Page 871 - Politics
Only I can make India strong, superpower: Modi
Appealing people to vote for a strong government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said only he can provide a strong government at the Centre and make it a superpower.
NCP dares govt to conduct raids at Raj Thackeray's home
The NCP has dared the government to carry out raids at the home of MNS chief Raj Thackeray, who has been asking party workers to vote against the ruling BJP. NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik's remarks came after the Maharashtra BJP sought to know which Lok Sabha candidate would incur expenses of the poll rallies of Thackeray, whose party has not fielded any candidate for the Lok Sabha polls. Thackeray, who supported the BJP in the 2014 polls, has already addressed a few public meetings in Nanded, Solapur and Kolhapur and is expected to hold rallies in Satara and Baramati, where the NCP has fielded its sitting MPs Udayanraje Bhosale and Supriya Sule, respectively. The MNS leader's move asking his party workers to vote against the BJP this time, is likely to help the electoral cause of the opposition Congress and NCP. "The government should conduct raids at Raj Thackeray's residence if it has guts," Malik told reporters here on Tuesday. "Thackeray backed the BJP in the last ...
EC urged to review Punjab IG's transfer order
The Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Punjab Democratic Alliance in Punjab have urged the Election Commission to review its order directing the transfer of Inspector General (IG) Kunwar Vijay Pratap.
Patidar quota no longer an issue, says BJP
The BJP has claimed the reservation demand by Patidars in Gujarat is no longer an issue and expressed confidence that the community will vote for it in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. A number of Patidars in the state's Saurashtra region are engaged in agricultural activities, and the opposition Congress has accused the government of going back on its promises to farmers, specially the crop insurance scheme. However, a leader from the ruling BJP feels their Rs 6,000 annual income scheme for farmers will a "game changer" in the Lok Sabha polls. Notably, the Patidar reservation agitation became a dominant narrative impacting the outcome of the 2017 state Assembly polls, particularly in Saurashtra which has a significant population of the community. Out of 49 Assembly seats across seven Lok Sabha constituencies in Saurashtra, the Congress bagged 30, while the BJP could only win 18 and the NCP got one. Firebrand leader Hardik Patel, who led the statewide agitation in 2015 ...
Parties shift strategies for UP 2nd phase polls
The second phase of elections in Uttar Pradesh will test the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) popularity and also see a shift in strategies by all parties.
Chase central forces away, says TMC MLA
In a statement that could court controversy, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Chakdaha Ratna Ghosh Kar has appealed party cadres to "chase central forces away."In a video that is now viral on social media, Kar, while talking to TMC workers in a closed-door meeting, was heard urging the cadre to chase and attack jawans on election duty.She was also purportedly heard requesting Mahila Morcha members to pick up brooms and 'chase them away'."If you want to win a war, there's nothing fair or unfair, democratic or undemonstrative way of winning it. You have to win it by any means. I have seen it in 2016 elections, how central force beat up our boys, there was a bloodbath. This time, it is even more challenging, but there is nothing to be scared," she said."I will go to each and every booth and we will not care about the central forces. And if the central forces are pro-active, I will request the Mahila Morcha members to pick up broomsticks and chase them away from our area," the TMC MLA ...
'Pak misleading scribes by taking them to madarsa that was not hit by IAF in Balakot'
Pakistan is making a mockery of itself by taking defence attaches and selected journalists to a madrasa which was not even touched by the Indian Air Force on February 26, instead of the terror training centre which was attacked, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Wednesday.In an exclusive interview to ANI, Sitharaman said the onus to prove whether a terrorist camp was hit or not during the Balakot air strikes was on Pakistan."It is for Pakistan to show they have not been hit and that a number of people were not killed. They took 40 days to take a small group of journalists and defence attaches and limited that picnic that they had of these people only to the madrasa. I am telling you the madrasa was at the lower end of the foothill and behind the madrasa, into the dense forest was the training camp. So, Pakistan is making a mockery of itself," she said.When questioned about the Indian government's silence on the outcome of the Balakot airstrike, the Defence Minister said, ...
Srinagar: SDM claims Army men thrashed him, staff at gunpoint
A Sub-divisional Magistrate (SDM) has sought for an FIR to be lodged against some Army personnel for allegedly manhandling and resorting to violence against him and his officials while they were on duty for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections in South Kashmir.Dooru SDM Ghulam Rasool Wani has alleged that they were obstructed from performing their official duties.As per Rasool's complaint to Station House Officer of Qazigund, the alleged assault took place on the Srinagar-Qazigund stretch of the National Highway in Dalwach area at 10.40 am on April 16. Rasool further said that he was "picked up by collar abused and dragged upto about 20 meters and thrashed on gun point"."As per the directions of worthy deputy commissioner Anantnag to reach Vessu Qazigund for resolving matter of traffic, truck congestion on National highway at 10:40 a.m. I along with my team of officials were coming from Dooru via Ujroo crossing in government vehicle (BOLERO) and it was found that the army personnel ...
PM most anti-national, dividing nation: Rahul
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for being the "most anti-national" and accused him of "dividing the nation".
Activity detected at North Korea nuclear site: US monitor
Activity has been detected at North Korea's main nuclear site, suggesting Pyongyang may be reprocessing radioactive material into bomb fuel since the collapse of a summit with Washington, a US monitor said Wednesday. The possible signs of fresh reprocessing activity last week come after a February summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ended abruptly without agreement on Pyongyang's nuclear programme. Since then North Korea has said it was mulling options for its diplomacy with the US and Kim said last week he was open to talks with Trump only if Washington came with the "proper attitude". The Center for Strategic and International Studies said satellite imagery of the Yongbyon nuclear site on April 12 showed five railcars near its uranium enrichment facility and radiochemistry laboratory. "In the past these specialized railcars appear to have been associated with the movement of radioactive material or reprocessing campaigns," the ...
Nationalism vs local issues - a dilemma for Vadodara voters
Voters in the Vadodara Lok Sabha seat of Gujarat are yet to make up their mind whether to endorse the BJP's views on 'nationalism' or support the Congress, which has promised to resolve local issues like lack of jobs and affordable education for children. This urban seat was in the spotlight in 2014 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi won it by defeating Congress veteran Madhusudan Mistry by a margin of over 5.7 lakh votes. However, when Modi chose to be an MP from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and resigned from Vadodara, BJP's Ranjanben Bhatt was given ticket for the bypoll and she won this seat. She has again been nominated by the BJP from Vadodara. In her campaign posters, Bhatt has urged people to vote for the nation's security and "to teach Pakistan a lesson". She has also appealed people to boost the morale of soldiers and uproot terrorism. On the other side, Congress candidate Prashant Patel says if elected, he will solve people's problems, including issues like ...
Phase-II: AIADMK to defend maximum of 35 seats, BJP 26
As 95 Lok Sabha constituencies go to the polls in the second phase of elections tomorrow, AIADMK has the maximum number of 35 seats to defend, followed by the BJP, which has 26 at stake.
US seeks to extend detention of some asylum seekers: report
US President Donald Trump's administration has issued an order that could keep some asylum seekers in jail for months or years as they wait for their cases to be heard, The New York Times reported Tuesday. The order from Attorney General Bill Barr directs immigration judges to no longer allow asylum seekers who are apprehended after entering the country illegally to post bail, the newspaper said. The order -- which will not go into effect for 90 days -- does not affect those who apply for asylum at a legal port of entry, the Times reported. The move was quickly condemned by the American Civil Liberties Union rights organization, which vowed to challenge it in court. "Our Constitution does not allow the government to lock up asylum seekers without basic due process. We'll see the administration in court. Again," the ACLU tweeted. Trump has staked his presidency on his insistence that the United States is being overrun by migrants and asylum seekers. But opponents, mostly in the ...
US envoy to visit Russia ahead of maiden Kim-Putin summit
United States Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun will visit Russia this week to discuss the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula."Biegun will travel to Moscow from April 17-18 to meet with Russian officials to discuss efforts to advance the final, fully verified denuclearisation of North Korea," the US State Department said in a statement.Biegun's visit to Russia comes ahead of the first-ever summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin that is scheduled to take place around next Wednesday in Vladivostok, Yonhap news agency reported.The Russian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday said that it has long been preparing for the upcoming summit between Putin and Kim, triggering speculations that the North Korean leader intends to secure Moscow's backing in his bid for sanctions relief amid lack of progress in nuclear talks with Washington.On Monday, South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Titov ..
DMK candidate from Vellore writes to EC, says it is toeing in line with BJP
After polls in Tamil Nadu's Vellore Lok Sabha constituency were deferred, DMK candidate Kathir Anand wrote a letter to the Election Commission of India (ECI) alleging that the election watchdog is toeing in line with the BJP to help their candidate.In his letter to poll body, Anand stated, "The raids were staged and managed by the ruling party to get a bogus report from the IT department, which acted as judge, jury and executioner. Based on this bogus report, the ECI has cancelled elections projecting as if the money seized was from me and that the said money was stored for distribution to the voters."The DMK candidate accused I-T department of detaining him illegally to help BJP-AIADMK alliance candidate."There was no warrant during the entry and I was illegally detained for about three days during the search by I-T department preventing me from campaigning... to help BJP-AIADMK combine candidate AC Shanmugam and also to damage the prospects of my victory," Anand stated.On Tuesday, ..
Imran Khan's statement on PM Modi could be Congress' ploy: Sitharaman
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman believes that Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's statement 'that there may be a better chance of India-Pak peace talks and settling of the Kashmir issue if the BJP is voted back to power', is a ploy by Congress to oust Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government from the Centre."I wouldn't know why such statements are being made. Every time such statements are made and this is individually my perception and not my party's or the government's take. There have been many eminent leaders of the Congress who went there (Pakistan) to seek help to oust Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They went there saying, Modi hatane ke liye hamen madad karo (help us to oust Modi). I wonder whether this is also a part of the scheme of things which have been put by Congress. I don't know what to make of this honestly," the Defence Minister told ANI in an exclusive interview.During an interaction with a small group of foreign journalists in Islamabad, Imran Khan had said ..
Trump vetoes resolution aimed at ending US role in Yemen
Issuing the second veto of his tenure, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday rejected a Congress resolution to end US involvement in the Yemen war."I am returning herewith without my approval...a joint resolution that purports to direct the President to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities in or affecting the Republic of Yemen," Trump said in a letter to the US Senate, according to Sputnik.He labelled the Congress resolution as a "dangerous attempt to weaken" his constitutional authorities."This resolution is an unnecessary, dangerous attempt to weaken my constitutional authorities, endangering the lives of American citizens and brave service members, both today and in the future," the US President outlined.This is the second time that Trump has used his veto powers to reject a resolution from the Congress during his Presidency. He had previously vetoed another Congress resolution which revoked his declaration of a national emergency at the US-Mexico border.The US is a ...
Amid crisis, US-Turkey discuss defence, security
US Acting Secretary of Defence Patrick Shanahan has met Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar and discussed bilateral issues related to defence, security and economy, Pentagon said.
Letter on 'politicisation' of Army lost credibility after senior veterans denied involvement: Defence Minister
Amid row over the letter to President Ram Nath Kovind expressing concern at the politicisation of the armed forces, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today said that credibility of the appeal made was lost after some of the senior retired personnel named in the letter said they "neither signed it nor were a party to it".In an exclusive interaction with ANI, the Defence Minister made it clear that she was against the politicisation of the armed forces. However, she asserted that highlighting the strong political will of the government due to which actions such as the Balakot air strike and the surgical strikes took place did not amount to politicisation."All of us will have to be conscious that we do not do anything which could raise questions on our credibility. Even if one individual has a problem and says that I have not signed it (the letter) or I am not a party to it, then the credibility of the whole appeal is lost," she said.More than 150 veterans of the Indian armed forces ...
Apply mind before you speak: Defence Minister's advise to politicians on sexist remarks
Empathising with BJP candidate and actor Jaya Prada, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today said political leaders should apply their minds before they speak about women-related issues.In an exclusive interview to ANI, Sitharaman said, "100 per cent. It is always easy to hit at a woman when you talk about other things which don't become part of the conversation or which are not germane to the discussion. You easily pick up on things which are very personal or are gender specific and not called for at all. I find that coming very easily without a thought.""That is where I think all of us think before the word comes out of the vocal cord to the lips. There should be some kind of momentary application of mind at least," said the Defence Minister on Jaya Prada and other women politicians who have to face sexist remarks from male counterparts.On Sunday, Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan had said in a public rally that "I brought her (Jaya Prada) to Rampur. You are a witness that I ..