Page 986 - Politics
No talks for alliance with BJP: INLD Haryana chief
The Indian National Lok Dal Tuesday said the party was not in talks with the ruling BJP for an alliance for Lok Sabha polls, seeking to put at rest speculation that arose after party leader Abhay Singh Chautala met Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. Arora insisted no talks on stitching an alliance were going on between the two parties. "The BJP has already declared its eight candidates and we will announce our candidates soon," Arora told PTI. Barring Hisar and Rohtak seats, the BJP last week announced its candidates for the remaining eight seats from Haryana, where polling will be held on May 12. The INLD had earlier said it will announce its candidates by April 16. Chautala had met Khattar over breakfast in Delhi on Monday where Arora too was present. Asked about their meeting with Khattar, Arora said, "There was nothing political about this meet. One can meet for some other things too and there is nothing wrong in that". In 2014, the INLD had won two Lok Sabha seats of Hisar and ..
Ask questions on Balakot air strike to government, do not seek proof from security forces: Rajnath Singh
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said that it is fair to raise questions in a democracy and there is no harm in asking for details or proof from a government with regard to actions taken by it but it is unfair to ask security forces to give proof.While responding to a question of why people are branded as "anti-national" and "Tukde Tukde" gang, if they ask for proof of Balakot air strike and Surgical strikes, the Home Minister, in an exclusive interview to ANI, said: "No one is termed anti-national for asking questions, we always give answers to relevant questions...Why should one ask for proof from Indian Air Force, who only bombed the terrorist centre. Should they count the bodies and give proof?"On the question of opposition's allegation of politicisation of armed forces, the Home Minister said: "There should not be any politicisation of any system of the government and we never think of doing such a thing...Our Army and other government systems belonged to the country,
No question of separate Prime Minister for Kashmir: Rajnath
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday asserted that "Kashmir is, was and will always be an integral part of India and thus it cannot have its own prime minister."In an exclusive interview with ANI, Rajnath said, "Kashmir will never be separated from India. Kashmir was, is and always will be an integral part of India. There cannot be two prime ministers in the country. It is absolutely clear in our election manifesto that if we form government Article 370, Article 35A will be removed."The home minister's comments came almost a week after former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, in a speech in Kashmir's Bandipora, pitched for the revival of the posts of Prime Minister and President for Jammu and Kashmir.When questioned about Mehbooba Mufti and Farooq Abdullah's statements that tampering with Article 370 and 35A will not bode well for India, Rajnath said, "This is their frustration, let them speak what they want, we will go ahead and do what we have to do"."Maybe they
No political influence behind IT, ED raids, agencies acting on their inputs: Rajnath Singh
Rajnath SinghNew Delhi [India], Apr 9 (ANI): Refuting allegations of political vendetta behind Income Tax Department and Enforcement Directorate raids on opposition leaders and their aides, Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said that the agencies are autonomous bodies and they are acting on their inputs.In an exclusive interview to ANI, Singh said, "The agencies which are conducting raids are autonomous bodies. Model Code of Conduct does not apply to them. They are acting on their inputs. How can we stop them?""It is unfair to hold the government responsible for the raids. This is an ongoing process. Agencies act on their own intelligence inputs," the Minister said.Singh maintained that autonomous central agencies will take necessary steps to stop the use of unaccounted money in the elections.When asked how is election a festival as is being touted by BJP leaders if such blatant use of cash is being used, the Home Minister said, "The elections should be fought in a free and fair .
Voting underway in Israel to elect Knesset members
Israel went to polls on Tuesday to elect members of its national legislature, Knesset, with more than 6.3 million voters eligible to exercise their franchise in what has been described as a closely fought battle.The Times of Israel reported that polling began at 7am on Tuesday in 10,000 polling stations across the country. A total of 39 diverse political parties are participating in the elections for the 21st legislature.However, this time it is a closely fought election between incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former army chief of staff Benny Gantz.Surveys show that Gantz's centrist Blue and White party is slightly ahead of Netanyahu's Likud party. But Netanyahu still has a favourable option of forming a majority coalition with other right-wing parties and retain his office.Despite reeling under a series of corruption allegations, Netanyahu is seeking a fifth term in office. If he wins, he would become Israel's longest-serving leader surpassing founding father David ...
Odisha polls: BJD fields Shashi Bhusan Behera from Kendrapara
The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has named state Finance Minister Shashi Bhusan Behera as its candidate from politically sensitive Kendrapara Assembly constituency in coastal Odisha. With Behera's nomination, the Naveen Patnaik-led party has declared the names of all its nominees for the 147 Assembly seats and 21 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state. Behera, who represents Jayadev constituency in the outgoing Assembly, was earlier denied a ticket for his re-election, as the BJD handed over his sitting seat to former MLA Arabinda Dhali. Prior to his win in the Jayadev seat, Behera was a Rajya Sabha member of the party from 2010 to 2014. As discontent brewed among a section of BJD leaders over Dhali's nomination from Jayadev constituency, the party replaced its sitting legislator in Kendrapara, Kishore Chandra Tarai, with Behera. Behera is pitted against Congress nominee Ganeswar Behera and BJP's Sunakar Behera in Kendrapara constituency, which is scheduled to go to polls
Malaysia's Mahathir says anti-fake news laws could be abused
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 serious
Iran president: US 'leader of world terrorism'
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Tuesday that the United States was the real "leader of world terrorism" after Washington blacklisted Iran's Revolutionary Guards as a "foreign terrorist organisation". "Who are you to label revolutionary institutions as terrorists?" Rouhani asked in a speech broadcast live by state television. "You want to use terrorist groups as tools against the nations of the region... you are the leader of world terrorism," he said.
NIA continues questioning Hurriyat's Mirwaiz
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday questioned Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq for the second consecutive day in connection with terror funding case, an official said.
Utmost caution was taken to prevent civilian casualties during Balakot strike: Rajnath Singh
Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said that India conducted action on the Pakistan-based terror training camp in Balakot on February 26 with utmost caution and responsibility to ensure only terrorists were impacted and no civilian was harmed.In an exclusive interview to ANI, Rajnath Singh underlined the fact that India had no intention to cause civilian casualties or get into direct confrontation with Pakistani forces while carrying out air strikes on Balakot."Indian Air Force only attacked terrorist camps. We made sure that there should be no attack on Pakistan's sovereignty and integrity. We did not kill any innocent human in our strikes. We only attacked terrorist training centres," the Home Minister said.The Home Minister's remarks come amid heightened tension between New Delhi and Islamabad following February 14 Pulwama terrorist attack by Pakistan-backed Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist on a security convoy in which 44 CRPF personnel were killed.The two countries were close to ...
Nirmohi Akhara moves SC against Centre's plea to release excess land acquired in Ayodhya
Nirmohi Akhara, one of the parties in the Ayodhya title dispute case, has filed an application in the Supreme Court, opposing the Centre's plea to return to the original owners excess land acquired around the disputed Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site."The government cannot get back the land to give it to who they want. Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas cannot be given a majority of the land," a lawyer for Nirmohi Akhara, who filed the application on Monday, said.The acquisition of the land by the government had led to the destruction of several temples managed by the Akhara, he said.The Akhara has pleaded to the court to decide the title dispute, the lawyer said.The central government had in January this year filed a petition seeking modification of the court's 2003 order to allow it to return the "excess/superfluous land" out of the 67.703 acres acquired in Ayodhya to its original owners including Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas.The government had been directed by the court to maintain "status quo" with ...
BJP faces tough challenge from Cong in bastion Raigarh
Buoyed by its performance in the Chhattisgarh Assembly polls last year, the Congress is making a serious attempt to make a dent into BJP's bastion of Raigarh, a Lok Sabha seat which the saffron party has been winning for last two decades. The seat, reserved for Scheduled Tribe candidates, is considered 'safe' for the BJP as its sitting MP and Union minister Vishnu Deo Sai has been representing it since 1999, winning four times in a row. However, after facing a drubbing in the Assembly polls in Chhattisgarh, where it ruled for 15 years, the BJP has dropped all its sitting MPs in the state and given tickets to new faces for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. In Raigarh, the BJP has fielded a woman candidate, Gomtee Sai, against Congress' Laljeet Singh Rathiya, who is the sitting MLA from Dharamjaigarh Assembly seat. In the last year's state polls, the Congress won all eight Assembly segments - Jashpur, Kunkuri and Patthalgaon (in Jashpur district), Lailunga, Dharamjaigarh, .
LS polls: Irani to file nomination on Apr 11
Union minister and BJP candidate Smriti Irani will file her nomination papers for the Lok Sabha polls on April 11, party sources said here on Tuesday. "She was to file her nomination on April 17, but since it's a holiday, she will now file her papers on April 11," Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) district president Durgesh Tripathi said. Irani will be accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, BJP in-charge for Amethi Mohsin Raza, state minister and MLA Jagdishpur Suresh Pasi, besides others, at the time of filing her nomination, party sources said. The Union textile minister will perform rituals at a temple of Budhan Mai inside the BJP office at Gauriganj on the Banda-Tanda national highway, before reaching the collectorate at Gauriganj (the Amethi district headquarters) in a procession to file her papers. The Amethi parliamentary constituency, represented in the Lok Sabha by Congress president Rahul Gandhi, has four Assembly segments -- Tiloi, Gauriganj and ...
Congress leaders houses ATMs of black money: Naqvi
Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Tuesday said that on one hand, the Congress has become a "Benami Sampati" and on the other, the house of the party leaders have become "ATMs of black money", from where huge quantity of black money is being recovered every day.
Singapore, Malaysia leaders seek to ease tensions
Singapore and Malaysia's leaders vowed to cooperate to solve disputes Tuesday after tensions between the neighbours over airspace and maritime boundaries, which followed a change of government in Malaysia. They have had fractious relations since Malaysia evicted Singapore from the Malaysian Federation in 1965, ending a brief and stormy union of the former British colonies. Ties have gone up and down over the years but have been shaky since Malaysia's Mahathir Mohamad -- who has long had a prickly relationship with Singapore -- returned to the premiership with a shock election victory last year. Tensions begin rising again a few months ago after Singapore accused Malaysia of sending government boats into its waters, and the city-state then proposed new landing procedures at an airport that Kuala Lumpur claimed would violate its airspace. But in recent days the neighbours suspended overlapping maritime claims to allow for talks and the city-state halted the contentious landing ...
Trump toughen stance in areas where India's interests run counter (News Analysis)
US President Donald Trump's administration is ratcheting up its hardline policies in two areas where India's interests run counter to Washington's - the latest is in Iran, where America has declared the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation.
Never said that Rs 15 lakh will come to people's accounts: Rajnath Singh
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said that the BJP never made promises of transferring Rs 15 lakhs into people's bank accounts during the campaign for Lok Sabha election in 2014."Never said that Rs 15 lakh will come (to accounts of people). This was never said. (Bilkul nahi kaha tha ki Rs 15 lakh aenge. Ye kabhi nahi kaha tha). We had said that we will take action (karyawahi) against black money. Action is being taken against black money. It was our government which made SIT on the topic of black money," Rajnath told ANI in an exclusive interview.His statement comes at a time when opposition parties have been criticing the BJP for having made "false promises" to woo the people of India ahead of 2014 general elections and now repeating it in 2019.Bringing black money stashed abroad was one of the key issues for 2014 elections and the BJP had promised to crack down on black money parked in foreign banks. In this year's manifesto there is a mention of cracking down on ...
Rahul Gandhi calls BJP manifesto 'short sighted and arrogant'
A day after the Bharatiya Janata Party released its 'Sankalp Patra' or manifesto for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, Congress president Rahul Gandhi criticised the same, calling it the "voice of an isolated man". He also termed the manifesto "short-sighted and arrogant"."The Congress manifesto was created through discussion. The voice of over a million Indian people, it is wise and powerful. The BJP manifesto was created in a closed room. The voice of an isolated man, it is short-sighted and arrogant," Gandhi tweeted on Tuesday.At the launch of the manifesto on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had remarked that people sitting in AC rooms cannot decide on poverty.BJP president Amit Shah had claimed that they "took suggestions from six crore people while making the sankalp patra"."When we came to power in 2014, our country was ranked as an 11th major economy. Today, it stands as the 5th major economy," he added.Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said, "The manifesto has not been ...
Lok Sabha elections: Band Baaja Baaraat for filing nomination
In an unusual move, much to the amusement of onlookers, a man wanting to contest Lok Sabha elections rode a horse and dressed up like a bridegroom, while going to file nomination in Uttar Pradesh's Shahjahanpur.Vaidh Raj Kishan, Sanyukt Vikas Party candidate from Shahjahanpur parliamentary constituency, went to file his nomination papers with a group of people with a brass band troupe."Rajneeti ka damad banker main namankan karne jar aha hu (I am going to file nomination as a son-in-law of politics)," Kishan explained as to why he chose such theatrics.He claimed to have contested several elections including for municipality councillor, chairman and Assembly polls but lady luck never smiled at the 'groom'.Exuding confidence, Kishan said he is upset with the politics and said that he wants to contest in these polls as leaders vanish after winning the elections."I want to tell the leaders that they cannot win the election with the help of money. People of Shahjahanpur are with me and I ..
'Connectivity important for boosting India-Israel relationship'
The connectivity between India and Israel will influence the bilateral relationship and help in increasing the tourist flow on both the sides, India's Ambassador to Israel has said. Pavan Kapoor's remarks came as Indian national carrier Air India celebrated its one year of operations on the Tel Aviv-Delhi sector. The sector is considered a major diplomatic breakthrough given that the flights use Saudi and Omani airspace, registering an impressive growth with average seat occupancy around eighty per cent making it one of the most lucrative sector. Air India's staff and the crew celebrated the completion of one year of operations on the route with passengers travelling to Delhi on Monday night at an event organised here at the airport just before the flight took off at 10:35 PM. "It was a long journey with lots of ups and downs. Lots of interesting history which shall be written at some point but it was a sort of fascinating effort when we had the first flight arrive here on March 22nd .