Page 931 - Politics
Sudanese defy curfew to demand new military rulers quit
Sudanese protesters angry that army commanders have taken control after removing veteran president Omar al-Bashir in a palace coup defied a night-time curfew to keep up four months of mass demonstrations on Friday. Protest leaders dismissed the transitional military council formed by top brass after they toppled Bashir on Thursday, as the "same old faces" from the old regime which had ruled the country with an iron fist for three decades. Demonstrators demanded a civilian body to lead the transition to democracy and bring an end to the multiple conflicts which have pushed the country into worsening poverty. Most shops and offices were closed on Friday which is the day of prayer and rest in Sudan. Vast crowds were expected to throng the streets of Khartoum and its twin city Omdurman after the main weekly Muslim prayers at noon raising fears of confrontation. Washington called on the military council "to exercise restraint and to allow space for civilian participation within the ...
Three civilians injured in Pakistani shelling
Three civilians were injured on Friday in Pakistani shelling on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district.
Cong hand in glove with anti-nationals, alleges Adityanath
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath accused the Congress of being hand in glove with anti-nationals, and said its manifesto for the Lok Sabha election promotes terrorism and Naxalism. Addressing an election rally in Ambikapur town under the Surguja Lok Sabha constituency in Chhattisgarh, he also alleged that the Congress government in the state was not serious about tackling Naxalism and the killing of BJP MLA Bheema Mandavi in an IED blast in Dantewada earlier this week was its example. "Congress' manifesto is an encouragement to terrorism and Naxalism. Congress ka hath deshdrohiyo ke sath (Congress is hand in glove with anti-nationals)," Adityanath said. "Lord Ram is associated with the memories of Ayodhya and Chhattisgarh but some people are now denying the existence of Ram. Congress is raising questions over the existence of Ram. It was the Congress that raised questions over the Ram Setu and tried then to destroy it," he said. Time has come to teach a ...
Maha Cong leader whose son is BJP nominee skips Modi rally
Congress leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil Friday stayed away from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's poll rally in Ahmednagar, where his son Sujay is the BJP's Lok Sabha candidate. Speculation was rife that Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, the Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly, would follow his son into the BJP and share stage with Modi at the rally in Ahmednagar, around 325 km from here. The senior Vikhe Patil was unavailable for comment, but his close aides rejected suggestions about the Congress leader switching sides and joining the BJP. They also maintained Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil had no role in organising the rally in the western Maharashtra city that will vote on April 23 and asserted Sujay Vikhe Patil is capable of handling his election-related issues. "Sujay may be contesting elections for the first time. But, he is not new to politics. For the last 7-8 years, he was managing his father's assembly constituency Shirdi," said a close aide of Radhakrishna Vikhe ...
Modi, Rahul to campaign in Karnataka on Saturday
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi will campaign in Karnataka on Saturday for their candidates contesting in the Lok Sabha elections.
Will jail mining mafias, chit fund crooks: Amit Shah
BJP President Amit Shah on Friday said the people involved in the chit fund and mining scams will be sent to jail once the party forms a government in Odisha.
SC: Parties must give details on electoral bonds to EC
The Supreme Court on Friday declined to impose a stay on the electoral bonds scheme but said that their issue and the lack of transparency was a "weighty" issue and required a detailed hearing to finally settle it.
Choose between honest "chowkidar" and corrupt "naamdar": Modi
Seeking to make the Lok Sabha polls a contest between him and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday asked voters to choose between "imaandar (honest) chowkidar' and 'bhrashtachari (corrupt) naamdar". Gandhi has been hurling the "chowkidar chor hai" jibe at Modi to claim irregularities in Rafale deal, while the PM has been calling the Congress chief as 'naamdar' (dynast). "You have to choose between imaandar chowkidar and bhrashtachari naamdar. You also have to choose between heroes of India and supporters of Pakistan," Modi said. At a rally here to campaign for BJP-Shiv Sena alliance candidates of Ahmednagar and Shirdi Lok Sabha constituencies, Modi said, "You have to decide the country's future and which direction will it take in this election." Modi said in the last five years, people have seen that his government is a strong regime which takes decisions. "You have seen Chowkidar's government which is strong and takes decisions. Scams and ...
Pak minister says country made improvement in curbing money laundering
Pakistan has made a reasonable improvement to curb terror financing and money laundering and it is in a better position to present its case in front of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a senior minister claimed as he ruled out the possibility of the country being blacklisted by the terror financing watchdog. In June last year, the Paris-based FATF had placed Pakistan on the "grey list" of countries whose domestic laws are considered weak to tackle money-laundering and terror financing. The FATF has told Pakistan to reassess the operation of terrorist groups in the country, already under intense international pressure to rein in terror groups like the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) after the Pulwama terror attack. Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Khan Afridi said Thursday said that the ongoing crackdown against outlawed organisations had not been initiated under any external pressure. He said the government was committed to transforming Pakistan so that nobody could point a ...
Two Indian naval ships to make port call in Vietnam
Two Indian naval ships will be making a port call at Vietnam from April 13 to 16 as part of an ongoing operational deployment in the Southeast Asian region. INS Kolkata and INS Shakti, under the command of Captain Aditya Hara, will arrive in Cam Ranh International port on Saturday, the Indian Embassy in Hanoi said in a statement on Friday. During the visit, there will be professional interaction between personnel of the Indian Navy and Vietnam People's Navy. Official calls and interaction with dignitaries of the Vietnamese government as well as guided tours and sports events for the visiting Indian Navy personnel have also been planned, the statement said. A visit to the Indian Ships will also be organised for friends of India in Khanh Hoa province. Following the completion of harbour phase of activities, both the navies would conduct joint exercises. India-Vietnam relations have grown stronger in recent years due to a vibrant economic engagement and growing convergence on political, .
SP nominee in Sambhal asked to explain derogatory remarks against PM
The district administration has served a notice to Samjawadi Party nominee from Sambhal Lok Sabha seat, Shafiq-ur-Rehman Burq, for allegedly making derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. SDM, Dipendra Yadav, Friday said the SP candidate had allegedly made the remarks during a public meeting on Thursday following which he has been served a notice and given three days time to reply. In an election meeting of SP president Akhiesh Yadav near Kaila Devi on Thursday, Burq spoke about the mahagatbandhan of SP-BSP-RLD and the threat it was posing to the prime minister.
Cong, NCP supporting those who want to separate J-K from India, says PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday stated that the Congress and NCP were in support of those who were advocating for the separation of Jammu and Kashmir from India."Congress and NCP are supporting those who want to separate Jammu and Kashmir from the country. I do not expect anything better from the Congress, as they are the ones who are responsible for giving birth to such separatist ideologies," he said while addressing a rally here."But what I don't understand is what happened to Sharad Pawar. You were the one who left the Congress in the name of the country. Now there are talks of two Prime Ministers for India, how long will you remain quiet?" he asked while taking a jibe at the NCP chief.Furthermore, Prime Minister Modi claimed that Congress and NCP did not introduce robust security measures to improve the safety of people while in power."Today, on the one hand, the Congress and NCP have given you hollow promises and on the other hand, the NDA has fulfilled all the promises. .
First Sikh Jatha leaves for Panja Sahib in Pakistan for Baisakhi celebrations
The first batch of Sikh Jathas left for Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Pakistan for Baisakhi celebrations on Friday.Around 839 Sikh devotes led by Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee boarded a special train to Pakistan today.During the visit, the pilgrims would also be visiting shrines Nankana Sahib and Kartarpur Sahib.On Tuesday, Pakistan had granted 2,200 visas to Sikh pilgrims from India to participate in Baisakhi celebrations from April 12 to 21.It will be the first Sikh Jatha to go to Pakistan after the Indian Air Force airstrike on Jaish-e-Mohammed's advance training camp in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Balakot area in Pakistan. The Balakot operation was following the Pulwama terror strike which was claimed by Pakistan based JeM. The terror act and the subsequent airstrike resulted in heightened tensions between the two countries.
Kyunki Mantri Bhi Kabhi Graduate Thi: Congress mocks Smriti Irani educational qualification row
The Congress on Friday took a jibe on Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani saying a new serial is going to come, titled "Kyunki Mantri Bhi Kabhi Graduate Thi (Once a Minister was also a graduate)".In reference to Smriti Irani-starrer Hindi serial 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahun Thi', Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi said, "A new serial is going to come - Kyunki Mantri Bhi Kabhi Graduate Thi. Its opening line will be 'Qualifications ke bhi roop badalte hain, naye-naye sanche mein dhalte hain, ek degree aati hai, ek degree jaati hai, bante affidavit naye hain. (Qualification versions also changes, get moulded in new forms, one degree comes and the other goes, new affidavits gets created)."After Smriti declared in the poll affidavit that she is not a graduate, the Congress leader said, "Smriti Irani ji has proved that it is possible only in Modi government to become from a graduate to Class 12 pass."The former Human Resource Development Minister in her 2019 poll affidavit said that .
Shiv Sena advises BJP to "speak less" on Rafale deal
The Shiv Sena Friday advised its ally BJP to "speak less" on the Rafale deal, in which the Congress has alleged corruption, cautioning that unwanted statements may increase troubles for the national party. The Sena also said the ban on NaMo TV could have been avoided had the BJP been satisfied with the coverage being given to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaign rallies on electronic channels. The Uddhav Thackeray-led party sought to corner its senior ally over the recent clash between BJP workers in the presence of Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan at a public rally in Jalgaon, where the party has changed its Lok Sabha candidate. "The shocking video (of the clash) was seen across the country. The BJP inducted goons in the party and turned them into 'Valmikis'. However here, the experienced Valmikis turned into goons and indulged in violence. "This is not only a blot on the campaigning of 'mahayuti' (the BJP-Sena alliance), but the time has come for the BJP to ...
Modi prods Pawar again to attack Congress
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday again nudged NCP President Sharad Pawar to denounce a proposal to make two "Prime Ministers" - one for Jammu and Kashmir and another for India as propounded by some Congress allies.
Odisha rich is resources, its people are poor: Amit Shah
Hitting out at the BJD government in Odisha, BJP president Amit Shah said Friday the state is rich in natural resources, but its people continue to remain poor under the Naveen Patnaik-led dispensation. Addressing a rally here, Shah said the BJD rule in the state was marked by misrule and corruption. Taking a jibe at the chief minister, Shah said, "Even after 19 years of rule in Odisha, Naveen (Patnaik) babu cannot talk to his people in Odia." He asserted that people across the country are raising slogans in favour of the BJP. "From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, from Odisha to Gujarat, people are raising slogans in favour of Narendra Modi. We can hear Modi... Modi... chants everywhere," Shah said. Slamming the opposition Congress, Shah said "Rahul Baba's party ruled the country for 70 years, but could not eradicate poverty." "The BJP-led government, on the other hand, launched an era of development in the country, marked by speedy and concrete steps to eradicate poverty," he ...
Head wrapped in vision of India - and scarves - young women in AMU want secular govt
Their head scarves may announce their identity but many women first-time voters here say they want to elect a government that goes past the veneer to understand the complexity of their lives and bring in a truly secular and inclusive India. Their heads wrapped in the vision of a developed India, the articulate women of AMU Women's College, the biggest college for women in this western Uttar Pradesh town, walk the tightrope between tradition and contemporary times. Like Dania, a debutant voter, who parks her scooter outside the campus, adjusts her scarf and waits for her other friends. On the wall, she notices posters of political parties and wonders who she should vote for. I want to vote for a secular government. It is my first vote. There is a common belief that if you are a Muslim you cannot be secular. I want to vote for change of that perception, the 18-year-old Geography student said. Dania is one of the 3,000 students studying in the Aligarh Muslim University Women College who .
Biopic on PM Modi: SC to hear on Apr 15 plea challenging EC's ban on release of film
The Supreme Court Friday agreed to hear on April 15 a plea challenging the Election Commission's ban on the release of a biopic on Prime Minister Narendra Modi till the general election is over. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said it will hear the plea filed by the biopic's producers. The poll panel had on Wednesday banned the screening of the biopic during the current poll period, saying any such film that subserves purpose of any political entity or individual should not be displayed in the electronic media. The Commission, in a separate order, had also directed the producers "not to exhibit the film titled 'PM Narendra Modi' till further orders. The Commission's order came on April 10, a day before it was to be released, coinciding with the first phase of Lok Sabha elections. Votes for all 543 seats will be counted on May 23 after the end of the seven-phase polling on May 19. Acting on the complaints of political parties, including the Congress, the poll panel had ...
White House wanted to send migrants to Democrat cities: report
The White House pushed immigration authorities to release illegal migrants onto the streets of so-called "sanctuary cities" to retaliate against US President Donald Trump's political enemies, the Washington Post reported Thursday. Citing homeland security officials and leaked emails, the Post said White House officials first broached the plan in November, asking officials at several agencies whether members of a caravan of migrants could be arrested at the border and then bused "to small- and mid-sized sanctuary cities". Sanctuary cities are places where local authorities -- usually Democratic run -- have refused to hand over illegal immigrants for deportation. The White House told the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) that the plan was intended to alleviate a shortage of detention space, but would also send a message to Democrats, the Post said. The suggested policy was pushed back within ICE, with a top official saying it was rife with concerns and noting "there are ..