Page 808 - Politics
Pak's not kept theirs for Eid: Mufti hits back at PM on 'nuclear button' comment
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti retorted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "nuclear button" comment saying if India's nuclear bombs are not saved for Diwali, Pakistan hasn't "kept theirs for Eid either"."If India hasn't kept nuclear bomb for Diwali, it's obvious Pakistan's not kept theirs for Eid either. Don't know why Prime Minister Modi must stoop so low and reduce political discourse to this," Mufti tweeted on Monday.Mufti reiterated her stance while speaking to reporters in Kulgam. "What Pakistan (nuclear bombs) possesses would not be saved for Eid (if ours is saved for Diwali). We are evenly placed in this matter," she said.While addressing a rally in Barmer on Sunday, Prime Minister Modi said had said terror attacks were common in the country due to the liberty given to Pakistan. "Today (Sunday) also deadly attacks have taken place in Sri Lanka. People were celebrating Easter and praying in churches, but terrorists killed them. What wrong did they do? They
24 candidates have criminal cases in UP 3rd phase: ADR
A report on the third phase of Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh released by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) on Monday claimed that 24 of the 120 candidates in the fray on Tuesday have criminal cases against their names.
Merkel pledges support to Ukraine after Zelensky win
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday congratulated comedian Volodymyr Zelensky on his landslide victory in Ukraine's presidential election, saying she hopes the vote will help stabilise the troubled country. "I congratulate you on your election," Merkel said in a statement. "The stabilisation of Ukraine and a peaceful conflict resolution are as close to my heart as the implementation of central reforms of the judiciary, decentralisation and the fight against corruption," she said in a statement. "The Federal government will continue to actively assist Ukraine in its right to sovereignty and territorial integration in the future." Merkel, who met incumbent Ukraine president Petro Poroshenko earlier this month in Berlin, added that she would welcome receiving Zelensky soon. Germany has been a key broker in the conflict between Kiev and Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine since Moscow annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014, negotiating with France the now moribund Minsk ...
BJP government will give befitting reply to Pakistan: Amit Shah
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah on Monday said that his party's government at the Centre will give a befitting reply to Pakistan if Islamabad indulges in an act of misadventure."Should we hold talks or throw a bomb on those who killed our 40 jawans? What should we do? Mamata, if you want to do 'ILU, ILU' with terrorists, then you can do that. This is BJP's government. If Pakistan fires bullets, we will give a befitting reply," said Shah, while addressing an election rally here.Earlier in the day, Shah at a press conference said the refugees who migrated from Bangladesh -- be it Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, or Christians -- will get citizenship as promised in the BJP's 'Sankalp Patra.'Shah said the BJP in its manifesto has clearly stated that there will be zero tolerance against terrorism. "Also, we have clarified our stand in the BJP's manifesto regarding Article 370, Citizenship Amendment Bill and the NRC," he said."I request to the people of Bengal to vote ...
Sudan tensions escalate after talks with military break down
Tensions escalated Monday after talks broke down between Sudanese protesters and the country's military rulers amid indications the army could move in to break up the demonstration in the capital, Khartoum. The protesters, who have been rallying outside the military headquarters in Khartoum, have demanded a swift handover of power to civilian rule after the military earlier this month ousted autocratic President Omar al-Bashir after four months of street protests against his 30-year rule. A military council, which took over after al-Bashir's ouster and arrest, issued a statement Monday calling for an "immediate opening of the roads and removal of the barricades" around the sit-in in Khartoum. It also asked that other roads, closed by similar protests across the country, be opened. However, the Sudanese Professionals Association, which has led the months of protests against al-Bashir, vowed to carry on with their sit-in. It also called for a march on Tuesday and mass protests on ...
Focus on Bengal not since we may lose seats elsewhere: Shah
BJP President Amit Shah on Monday said his party has put "special focus" on Bengal to reinstate democracy, give refugees their deserved rights and drive out all the infiltrators, and this was not because it may lose some seats in other states compared to the previous General Election.
Phase 3 polls in UP to decide fate of four members of Mulayam's clan
The third phase of polling for ten Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh will decide the electoral fate of four members of the SP patron Mulayam Singh Yadav's clan besides those of senior party leader Azam Khan and film actor and BJP candidate Jaya Prada. The polling for the third phase is to be held on April 23 for ten Lok Sabha seats in the Rohilkhand region of the state along with 105 other seats across 13 other states. The BJP, which had won seven out of the ten seats in this region in 2014, has a huge stake in this phase in Uttar Pradesh as the area is considered a SP stronghold as three of the total five members of the Yadav family had won from this region despite a Modi wave in the last elections. The three Yadav family members who are seeking re-election respectively from Mainpuri, Badaun and Firozabad in this phase are Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav and his two nephews, Dharmendra Yadav and Akshay Yadav. Pitted against Akshay Yadav, son of Mulayam Singh Yadav's ...
Adityanath asks Army to depict a strong India under Modi
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who had been reprimanded by Election Commission for referring Indian Army as 'Modiji ki Sena', Monday called on it(army) to depict a strong India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He claimed that during the 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 while speaking at election rallies here. Adityanath said that after the Pulwama attack, all terrorists involved were killed within 72 hours and the Indian Air Force entered Pakistan territory and destroyed terror camps at Balakot. "This is the first time that a government has acted with such strong ...
Sri Lanka blames Muslim group for Easter horror
The government on Monday blamed a Sri Lankan Muslim outfit for the horrific serial bombings which killed 290 people in the country on Easter Sunday and said the attacks were "a colossal intelligence failure".
Cash-for-query BJP ex-MP joins Congress
In a setback to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled Himachal Pradesh, its three-time MP Suresh Chandel, who was caught in a sting operation in cash-for-query scam in Parliament in 2005, joined the Congress on Monday.
It will be decided in people's court that 'lotus brand chowkidar' is indeed thief: Rahul
On a day Rahul Gandhi expressed regret in the Supreme Court over his remarks in connection with the top court's Rafale judgment, the Congress president attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying on May 23, it will be decided in the people's court that the "lotus brand chowkidar" is indeed the thief. On April 15, the apex court had clarified that in its Rafale judgment, there was no occasion for it to make a mention of the contemptuous observation that "chowkidar Narendra Modi chor hai" (watchman Narendra Modi is a thief) as had been attributed to it by Gandhi. The Congress chief expressed regret over his remarks on Monday, saying he had made the statement in the heat of political campaigning which was misused by his political opponents. He said he had no intention to lower the dignity of the apex court. Later, in a tweet in Hindi, Gandhi targeted Modi, saying, "On May 23, it will be decided in the people's court that the 'lotus brand chowkidar' (kamalchap chowkidar) is indeed the ..
Former BJP MP Suresh Chandel joins Congress
Former three-time BJP MP from Hamirpur constituency Suresh Chandel joined the Congress party here on Monday.He was inducted into the party fold in the presence of the Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Himachal Congress president Kuldeep Rathore and All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for Himachal Pradesh Rajni Patil.Before switching his loyalty to the Congress party, Chandel was the national vice president of BJP's Kisan Morcha, a farmer's wing of the party.He represented the Hamirpur constituency in Parliament since 1998 in three subsequent terms.
AMMK wants EC to allow agents 24x7 in EVM centres till
The Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) headed by TTV Dhinakaran Monday urged the Election Commission to allow agents of political parties to stay round-the-clock at centres where EVMs used in the April 18 Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu are stored. A day after a woman tahsildar was suspended for alleged violation of norms in entering a room where polling records were kept in Madurai, AMMK leader Thanga Tamilselvan said his party had 'suspicion' about state government officials deployed for poll work. Presently agents were not allowed beyond 10 pm and the restriction should be eased to avoid escalation of suspicion, Tamilselvan, a key aide of Dhinakaran, told reporters here. "If the counting happens in a day or two, it would not be a problem. But it is a month-long wait (for May 23). We are okay with efforts taken by the EC, but its implementation lies with officials of state government," he said. He also questioned the need for the official to visit the storage ...
Trinamool rule ruining Bengal: Amit Shah
In a scathing attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, BJP President Amit Shah on Monday said her government has ruined the state economically and culturally, and vowed to build a "Sonar Bangla" ("Golden Bengal") if the safforn party is voted to power in the state.
Sri Lanka declares emergency from midnight
Sri Lanka will enforce a state of emergency from midnight Monday in the wake of the deadly Easter blasts that killed 290 people and wounded more than 500 others, enhancing the counter terrorism powers of of the security forces. The decision was made during a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) chaired by President Maithripala Sirisena. The NSC has announced plans to impose a "conditional state of emergency" from midnight, said a statement from the president's media unit. It said the measures would target terrorism and would not limit freedom of expression. The government has declared Tuesday as a national day of mourning.
US tells Afghan president Qatar talks best chance for peace
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called Afghanistan's president over the weekend to express Washington's disappointment over the indefinite postponement of Afghan talks with the Taliban and to condemn the insurgent's latest "spring offensive," according to a statement Monday. The Afghan-to-Afghan talks were scheduled to start on Friday in Qatar, where the Taliban maintain an office, but were scuttled after a falling out over who should attend. The gathering would have marked the first time that Taliban and Kabul government officials sat together. It was considered a significant first step toward finding a negotiated end to the war in Afghanistan, America's longest conflict, and the eventual withdrawal of US troops from the country. The State Department said Pompeo called President Ashraf Ghani on Saturday over the postponement and also condemned the Taliban's recent announcement of starting another offensive this spring. The announcement itself was just a show of strength since the ..
Goa speaker, 2 MLAs get HC notice on shifting from MGP to BJP
The Goa bench of the Bombay High Court Monday issued notices to the Goa Assembly Speaker and two state BJP ministers on a plea seeking the ministers' disqualification. Deputy Chief Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar and Public Works Department Minister Deepak Pawaskar had quit the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party on March 27 and joined the ruling BJP. One Sadanand Vaigankar had filed a petition contending that constitutional values and the spirit of democracy were being circumvented and defeated by the illegal and malafide actions of the speaker and the BJP by getting the two MGP MLAs to join the ruling party. The plea challenges the speaker's order dated March 27 in which he approved the merger of the MGP with the BJP. The plea contended that the BJP "engineered" this defection in order to maintain the stability of its government in Goa and it sought the disqualification of the ministers. A division bench of Justices RD Dhanuka and Prithviraj Chauhan issued notices to Speaker Michael Lobo and .
Polling in Gujarat: Saurashtra to be real test for BJP
With memories of the 2017 Assembly polls fresh in mind, the Saurashtra region, which has seven Lok Sabha seats, will be the real test for the ruling BJP when balloting is held in Gujarat tomorrow.
Rahul Gandhi's nomination declared valid in Amethi
In a major relief to Congress President Rahul Gandhi, the Election Commission has declared as valid his nomination from the Amethi Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh.
Final day of Egyptian referendum to extend Sisi's rule
Polls opened Monday for a third and final day of voting in Egypt on constitutional changes that could keep President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in power until 2030. Sisi, who handily won to become president in 2014 and was re-elected in 2018 after eliminating all serious political competitors, is widely expected to garner a comfortable win in the three-day referendum. The sweeping changes would extend his current term until 2024 and would also give him the right to stand again for re-election for another six-year term. Other controversial amendments on the ballot include boosting his control over the judiciary and giving the military even greater influence in Egyptian political life. The final results will be announced on 27 April. AFP correspondents saw pro-Sisi volunteers handing out boxed meals at several polling stations in Cairo to voters after they had cast their ballots. The boxes contained staples such as oil, rice, pasta and sugar. Human Rights Watch has criticised the "grossly ...