Page 822 - Politics
Libyan govt launches counter strike against Haftar fighters
Forces loyal to Libya Unity Government on Saturday launched a counterattack against renegade General Khalifa Haftar's fighters, who earlier this month launched an offensive on Tripoli."We have launched a new phase of the attack. Orders were given early this morning to advance and gain ground," Al-Arabiya quoted Mustafa al-Mejii, a spokesman for the military operation of Libya Unity Government as saying.Soon after the announcement, the residents said they heard rocket and artillery fire in several districts of the capital Tripoli.This comes days after US President Donald Trump praised Haftar for his role in fighting terrorism.Trump "recognised Field Marshal Haftar's significant role in fighting terrorism and securing Libya's oil resources, and the two discussed a shared vision for Libya's transition to a stable, democratic political system," the White House said on Friday.Trump, however, did not mention Haftar's frequent military offensive on Tripoli.More than 200 people have lost ...
Rocket launched toward Israel falls in Gaza
A rocket fired from Gaza targeting Israel fell inside the Palestinian enclave instead of reaching its target, the Israeli military said.According to The Times of Israel, a strong blast was heard in the Sha'ar Hanegev region on Saturday. No casualties or injuries have been reported yet.This comes a day after Israel targeted two Hamas observation posts along the Gaza border."An IDF aircraft and tank attacked two military positions belonging to the Hamas terror group in the Gaza Strip in response to a shot that was fired a short time ago at troops near the security fence," the Israel Defense Forces said Friday.Last month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said that his country is planning an extensive military campaign in Gaza against Hamas.
J-K government relaxes restrictions imposed civilian movement on NH-44
Jammu and Kashmir government on Saturday relaxed the restrictions imposed on civilian movement on the National Highway (NH-44)."The restriction on civilian movement between Srinagar and Baramulla on NH-44 would now be limited only to Sunday. There will be no prohibition on civilian traffic on Wednesday," the J-K government said in a statement.However, the restrictions would continue between Srinagar and Udhampur on NH-44 as earlier, said the statement.The government said it will keep reviewing the restrictions from time-to-time to strike a balance between the needs of the security forces and inconvenience caused to the people."The Government is monitoring the needs of security forces on a real-time basis and making all attempts to minimize public inconvenience. For example, no restrictions were imposed on April 17, although it was a convoy day (Wednesday) as there was no need for movement of the security forces," said the statement.A complete review of restrictions on the highway will
BJP had no one with 'clean image' to field from Bhopal LS seat: Chhattisgarh CM
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel Saturday alleged that the BJP had no one with a "clean image" and so it had to field Pragya Singh Thakur, an accused in the Malegaon blast case, from the Bhopal Lok Sabha seat. Thakur is out on bail in the 2008 blast case and she is under fire for claiming that IPS officer Hemant Karkare was killed during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack as she had "cursed" him for "torturing" her. Thakur, who is pitted against senior Congress leader Digvijiya Singh from the Bhopal seat, has apologised for her remarks. "She has filed her nomination against Congress leader Digvijaya Singh.The BJP did not have any other candidate so it has fielded a 'gunda mavali' (goon) who had indulged in spreading terror," Baghel said while addressing an election rally at Chhattisgarh's Tundra here. Baghel was campaigning for Congress candidate from the Janjgir-Champa Lok Sabha constituency Ravi Bharadwaj. On Thakur's remark on Karkare, he said, "She had said that Karkare died
Announcement of names of candidates for seven LS seats on Sunday or day after: Sheila Dikshit
Delhi Congress chief Sheila Dikshit Saturday said the names of candidates for the seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital will be announced in a couple of days. She was talking to reporters after inaugurating a control room at the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) office for the Lok Sabha election campaign. "The party will announce the candidates tomorrow or day after," Dikshit said. When asked about her fighting the polls from Chandni Chowk, she said, "I have also heard about it. Let the party decide." The centralised control room will coordinate with the control rooms in all the seven Lok Sabha constituencies in Delhi and disseminate relevant information regarding the Congress candidates' election campaign, the DPCC said. There are seven separate desks at the DPCC control room to collate information from all the seven parliamentary constituencies, including the detailed campaign schedule, meetings and other programmes of each of the Congress candidate, it said. There is .
By-poll in 5 assembly seats in WB will be held on May 19
By-poll to five assembly constituencies of West Bengal will be held on May 19 and the votes there will be counted along with those of all the Lok Sabha seats, the Election Commission said. The five assembly seats - Darjeeling, Islampur, Kandi, Habibpur (ST) and Bhatpara - fell vacant after the sitting MLAs resigned following their nomination to contest the Lok Sabha elections. Polling for the parliamentary constituencies of Darjeeling and Raiganj were held on April 18. Islampur assembly seat falls under Raiganj LS constituency. Kandi assembly segment is under Baharampur Lok Sabha constituency where polling will be held in the fourth phase on April 29. Habibpur falls under Malda Uttar parliamentary seat and Bhatpara under Barrackpore Lok Sabha constituency. These two seats will go to polls on April 23 and May 6 respectively. The Election Commission on Saturday night said the notification for the by-polls will be issued on April 22. While the last day for filing nomination
Shatrughan taunts BJP over poll losses in 3 states last year
Actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha, who recently shifted from the BJP to the Congress, Saturday asked who is "pappu" and who turned out to be a real "feku" after the Congress beat the BJP in the Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh Assembly polls. While the BJP routinely addresses Congress chief Rahul Gandhi as "pappu", the Congress often terms Prime Minister Narendra Modi as "feku" accusing him of making lofty and fake promises. "Now please tell us who is pappu and who has turned out to be the real feku. Who won elections in three states," Sinha asked. Sinha claimed PM Modi is known for making false promises and said he continued to do so for 2022, 2024, 2029 even though he is not going to be PM at that time. Sinha praised the Congress chief and described him as "dashing, dynamic and of course charming". He said he joined the Congress, despite invitations from other parties like TMC, SP, BSP because the party was an old one founded by Mahatma Gandhi, ...
Pawar busy with 'Beti Bachav' mission: Fadnavis
NCP chief Sharad Pawar is engaged in a "Beti Bachav" (save the girl child) mission for his daughter Supriya Sule, the party's Baramati MP and candidate, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said Saturday. Fadnavis was addressing a public rally in Khadakwasla area of the constituency in support of BJP candidate Kanchan Kul. Lauding Kul for putting up a strong challenge before Sule, the chief minister took a dig at Pawar, saying he "took one thing from Prime Minister Narendra Modi". "Modi gave the slogan 'Beti Bachav...and Pawar is doing the same thing in Baramati (trying to save his daughter from defeat)," he said. Sule too aped one of Modi's slogans, Fadnavis further said. "Modi warned Pakistan that we will thrash you by entering your home. Sule, while threatening a BJP worker, said the same thing," he quipped. Fadnavis was apparently referring to an allegation made by BJP worker Rahul Shewale, which Sule has denied. Taking a swipe at Pawar for dropping his plan ..
No Congress-AAP pact, Delhi to see triangular contest
Delhi is set for a triangular fight with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday announcing that alliance is not possible with the Congress as the latter wants the tie-up to remain confined to the national capital and not extending to Haryana.
New bout of heavy fighting in Yemen kills dozens
Yemeni officials say heavy fighting in Yemen's southern Dhale province between pro-government forces and Shiite rebels has killed more than 85 people. The officials say the Houthi rebels recaptured the district of Damt and the surrounding area from forces allied with the internationally recognized government after more than a week of fighting. They say dozens have been wounded. Yemen has been embroiled in a civil war pitting the Iran-backed Houthis against the government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, backed by a Saudi-led coalition since March 2015. The war has devastated impoverished Yemen, turning the Arab nation into the world's worst humanitarian crisis. The officials spoke Saturday on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media.
Cong put 'terror' tag on Hindus: Modi
: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday accused the Congress of stamping Hindus with the terrorist tag instead of acting against Pakistani terrorists. Addressing an election rally days after the nomination of Malegaon blast accused Pragya Singh Thakur as the BJP candidate for Bhopal, Modi said the Congress and its supporters used the term Hindu terror to malign an ancient culture. Terrorists from Pakistan used to set off blasts, carry out attacks. But instead of acting against them, the Congress and its companions would get busy in putting the terrorist stamp on Hindus, Modi said in Bareilly, referring to the tenure of the UPA government. The world has never pointed a finger at out great culture of thousands of years. These people have done the disgusting sin of maligning it, he added. He said while the world does not link any religion with terrorism, the Congress and its sycophants had knit a web of torture and oppression by invoking Hindu terror. Modi did not name terror-accused ...
Four lakh slum dwellers denied pucca houses in Delhi because of AAP's political malice: BJP
The BJP Saturday attacked the Delhi government for non-implementation of Centre's housing scheme PMJAY, alleging that four lakh slum dwellers have been denied pucca houses in the city because of the ruling AAP's "political malice". It also claimed that Delhi government's thousands of houses for the poor remain unallotted for the last several years. "The Kejriwal government has thwarted the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (PMJAY) in Delhi out of political malice denying pucca houses to four lakh JJ (Jhuggi Jhopti) cluster dwellers in 675 such dwellings in the city," BJP leader Vijender Gupta said in a press conference. No immediate reaction on the BJP charge was available from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) or its government in Delhi. Under the PMJAY, Gupta said, each of the four lakh households living in JJ clusters of Delhi were to be provided a financial assistance of Rs 1.5 lakh. Out of 675 JJ clusters, 478 clusters are built on the land of Central government and its agencies, whereas 197 ...
Sardesai stresses on Parrikar's common minimum programme for
Goa Deputy Chief Minister Vijai Sardesai Saturday said he would walk out of the BJP-led government if it deviated from the common minimum programme chalked out under former chief minister late Manohar Parrikar. Sardesai, chief of the Goa Forward Party, was talking at an NDA rally in support of BJP's South Goa candidate and sitting MP Narendra Sawaikar. "If I find that the current government moves away from the common minimum program adopted by Parrikar-led coalition, then it would not take a single minute to walk out of the government," he said in presence of the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. "But I have no reason to believe that I would have to walk out of the government. Pramod Sawant has assured that he would be following the common minimum programme charted out by Parrikar," he added. He said that "special status" for Goa might not be possible but the state government can take special measures to protect "Goem, Goemkar and Goemkarponn (Goa, Goans, Goanness). "When ...
Pragya hits out at MP CM, links him to 1984 anti-Sikh riots
BJP Bhopal Lok Sabha candidate and Malegaon blast accused Pragya Singh Thakur Saturday hit out at Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath and alleged he was "guilty" in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots that followed the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Nath, speaking to reporters in Chhindwara on Friday, had condemned Thakur's statement on former Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad chief Hemant Karkare. "I condemn Pragya Thakur's statement. If this her start, where its end will take them," Nath had said. Hitting back, Thakur said, "A person guilty in the 1984 riots who is Madhya Pradesh chief minister now is asking what will be my end. Don't talk about my end. He (Nath) has no moral right to bother about a sadhvi. You stay put in your corrupt life." Thakur, out on bail in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, is under fire for saying that Karkare died in the 26/11 terror attack because she had cursed him for 'torturing' her when he probed the Malegaon blast as chief of .
Cong announces candidates for two Punjab Lok Sabha seats
The Congress Saturday announced its nominees for Bathinda and Ferozepur Lok Sabha seats in Punjab, completing the list of party candidates for the 13 Parliamentary constituencies in the state for the May 19 polls. Former Indian Youth Congress president and Gidderbaha MLA Amarinder Singh Raja Warring has been fielded from the Bathinda seat, while MP Sher Singh Ghubaya nominated from Ferozepur, a party spokesperson said. Ghubaya had successfully contested the 2014 general election on Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) ticket. He, however, later dumped the party and joined the Congress. The Congress had already announced its candidates for the 11 Lok Sabha seats. Main rival SAD-BJP are yet to announce their candidates for both the seats. Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal is likely to be renominated by the SAD for the Bathinda seat.
Pitroda attacks BJP for questioning his loyalty to nation
Indian Overseas Congress chief Sam Pitroda on Saturday attacked the BJP government for questioning his loyalty to the nation when he raised a few queries about Balakot strikes."A few weeks ago when I said something about Balakot, immediately Prime Minister Narendra Modi started tweeting. The head of the BJP party went wild and called a press conference. Congress leaders started calling me why did you say that? I said what I said? I said the truth," he said while speaking at a function here"If they (IAF) killed 300, it's ok. All I am saying is can you give me more facts and prove it. People of the nation need to know. The global media says nobody was killed making me look bad as an Indian citizen," Pitroda had said while talking about the airstrikes carried out by India inside Pakistani territory, a statement which drew flak from the people across the nation.He continued his attack on the PM by saying that Modi is speaking just like US President Donald Trump on the issue of immigrants .
BJP moves EC; seeks removal of tweet on Congress twitter handle
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday said it has complained to the Chief Electoral Officer, Maharashtra) about a rap song posted on the official twitter handle of Congress alleging that it violated the poll code of conduct.Speaking to ANI, Maharashtra's Education Minister Vinod Tawde said, "We have complained to the Chief Election Commission of Maharashtra Anup Kumar, regarding a rap song posted on the official twitter handle of Indian Nation Congress. The song uses religious sentiments to garner votes. We have sought for the immediate removal of the tweet."The said tweet was posted at 11:50 am on Saturday.A caption accompanying the rap song reads, "This is the modus operandi that Modi gives his blessings for- organized propagation of hate, spreading of fake news, misleading people, rampant misogyny, abusing the Constitution & misuse of religious sentiments to incite hatred. #BhaktCharitra"The 2-minute 16-second video shows some of the alleged controversial statements made ..
Public finance independent candidate Sukur Ali's bid for LS from Dhubri
Only people with wealthy connections can afford to contest elections in India! However, bucking the trend is the independent candidate from Dhubri Lok Sabha constituency Sukur Ali whose bid is being financed by the public of his constituency.The former Congressman Ali said that the Congress party never gave him his due respect. Once ready to sell his organs to finance his election, Ali has put that plan on the back-burner for now as he has got money to the tune of lakhs of rupees from the public.Ali is campaigning all alone across the constituency.Accusing the sitting MP Ajmal Badruddin of equating Muslims and Islam with terrorism, Ali said, "People are angry with him and will vote him out. He has equated terrorism with Muslims and Islam."Terming Badruddin a businessman, Ali said: "He is not a leader but a businessman. He has not started single development work in the last ten years."Hitting out at his opponent over his silence on the issue of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in ...
LS polls: Congress fields Amarinder Singh Raja Warring from Bathinda
The Congress party on Saturday announced the names of its candidates for the Ferozepur and Bathinda Lok Sabha seats.The party has fielded Sher Singh Ghubaya from Ferozepur and Amarinder Singh Raja Warring from Bathinda.Ghubaya, who won Ferozepur seat in 2014 Lok Sabha election, is a former leader of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). He joined Congress in March.Warring, meanwhile, is currently a Congress MLA from Gidderbaha.The Congress party has so far declared its candidates for 409 Lok Sabha seats.The third phase of the general election will be held on April 23. The result will be announced on May 23.
The Russia hoax is dead: Trump slams Mueller report again
US President Donald Trump slammed Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report again on Saturday, alleging that the report should not have been "authorised in the first place," adding that it had been written "as nastily as possible.""Despite the fact that the Mueller Report should not have been authorized in the first place and was written as nastily as possible by 13 (18) Angry Democrats who were true Trump Haters, including highly conflicted Bob Mueller himself, the end result is No Collusion, No Obstruction!" he mused."The Fake News Media is doing everything possible to stir up and anger the pols and as many people as possible seldom mentioning the fact that the Mueller Report had as its principle conclusion the fact that there was NO COLLUSION WITH RUSSIA. The Russia Hoax is dead!" Trump tweeted.However, the US President later called the results of the Mueller investigation "pretty amazing," adding: "The end result of the greatest Witch Hunt in US political history is No Collusion ...