Page 821 - Politics
Raj govt machinery being misused against me: BJP leader Shekhawat on poll fight in Jodhpur
Rajasthan's ruling Congress is misusing the entire state government machinery against him, alleges Union minister and BJP candidate Gajendra Singh Shekhawat who is up against Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's son Vaibhav in the high-stakes electoral battle here. According to Shekhawat, Vaibhav Gehlot has no identity among the people of Jodhpur and is riding on his father's shoulders. Shekhawat, who defeated Congress' Chandresh Kumari by over four lakh votes in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, is hoping to repeat the feat in the polls on April 29. "He (Vaibhav) is contesting elections riding on his father's shoulder there is no magic of Ashok Gehlot in Jodhpur," Shekhawat told PTI in an interview. If there was magic, he asked, why did the Congress lose nine out of 10 assembly seats in the Jodhpur Lok Sabha constituency in the 2013 elections. The BJP leader added that he is not fighting against Ashok Gehlot but against the chief minister of Rajasthan. "The entire government machinery is being ...
Pakistan deplores India's decision to suspend cross-LoC trade
Pakistan on Sunday deplored India's "unilateral" decision to suspend cross-LoC trade and rejected the allegations regarding its "misuse" by elements from across the border to smuggle weapons, narcotics, fake currency and foment terrorism. Hardening its stand against Pakistan, India on Thursday indefinitely suspended cross-border trade at two points along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir after reports of very large scale "misuse" of the cross-LoC trade. Pakistan's Foreign Office said the Indian action was based on "groundless accusations" that this mechanism is being used for smuggling, narcotics, fake currency and terrorism. "This litany is all too familiar and in line with India's frequent attempts to portray legitimate activities of the people," in Jammu & Kashmir as linked to terrorism, the FO said. The FO said the cross-LoC trade has been one of the functional Confidence-Building Measures (CBMs) between the two countries, which came about after arduous diplomatic ...
Ukrainians vote in 2nd round of presidential election
Ukrainians voted on Sunday in the second round of the country's presidential election, with incumbent leader Petro Poroshenko seeking re-election, while TV comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy is making his foray into mainstream politics for the first time.
No changes needed in citizenship bill if Clause 6 implemented properly: Sonowal
The citizenship bill does not require any changes if Clause 6 of the Assam Accord is implemented properly, says Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal about the proposed legislation which the top BJP leadership has vowed to bring back if voted back to power. In an interview to PTI, the student leader-turned politician said the bill will be brought after arriving at a consensus with all stakeholders. "It (amending the Act) is not a new thing as amendments were taken up nine times before this also. This is a continuous process since 1950," he said, adding the BJP will ensure constitutional safeguards to Northeast's political, cultural, social and linguistic identity. When asked if the Assam government will request the Centre to make necessary changes in the existing bill to allay apprehensions of the people here, Sonowal said that is not needed if the Clause 6 of the Assam Accord is implemented properly. The Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, which was signed in 1985 after the Assam ...
Maharashtra: ECI flying squad seizes over Rs 6.5 lakh unaccounted cash
A flying squad of the Election Commission of India (ECI) seized Rs 6.5 lakh unaccounted cash from a man in Ulhasnagar town of Thane district on Saturday.The seizure was made ahead of polling for 14 Lok Sabha seats -- Jalgaon, Raver, Jalna, Aurangabad, Raigad, Pune, Baramati, Ahmednagar, Madha, Sangli, Satara, Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg, Kolhapur and Hatkanangle -- in Maharashtra on April 23.A huge amount of unaccounted money has been found in raids and searches by authorities across the country since the Model Code of Conduct came into effect with the announcement of the poll dates on March 10.Teams of central agencies and the ECI have been conducting raids and searches across the states to ensure illegal money is not used to influence voters in the general elections.Over Rs 135 crore unaccounted cash was recently seized during raids by the Income Tax (IT) department and the ECI across Tamil Nadu.In a related development, the ECI cancelled the election in Vellore parliamentary constituency .
Maharashtra: Scions, stalwarts fight for 14 seats in phase 3
Political stalwarts, scions of major political families and rebels are in fray for the 14 parliamentary constituencies in Maharashtra, which will go to polls in the third phase of Lok Sabha elections on April 23.
Sons of 2 ex-CMs battle for Shimoga in Karnataka
In the battle for supremacy in Karnataka's Malnad region, sons of two former Chief Ministers will lock horns for the prestigious Shimoga Lok Sabha seat in the third phase of polling on April 23.
Marginal decline in number of women candidates in Assam
There has been a marginal decline in the number of women candidates contesting Lok Sabha elections in Assam, with 14 in the fray as against 16 in the last polls. The Gauhati parliamentary constituency, which goes to polls in the third and final phase in the state on April 23, has the highest number five candidates -- BJP's Queen Oja, Bobbeeta Sharma of the Congress, Mamoni Sharma of Purvanchal Janata Party (Secular) and independents Junmoni Devi Khaund and Rubi Neog. Two women had made it to the Lok Sabha in 2014 -- BJP's Bijoya Chakravorty from Gauhati and Sushmita Dev of Congress from Silchar. Chakravorty with was denied ticket this time while Dev has been renominated from her constituency. The Congress has put up two candidates, one less than in 2014, and the BJP and its alliance partner BPF one each. All India Trinamool Congress and SUCI (Communist) have nominated two women candidates each while National Peoples' Party (NPP), Voters Party International and Purvanchal Janata Party .
Congress workers protest outside Rahul's residence
Supporters of Delhi Congress leader Raj Kumar Chauhan on Sunday staged a protest outside party President Rahul Gandhi's residence here over rumours that he was being denied a ticket by giving preference to an outsider.
Sajad Lone expresses concern over Yasin Malik's health
Peoples Conference (PC) chief Sajad Lone on Sunday expressed concern over the health of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik and hoped the national investigation agency (NIA) understood his position.
Indian naval ships arrive, Pak to miss Chinese navy's fleet review
Two Indian battle ships, including the biggest indigenously built stealth destroyer INS Kolkata, have arrived at the port city of Qingdao to take part in the Chinese Navy's fleet review while the Pakistan naval ships will be conspicuous by their absence at the event. China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is celebrating its 70th founding anniversary on April 23 with a grand fleet review. Ten countries, including India, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam, will deploy 20 vessels to join a naval parade. INS Kolkata, which is the first of a new class of three destroyers built by India, is accompanied by tanker INS Shakti, a fleet support ship, to take part in the event. However, PLAN's naval fleet review will be held without the ships from its closest ally Pakistan. Though there is no official announcement, official sources told PTI that no Pakistan ships are expected to take part in the fleet review. Instead, Pakistan navy will be represented by a high-level delegation at the Qingdao ...
It's 'blind love' for BJP politician fathers in Himachal
It's 'blind love' for two BJP politician fathers when it comes to supporting their sons in the Lok Sabha elections in Himachal Pradesh.
Gujarat: The village which has banned political campaigning
Immune to bickering amongst politicians in the election season, Raj-Samadhiyala village in the vicinity of Rajkot goes through its daily routine as no political party is allowed to campaign in the village."No party comes to campaign in this village be it the Congress or the BJP. We think that campaigning will disturb the atmosphere as one half of the population will campaign for one party and the other half will support the other party. The parties also willingly accept this," said the village Sarpanch representative Ashok Vaghela.The village votes close to 100 per cent voting with deliberate abstaining from voting fined with Rs. 51. The Sarpanch of the village is also elected by consensus nipping factionalism amongst villagers in the bud.With most of the disputes resolved through Lok Adalats, the village prohibits a range of activities beginning from littering, spitting, causing harm to government property and even prohibits young men from sitting idle and loitering in the ...
Chavan must apologise on Congress' behalf for equating Hindus with terror: Piyush Goyal
Union Minister Piyush Goyal has demanded an apology from Congress leader and former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on behalf of his party for allegedly equating the Hindu community with 'terror'.On Saturday, Chavan had demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for fielding Malegaon blast accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur from Bhopal in the ensuing polls. He had also asked for the Prime Minister to withdraw Thakur's candidature.Responding to Chavan's remarks, Goyal, while speaking to ANI, said, "I think Prithviraj Chavan should apologise for Congress' shameful act of terming the whole Hindu community as 'terror'. They attempted to defame a whole community. Congress is an issueless and directionless party. Congress worked towards dividing society and sheltering the terrorists. People of India will never forgive them for the seditious acts committed by them."BJP fielding Thakur from Bhopal against Congress' Digvijaya Singh has led to a fresh war of words ...
SP workers should learn discipline from BSP workers: Mayawati
SP workers should learn discipline from BSP workers: Mayawati
In direct contest for PM, voters in AP, Punjab, Kerala, TN prefer Rahul over Modi: CVOTER-IANS
In a direct contest, most voters in Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Kerala and Tamil Nadu will vote for Rahul Gandhi as the Prime Minister but in the rest of the country Narendra Modi continues to be the preferred choice, according to CVOTER-IANS poll tracker.
Over 30,000 displaced in Libya after Haftar offensive
Expressing "grave concern" over the violation of International Humanitarian Law in Libya, United Nations said nearly 30,200 people have been displaced so far amid hostilities in the country."Violations of International Humanitarian Law remain of grave concern as indiscriminate attacks against civilians and medical facilities and personnel continue. Indiscriminate violence, particularly rocket and mortar attacks have occurred in and around Tripoli increasingly impacting residential areas. 30,200 people have been internally displaced by ongoing hostilities," stated the UN in its situation report on Libya.Saying urgent food assistance is needed, the UN stated: "Urgent food assistance is needed for some 800 refugees and migrants in the Qasr Bin Ghasheer detention centre and 530 refugees and migrants in the Sabaa detention centre."More than 200 people have lost their lives and 913 have been wounded ever since clashes erupted in the region as renegade General Khalifa Haftar's Libyan ...
50 Syrian soldiers killed in IS attacks
At least 50 Syrian soldiers have been killed in attacks carried out by Islamic State and al Qaeda in the last few days, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Saturday.According to Al Jazeera, IS on Thursday attacked Syrian forces in central Homs. The clash lasted two days leaving 27 soldiers dead till Saturday.The IS has lost its territory in Syria in March, however, fighters remain active in the desert where they have taken refuge and increasingly target government troops and allies' militia.The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) last month announced that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) has lost its last stronghold, Baghouz, in eastern Syria."Syrian Democratic Forces declare total elimination of so-called caliphate and 100 per cent territorial defeat of ISIS. On this unique day, we commemorate thousands of martyrs whose efforts made victory possible," tweeted Mustafa Bali, head of SDF press office.The terror group had once controlled vast territories of .
Iran condemns US decision on Golan Heights
Iran on Saturday strongly condemned United States' decision to declare Israel's sovereignty on Golan Heights."Iran strongly condemns the US President Donald Trump's decision on Golan Heights," Islamic Republic News Agency quoted Alaeddin Boroujerdi, head of the Iranian parliamentary delegation in the Iraqi parliamentary summit, as saying.Boroujerdi made these remarks at Iraq's parliamentary summit which kicked off in Baghdad on Saturday.The US faced global condemnation after President Trump signed an official decree in Washington DC on March 26, in the presence of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, recognising Israel's sovereignty on Golan Heights.The proclamation escalated tensions between Syria and Israel. Scores of Syrians hit the streets to protest against the US decision.Israel had formally annexed the territory in 1981 after capturing the region from Syria during the six-day war in 1967. The Israeli annexation has long been decried by the world community which regards ..
US peace plan very close to what Israelis want, doomed to fail: French envoy
The US peace deal for Israel-Palestine conflict will be "very close to what Israelis want," and 99 per cent "doomed to fail", claimed France's outgoing ambassador to the US, Gerard Araud.He also claimed that US President Donald Trump has, so far, been "uniquely" successful to "push the Israelis"."The White House plan, engineered by Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner, will be very close to what the Israelis want and is 99 per cent doomed to fail," The Times of Israel quoted Araud as saying."But one per cent, you never forget the one per cent. Trump is uniquely able to push the Israelis because he is so popular in Israel," he said on Friday.Notably, Araud has also served as French ambassador to Israel from 2003 to 2006. Claiming, Kushner, who has engineered the peace plan, has "no guts", Araud said: "Kushner does not know the history [of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict], and in a sense, it is good -- we are not here to say who is right, who is wrong; we are trying to find a ..