Page 930 - Politics
Cong alleges Modi, BJP leaders using armed forces to garner votes, cites veterans' letter
The Congress on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders of using the armed forces for garnering votes while expressing solidarity with the military veterans who have written to President Ram Nath Kovind over what they called "use of military for political purposes". The party also urged the president to take action against Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and other BJP leaders for alleged use of the military to seek votes. Over 150 military veterans have written to the president seeking 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. Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturverdi, at a press conference, alleged that both Prime Minister Modi and BJP president Amit Shah, in their public addresses in the last ...
Sudan's Bashir will not be extradited: military rulers
Sudan's ousted president Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of genocide and war crimes, will not be extradited, the country's new military rulers said Friday. "The president is currently in custody," the head of the military council's political committee, Lieutenant General Omar Zain al-Abdin, told a news conference. "We as a military council, we will not deliver the president abroad during our period" in office, Abdin said when asked about the ICC arrest warrant.
Sitharaman says veterans call protest petition fake
An online petition to President Ram Nath Kovind by veterans protesting against politicization of armed forces has been marred in controversy as some whose names figure in the protest letter have distanced themselves from the campaign.
Rahul mocks PM's "Make in India", says "Made in China" rules
Congress President Rahul Gandhi Friday mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Make in India" slogan, saying the country's market was now flooded with Chinese products. Addressing a poll rally here, he referred to unemployed youth of Tamil Nadu, saying Modi had hurt them in the last five years, giving "huge amounts of money from the banks to the richest people but not to them." "He gave you an empty slogan called Make in India but wherever we look we see Made in China products," he said. Be it phone, shoes or shirt "you see made in China," he added. "Now we want real made in India and real made in Tamil Nadu," Gandhi said. Under Modi, "Make in India" if a young Tamil entrepreneur wanted to start a business he had to knock on the doors of different government offices where "he had to pay bribes," the Congress chief alleged. "By the time he got his permissions the business is already failed," he said. Hence, the Congress came up with a new idea in its manifesto for ...
BJP organises sit-in protest against poll violence
The BJP on Friday launched a sit-in demonstration in front of the office of state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) protesting against stray incidents of violence during and after the polls in Cooch Behar.
Modi not talking about 2014 promises as they have not been fulfilled: Gehlot
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday accused Narendra Modi of coming to power on the basis of false promises, saying the prime minister should clarify to the people how many assurances made in the BJP's manifesto in 2014 were fulfilled. "There is nothing with the government in the name of achievement. They came to power on the basis of false and fake promises. He (Modi) cannot claim that the promises that were made in last election have been fulfilled and, therefore, he is deliberately not talking about his previous promises," Gehlot told reporters in Sri Ganganagar. "A prime minister mentions his achievements done in the (past) five years during elections, but this is for the first time that the prime minister is not talking about the promises which he had made earlier," the senior Congress leader said. Gehlot alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party wanted to win the election by polarising voters. "They (BJP leaders) want to win elections by polarising voters on religion ..
Veterans' letter provokes controversy, two deny consent
A controversy erupted on Friday over a letter written by a number of veterans to President Ram Nath Kovind alleging the use of the armed forces for political purposes, even as some of them said they had not given any consent for such a move.
AAP, JJP to fight LS polls in Haryana jointly
The Aam Aadmi Party and the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) on Friday announced firming up an alliance in Haryana to fight on all 10 Lok Sabha seats in the state. The JJP was launched by former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala's grandson Dushyant Chautala, following a power struggle in the state's main opposition INLD last year. Senior AAP leader Gopal Rai said the JJP will fight on seven seats. Dushyant Chautala said he would decide on his party's candidates for the seven seats in the next two to three days. "Jhadu (AAP's election symbol) and chappal (JJP's poll symbol) will remove obstructions and emerge victorious, and together they will defeat the BJP and Congres," Chautala said. Arvind Kejriwal has proposed an alliance between the AAP, JJP and the Congress but the grand old party rejected the proposal.
Goa CM targets MGP, says those indulging in graft now gone
In a veiled attack on the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), an estranged ally of the ruling BJP, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has accused it of indulging in corruption. Speaking at a corner meeting at Shiroda Assembly constituency on Thursday, Sawant said the corrupt have now gone. His criticism comes hours after the MGP announced its support to the Congress in the Lok Sabha elections in Goa. In the last week of March, MGP leader and deputy chief minister Sudin Dhavalikar was dropped from the Goa cabinet for allegedly failing to adhere to the common minimum programme of the coalition government. Sawant had said the MGP's insistence on contesting the Shiroda assembly bypoll against the BJP led to his sacking. By-election to Shiroda Assembly constituency will be held on April 23. MGP chief Deepak Dhavalikar is pitted against BJP's Subhash Shirodkar. "We want a stable government. We will provide a government, which is free from corruption. Na khaunga, na khane ...
Ex-Union Minister Krishna Tirath rejoins Congress
Former Union Minister Krishna Tirath on Friday rejoined the Congress after a gap of four years.
Cong leader Sukh Ram's son resigns from Himachal's BJP govt
Himachal Pradesh Power Minister Anil Sharma resigned from the state's BJP government on Friday, days after the Congress fielded his son Aashray Sharma as its candidate from the Mandi Lok Sabha constituency. Anil Sharma has been under pressure from his own party after his father, former Union minister Sukh Ram quit the BJP and joined the Congress along with Aashray Sharma. Anil Sharma refused to campaign for the BJP candidate who is contesting against his son for the Lok Sabha seat, and even suggested that he was willing to quit the ministry over it. Sharma told reporters that though he has now resigned from the ministry he remains with the Bharatiya Janata Party. He is the BJP MLA from the Mandi segment of the Lok Sabha constituency and the party expected him to campaign for its candidate Ramswaroop Sharma. Sharma had said he will keep away from Mandi, campaigning neither for his son nor for the BJP candidate.
Parrikar's son Utpal rightful heir of his legacy: Sardesai
Goa Deputy Chief Minister Vijai Sardesai has said late Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's son Utpal is the right person to carry forward his fathers legacy in the Panaji assembly constituency. The Panaji assembly constituency was represented by Manohar Parrikar for long and a bypoll is being held on the seat following his death last month. Utpal Parrikar is being rumoured to be the BJP's candidate from Panaji, where by-election is slated on May 19. However, Utpal Parrikar is yet to publicly speak about contesting from the constituency won by his father multiple times since 1994. Sardesai, whose Goa Forward Party (GFP) is a partner in the BJP-led ruling coalition, maintained it is up to Utpal Parrikar to decide if he wants to contest the bypoll. "I am of the opinion that Parrikar's legacy has to be kept alive but by whom is the question," Saresai told reporters Thursday when asked whether he supports Utpal Parrikar's candidature for the Panaji bypoll. "First is whether ...
Russia confers highest Order on Modi
Russia on Friday announced it had honoured Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the Order of St Andrew the Apostle, the highest order of the Russian Federation, for promoting partnership and friendly relations between the two countries.
Himachal Minister quits over love for son
Himachal Pradesh Minister Anil Sharma, who has refused to campaign against his son-cum-Congress candidate Ashray Sharma, on Friday quit the cabinet, upset over remarks by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur.
'No special treatment' for Assange, says Australia PM
WikiLeaks founder and Australian citizen Julian Assange will receive "no special treatment" from his home country following his dramatic arrest in Britain, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Friday. Assange's seven-year hideout in Ecuador's London embassy ended dramatically on Thursday when police dragged the WikiLeaks founder out of the building into a waiting van. He was found guilty by a British court on Thursday of breaching his bail conditions in 2012 and faces a year in prison. But US authorities are seeking his extradition on charges relating to his work with former US intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning in 2010, with the case to be heard on May 2. Barely 24 hours into an official election campaign, Morrison said Assange would receive the same support as any other Australian in trouble overseas, and the extradition is a "matter for the United States". "Well it's got nothing to do with us, it has got to do with the United States," he told national broadcaster the ABC. "There's .
Will never seek votes highlighting soldiers' achievements,
Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Friday expressed her solidarity with the military veterans who have written to President Ram Nath Kovind, expressing outrage over alleged use the armed forces for political purposes. Addressing a rally in Kurseong, Banerjee said, "We are proud of our Armed forces, but I will never seek votes highlighting the achievements of soldiers, like (prime minister) Narendra Modi." Eight former service chiefs and 148 other military veterans, in their letter to Kovind, have said that it was a "matter of considerable concern and disquiet among both the serving and the retired personnel that the armed forces are being used to pursue political agenda". Asserting that regional parties will play a major role in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, Banerjee said "Together, we will together form the government at the Centre. She claimed that it will be difficult for the BJP to cross the 100 seat-mark in the Lok ...
Sitharaman condemns purported letter to President on 'politicisation of Armed Forces'
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday condemned the circulation of a purported letter written to President Ram Nath Kovind by veterans of the Armed Forces expressing displeasure over alleged politicisation of the services.Speaking to media here, Sitharaman said Rashtrapati Bhawan has asserted that they have not received any such letter. She also said that two senior officers whose named are mentioned in the purported letter have denied signing it."Two senior officers said they have not given consent, worrying that fake letters being signed by vested groups. It is condemnable. Rashtrapati Bhawan has also said that they have not received the letter," she said.Earlier today, a Rashtrapati Bhavan source said that the President has not received any letter from the former officers of the Army, Navy and Air Force.Reacting to the matter, former Army Chief General Sunith Francis Rodrigues called it "a classic manifestation of fake news"."I do not know what it is all about. All my life,
Withdrawing support to Goa government: MGP
The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) has resolved to withdraw support to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led coalition government in Goa, its working president Deepak Dhavalikar said on Friday.
Himachal Minister quits over poll campaigning
Upset over remarks by Himachal Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, his Cabinet Minister Anil Sharma on Friday tendered his resignation from the cabinet.
Russian award for Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on Thursday named for the 'Order of St Andrew the Apostle' award by Russia for exceptional services in promoting bilateral ties between the two countries, a Russian embassy official said. The Order of St Andrew the Apostle is the highest state decoration of Russia, the official said. Modi has been conferred with the award for exceptional services in promoting special and privileged strategic partnership between Russia and India, the official said.