Page 892 - Politics

Cross-LoC bus service resumes in Kashmir

The bus service between Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir and Rawalakot in Pakistani-administered Kashmir resumed on Monday after being suspended for a week.

Mayapuri sealing not violation of model code of conduct: Delhi poll body

Delhi's Chief Electoral Officer Ranbir Singh Monday said the sealing operation in Mayapuri area that led to violent clashes between traders and security personnel was not "violation of model code of conduct". The Delhi unit of BJP had written to the poll body saying "the sealing drive is being carried out selectively during poll season under direction and instruction by Aam Aadmi Party". However, Singh said,"The sealing drive is not violation of model code of conduct since it was carried out on an NGT order. We will inform the concerned party about it." Around 14 officials were injured after clashes broke out between the security personnel and scrap dealers during the sealing drive on Saturday. The drive was started by the Delhi Cantonment sub-divisional magistrate (SDM), the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC).

Cong soft towards terrorism : Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Monday accused Congress of being "soft" towards terrorism and said with a strong government under BJP at the Centre, China and Pakistan no more indulge in misadventures. Development of the country and national security are two sides of the same coin for Narendra Modi government which cannot compromise on those, he said at a series of election rallies at Rourkela, Angul and Phulbani. "Incursion by the Chinese army, which was a regular affair during the Congress-led UPA government, ended after Narendra Modi became the prime minister," Adityanath claimed. "Similarly, Pakistan was beheading our soldiers on the border during the UPA rule. Now with Modi as the prime minister, China and Pakistan cannot afford to indulge in misadventures," he said. Pakistan had launched terror attacks in India with "impunity" during the Congress era. "Modi government has shown the spine to prevent any recurrence", he said and blamed Congress' soft ...

First nomination filed for Ladakh Lok Sabha seat

Congress candidate Rigzin Spalbar on Monday filed the first nomination for the Ladakh Lok Sabha seat in the 2019 polls in Jammu and Kashmir, poll officials said.

Indians most worried about terrorism, jobs and corruption: Survey

Indians are most worried about terrorism, unemployment, and financial and political corruption, even as at least 73 per cent of the countrymen are optimistic that the nation is headed in the right direction, according to a survey. The Ipsos' 'What Worries the World Global Survey' observed that worries notwithstanding, India bucks the global trend of pessimism where 22 countries out of the 28 nations covered feel their country is on the wrong track. On the other hand, the global list of issues across the 28 markets surveyed is quite different in order, with financial and political corruption and poverty and social inequality tied at the top spot being the prime concerns, followed by unemployment, crime and violence, and healthcare. "Pulwama terror strike has propelled terrorism to the fore. It was way down in the pecking order in the past waves. Terrorism is bothering Indians the most. "Likewise, lack of jobs is weighing on the minds of Indians and government needs to take the bull by .

First nomination filed for Ladakh LS seat

Five days after an issuance of notification by the Election Commission for the Ladakh parliamentary constituency, Congress candidate Rigzin Spalbar Monday filed his nomination papers from the seat, which is going to polls on May 6. Spalbar, a prominent Buddhist leader and two-time chief executive councillor (CEC) of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh, was the first to file his papers before the returning officer at Leh, officials said. The last date for filing of nomination papers for the constituency is April 18, followed by scrutiny of papers on April 20. The last date of withdrawal of candidature is April 22. Veteran leader Thupstan Chhewang had won the seat for the BJP for the first time in 2014, but he resigned from the primary membership of the party in November last year, saying that all promises made by the BJP sounded like an "empty rhetoric". BJP national vice president and in-charge Jammu and Kashmir Avinash Rai Khanna Monday held a series of meetings ..

BJP says SC exposed Rahul's 'lie', Cong says ruling party distorting his comments

Asserting that the Supreme Court has exposed Rahul Gandhi's "lie" on the Rafale deal, the BJP Monday urged the Election Commission to take "serious cognisance" of his comments, claiming that the Congress chief stands "guilty" of violation of the Model Code of Conduct. While the Congress said it will provide a "comprehensive and strong" explanation to the court and accused the BJP of distorting Gandhi's comments, BJP president Amit Shah led his party's all out attack on him. The ruling party's broadside against Gandhi came after the Supreme Court directed the Congress chief to give an explanation by April 22 for "incorrectly" attributing his remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi to its verdict in the Rafale review petitions last week. Shah said it has become the nature of the opposition party to tell a lie repeatedly. "The Supreme Court heard the (Rafale) case on a preliminary technical objection. It passed its order, and Rahul baba started saying the Supreme Court had rebuked ..

BJP candidates in Delhi yet to be declared even as nomination for LS polls begins tomorrow

With the nomination process in Delhi set to begin on Tuesday, the BJP is yet to declare candidates on the seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital, leading to disappointment among party leaders who say the delay may pose campaign difficulties. However, BJP vice-president and incharge of Delhi unit Shyam Jaju said there was "no delay" in the announcement of candidates and everything was going according to the plan. "We will declare the names of our candidates at the right time," Jaju said. The nomination process is to end on April 23, about a week from now. Jaju also rubbished the talk that BJP's candidate announcement was pending in view of the emerging developments related to a possible alliance between the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party. "We are an organisation-based party. Decisions are made by party leaders and there is a system followed by us. BJP is different from other parties where one person makes decisions," Jaju said. However, local party leaders say the delay may ...

Tejaswini Ananth Kumar rejects 'rumours' of her asking people

Karnataka BJP Vice President Tejaswini Ananth Kumar, who was denied a ticket by the party from Bangalore South, Monday rejected "rumours" she was asking people to vote for NOTA and said her name was being "misused". She said her call to people has always been "vote for BJP to make Narendra Modi Prime Minister once again" and added that she has filed a police complaint as it is was an attempt to level a "false allegation" against her. "There are pamphlets being shared on the social media, including Whats App groups that I have been asking people to vote for NOTA. This is far from the truth...my name is being misused and this is an attempt to level false allegations against me," Tejaswini said in her first interaction with the media after taking over as BJP state president. Stating that she has come from and belongs to the "BJP parivar" and pointing to her late husband Ananth Kumar's association with BJP, including his stint a six time MP from Bangalore South and as Union .

North Delhi civic body 'fails' to get ODF status

The North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) has "failed" to get ODF certificate in a third-party survey conducted under the Swachh Bharat Mission, sources have said. They said that the third-party has sent its report to the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry, informing that the civic body has failed to get the Open Defecation Free (ODF) status in its survey. The development comes days after areas falling under the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) were declared open defecation free in a survey conducted by the Quality Council of India. "The NDMC has failed to get the ODF certification in a third-party independent survey," sources told PTI. Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has blamed the AAP government for municipal corporations not having "happy record" under the Swachh Bharat Mission. "Delhi doesn't have happy record and for this (NDMC's failure to get ODF status), I squarely blame the AAP government. They (AAP) are only indulged in disruption.

Farooq Abdullah now terms Modi a 'tyrannical' ruler

Jammu and Kashmir's former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah on Monday termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi a "tyrannical ruler" who is dividing the country.

Aazm Khan 'filth and muck' of Indian politics: Amar Singh

For making the snide "underwear jibe" allegedly against film actor Jaya Prada, former SP leader Amar Singh Monday described his erstwhile party colleague Aazam Khan as "filth and muck" of Indian politics. "Azam Khan is the filth and muck (gandgi) of Indian politics. He symbolises all the evils of the society," said former Rajya Sabha member Singh, who is considered as Jaya Prada's mentor in the north Indian politics. Maintaining that it was "below dignity" for him to react to what Khan says, Singh, however, added, "Even in the last election he had distributed Jaya Prada's morphed pictures, besides launching a vicious propaganda against me and her." Terming Azam Khan's rants as "nothing new", the former Samajwadi Party leader, who was once close to the party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav, accused Khan of making various anti-India remarks in the past and dubbed him as a "symbol of foreign invaders" like "Nadir Shah, (Ahmed Shah) Abdali, Taimurlang, Chenghiz Khan". "Azam Khan is the one ..

Pawar lying about my father, says Parrikar's son

A day after NCP supremo Sharad Pawar claimed that Manohar Parrikar quit as Defence Minister because of disagreements over the Rafale fighter jet deal, the late Goa Chief Minister's son accused him of lying for political gain.

Modi govt set to return to power: Suresh Prabhu

Union Minister Suresh Prabhu Monday claimed the NDA government is set to return to power after the Lok Sabha polls as the people have faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modis development schemes in all sectors. The Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Commerce and Industry, who is here to campaign for BJP candidate Nalin Kumar Kateel, said the Modi government had implemented several schemes in social and health sectors and for the welfare of women and youth in the last five years. The Centre had released Rs 8,54,000 crore for the development of Railways in the first year of its rule, Prabhu, who had held the Railways portfolio, said, adding Karnataka was one of the states mostly benefited by railway projects. In the aviation sector, the government is upgrading existing airports and planning to construct 25 to 30 more airports in the country. Major works had been done across the country to improve road connectivity, he said. Dismissing charges by the Congress on the ...

Surendranagar: Two candidates may mar Congress, BJP prospects

At 31, the Surendranagar Lok Sabha constituency has the highest number of candidates for a seat in Gujarat with at least two of them seen as having potential to eat into the votes of main rivals Congress and the BJP. The constituency in the Saurashtra region, a Koli community-dominated seat won by the BJP in 2014, has as many as 25 independents in the fray. Despite so many candidates in the fray, the main fight is likely to be between the BJP and the Congress, the parties which dominate the politician scene in Gujarat. The saffron outfit has dropped its sitting MP from here Devji Fatehpara and given ticket to Mahendra Munjpara, while the Congress has fielded Somabhai Patel, who had lost in 2014. Ex-BJP MLA Lalji Mer, contesting as an independent, is seen as affecting the prospects of Congress's Patel. Another candidate Davji Dekavadiya, the nominee of the Hindusthan Nirman Dal, a party formed by former VHP leader Pravin Togadia, is seen as eating into the votes of ...

Fresh round of talks between AAP and Congress on Wednesday: sources

A fresh round of talks will be held between the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress Wednesday, where the AAP will propose an tie-up in Delhi, Haryana and Chandigarh with a seat sharing ratio of 5:2 in the national capital, sources said. Senior leader Ahmed Patel would hold talks on Congress's behalf and the AAP will be represented by party leader Sanjay Singh, they said. The meeting would be mediated by NCP leader Sharad Pawar. This is the second meeting held in his presence over talks on alliance. On Sunday, Kejriwal said his party would do anything to "save the country" from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief was addressing a press conference in New Delhi after a meeting of opposition parties to discuss the issue of EVM malfunctioning in the ongoing parliamentary election. The sources said seat sharing in Delhi has to be done in the ratio of 5:2, with five seats for the AAP and two seats for the Congress. They said a response in the ...

Not leaving battleground, sacrificing seat for Punjab: ex-Army chief J J Singh

A day after his candidature was withdrawn from the Khadoor Sahib seat by the SAD (Taksali), former Army chief General (retired) Joginder Jaswant Singh Monday said he is not leaving the battleground rather sacrificing the seat in the interest of Punjab and the Sikh community. Vowing to support the Punjab Democratic Alliance (PDA) candidate, Paramjit Kaur Khalra, from the Khadoor Sahib seat in the Lok Sabha polls, Singh said he has set an "example" by withdrawing his candidature to strengthen the third front in the state to root out the "corrupt" Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). The SAD (Taksali), the breakaway faction of the SAD, had Sunday evening announced that it was withdrawing Singh's candidature from the Khadoor Sahib seat in favour of PDA candidate Khalra, who is the wife of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. "I am sacrificing my seat in the interest of Punjab and the Sikh panth (community). I do not think that I am leaving the battleground" Singh, 73, told the ..

CPI(M) approaches CEC over alleged 'large-scale manipulation' during first phase of LS polls

A CPI(M) delegation led by party general secretary Sitaram Yechury met the Chief Election Commissioner on Monday and submitted two memorandums alleging "large-scale manipulation" in Tripura and West Bengal during the first phase of Lok Sabha polls on April 11. The delegation, consisting of Nilotpal Basu, member of politburo, and Shankar Prasad Datta, CPI(M) candidate from West Tripura, in their memorandums demanded a re-poll in 464 booths in the parliamentary constituency. They demanded the Commission to ensure that the election in East Tripura parliamentary constituency, scheduled in the second phase on April 18, be free and fair. They also raised the issue of violation of the model code of conduct on the two seats that went to polls West Bengal. "What was on evidence on April 11 was a complete absence of central para-military forces to ensure the conduct of a free and fair poll. Therefore, we strongly urge that the Commission conduct re-poll for the 464 booths in which the elections

Ecuadoran Prez: Assange attempted to use Embassy as 'spying centre'

Justifying his decision to withdraw Julian Assange's asylum status, Ecuadoran President Lenin Moreno in an interview to the Guardian newspaper on Sunday that the Wikileaks founder had violated his asylum rules many times and attempted to use the Embassy as a "centre for spying".The British newspaper reported that Moreno accused Assange of hacking into his private details after Wikileaks leaked photos of the President dinning on his bed with a giant platter of lobster in front of him.This was followed by snapshots of 200 private e-mails, texts, documents and other photos of Moreno along with his wife on lavish European vacations, which were posted on the anonymous website INApapers.org early last month, at a time when austerity measures have been implemented on Ecuador."Any attempt to destabilise is a reprehensible act for Ecuador because we are a sovereign nation and respectful of the politics of each country," The Guardian quoted Moreno as saying."It is unfortunate that from our ...

Kejriwal doing U-turn on alliance talks: Rahul Gandhi

Congress president Rahul Gandhi Monday accused AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal of doing an "U-turn" on the alliance talks between the two parties and said the doors of the Congress are open, but time is running out. However, Kejriwal claimed that the talks are still on and accused Gandhi of helping the BJP by "dividing anti-Modi votes in Uttar Pradesh and in some other states" The Congress president on Twitter said his party is willing to give four of the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to ensure that the their alliance defeats the BJP. The BJP had won all the seven seat in the national capital in 2014. "An alliance between the Congress and AAP in Delhi would mean the rout of the BJP. The Congress is willing to give up 4 Delhi seats to the AAP to ensure this. "But, Mr Kejriwal has done yet another U turn. Our doors are still open, but the clock is running out," Gandhi tweeted. He used the hashtag "AbAAPkiBaari" to target the AAP leadership to come out with its ..