Page 981 - Politics

Congress cites 'sting' to allege post-DeMo currency exchange for commission; BJP refutes charges

The Congress on Tuesday cited a 'sting operation' to allege exchange of old notes post-demonetisation for hefty commissions by people claiming proximity to the government and the BJP, but the ruling party refuted the allegations and said it would take appropriate legal action. At a press conference here, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal also alleged that currency notes worth thousands of crores were printed abroad and transported into India. He alleged that "a team of government officials drawn from different departments were engaged in the exchange of old notes for new post demonetisation". He, however, did not authenticate the videos he showed at the conference and said these are in public domain and the concerned agencies should initiate a probe. Sibal also claimed the Election Commission was not acting on their complaints. Responding to the charges, union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said in Patna that "Kapil Sibal has made false allegations on our (party) president (Amit Shah) .

Punjab to approach EC on police officer's transfer

Upset with the decision of the Election Commission (EC) which ordered the transfer of a senior police officer investigating a sensitive matter, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday termed it as a "biased order".

Campaigning for LS polls ends in Telangana, TRS eyes big win

Campaigning for the April 11 Lok Sabha elections in Telangana ended Tuesday, with the buoyant ruling TRS hoping to sweep the polls in alliance with AIMIM. The TRS (Telangana Rashtra Samiti) headed by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao KCR as he is popularly known -- is brimming with confidence after its massive victory in the Assembly elections four months ago. All eyes will also be on Nizamabad constituency, where more than 170 farmers are in the fray to highlight their problems. Raos daughter K Kavitha is seeking re-election from this segment. Besides her, prominent candidates include senior Congress leader Renuka Chowdary (Khammam) and Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee President Uttam Kumar Reddy (Nalgonda) and TPCC Working Presidents A Revanth Reddy (Malkajgiri) and Ponnam Prabhakar (Karimnagar). Telangana has 17 Lok Sabha constituencies. TRS leaders have repeatedly said their aim is to bag 16 seats, leaving one for AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi, who is ...

Omar, Mehbooba condemn killing of RSS leader, PSO in Kishtwar

Former chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti Tuesday condemned the killing of an RSS leader and his personal security officer in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir. "Unequivocally condemn the brutal murder of Chandrakant & his personal security officer in #Kishtwar today. There can be no place for targeting political operatives like this. I hope the residents of the area will cooperate with the administration & maintain calm," Abdullah said in a tweet. While condemning the killings, Mufti called for a probe into the incident. "Condemn this act of terror. Seems like part of a bigger plan to incite communal tension. Urge @jandkgovernor to initiate a probe & appeal to people of Kishtwar to maintain peace & harmony," she tweeted. The RSS leader and his security guard were killed on Tuesday when a militant opened fire at a health centre in Kishtwar town, prompting authorities to impose curfew and call the army to maintain law and order in the communally ...

Rahul Gandhi challenges PM Modi for debate on Rafale, Nirav, demonetisation

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a debate on Rafale deal, Nirav Modi and demonetisation.Taking a dig at Prime Minister Modi saying that he is 'scared of debating on corruption,' Gandhi tweeted: "Dear PM, scared of debating me on corruption? I can make it easier for you. Let's go open book, so you can prepare: 1. RAFALE+Anil Ambani, 2. Nirav Modi, 3. Amit Shah+Demonetisation."Earlier on February 7 this year at the national convention of minority wing of All India Congress Committee (AICC) Gandhi had also challenged Prime Minister Modi for an open debate."If you ask Narendra Modi to stand on the stage and debate with me for 10 minutes he will run away. I am saying he is a 'darpok' (coward) person," Gandhi had added.

Campaigning ends for 1st phase of Lok Sabha battle

The hustle and bustle of campaigning came to an end on Tuesday in 91 Lok Sabha constituencies spread over 20 states and Union Territories which will go to the polls on Thursday marking the start of the mega seven-phase electoral exercise.

Once represented by Indira Gandhi, Medak now a TRS bastion

Once represented by former prime minister Indira Gandhi, the Medak Lok Sabha constituency in Telangana has become a citadel of the state's ruling TRS, which is looking to increase its victory margin this time from here. Gandhi was elected from Medak in 1980 by a margin of over three lakh votes and represented the constituency till her assassination in 1984. Medak was a Congress bastion till about 2000, but after TRS was born in 2001 to fight for the cause of a separate Telangana, the region turned into a KCR fortress. TRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao, also popularly known as KCR, is a native of the region, which is adjacent to state capital Hyderabad. In the state Assembly, he represents the Gajwel constituency, which is a part of the Medak seat. In 2014, when the state elections and the national polls were held simultaneously, KCR contested and won from both Medak and Gajwel, but gave up the Lok Sabha seat to become the state's first chief minister. Subsequently, TRS's Kotha Prabhakar

Goa LS poll: PM Modi to address rally on Wed

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a poll rally at Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee stadium near here on Wednesday evening. Polls for the state's two Lok Sabha seats and three Assembly seats (bypolls) will be held on April 23. A crowd of 30,000 is expected to attend the PM's rally scheduled for 4pm on Wednesday, BJP Goa Unit President Vinay Tendulkar said Tuesday. "The capacity of Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium is 10,000 but we are expecting a crowd of 30,000. To accommodate the additional crowd, we will put up screens outside the stadium," Tendulkar said. He said BJP star campaigners including senior leaders Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Suresh Prabhu and Smriti Irani will address meetings in North Goa and South Goa Lok Sabha seats in the state. The BJP has fielded sitting MPs Shripad Naik from North Goa and Narendra Sawaikar from South Goa Lok Sabha seats. Its candidates for the Assembly bypolls are Subhash Shirodkar from Shiroda, Dayanand Sopte from Mandrem and ..

Singapore PM defends proposed law combating fake online news

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Tuesday defended Singapore's proposed law to fight "online falsehoods," but his Malaysian counterpart, Mahathir Mohamad, warned that anti-fake news laws were a double-edged sword that could be abused by governments to stay in power. The two leaders were speaking after annual talks Tuesday aimed at resolving disputes over maritime boundaries, airspace management and the price of water that had strained ties since Mahathir's alliance swept to power in elections last May. Lee said many countries, including France, Germany and Australia, have legislation to combat fake news. Singapore took nearly two years to deliberate on the issue before the government unveiled a bill in parliament last week to combat fake news, he said. The law allows the government to remove online content it deems as false and includes a jail term of up to 10 years and hefty fines. "This is the problem of fake news and deliberate false statement being proliferated online. It is a ...

Campaigning for 5 Lok Sabha seats in Assam ends

High decibel campaigning for five Parliamentary constituencies in Assam going to polls in the first phase on April 11 ended on Tuesday. Campaigning for Tezpur, Kaliabor, Jorhat, Dibrugarh and Lakhmpur constituencies ended at 4 pm and polling will be held on Thursday to decide the fate of 41 candidates, including two women, in fray. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi, BJP chief Amit Shah, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath along with Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi were some of the prominent leaders who campaigned in the state. Singer and BJP MP Babul Supriyo campaigned for his party candidates while actress and Congress member Naghma campaigned for party's Kaliabor candidate and sitting MP Gaurav Gogoi by participating in a road show. The campaign was characterised mostly by public rallies by the prominent national and state leaders while the ..

Any Brexit delay depends on May request: EU's Barnier

The EU's chief Brexit negotiator said Tuesday that the length of any delay to the divorce that the bloc may grant Britain will depend on what plan Prime Minister Theresa May brings to a crunch summit. The British leader is making a last-gasp diplomatic dash to Paris and Berlin on the eve of an emergency summit in Brussels, where she hopes the other 27 EU chiefs will agree to postpone Brexit to June 30. She needs more time to try to strike a compromise with the opposition that will let Britain's bitterly divided parliament back an orderly divorce plan at the fourth attempt. Without such a delay, the United Kingdom is scheduled to crash out with no deal on Friday. But the EU has already granted one delay -- the original deadline was March 29 -- and negotiator Michel Barnier said May must explain what another postponement would achieve. "The length of the extension must be linked to the purpose -- what it's for -- and that depends on what Mrs May will say to European leaders tomorrow," .

J-K including parts occupied by Pakistan is integral part of India: Sitharaman

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday said that Jammu and Kashmir, including the parts which are occupied by Pakistan, is an integral part of India."In 1994, there was a unanimous resolution in Parliament saying that Jammu and Kashmir, inclusive of parts which are occupied by Pakistan, is an integral part of India. We have to look at ways in which integration of Jammu and Kashmir happens effectively and for that discussions are welcome."Her remarks come after former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti on April 8 said, "If you free Jammu and Kashmir from Article 370, you will free the state from the country as well.""I have said many times that Article 370 links Jammu and Kashmir with the country. When you break this bridge, India loses its legitimacy over the state. It becomes an occupational force," added Mehbooba.Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday asserted that "Kashmir is, was and will always be an integral part of India and thus it ...

Congress, its allies wept over India's action against terrorists in Pakistan, says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the Congress party and its allies "wept over" India's action against terrorists in Pakistan."When we attacked terrorists, it hurt Pakistan, but the Congress and its allies wept over the action. When the whole world was praising us, the opposition parties were targeting Modi," said Prime Minister Modi while addressing an election rally here."There was a time when terrorists from Pakistan used to attack us and warn us. The government ruling at that time was scared of Pakistan and took no action. But today, terrorists are living in fear, not the Indian government," he said.Lambasting the Congress party for dividing the society on the basis of religion and caste, Prime Minister Modi said: "For votes, the Congress party has created a divide in the society based on religion and caste. They did the same thing in Karnataka during the assembly elections.""Just like the air strike at terror camps in Balakot in Pakistan, they also raised ...

Algeria MPs elect first new president in 20 years: state TV

Lawmakers named the speaker of the upper house as Algeria's first new president in two decades Tuesday, state television reported, after the resignation of Abdelaziz Bouteflika following mass protests. The election of Abdelkader Bensalah as interim president follows constitutional rules but goes against the demands of demonstrators, who have pushed for him and other top politicians to stand down. "I want to work towards fulfilling the interests of the people," Bensalah told parliament on taking up the 90-day interim presidency. "It's a great responsibility that the constitution demands of me." Opposition parties refused to back Bensalah's election and boycotted the session, as hundreds of students protested against him in Algiers. "Resign Bensalah!" they chanted outside the main post office, which has become the focal point of weeks of mass protests in the capital. Ahead of the parliamentary session, an editorial in pro-government daily El Moudjahid on Tuesday suggested Bensalah ...

Rajinikanth hails BJP promise on linking rivers

Actor-turned-politician Rajinikanth on Tuesday welcomed BJP's proposal to set up an authority for linking of rivers and added that he is not supporting any party in the Lok Sabha elections.

Tripura to witness multi-corner contest in LS polls

With the ruling BJP emerging as a potent political force, Tripura will witness a multi-corner contest this time for the state's two Lok Sabha seats, which were won either by Left parties or the Congress ever since the state was formed in 1972.

Non-state subject contesting Anantnag seat in J&K

For the first time in the electoral history of Jammu and Kashmir, a non-state subject is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from the Anantnag seat. And in another first, the voting will be spread over three days -- April 23, 29 and May 6 -- due to security reasons.

Congress was in mourning after Balakot air strike: Shah

BJP president Amit Shah Tuesday targeted the Congress, saying when the whole country was rejoicing over the air strikes on a terror camp in Balakot, there was mourning only in Pakistan and the Rahul Gandhi-led party. Addressing a rally here, he said the Modi government's biggest success was that it had made India secure which was not the case when the Congress-led UPA was in power. "During the UPA rule, there would be no response to terror attacks. After the Pulwama terror attack, there was anger and despondency all over. "But, the present government is not that of 'mauni baba' (silent PM) Manmohan Singh. On the 13th day of the Pulwama attack, the IAF (Indian Air Force) went deep inside Pakistan and destroyed terror camps," Shah said. "When the country was rejoicing (over the air strikes), there was mourning only in Pakistan and Rahul Gandhi -led Congress. When 40 jawans are martyred, should we not bomb the perpetrators of the Pulwama attack," he asked. Hitting out at ...

Palaniswami's remarks on Karunanidhi do not behove a CM: DMK

The DMK Tuesday hit out at Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palasniswami for alleging that late DMK President M Karunanidhi was kept under "house arrest" by M K Stalin and said such remarks do not behove a CM. Senior DMK leader and Rajya Sabha MP Trichy Siva said Palaniswami's remarks amounted to "crossing the limits" and questioned why the late chief minister J Jayalalithaa was not taken abroad for medical treatment. Further, he said Stalin has risen to be the party chief by his hard work and that the party has accepted him. "There can be criticism of a person which is a democratically accepted one. Stalin need not struggle to become president...he is party chief due to hard work. Our party has accepted him. Saying that (Karunanidhi) was kept under house arrest is crossing the limits," he said. Such remarks did not suit someone holding the post of chief minister, he told reporters here. On Monday, at an election meeting in the Nilgiris, the chief minister had alleged that ...

Guj LS poll: 371 candidates in fray for 26 seats

A total of 371 candidates are in the fray for the 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat, all of which will go to polls in a single phase on April 23. A official release from the state's Chief Electoral Officer informed that out of the total 572 nominations received for the 26 seats, 120 nominations were rejected after scrutiny, leaving 452 candidates in the fray. After 81 candidates withdrew their nominations on Monday, 371 candidates are now left in the fray, it said. The maximum number of candidates, 31, are contesting from Surendranagar, followed by 28 in Jamnagar, 26 in Ahmedabad East and 25 in Navsari, it said. Panchmahal, with six candidates, Kheda and Dahod with seven each, Chhota Udepur with eight and Valsad with nine candidates are the ones with the lowest number of contestants. While Gujarat traditionally has seen straight fights between the BJP and the Congress, several smaller parties too are in the running this time. All 26 seats from the state were won by the BJP in .