Page 925 - Politics
Bismillah Khan's grandson wants to Modi's proposer
The grandson of shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan, Nasir Abbas Bismillah, wishes to be a proposer to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's nomination from Varanasi, and blames the Congress for missing the opportunity to do so in 2014.
BJP moves EC for action against Rahul for making 'baseless' allegations against PM
The BJP Friday moved the Election Commission seeking action against Rahul Gandhi for his "abusive" and "completely untrue" comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing the Congress president of attributing words to the Supreme Court in the Rafale case that it never said. Senior BJP leader and Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman also expressed her party's "disappointment" with the poll watchdog, saying it has looked the other way despite their repeated pleas to it against Gandhi for his "baseless" allegations against Modi. A BJP delegation, including Sitharaman, Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and its media head Anil Baluni, submitted to the EC a memorandum in which the saffron party also accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of poll rigging in West Bengal during the first phase of polling of the general election Thursday. Pointing to Gandhi's remarks Wednesday that the apex court has acknowledged that the prime minister is a "thief" and that he gave Rs 30,000 crore to ...
Urmila Matondkar holds meeting with MNS leaders
Actor Urmila Matondkar, who is contesting as a Congress candidate from Mumbai North Lok Sabha seat against sitting BJP MP Gopal Shetty, Friday met MNS leaders to discuss about her poll campaign. Matondkar met MNS's North Mumbai vice president Nayan Kadam and other local leaders. "Had a strong strategic meeting with the MNS leaders. It's exhilarating to see the strength multiplying everyday. It's their trust that will make my journey towards the victory an incredible one," she said in a statement. MNS chief Raj Thackeray himself is in Nanded to campaign against BJP candidate Pratap Chiklikar. During his 'gudhi padwa' address to party workers last week, Thackeray lambasted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah, and said it did not matter to him if his campaign against the saffron party benefited the Congress and NCP. State congress president Ashok Chavan is the sitting MP from Nanded and is seeking re-election.
MBS urged to ditch aide linked to Khashoggi killing
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has privately urged Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the heir to the Saudi throne, to cut his ties to a close adviser whom Washington has sanctioned for his alleged role in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Scindia will be Congress candidate from Guna, Manish Tewari from Anandpur Sahib LS seat
The Congress on Friday fielded former union ministers Jyotiraditya Scindia and Manish Tewari from Guna (Madhya Pradesh) and Anandpur Sahib (Punjab) parliamentary constituencies respectively. With this, the party has announced a total of 386 candidates for the Lok Sabha elections. Announcing a list of another seven candidates for Lok Sabha elections, the party said Scindia would contest from his traditional Guna seat, while Tewari would contest from Anandpur Sahib. Tewari had backed out from contesting from his Ludhiana Lok Sabha seat in 2014 citing health reasons. He was initially seeking the party ticket from Chandigarh, where the party has fielded former railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal. The Congress also fielded former Barnala MLA Kewal Singh Dhillon from Sangrur Lok Sabha seat. He is pitted against sitting AAP MP Bhagwant Mann and former state finance minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa who is contesting on the Shiromani Akali Dal ticket. The party announced that Shailendra Patel .
Vote for me, you will need me once elections are over: Maneka to Muslims
In a controversial remark, Union minister Maneka Gandhi has told Muslims to vote for her as they will need her once the Lok Sabha elections are over. We are not Mahatma Gandhi's children that we keep giving and not get anything in return, she said in Sultanpur's Muslim-dominated Turabkhani area on Thursday. District poll authorities issued her with a show cause notice. The Election Commission in Delhi is also examining the transcript of the minister's speech, which was condemned by the Congress. Maneka Gandhi, the BJP candidate from Sultanpur Lok Sabha constituency, claimed she is all set to win and told the Muslim audience that you might need me tomorrow. I am winning. I am winning because of the help and love of the people, Gandhi said at the meeting in the constituency earlier held by her son Varun Gandhi. But if my victory is without the Muslims, I will not feel very good, she said, adding she will be left with a bitter feeling. If Muslims come for some work after this, I will ...
Curfew relaxed for one hour in J-K's Kishtwar
The curfew was relaxed for one hour on Friday in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district where it was clamped on April 8 following the killing of a senior RSS functionary in a terror attack. According to an order issued by Kishtwar Deputy Commissioner A S Rana, the curfew was relaxed from 4 pm to 5 pm in some areas and 4.30 pm to 5.30 pm in other areas of the district. There were no reports of any untoward incident reported from anywhere in the district, the DC said. Senior RSS functionary Chanderkant Sharma and his security guard were killed on Tuesday when a terrorist opened fire inside a health centre in Kishtwar, prompting authorities to impose curfew and call the Army to maintain law and order in the communally sensitive region. Police had picked up several over ground workers (OGWs) for interrogation in this regard.
Number of post-graduates dropped in 16th Lok Sabha
The number of post-graduate legislators came down by 95 in the 16th Lok Sabha in comparison to the 15th Lok Sabha, even as the number of graduate members increased by 75 compared to the previous House.
Centre's reply on challenge to Aadhaar ordinance sought
The Delhi High Court on Friday asked the central government to file a reply on a plea challenging the constitutional validity of The Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Ordinance, 2019.
Assam registers over 78 pc voting in phase-I
An estimated 78.23 per cent of the 76,03,458 voters in five constituencies exercised their franchise during the first phase of Lok Sabha polls on Thursday, the election department said Friday. Kaliabor constituency recorded the highest polling at 82.09 per cent, followed by Tezpur at 79.15 per cent, Jorhat (77.49), Dibrugarh (77.26) and Lakhimpur (74.81), the office of the state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said. The first phase of election will decide A total of 41 candidates including sitting Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, BJP MPs Pradhan Barua and Rameshwar Teli, state ministers Tapon Gogoi and Pallab Lochan Das, former Union minister Paban Singh Ghatowar and retired IAS bureaucrat M G V K Bhanu of the Congress were in the fray in the first phase. The second and third phases of polling in the state will be held on April 18 and 23. Counting of votes will be taken up on May 23 after completion of the entire seven-phase voting across the country.
Modi govt wants to make everybody a chowkidar: jeers Sidhu
Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu Friday launched a stinging attack on the Narendra Modi governments main bhi chowkidar campaign saying the regime was busy making a watchman out of every person in the country while developed nations were busy exploring new horizons. The 'main bhi chowkidar campaign' (I am also a watchman) campaign followed Congress president Rahul Gandhi's "chowkidar chor hai" (watchman is a thief) jibe against Modi. China is laying down railway tracks under water. The US is exploring the possibility of sustaining life in space. Russia is coming up with incredible robots. And here are these people, adamant on making everybody a chowkidar, Sidhu told an election rally here. The former BJP leader, who joined the Congress a few years ago and is at present a minister in the Punjab government, also remarked these chowkidars guard the palaces of big businessmen. They have no concerns for the common people living in huts. The slogan sabka saath ...
Letter by military veterans 'disgusting act' by grand alliance: Javadekar
Union minister Prakash Javadekar Friday termed a reported letter written by over 150 military veterans to President Ram Nath Kovind a "disgusting act by grand alliance", saying it reflected disappointment and nervousness of the opposition. Expressing outrage over the "use" of the armed forces for "political purposes", military veterans have written to Kovind to seek his intervention in preserving the apolitical character of the services. The letter, dated April 11, carries the names of eight former service chiefs but two of them -- former Army chief General (retd) S F Rodrigues and Air Chief Marshal (retd) N C Suri -- said they have not signed it. "It is a proof that how disgusting acts are being done by a gathering against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A letter in the name of ex-servicemen has surfaced which is not signed by those whose names appear in the letter," Javadekar told reporters. "The letter which was not sent to the president is sent to media houses. There cannot be a ...
Cong promise on minimum income 'undoable', says TN CM
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami Friday termed Congress president Rahul Gandhi's promise on minimum income to poor as "undoable" and claimed the party was trying all ways to get into power. Campaigning for AIADMK ally, Pattali Makkal Katchi's candidate for the Dharmapuri Lok Sabha constituency, Anbumani Ramadoss, Palaniswami also took a dig at the DMK for making "irrelevant" promises in the parliamentary elections. "It is all optics. A scheme that would never reach people is being touted as something that will be implemented," Palaniswami said. Prompted by Ramadoss, Palaniswami said, "...Yes, it needs Rs 3.5 lakh crore. Where is it? They are all lies and undoable. They are trying to get into power by trying all ways. We are not like that." Gandhi recently announced that Rs 72,000 per year will be given as minimum income to poor families, benefiting around 25 crore people, if his party is voted to power in the Lok Sabha polls. The Congress President said 20 per ...
Sudanese army says it holds president, won't extradite him
The Sudanese army will not extradite deposed President Omar al-Bashir but will put him on trial at home, the military said Friday as it defended its seizure of power after ousting the longtime ruler. The ouster of al-Bashir after months of escalating street protests against his rule has sparked calls for him to be handed over to the International Criminal Court, where he faces charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide for his deadly campaign against insurgents in Darfur. In the Darfur conflict in the 2000s, up to 300,000 people were killed and 2.7 million driven from their homes by militias backed by al-Bashir's government. Notably, the military council that has taken power after removing al-Bashir is led by Defense Minister Awad ibn Ouf, a veteran establishment insider who himself is under sanctions by the United States for his alleged role in supporting those militias. Protesters have rejected the military's announcement that it will rule the country for the next ..
Review of SC's Rafale verdict will put to rest controversy:
The Supreme Court's decision to hear the review pleas against its ruling on the Rafale deal would put to rest the controversy, and the Centre has no problem with it as its "conscience is clear," senior BJP leader and Union Minister Piyush Goyal said Friday. Addressing a press conference here, Goyal, who is BJP's Tamil Nadu in-charge said: ".. We are happy that the Supreme Court has agreed to hear the matter so that once and for all the controversy can be settled and put to rest." In a setback to the Centre, the Supreme Court had Wednesday allowed leaked documents to be relied upon by petitioners seeking review of its Rafale judgement and dismissed the government's preliminary objections claiming "privilege" over them. Goyal said the government had taken the stand that the documents cited by the review petitioners should not be considered because they were leaked, but had no problem with the court's decision. "... our conscience is clear, our work is honest. We have ...
Rabri drops a bombshell, says Kishor came with proposal to
Former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi on Friday dropped a bombshell claiming that poll strategist Prashant Kishor had met her husband Lalu Prasad with the proposal that the RJD and Nitish Kumar's JD(U) merge together and the new entity thus formed declare its "prime ministerial candidate" ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. If Kishor denies having met Prasad with such a proposal, he is speaking a "blatant lie", she said. "I got infuriated and asked him to go away as I had no trust left in Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar following his betrayal," the RJD national vice-president, who is also the leader of the opposition in the legislative council, told a regional news channel here. Kumar had in 2017 walked out of the Grand Alliance, which was formed upon his party's partnership with the RJD and the Congress. He re-joined the BJP-led NDA. "All our staff and security personnel deployed here are witnesses. He called on us at least five times, mostly here (her 10, Circular Road ...
Maldives ruling party secures 'highest win' in polls
The ruling Maldives Democratic Party (MDP) has won the parliamentary elections by securing the highest win -- 65 seats in the 87-member Parliament -- in the island nation's history, the Elections Commission announced on Friday.
Modi govt using armed forces' achievements for vote bank politics: Azad
Senior Congress leader Gulam Nabi Azad Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of using achievements and sacrifices of the armed forces for vote bank politics and said no government in the past has done it. He addressed a chain of public rallies at Pancheri, Latti, Dudu, Basantgarh and Gordi in Udhampur district in support of Vikramaditya Singh, the party candidate for Udhampur Lok Sabha seat and grandson of erstwhile Dogra Maharaja Hari Singh. Vikramaditya Singh is pitted against Union Minister and BJP candidate Jitendra Singh. "The BJP, its government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi area trying to take credit for the achievements and sacrifices of our armed forces, which no government in the past has done for vote bank politics", Azad told a rally here. The Congress leader said "although there were numerous achievements of our forces during previous governments including division of Pakistan and creation of Bangladesh, during the regime of Indira Gandhi, no government in past ..
Army commanders review India's security challenges, decide to enhance ops capability
Top Army commanders carried out a thorough review of India's security challenges including along the borders with China and Pakistan, and resolved to enhance the operational capability of the force to effectively deal with potential adversaries, officials said Friday. A plethora of pressing issues including speeding up infrastructure development along the border with China and ways to ensure jointness among the Army, Navy and the Indian Air Force were discussed by the commanders at the conference which began on Monday and will conclude on Saturday. Sources said the commanders also deliberated on emerging security scenario along the border with Pakistan in the wake of Balakot air strike and subsequent Pakistani retaliation. The Army asserted that it is committed to peaceful security environment and shall holistically address emerging threats while ensuring that there is no room for terror. "The Army Commanders' Conference has comprehensively deliberated all aspects of extant security ..
Cong welcomes SC order on electoral bonds, says BJP should reveal 'murky flood of money'
The Congress on Friday welcomed the Supreme Court judgement on electoral bonds and asked the BJP to reveal its "murky flood of money" received through such bonds. The party said it has always maintained that transparency in political funding and governance must be adhered to and free and fair elections in a level-playing field must be ensured, hoping the Supreme Court goes to the root of the matter and opens the sealed envelopes of names of electoral bond donors. Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said, "This so-called corrupt invention of bonds is nothing, but a direct assault on the Indian constitutional basic structure." "The BJP should reveal the murky flood of money, which is earned through the 95 per cent electoral bonds having gone to one party. Financial dominance of the single party decimates the very concept of a level-playing field," he told reporters. Singhvi said a level-playing field is the heart of free and fair elections and such elections are the heart of ...