its role in terrorist activities by ...
Pak's Punjab bar council demands removal of SC judge for "ridiculing" armed forces
Pakistan's Punjab Bar Council has demanded the sacking of a Supreme Court judge for "ridiculing" the armed forces and casting "serious aspersions" on the intelligence agencies, especially the ISI, saying his remarks in a judgement strengthened India's narrative. Justice Qazi Faez Isa in his February 6 judgment on the Faizabad (Islamabad) sit-in by the radical Islamists said the Constitution emphatically prohibits members of the armed forces from engaging in any kind of political activity, which includes supporting a political party, faction or individual. "The Government of Pakistan through the Ministry of Defence and the respective Chiefs of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force are directed to initiate action against the personnel under their command who are found to have violated their oath. There is no accountability of the intelligence agencies," the bench comprising Justice Qazi Isa and Justice Mushir Alam ruled in February. The Punjab Bar Council (PBC) said Justice Isa ridiculed
Chhattisgarh: Polling for 7 LS seats in third phase Tuesday
Polling will be held in seven Lok Sabha seats in Chhattisgarh in the third and last phase of Lok Sabha elections in the state Tuesday, officials said. As many as 123 candidates are in the fray. Around 60,000 security personnel, including paramilitary and state forces, have been deployed in the state. Altogether 15,408 polling booths have been set up for voters in the seven seats Raipur, Durg, Bilaspur, Korba, Janjgir-Champa (SC), Surguja (ST) and Raigarh (ST)- where the main fight will be between the ruling Congress and the BJP which lost power in last year's state Assembly polls. Raipur and Bilaspur seats have the maximum number of candidates (25), followed by Durg-21, Jangir-Champa - 15, Raigarh -14, Korba-13 and Surguja-10. Altogether 1,27,13,816 voters, including 64,16,252 men, 62,96,992 women and 572 members of the third gender, are eligible to exercise their franchise. Voting for the 11 Lok Sabha seats in the state was scheduled in three phases. The Naxal-hit ...
FS Gokhale raises issue of Azhar's listing with China
India has raised with China the issue of banning of Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar by the UN with Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale during his meeting on Monday in Beijing with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi emphasising that both countries should be sensitive to each other's concerns. India has shared with China all evidences of terror activities of JeM and its leader Azhar, MEA Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in response to a question whether listing of Azhar was raised during Gokhale's ongoing China visit. "It is now for the 1267 Sanctions Committee and other authorised bodies of the UN to take a decision on the listing of Azhar as a global terrorist. India will continue to pursue all available avenues to ensure that terrorist leaders who are involved in heinous attacks on our citizens are brought to justice," Kumar said. Apart from Wang, Gokhale met a number of Chinese leaders, officials said. "The issue was discussed", a source said when asked whether Gokhale raised the issue