Page 840 - Politics

NC Debbarma moves EC, accuses TPCC president, others of violating MCC

Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) president and state revenue minister NC Debbarma on Friday wrote a letter to the Election Commission (EC) accusing Congress leaders, including TPCC president Pradyot Kishore Deb Barman of flouting the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).In a letter to the poll-body, Debbarma said: "Shri (Pradyot)Debbarma during his election campaign speeches vehemently attempting to create ethnic conflict, disharmony and creation of ethnic tension among the cross-section of peace-loving people of the state. His coinage slogan 'PUILA JATI ULO PARTY' is nothing but an effort to create such ethnic conflict between the people living in the hill areas and plain areas as well."He also accused Pradyot of utilising money power to influence the innocent poor general public and distributing funds in cash and via cheque throughout the state, particularly in hilly areas."Lastly as a glaring instance of violation of Model Code of Conduct of the election Shri Debbarma on 18th ...

After EC ban ends, Yogi calls Sambhal SP candidate as 'Babar ki Aulad'

In yet another controversial remark after the end of Election Commission's (EC) 72 hours ban on him, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday called Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate Shafiqur Rahman Barq as 'Babar ki Aulad' (successor of Babar)."On the one hand, there is a candidate from a party which developed places linked to Baba Bhim Rao Ambedkar and Gautam Budhha. On the other hand, there is an Opposition candidate who calls himself a 'Babar ki Aulad'," Yogi said at an election rally here.He said, "Once I was in Parliament, I asked the SP candidate, who was also an MP, as to who were his predecessors, he said he was the successor of Babar. I was surprised."Yogi's comments come days after the EC barred him from campaigning for 72 hours for allegedly making comments amounting to the violation of the model code of conduct. This was Yogi's first rally after the ban.The Chief Minister said that the fight on the Sambhal Lok Sabha seat was between a candidate who believes in .

Will protect Sabarimala traditions: Congress

The Congress on Friday termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's concern for the Sabarimala tradition "a bluff", and promised to bring in laws to protect the sanctity of the Lord Ayyappa shrine if voted to power.

'Move to Antarctica' Indonesian presidential challenger tells pollsters

Indonesia's presidential challenger on Friday slammed pollsters as untrustworthy and said they should move to Antarctica so they could "lie to the penguins", as he refused to concede defeat in this week's election. Firebrand ex-general Prabowo Subianto has rejected a dozen so-called quick counts that say Indonesian president Joko Widodo was re-elected Wednesday by a comfortable margin. The counts, which are samples conducted by pollsters, have been reliable indicators in past elections. Official results are not due until next month. Subianto -- pilloried online for his refusal to concede -- ratcheted up the rhetoric Friday, after claiming he was the Southeast Asian nation's new president. "The people of Indonesia don't trust you," he thundered to around a thousand supporters outside his home in the capital Jakarta. "Maybe you can move to Antarctica. You can lie to the penguins." Friday's crowd size was small for a city that has seen huge street protests in the past. Subianto portrayed

Jagmeet Brar joins SAD; Amarinder calls him 'opportunist'

Former Congress MP Jagmeet Singh Brar Friday joined the Shiromani Akali Dal in the presence of party's senior leadership at Muktsar in Punjab. Akali stalwart and five-time chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, his son and party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal and senior Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia welcomed Brar and his supporters into the party fold. Addressing the gathering, Parkash Singh Badal said: "It is a historic day for the party today as Punjab's well known personality, speaker and the most experienced politician Jagmeet Brar joins Akali Dal." On Thursday, Brar had announced on Twitter that he was joining the SAD. A permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee (CWC) for 10 years, Brar was expelled from the Congress in 2016. He had later joined the Trinamool Congress and was the president of the party's state unit until last year when he quit. Brar had defeated Sukhbir Singh Badal from Faridkot Lok Sabha seat in 1999 but lost to him in

Ex-president: Peace possible when all Afghans sit together

Afghanistan's former president says he's saddened by the cancellation of wide-encompassing talks with the Taliban, stressing that peace won't be possible in his homeland, ravaged by more than 17 years of war, until Afghans from all walks of life sit together and negotiate. Hamid Karzai spoke to The Associated Press a day after the Qatari hosts announced that a scheduled gathering of Afghan-to-Afghan talks was postponed indefinitely after a falling out over who should attend. The talks were to start on Friday in Qatar, where the Taliban maintain an office. They would have marked the first time that Taliban and Kabul government officials sat together. Although Karzai did not blame a particular side for the cancellation, he urged the U.S. to "put force behind it to make it (talks) happen.

Turkey says Russian system no threat to F-35s, seeks panel

Turkey's foreign minister says the United States has yet to respond to a proposal to set up a technical committee to review possible security threats that Russia's S-400 missile defence system could pose to the US F-35 fighter jet program. Turkey's decision to purchase the advanced Russian system has deepened a rift between the NATO allies. US officials have warned of consequences if the purchase is finalised while Turkish officials say the deal cannot be cancelled. Speaking at a news conference with his Polish and Romanian counterparts Friday, Mevlut Cavusoglu said Turkey is taking utmost care to ensure that the S-400 system is under full Turkish control. He added that Turkey does not believe that the S-400 would threaten the F-35 program, of which Turkey is also a partner.

Karnataka polls: Both BJP, Cong-JD(S) say high voter turnout favours them (News Analysis)

The record voter turnout of 69 per cent in 14 Lok Sabha constituencies of Karnataka on Thursday is being interpreted by both the BJP and Congress-Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) combine as being favourable to them respectively but the jury is still out.

Mayawati and Mulayam come together, attack Modi

Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Ministers Mayawati and Mulayam Singh Yadav on Friday shared a stage for the first time in 25 years where they blasted Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the Samajwadi Party founder declared that this will be his last electoral battle.

'Nyay' will revive economy, create jobs, says Rahul

Congress president Rahul Gandhi Friday said his party's 'Nyay' scheme will help in revival of the economy and create jobs in the country which has been badly affected by demonetisation and GST decisions of the Narendra Modi government. Addressing a poll rally here, Gandhi repeated his "chowkidar chor hai" (the watchman if thief) jibe to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi and alleged he has given Rs 30,000 crore to businessman Anil Ambaniin the Rafale fighter jet deal. "We have promised to give Rs 72,000 crore (a year) to poor people under the Nyay scheme which will change the economic condition of the poor in the country," he said. Gandhi said the scheme, Nyuntam Aay Yojana (Nyay) - a key feature of the Congress manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls - was devised after consultations within the party. "I had called all the economists of the Congress party and asked them what is the amount that we can give to the poor people of the country. "They came up with the figure of Rs

Anything PM says has a question mark: Raj Babbar

There is a question mark on anything Narendra Modi says which is not a good reflection on someone occupying the prime minister's post, Congress leader Raj Babbar has said. The Uttar Pradesh unit chief of the Congress also asserted that his party, which was reduced to just two seats in the state in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls - Rae Bareli and Amethi - has "not vanished" and will revive. "I don't want to comment on the prime minister's lies... when somebody, who holds such a high post, is being questioned for his credibility, questioned on his claims, then that itself becomes the biggest lie. Today, there is a question mark on anything he says. You can understand what this question mark for someone occupying the PM's post means," Babbar told PTI. "Even the Supreme Court's decision of re-examining the Rafale case has directly put the prime minister in the dock. This is a jolt for Modi ji, no matter what he keeps saying in his defence," he claimed. Unfazed by remarks hurled against him by ...

Jharkhand Congressman wants to fight as Independent

Senior Congress leader and former MP Furkan Ansari has sought permission from the party to contest the Godda Lok sabha seat as an Independent candidate.

As poll scene hots up, Amarinder cool about 'Mission-13'

At a time when the poll scene is hotting up for the May 19 Lok Sabha polls in Punjab and leaders of all parties have jumped head-long into campaigning, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh is playing it cool regarding his 'Mission 13' campaign.

SP-BSP joint rally proof of storm in Modi's support: BJP

The BJP on Friday took a dig at the SP-BSP grand alliance in the UP, saying a "storm" in support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the general election has forced opposition leaders to come together. The jibe from BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain came as BSP supremo Mayawati and SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav shared stage after many years of bitter rivalry. Though the SP and the BSP had come together last year and the former's president Akhilesh Yadav has often been seen together with Mayawati, this is the first time that Mulayam Singh Yadav joined them. "This is a proof of storm in Modi's support. Both SP and BSP have been rendered powerless by it and have come together to survive. People in Uttar Pradesh and country are with Modi," Hussain told reporters. In a swipe at Mayawati, he said she came to respect those whom she blamed for her life's biggest insult. At the press conference, Hussain also took aim at the Congress after its spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi joined Shiv ...

BJP conspiring to weaken SBSP in UP: Om Prakash Rajbhar

Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) president Om Prakash Rajbhar Friday accused the BJP of conspiring to weaken his party by bringing the Akhil Bhartiya Rajbhar Sangathan in the electoral fray. An ally of the ruling BJP in Uttar Pradesh, the SBSP has decided to go alone in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls in the state and has released a list of 39 candidates. "The BJP is indirectly fielding candidates from Akhil Bhartiya Rajbhar Sangathan in order to weaken my party in the ongoing elections," Rajbhar told newspersons here. The ABRS had on Thursday announced candidates on 17 parliamentary seats, especially in the eastern region of Uttar Pradesh. The Rajbhars, who constitute 20 per cent of the Purvanchal population, are regarded as the second politically dominating community to reckon with after the Yadavs in eastern part of the state. The Minister for Backward Welfare and Divyanjan Empowerment in the Yogi Adityanath government, said that the BJP is under the impression that it will win ...

EC issues notice to Rahul over NYAY poster in Amethi

The Election Commission (EC) has issued a notice to Congress president Rahul Gandhi for alleged violation of model code of conduct (MCC) over the party's Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY) scheme banner put up on a wall in Amethi.The EC said that the banner was put up without the permission of the owner of the building. Furthermore, the details of the printing firm were not seen on the banner, the poll body said in a statement on Thursday.Rahul has been asked to reply within 24 hours in the matter, the EC said.Under the NYAY scheme or the minimum income guarantee scheme, the Congress has promised that it will give Rs 72,000 per year to 20 per cent of India's poorest if the party emerged victorious in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.Rahul has said that the NYAY scheme would be a "surgical strike" against poverty, and would not harm the country's economy.The Congress president is pitted against BJP's Smriti Irani from Amethi in the current Lok Sabha elections. Smriti had lost from the seat in ...

Mueller report shows 'no reasonable proof' of Russian meddling: Kremlin

Russia on Friday once more dismissed the Mueller report, saying that it failed to present evidence of any meddling by Moscow in the 2016 US election. "As a whole, the report as before does not present any reasonable proof at all that Russia allegedly meddled in the electoral process in the US," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists, saying it contained "no new information".

Priyanka Chaturvedi quits Congress, joins Shiv Sena

Former Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi Friday joined the Shiv Sena, blaming the Rahul Gandhi-led party for reinstating party workers who misbehaved with her recently. At a press conference here, Chaturvedi was welcomed into the Sena by the saffron party president Uddhav Thackeray, who said Shiv Sena workers have got a "good sister" in Chaturvedi. Earlier in the day, Chaturvedi, who was convenor of the Congress media cell, was miffed at the reinstatement of some party workers in Uttar Pradesh who had threatened and misbehaved with her during her press conference in Mathura a few days ago. She told media Thackeray's residence 'Matoshree' in suburban Bandra that she was pained after some Congress workers, who had made comments against her, were reinstated by that party. Without naming the Congress, she said she gave 10 years to the party in which she thought she could speak for the cause of women, despite being trolled on the social media. "I kept speaking in a ..

Sudan protest leaders to unveil civilian ruling body

Sudan's protest movement said it will unveil a civilian ruling body on Sunday, piling pressure on the military council which seized power after toppling president Omar al-Bashir last week. The Sudanese Professionals Association called on its supporters, foreign diplomats and journalists to be present at 7:00 pm (1700 GMT) on Sunday outside army headquarters where thousands have kept up protests since Bashir's ouster demanding civilian rule. "This press conference at 7:00 pm on Sunday will announce the names of a civilian council," the SPA said in the Friday statement.

Priyanka Chaturvedi joins Shiv Sena, slams Congress

In an election season jolt to the Congress, its spokesperson Priyanka V. Chaturvedi formally joined the Shiv Sena in the presence of party chief Uddhav Thackeray here on Friday.