Page 887 - Politics
Ensure PDP, NC, NCP won't be part of NDA: Sena to PM Modi
Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi for strongly rebutting those talking about the separation of Jammu and Kashmir from the country, the Shiv Sena Tuesday said he must commit that the PDP, NC and the NCP won't be part of the NDA after elections even if it is short on numbers. The Sena, in an editorial in its mouthpiece Saamana, said while it is good that the prime minister has spoken against those attempting to divide the country, he needs to give people two assurances. "Tomorrow, whatever may be the case on the numbers required to form the government, there will be no relationship with those who talk of dividing the nation. And those who have ruined three generations of Kashmiris will not get a place in Modi's cabinet or the NDA," the Sena said. The Sena further said Modi's stand against Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, for "supporting" those who want to "divide" the nation, should remain the same even after polls. "Those dividing the country and those ...
MGP to back Independent candidate in Mandrem assembly bypoll
The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party will support Independent candidate Jit Arolkar instead of Congress candidate Babi Baghkar in the Mandrem bypoll, MGP working president Narayan Sawant said Tuesday. The MGP, Goa's oldest regional outfit, will however support the Congress for the two Lok Sabha seats in the state, he said. "We will back Congress candidate Sudhir Kandolkar for the Mapusa Assemby bypoll. In Shiroda, our party president Deepak Dhavalikar is contesting," he said. The MGP had faced a rebellion last month when two of its legislators broke away to join the BJP, while its MLA Sudin Dhavalikar, who was the deputy chief minister in the Goa government, was dropped from the cabinet by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. The MGP and BJP faced-off after the former decided to field Dhavalikar for the Shiroda bypoll against the BJP's Subhash Shirodkar.
It's commoner vs royals in Bolangir LS constituency
The soaring mercury levels in Odisha have failed to take the heat out of last- minute campaigns in Bolangir Lok Sabha constituency, where a greenhorn is locking horns with two princely state candidates in a pitched battle. Notwithstanding the grueling heat, the candidates, along with their supporters and family members, have hit the road in their last-ditch attempt to woo the voters. While the ruling BJD in the state has re-nominated sitting MP Kalikesh Singhdeo from the seat, the BJP has fielded three-time MP Sangeeta Singhdeo, wife of veteran saffron leader K V Singhdeo. The Congress has nominated newbie Samrendra Mishra, son of Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Narasingha Mishra, to take on the heavyweights. Since 1998, the seat has been retained by the members of the royal family - either by Sangeeta Singhdeo or by her brother-in-law Kalikesh Singhdeo. Sangeeta, as a BJP candidate, was elected to Lok Sabha from Bolangir in 1998, 1999 and 2004. Kalikesh, on the ...
Vile and baleful: Attacks turn too personal in poll season
As the poll fever rises, many politicians have stooped so low that the political narrative is going below the belt -- at times, literally. While the league of such inglorious men and women has got the usual blabbermouths like Azam Khan of the Samajwadi Party (SP) commenting on the colour of a rival's "underwear", there are also hardened politicians like Kamal Nath of the Congress making remarks about the time when the prime minister was yet of the age to learn wearing trousers. Campaign managers working with different political parties said often such controversial remarks are strategically made, including at the behest of rivals for obvious gains, to polarise voters and they are circulated widely through a well-designed social media publicity mechanism. In such cases, even a disciplinary action suits a narrative built on negativity, one such "strategist" said. Khan, who was slapped with a campaign ban by the Election Commission (EC), an FIR by the UP police, a notice from the ...
International sorrow as fire ravages Notre-Dame in Paris
International leaders voiced their sorrow and solidarity with the French people as fire ravaged the iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris on Monday. Here are some reactions delivered through statements and tweets. - European Union - ================== Notre Dame "belongs to the whole of humanity. It has inspired writers, painters, philosophers and visitors who have come from all round the world." - EU Commission head Jean Claude Juncker "Notre Dame of Paris is Notre-Dame of the whole of Europe. We are all with Paris today." - EU Council President Donald Tusk - Vatican - =========== "We express our closeness with French Catholics and with the Parisian population. We pray for the firefighters and for all those who are trying their best to tackle this dramatic situation." - Vatican spokesman - United Nations - ================== "Horrified by the pictures coming from Paris with the fire engulfing Notre-Dame Cathedral -- a unique example of world heritage that has stood tall since ..
EC under pressure not to act on complaints on EVMs: Siddaramaiah
Former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah has alleged that the Election Commission(EC) is under "pressure" from the Modi government to not take action on complaints of political parties over alleged EVM tampering and their demand for re-introduction of ballot paper. He said the electronic voting machines (EVMs) are not tamper-proof and Voter Verified Paper Trail (VVPATs) machines are not without their flaws either, he said adding that the Congress will bring back ballot paper if voted to power. Alleging that EVMs were rigged during the 2014 general elections, Siddaramaiah said it could happen this time but "not all EVMs can be tampered with" and therefore, it would be impossible for the BJP to get a majority at national level in the current elections. His remarks came after the opposition launched a united attack on the EC over the use of EVMs and demanded 50 per cent of the machines be verified against VVPAT slips. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu complained about .
Give me Rs 75 lakh or permit me to sell my kidney: LS candidate from Balaghat tells EC
Kishore Samrite, a former Samajwadi Party MLA who is contesting the Lok Sabha polls as an independent candidate from Balaghat constituency, has requested the Election Commission to either provide Rs 75 lakh or permit him to sell his kidney to gather funds for contesting the ongoing polls.In his letter to District Election Officer Deepak Arya, Samrite said, "The Election Commission of India has fixed the upper expenditure limit at Rs 75 lakh for Lok Sabha elections. I do not have so much money to contest the polls. I urge Election Commission either provide me Rs 75 lakh or ask some bank to give me a loan. If not, then allow me to sell one of my kidneys."Speaking to ANI on Monday, Samrite said he wrote to the EC as he will not be able to collect the required funds by the time campaigning ends."Only 15 days are left for campaigning. I cannot collect so much money in such a short period. This is the reason why I have urged the poll body to give me Rs 75 lakh. Candidates contesting against
Bernie Sanders releases 10 years of tax returns
US Senator Bernie Sanders has released a decade of tax returns, providing new insight into how the Democratic socialist from Vermont became a millionaire between his two presidential runs.
BJP may revive 'Operation Kamala' post LS polls, but it will not succeed: Siddaramaiah
The BJP is likely to revive its "Operation Kamala" to topple the Congress-JD(S) government in Karnataka after the ongoing general election, but it will not succeed in its effort, Coalition Coordination Committee chairman Siddaramaiah has said. There is no "threat" to the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) government, which is "very much stable" and functioning smoothly without hiccups, he told PTI on Monday. The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader further said "Operation Kamala 2.0" will not succeed as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is unlikely to return to power at the Centre. "Operation Kamala" (Operation Lotus) refers to the successful attempt of the BJP to engineer the defection of opposition legislators to ensure the stability of the BS Yeddyurappa government in Karnataka in 2008. It is widely believed that the saffron party is attempting "Operation Kamala 2.0" to form the government in the southern state by trying to lure the legislators of the ruling coalition. The BJP had ...
No order issued for cancellation of LS polls in Vellore: ECI
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has said that no order has been issued by it so far regarding cancellation of Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu's Vellore constituency.The clarification comes after various media reports claimed that the poll body is mulling over cancelling polls in the Vellore parliamentary constituency over the alleged use of money to influence voters.However, ECI's official spokesperson Sheyphali Sharan said no such order has been issued yet.Vellore parliamentary constituency is scheduled to go to polls on April 18. The results of the elections will be announced on May 23.As per the seat-sharing arrangement of Congress-DMK alliance, the Vellore seat has gone to DMK. Similarly, an alliance of BJP-AIADMK and other regional parties has conceded the seat to AIADMK.The DMK has fielded Kadhir Anand from Vellore Parliamentary constituency against AIADMK's AC Shanmugam.Last month, the Income Tax department and Election Commission officials had raided DMK treasurer ...
Socialist Sanders' tax returns show millionaire status
Self-described Democratic socialist Bernie Sanders, the 2020 presidential candidate who has long assailed America's growing income inequality, released 10 years of tax returns Monday that confirm his newfound status as a millionaire. The senator, who routinely rails against "millionaires and billionaires" and the "rigged" economic system that protects their standing, saw his income spike on royalties from sales of his book, "Our Revolution," published shortly after his 2016 race for the Democratic nomination. According to tax returns released by the Sanders campaign, Sanders had an adjusted gross income of $561,293 in 2018, $1,131,925 in 2017 and $1,062,626 in 2016. His 2015 income was substantially less, at $240,622, the returns showed. "These tax returns show that our family has been fortunate. I am very grateful for that, as I grew up in a family that lived paycheck to paycheck and I know the stress of economic insecurity," Sanders said in a statement. "I consider paying more in ...
US approves renewal of Taiwan military training programme
The US State Department has approved a possible deal with Taiwan to renew a $500 million training programme in America for Taiwanese F-16 pilots and maintenance crews.
Sudanese troops to remain in Yemen: military council deputy
Sudanese troops participating in a Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen will remain in the war-wracked country until the Arab alliance achieves its goals, a senior Sudanese military official has said. "We will stick to our commitment with the Arab alliance and our troops will remain until the alliance achieves its goals," Mohammad Hamdan Daglo, the number two in Sudan's new ruling military council, told the official SUNA news agency on Monday. Ousted Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir deployed troops to Yemen in 2015 as part of a major foreign policy shift that saw Khartoum break its decades-old ties with Shiite Iran and join the Saudi-led coalition. Several opposition leaders and analysts had questioned Bashir's decision, which he had justified as an "ideological" one. This was the first major foreign policy announcement made by the new military rulers after ousting Bashir last week and essentially a continuation of his policy. Sudanese media reports claim that many of the Sudanese ..
Rafale row: HAL manufactured planes used for carrying out Air strike in Pak, says Rahul
Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday said that Anil Ambani's firm which never manufactured a plane was chosen in Rafale deal over the Hindustan Aeronautical Limited (HAL) which manufactured planes used for carrying out air strikes in Balakot."Air Force people wrote in the file that Narendra Modi is doing direct negotiations with France government and Rafale. People of India suffer a loss of Rs 30,000 crore. On the other hand, Anil Ambani got money for free. He never manufactured a plane and he did not know it. Hindustan Aeronautical Limited (HAL) knows how to manufacture a plane and has been manufacturing planes for 70 years," Gandhi said while addressing an election rally here."The planes which had dropped bombs in Balakot? It was HAL. Planes like Sukhoi, Mirage, Mig, Jaguar. HAL is a government company manufacturing planes for 70 years," he emphasized.The Indian Air Force (IAF) had carried out aerial strikes at Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)
Ball in AAP's court: Ahmed Patel on Delhi alliance
Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel on Monday said that it is up to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to decide whether it wants to forge an alliance with his party in the national capital."We have earlier said that our state units of Punjab and Haryana are not ready to forge an alliance. In Delhi, Congress president convinced our Delhi unit that the alliance is important. They (AAP) were asking for four seats in Haryana. One for AAP while three for Dushyant Chautala ji's party. In Punjab, they were asking for four seats then later one seat," Patel told reporters here on Monday"Congress president talked with them but state units were not ready to forge alliance so there is no question on the alliance. We are openly giving 3-3 formula and one seat for a common candidate. Then they said that they will take four. But they put a condition that they will forge alliance only if the alliance takes place for Haryana as well. What is his intention to link Delhi with Haryana? I don't understand," he ...
ISIS-Somalia's 'second in command' killed in US airstrike
The United States on Monday (local time) said that a high-ranking ISIS-Somalia terrorist was killed in an air strike which targeted a vehicle near Xiriiro in the Bari Region here.The deceased terrorist has been identified as Abdulhakim Dhuqub, believed to be the terror group's "second-in-command", according to the US Africa Command."Dhuqub...was responsible for the daily operations of the extremist group, attack planning, and resource procurement," CNN quoted the US Africa Command as saying."We continue to work with our Somali partners to keep the pressure on the al-Shabaab and ISIS-Somalia terror networks," Major General Gregg Olson, the US Africa Command director of operations, said in a statement.The terror group's Somalia branch has fewer than 150 terrorists, as per US defence officials.
Venezuela accuses Canada of supporting Trump's 'war adventure'
Venezuela has accused Canada of supporting US President Donald Trump's "war adventure" after Ottawa announced new sanctions on top officials in President Nicolas Maduro's government. In a statement on Monday, Venezuela's foreign ministry said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau "has invalidated Canada as a reliable actor in dialogue." Earlier Monday, Canada announced new sanctions against 43 members of Maduro's government, including Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza, whom it holds "responsible for the deteriorating situation" in the crisis-wracked South American country. The sanctions included a freeze on the individuals' assets and a ban on them conducting business with Canada, which previously sanctioned another 70 top government officials. Caracas "categorically" opposed the new sanctions and accused Ottawa of "removing its mask." "It's alliance with war criminals that have declared their intention to destroy the Venezuelan economy to inflict suffering on the people and loot the country's ..
Clashes in Darfur displaced camp kill 14: Sudan media
Fourteen people have been killed during clashes in a camp for displaced in Sudan's conflict-hit region of Darfur, the official news agency SUNA has reported. The clashes occurred on Saturday in South Darfur's camp Kalma, one of the biggest facilities housing thousands of people displaced by the war in the region. "Fourteen people have been killed in clashes inside camp Kalma the day before yesterday," South Darfur's acting governor General Hashim Khalid said on Monday, quoted by SUNA. He did not say what triggered the violence or reveal details about the groups that clashed, but said the camp has "lot of weapons and groups that disturb the state's security". He said camp Kalma also had many rebels from the Sudan Liberation Army-Abdul Wahid (SLA-AW) group, one of the groups fighting with Khartoum's forces for years in the region. The conflict in Darfur erupted in 2003 when black ethnic rebels took up arms against the Arab-dominated government of now ousted president Omar al-Bashir, ...
Highest number of terrorist attacks in Cong rule: J'khand CM
Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das on Monday criticised the Congress and said that the country witnessed the highest number of terrorist attacks and corruption cases during its dispensation at the Centre. Addressing an election rally at Haflaganj in favour of Dulal Chand Goswami -- the JD(U) candidate contesting from the Katihar Lok Sabha seat -- Das said the general elections of 2019 will set the course and direction of the country. It is up to the people whether they would elect a dynasty or give another opportunity to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "The corrupt Congress party broke the morale of the Army," Das claimed. He also alleged that the Congress government did not dare to retaliate in the face of repeated terrorist attacks on key installations.
Fatehpur Sikri: Low prices of potatoes pose challenge for BJP, this poll season
Fatehpur Sikri (Uttar Pradesh) [India], Apr 16 (ANI): While falling sugarcane prices posed a big issue for BJP in the sugarcane belt of western Uttar Pradesh during the first phase of the Lok Sabha polls, for the next phase, the party has to contend with another difficult issue- low prices of potatoes.Farmers have faced severe losses of potato crop in the last three years in this region with the humble tuber now favoured more for its "political value" rather than for its "calories".On Monday, while addressing election rallies in Fatehpur Sikri, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and East UP general secretary Priyanka Gandhi discussed the problems faced by potato farmers. Congress candidate from the seat Raj Babbar too promised a processing unit for potatoes.As per official data, potatoes are cultivated on 56,000 hectares of land in Agra and Fatehpur Sikri, in 40,000 hectares of land in Hathras and around 20,000 hectares of land in Aligarh district.ANI talked to several farmers in the ...