Page 929 - Politics
'Jhadoo' and 'Chappal' come together in Haryana
Promising to clean up the political scene in Haryana in their own way, the newly formed Jannayak Janata Party Party (JJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) announced an alliance for the election for 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana.
BJP approaches EC against Rahul's 'chor' jibe at PM
The BJP on Friday approached the Election Commission seeking action against Congress President Rahul Gandhi for repeatedly calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi "a thief" and also attributing to the Supreme Court things it did not say in the Rafale jet case.
TN should not be ruled from Nagpur, says Rahul
Tamil Nadu should be ruled by the people of Tamil Nadu and DMK President M.K. Stalin will become its next Chief Minister, Congress President Rahul Gandhi declared on Friday.
HC refrains from hearing plea to bar Farooq, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba from LS polls
The Delhi High Court Friday refrained from hearing a plea seeking direction to the Election Commission to bar Jammu and Kashmir politicians Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti from participating in the Lok Sabha election as they have allegedly made "seditious" statements. The court asked the petitioner to move the appropriate forum with his grievance after which the petition was withdrawn. "Dismissed as withdrawn," said a bench of Justices S Ravindra Bhat and Prateek Jalan. The petition filed by a lawyer alleged that the "seditious and communal statements" given by the three leaders were against the Constitution, adding that the court or the EC should bar or impose conditions on their entry into the Lok Sabha. All the three leaders are former chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir. The petition has arrayed the EC, the Union of India, the Delhi Police, National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah, his son Omar Abdullah and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president ...
SC demolished Modi, Jaitley, BJP's stand on electoral bonds: Yechury
Welcoming the Supreme Court's decision on electoral bonds, CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury Friday said the apex court has "demolished" the stand taken by the BJP-led NDA government on the issue. The Supreme Court Friday did not stop political funding through electoral bonds but brought several checks on it to bring transparency by directing all political parties to furnish receipts of amounts received and details of identity of donors in a sealed cover to the Election Commission. In an interim order, the apex court also directed all political parties to provide details of the amount of the bond and bank account of donors to the poll panel by May 30. "Supreme Court demolishes stance taken by Modi, Jaitley & BJP - which had pushed this as a Money bill, for opaque, secret Electoral bonds. The court says transparency is the basic principle of electoral funding. People have a right to know which party got how much, and from whom," Yechury tweeted. The Centre and the Election ..
More you attack me, harder I will work in Amethi: Smriti Irani on Congress
Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani on Friday launched a scathing attack on the Congress saying that the party has not left a single chance to pass "derogatory" remarks on her in the past five years.She said, "In the last five years, the Congress leaders did not leave a single chance to insult and pass derogatory remarks about me. I only have one message for them: the more you insult me, the more you attack me, the harder I will work against Congress in Amethi," Irani told ANI here.Her comments come a few hours after she declared in the poll affidavit that she is not a graduate.The former Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister announced that she passed secondary school examination in 1991 and senior secondary school examination in 1993, adding that she failed to complete her Bachelor of Commerce - Part 1, a three-year degree course from Delhi University's School of Open Learning in 1994.Smriti, who is contesting against Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Amethi, received a lot of .
Who is Pak's agent: Azam Khan attacks PM Modi over Imran Khan's comments on BJP
In a veiled reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan on Friday asked who was Pakistan's agent, in response to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's comments on the BJP.While addressing a public gathering here, the SP leader said, "You (Modi) were Nawaz Sharif's friend earlier, (former Pakistan Prime Minister) and now Imran Khan is waiting for you to become the Prime Minister again. You people (public) tell me, who is the agent of Pakistan - me or.... (Aap kal Nawaz Sharif ke dost the, aur aaj Imran Khan aapke dubara Wazir-e-Azam banne ka intezaar kar raha hai. Batao logon, Pakistan ka agent main hun ya-...."Earlier this week, Pakistan media had quoted Imran saying there might be a better chance of peace talks with India if Prime Minister Modi wins the Lok Sabha elections.He had reportedly said that if Congress comes to power in India, it might be too scared to seek a settlement with Pakistan over Kashmir, fearing a backlash from the right ...
PM Modi runs govt for his 15 friends, including Ambani, Nirav, Choksi: Rahul Gandhi
Sharpening his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that he runs the government only for his "fifteen friends", including Anil Ambani, Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi.Addressing a joint election rally with Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) here, Gandhi said: "PM Modi runs the government for his fifteen friends, including Anil Ambani, Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi. All the money that should have gone to the poor farmers of the country was diverted to his friends. By far, he has given them over 3 lakh 50 thousand crores."Congress president contended that if voted to power, he would carry out a "surgical strike" on poverty.Re-affirming his promise of transferring Rs. 72,000 annually into the bank accounts of people below poverty mark, Gandhi said: "My plan is to make a list consisting of 20 per cent of the poor people in India. It does not matter which caste or religion you belong to, if you are on the list, we will transfer the amount in your ...
Krishna Tirath rejoins Congress, terms association with BJP an 'accident'
Former Union Minister Krishna Tirath quit the BJP and rejoined Congress on Friday after a gap of 4 years.Tirath was the minister of state in the Manmohan Singh government but joined BJP in 2015."Sometimes accidents happen but I have now returned to my old home," said Tirath after joining the Congress."I am not thinking about contesting at this point of time but rather working for strengthening the party," she added.A two-time MP from Delhi, Tirath had contested Delhi Assembly polls in February from Patel Nagar seat. However, she was defeated by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Hazari Lal Chauhan.
If AAP agrees for alliance in Delhi, we are ready even today: Congress
"If Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is ready for an alliance in Delhi, we are ready even today," the Congress said on Friday."AAP wanted to have an alliance in other states also which is not practical. Every state is different. We will announce the seats tomorrow or day after tomorrow. If they are ready for an alliance in Delhi with Congress, we are ready even today," Congress leader PC Chacko said during a press conference here.He added that the Congress is ready to do ally with parties who are willing to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party."We (Congress and AAP) are fighting face to face in Delhi, we fought municipality, assembly, and parliamentary elections, so naturally we both have political bitterness between us but we both understand that the political necessity is that we should come together and defeat BJP in Delhi," said Chacko"Sanjay Singh met me and we discussed our corresponding strength in the last election in Delhi (in 2017). Congress got 31 seats and AAP got 49 seats and together
Russia confers PM Modi with highest State Honour
Russia on Friday conferred Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the highest state decoration -- Order of St Andrew -- for exceptional services in promoting a special and privileged strategic partnership between Russian and India."On April 12, @narendramodi was decorated with the Order of St Andrew the Apostle for exceptional services in promoting special and privileged strategic partnership between Russia and India and friendly relations between the Russian and Indian peoples," the Russian Embassy tweeted.The Order of St Andrew the Apostle the First-Called is the highest order and the oldest state order of Russia, first established in 1698. It was abolished under the erstwhile Soviet Union but re-established in 1998.
Will work for Amethi, no matter what you say: Smriti to Cong on edu jibe
Union Minister Smriti Irani Friday hit back at the Congress over its allegations that she "falsified records" of her educational qualifications, saying she will continue to work hard for Amethi no matter what its leaders say. Dubbing Irani a "serial liar", the Congress also alleged that she submitted contradictory affidavits to the Election Commission for which she should be disqualified. "In the past five years, there has not been any attack which has not been made against me by the Congress and its 'chele chapate' (stooges), nor is there any bad word or disrespect which has not been hurled at me," Irani said when asked to comment on Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi's swipe at her qualifications through a spoof on her hit TV serial. "I have a message for them... as much as you try, I will work for Amethi against the Congress. No matter what you say, the more you harass me, the harder I'll work," she said, adding that the Congress supporters were targeting her because she was
DMK functionary's car damaged in petrol bomb attack in Chennai
Unidentified men Friday allegedly hurled petrol bombs at the house of a local DMK functionary in Central Chennai parliamentary constituency damaging a car parked there, police said. An FIR has been registered, police said, adding CCTV footage showed the suspects were wearing helmets and moving toward the house of the functionary. "No casualties have been reported. Investigation is on," a police officer said. A car parked in the house was damaged in the incident, police said. DMK candidate in Central Chennai Lok Sabha seat and former union minister Dayanidhi Maran condemned the incident saying it was to impede the party's poll prospects in the April 18 elections. He accused allies of AMMK leader TTV Dhinakaran of being behind the attack.
SC directs parties to give details of amount received in electoral bonds, donors' identity to EC
The Supreme Court Friday directed all political parties to provide details of donations received in electoral bonds and the identity of the donors to the Election Commission in a sealed cover by May 30, in an attempt to bring transparency around anonymous poll funding. Refusing to stay for now the contentious electoral bonds scheme, the court gave the direction in an interim order in the midst of the Lok Sabha polls which began on Thursday and concludes on May 19. The political parties were also directed to give details of the bank account of the donors. The order was given on a petition filed by an NGO--Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR)--challenging the validity of the scheme and sought a stay on the issuance of electoral bonds or that names of the donors be made public to ensure transparency in the poll process. The order was welcomed by opposition parties as a step towards bringing transparency to political funding. A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices ..
Construction firm searched for cash by taxmen in TN
With the polling date for Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu nearing, the Income Tax (I-T) department carried out search operations in the premises connected to a private construction contractor, officials said.
Iranians rally against US move against paramilitary force
Iranians have rallied against the US' decision to designate the country's powerful Revolutionary Guards as a foreign terrorist organization. Thousands of worshippers came out of mosques after Friday prayers and burned flags of both the US and Israel while also chanting traditional anti-U.S. slogans at such rallies of "Death to America" and "Death to Israel." State media said similar demonstrations took place in other Iranian cities and towns on Friday. The U.S. government this week designated the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist group to increase pressure on Iran, isolate it further and prompt authorities to divert some of the financial resources Tehran uses to fund militant activity in the Middle East and beyond. Iran responded by designating all U.S. forces as terrorist and labeling the US a "supporter of terrorism.
BJP dividing society over caste and religion, says Akhilesh
Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav Friday alleged that the BJP was dividing the society on the basis of caste and religion while the 'mahagathbandhan' (grand alliance) was committed to remove hatred. Yadav targeted the saffron party, saying that the BJP showed false dreams to the people and promised them "acche din (good days)" but in reality, did nothing for them. "They (BJP) confused the people with their promises and forgot the 'acche din' promise after coming to power," he said. "The BJP is playing politics by dividing the society on basis of caste and religion. Our 'Mahagathbandhan' wants to remove the hatred and bring a change to save the Constitution," the former chief minister said in a statement here. He said a "mahaparivartan (change)" will come only through "social justice" and the SP-BSP-RLD combine was committed to it. Terming the BJP election manifesto a "Dhoka Patra (document of lie)", Yadav said, "The Indian economy has become weak due to demonetisation and other ..
Russia confers Modi with state decoration for role in boosting Indo-Russia ties
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been honoured with Russia's highest state decoration, the Order of St Andrew the Apostle, for his role in promoting close ties between the two countries. The award comes days after the United Arab Emirates announced conferring Modi with 'The Order of Zayed'. The Russian government said Modi is given the highest state decoration of Russia for "exceptional services" in promoting special and privileged strategic partnership between Russia and India and friendly relations between the Russian and Indian peoples. A Russian official said the 'Order of St Andrew the Apostle' is awarded to prominent statesmen, public figures and those working in the fields of science, culture and arts in recognition of their exceptional services in promoting prosperity and glory of Russia. The order can also be awarded to foreign heads of state for outstanding services. The Order of St Andrew the Apostle is the highest order of the Russian Federation. The foreign awardees of ...
Madhya Pradesh Congress RTI Cell chief sacked
The Congress on Friday removed the party's RTI Cell president Ajay Dubey from his position for making controversial comments in the social media.
Cong-JDS coalition is a "20 per cent commission govt": Modi
In a scathing attack on the Congress-JDS government in Karnataka, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday dubbed it as a "20 per cent commission government." Addressing a rally here in north Karnataka, Modi said the Congress-JDS coalition's "only mission is commission", attacking it on the issue of corruption. Modi branded the earlier government (Siddaramaiah's) as a "10 per cent commision" government, but now with Congress and JDS joining hands, it had become a "20 per cent commission government." He asked whether the Lok Sabha elections was about "nation first or family first," as he attacked the dynasty politics of several anti-BJP parties. Modi also asserted that there was a wave across the country favouring the return of his government. In the first phase of Lok Sabha polls on Thursday, the opposition parties would not be able to sustain, Modi said. "Phir Ek Bar...." Modi said, and the huge crowd roared in approval saying, "Modi Sarkar. The Prime Minister also drew huge .