Page 893 - Politics
Modi changed Rafale deal terms to benefit Ambani: Rahul Gandhi
Congress chief Rahul Gandhi Monday claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi changed terms of the Rafale deal to benefit industrialist Anil Ambani to the tune of Rs 30,000 crore. Gandhi's fresh attack on Modi came on a day when the Supreme Court said certain remarks made by the Congress chief on the Rafale case verdict were "incorrectly attributed" to it. At a poll rally here, Gandhi also said he got the idea of 'Nyay' scheme from Modis "fake promise" ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls to deposit Rs 15 lakh in every citizen's bank account. Hard selling his party's manifesto pledge of providing Rs 72,000 a year to each of the poorest five crore families, he said money for the 'Nyay' scheme will come from the pockets of people like Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi. Speaking at the rally in the home state of Modi, Gandhi once again alleged corruption in the Rafale deal. Mahuva, which is in Bhavnagar district, comes under the Amerli Lok Sabha constituency. "Under the UPA .
Dakar Rally to be held in 'unknown' Saudi Arabia in 2020
The Dakar Rally will be held in Saudi Arabia from 2020, organisers announced Monday, offering contestants an "unknown landscape and uncharted terrain". "After 30 years of discovering the beauty of Africa and a decade of adventure exploring the spectacular landscape of South America, a new chapter in the history of Dakar will be written as the world's biggest rally makes its Middle East debut in Saudi Arabia," ASO said in a statement. The Dakar has been held in South America since 2009. The gruelling multi-stage rally was previously held in Africa but was relocated after terrorist threats in Mauritania in 2008. Dakar director David Castera described the relocation to Saudi Arabia as "a voyage into the unknown". "By going to Saudi Arabia, it is of course that aspect that fascinates me," Castera said. "I'm convinced that such a feeling will be shared by all the riders, drivers and copilots. As the director of the event, it's a massive challenge to be faced with a blank page with ...
Rajnath blames Cong's policies for poverty
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday blamed the wrong policies of the Congress for the poverty prevailing in the country and said the day India became "Congress-mukt", there would be no poverty. "The country is facing the problems of backwardness and poverty because of the wrong policies of the Congress...the day India becomes Congress-mukt, it will be free from poverty," he said addressing an election meeting here in favour of Sanghamitra Maurya, the BJP candidate from Badaun in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls. Singh claimed that the SP-BSP-RLD alliance in Uttar Pradesh had accepted defeat in the election after the first phase of polling and that was why these parties were raising questions on the electronic voting machines (EVMs). "These three parties could not win by contesting separately and so, they have come together, despite their differences...but this alliance will be blown away by the (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi storm," he said. The home minister also took a dig at the
EC has to clear doubts on EVMs, says Naidu
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Monday said the Election Commission has to clear people's doubts over the functioning of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and take all steps to bring transparency in the system.
Angry locals hurl stones on Mehbooba Mufti's carcade
A few youngsters Monday hurled stones on PDP president Mehbooba Mufti's carcade while she was electioneering in South Kashmir's Khiram area, leaving her security guard injured, officials said here. Mufti was returning after offering prayers at the Khiram Dargah, which is revered by the local Muslim population. A Special Services Guard (SSG), a force carved out of Jammu and Kashmir police to protect the serving and former chief ministers, was injured, the officials said. A spare vehicle in her motorcade was also damaged, they said. Police present at the spot chased the youngsters and later detained them for questioning. Others in the entourage, including the PDP president, escaped unhurt. According to the preliminary report, the youngsters were expressing their unhappiness over the PDP's tie up with the BJP after the 2014 assembly elections. Traditionally a bastion of the PDP, Khiram is located 77 km from Srinagar and is surrounded on three sides by mountains, separating it from Sallar
European politicians protest outside Assange's London jail
German and Spanish lawmakers protested against Julian Assange's detention on Monday, gathering outside a London prison to urge Britain and the EU to prevent his extradition to the United States. Two far-left German MPs, Heike Hansel and Sevim Dagdelen of Die Linke, and a Spanish Green member of the European Parliament, Ana Miranda, had been due to meet their "friend" Assange in London's Ecuadoran embassy later on Monday. Instead, following his expulsion and arrest last week, they protested outside the top-security Belmarsh prison in southeast London where he is being held, carrying placards demanding his release. "We are faced with a humanitarian imperative now that Assange is in UK custody and a US extradition request is out for him, after high ranking officials of the US -- including President Donald Trump -- have threatened the publisher with death," said Miranda. The WikiLeaks founder is in custody awaiting sentencing for breaching his British bail conditions in 2012 by seeking ...
SBSP will remain in alliance, says Maurya after Rajbhar's statement to contest lone in LS polls
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya asserted Monday that the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party will remain in alliance with the BJP in the state, hours after the SBSP said it will contest this Lok Sabha election "on its own". "Om Prakash Rajbhar has been with BJP and will remain with it in Lok Sabha elections," Maurya said when asked about the SPSP chief's statement on severing electoral ties with the BJP. This morning, Rajbhar told reporters at his residence here, "SBSP will contest the Lok Sabha election on its own. It will field candidates on 25 seats in Uttar Pradesh." He said his party will announce its candidates soon. His decision to contest alone in the Lok Sabha election is precipitated by a disagreement over candidature on a seat, where the BJP has proposed to field an SBSP candidate on its symbol. Rajbhar said he did not agree with the proposal during a meeting on April 13. Rajbhar's son and SBSP general secretary Arun Rajbhar said, "The alliance with BJP ..
Cong expels Gurwinder Singh Bali from primary membership
The Congress Monday expelled party spokesperson Gurwinder Singh Bali from its primary membership for six years for his "anti-party activities and acts of indiscipline". The decision was taken by Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) election management committee chairman Laal Singh. Bali had been shunted out for his "anti-party activities and acts of indiscipline", a PPCC spokesperson said in an official statement. Any instance of violation of party's ethics and principles would be viewed strictly, Singh said, adding that anyone found guilty of such conduct would be dealt with strongly. Bali, a ticket aspirant from the Anandpur Sahib seat, raised a banner of revolt after the Congress fielded former Union minister Manish Tewari from the constituency. Reiterating the need to work cohesively to ensure accomplishment of the Congress' 'Mission 13', Laal Singh said the party's rank and file were upbeat and enthusiastic and it would register a thumping win at all the 13 seats in Punjab.
BJP fields Ravi Kishan in Gorakhpur, drops Kalraj
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday named seven more candidates for the Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, fielding Bhojpuri film star Ravi Kishan from the Gorakhpur seat.
It's a fight against anti-people BJP govt, says CPI's Inner Manipur candidate
For the Communist Party of India (CPI), the ongoing general elections is about fighting the "anti-people and pro-corporate, undemocratic dictatorial BJP government", the party's candidate for Inner Manipur seat Moirangthem Nara Singh said Monday. Singh, who is fighting Lok Sabha elections for the fourth time, believes that the people of Manipur will play their part in voting out the BJP which has "shown its true saffron colours" during the last two years of its rule in the state. "They are a communal party and are trying to impose their agenda through Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) and implement the Hinduvta philosophy," Singh told PTI here. He said people have to understand the underlying motive why the BJP is forcefully trying to implement the CAB. "It is because of the philosophy they have and their saffronisation programme has to be fought," Singh added. He further said CPI has been "opposing this kind of ideology and have been fighting against it" right from the very ...
Delhi govt acted in panic during April 13 sealing drive: Hardeep Singh Puri
Accusing the Delhi government of "acting in panic" over the April 11 NGT order and ordering a sealing drive leading to violence in Mayapuri, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said the issue is not under the Centre's purview as is being alleged by the AAP dispensation. Around 14 officials, including an assistant commissioner of police, were injured after clashes broke out between security personnel and local scrap dealers during a sealing drive in west Delhi's Mayapuri area on April leading to a political slugfest between the ruling AAP and the BJP. "They (AAP) did not do anything for the past five years. Now, with the NGT saying that officials will be jailed, they went into panic mode and did something illegal. There was a lack of responsibility from the Delhi government. They did not even stop to see who was allowed and who wasn't. The directions of the NGT was for the Delhi government, not for the centre," Puri said. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on April 13 had shared a video on ...
Ex-CM Marandi files nomination paper
Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Babulal Marandi on Monday filed his nomination paper from the Koderma Lok sabha seat.
Modi giving away public money to industrialists: Rahul
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday accused Prime Minster Narendra Modi of giving away public money to big industrialists.
Shah to address election rallies in Himachal
BJP President Amit Shah will address election rallies next month for the four Lok Sabha seats in Himachal Pradesh, it was announced on Monday.
Modi lowering political discourse in country, using ED and CBI to target political rivals: Mayawati
BSP chief Mayawati Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of lowering the political discourse in the country and using enforcement agencies to target his political rivals. She also attacked Modi on his claim that the country's borders are more secure than ever, saying the "condition of India's borders was there for all to see." "The prime minister is taking the help of the ED (Enforcement Directorate) and the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) to target his political opponents," Mayawati said at a rally here. "This is a dangerous precedence and yet another example of the low level of political discourse presently being adopted by the prime minister," she said and alleged that Modi's speeches mark a new low in the political discourse in the country. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief alleged that the condition of minorities and other marginalised sections of society had deteriorated in the last five years of the Modi government. The condition of these sections has never been ..
Nomination process for 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana to begin Tuesday
The nomination process for 10 seats in Haryana going to polls in the sixth phase will commence on April 16 and will continue till April 23, an official said Monday. Haryana Joint Chief Electoral Officer Inder Jeet said no nomination would be received on April 17 on account of a public holiday and also on April 21 being a Sunday. The nomination papers will be received between 11 am and 3 pm. The maximum number of vehicles in the convoy of a candidate at the time of filing the nomination has been restricted to three, Inder Jeet said. Apart from this, the maximum number of persons who could be allowed to enter the office of Returning Officer or the Assistant Returning Officer has been limited to five, including the candidate. In order to facilitate monitoring of election expenditure, each candidate is required to open a separate bank account either on his/her own name or a joint account with poll agent exclusively for the purpose of election expenditure. This account should be opened at .
Sitharaman attacks Pak for claiming to be 'victim of terrorism'
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said Pakistan claims to be a victim of terrorism but does nothing to destroy the training camps located on its soil which forced India to conduct an airstrike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) camp in Balakot to avenge the February 14 Pulwama attack in Jammu and Kashmir."Pakistan says they are victims of terrorism. But when JeM claims responsibility for an attack and they have their training camps in Pakistan, then is it not Pakistan's responsibility to destroy these camps? But they did not do so and hence, we attacked Balakot," she said at a rally here.The Indian Air Force had on February 26 carried out an airstrike in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province's Balakot in Pakistan, in response to the Pulwama terror attack which claimed the lives of 40 CRPF personnel. The attack was orchestrated by the JeM.India had said that it had killed "a large number" of terrorists during the airstrike and destroyed JeM's largest training camp.The Balakot airstrike was .
BJP's LS candidate from Nizamabad wants to put his own lock in strongroom
BJP leader Arvind Dharmapuri, who has contested the Lok Sabha poll from Nizamabad seat, has sought the permission of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to put his own lock in the strongroom, where the electronic voting machines (EVMs) and voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) slips have been kept."I request you to allow me to put my lock to the strongroom in which EVMs and VVPATs used during the General Elections to the House of the People (Lok Sabha)-2019 are stored. Kindly do the needful," he has stated in the letter written to the District Collector-cum-Returning Officer.Arvind has contested against Kalvakuntla Kavitha, sitting MP who is also the daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.With 185 candidates in the fray, 178 of them were farmers, who chose to fight the election to highlight their demands. Due to a large number of candidates, the EC had to use as many as 12 EVMs in each booth.Lok Sabha polls in Telangana were held on April 11, the first phase .
China blasts Pompeo 'lies' on Venezuela
China on Monday lashed out at US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for accusing Beijing of prolonging the crisis in Venezuela, slamming his remarks as "lies". Beijing has been Venezuela's main creditor and maintains relations with the government of President Nicolas Maduro, which also enjoys support from Russia. Foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said Pompeo had "wantonly slandered" China-Latin America relations, and that it is Washington that views the region as its "backyard". "For some time, some US politicians have been carrying the same version, the same script of slandering China all over the world, and fanning the flames and sowing discord everywhere," said foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang. "The words and deeds are despicable. But lies are lies, even if you say it a thousand times, they are still lies. Mr Pompeo, you can stop," he said. In a speech in Chile on Friday, Pompeo said Beijing's "bankrolling" of Maduro's regime has "helped precipitate and prolong the crisis in that ...
Jharkhand: BJP, Congress name women after 15 years
The two national parties -- the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) -- have fielded one woman candidate each in the Lok Sabha elections from Jharkhand after a long gap.