Page 994 - Politics
BJP firm on Citizenship Bill, AASU vows to oppose move
The issue of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill has gained momentum in Assam once again after the BJP's election manifesto released on Monday vowed to pass the controversial bill in both Houses of Parliament.
Political parties come together against BJP's abrogation of Article 370 poll plank
The BJP's poll plank for abrogating Article 370, that gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir, Monday brought state political parties together, with the National Conference saying it will pave way for "freedom" from India and the PDP warning them to stop "playing with fire". Mainstream political parties, the National Conference (NC) and the PDP, who are political arch-rivals, were singing the same tune after the BJP unveiled its manifesto in which the party resolved abrogation of Article 370 and annulment of Article 35A of the Constitution, that allows the state's legislature to define permanent residents. NC patron Farooq Abdullah, who is the party's candidate from the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat, said abrogating Article 370 will pave the way for "freedom" for people. "They talk of abrogating Article 370. If you do that, the accession will also not stand. I swear by Allah, I think this is the wish of Almighty, we will get freedom from them," he said at an election rally here. The ...
BJP manifesto full of hollow promises: Sheila Dikshit
Delhi Congress president Sheila Dikshit on Monday said the BJP's manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls was "full of hollow promises", adding that it was no match to her party's manifesto. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its manifesto on Monday with a plethora of promises, including expeditious construction of the Ram temple, firmly dealing with terrorism, doubling farmers' income in the next three years, making India the third-largest economy globally by 2030, and scrapping Article 370 of the Constitution that gave a special status to Jammu and Kashmir. "The BJP manifesto is full of hollow promises and false claims. It cannot come anywhere near the Congress manifesto 'Ham Nibhayenge'," Dikshit said in a statement. The people of the country had fully understood Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "falsehood", the former Delhi chief minister said, adding that the voters had lost all faith in him and his "hollow promises". "The BJP manifesto for the 2019 Lok Sabha election does
Thousands fleeing clashes in Libya: UN (2nd Lead)
At least 2,800 people have fled rising violence in Libya's capital Tripoli, the UN said on Monday after international powers began evacuating personnel from the country amid the worsening security situation.
Cong warns of disciplinary action if party leaders and workers
The Congress in Karnataka Monday warned of disciplinary action against party workers and leaders in Mandya, if they do not abide byits decision to support Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil of JD(S) as the coalition's jointcandidate there. The warning by State congress chief Dinesh Gundu Rao comes after repeated failed attempts by the party leadership, including him and CLP leader Siddaramaiah, to pacify Mandya Congress leaders, who are upset over decision to cede the seat to the JD(S), and are strongly opposing Nikhil's candidature. "If anyone goes against the decision of the party and not abide by it, it will be inevitable for us to take action against them," Rao told reporters here. Stating that party men would have to function with "discipline", he said the Congress was striving for thevictory of JD(S) candidates, where they are contesting and vice versa. "So, we cannot think about Mandya as separate..if any of our leaders decides not to cooperate, ours is a
Democracy in India in peril due to Modi: Sharad Pawar
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a "national calamity" who needs to be defeated in the Lok Sabha polls to safeguard the nation, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said here Monday. Claiming that the country's democracy was in "peril" and holding Modi solely responsible for it, Pawar wondered whether democracy will survive in the country if the BJP manages to retain power following the general elections. Canvassing for Navneet Rana, the Yuva Swabhiman Paksh candidate from Amravati Lok Sabha constituency here in Vidarbha region, he dubbed Modi a "national calamity" and said the prime minister should not talk about the ability of the opposition parties to lead the country. "We can run the country well. Modi need not worry about our ability," Pawar said. The Yuva Swabhiman Paksh is part of the grand alliance formed by the Congress, NCP and other parties against the BJP-Shiv Sena combine in Maharashtra. On Modi alleging at Wardha poll rally that Pawar has lost grip on the Nationalist Congress Party ...
US designates Iran's Revolutionary Guards as terrorist organisation
President Donald Trump on Monday announced the United States is designating Iran's elite military force, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a terrorist organization. Trump said in a statement that the "unprecedented" move "recognizes the reality that Iran is not only a State Sponsor of Terrorism, but that the IRGC actively participates in, finances, and promotes terrorism as a tool of statecraft." The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was formed after the 1979 Islamic revolution with a mission to defend the clerical regime, in contrast to more traditional military units that protect borders. At home, the Revolutionary Guards have amassed strong power, including with significant economic interests. The Guards' prized unit is the Quds Force, named for the Arabic word for Jerusalem, which supports forces allied with Iran around the region including Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Lebanon's Hezbollah. Addressing reporters following Trump's announcement, Secretary of State Mike ...
Two women among 12 candidates in fray for LS polls in Goa
Twelve candidates, two of them women, are left in the fray for the two Lok Sabha seats in Goa which goes to the polls on April 23. The tiny state has two Lok Sabha seats - North Goa and South Goa - where a total of 11,35,810 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise. Monday was the last day for withdrawal of nominations, but none of the candidates who have filed their papers opted out of the race, leaving 12 contestants, six each in the two two Lok Sabha seats, in the fray. Both seats are currently held by the ruling BJP. The BJP, the Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Shiv Sena, the Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM) and Independents are in the fray for the two parliamentary seats. The BJP has renominated its sitting MPs, Shripad Naik (North Goa) and Narendra Sawaikar (South Goa). Main opposition the Congress has fielded its state unit president Girish Chodankar in North Goa and former MP Francisco Sardinha from South Goa. The AAP has fielded its candidates Elvis Gomes .
J&K english daily staff get death threats
The staff of one of the leading English dailies of Jammu and Kashmir has received deaths threats from an unidentified person here, prompting the publication to lodge a written complaint with the police, the paper said on Monday. The Jammu bureau of the Greater Kashmir newspaper got several calls on Sunday, where the unidentified person allegedly threatened to shoot down the staff, the paper's officials said. The publication has lodged a written complaint against the caller at the Gandhi Nagar police station. A police official confirmed receiving the complaint from the newspaper and said appropriate action was being taken. The National Conference, People Democratic Party and the Congress condemned the threats to the newspaper and demanded a thorough probe.
French PM sees tax cuts as solution to 'yellow vest' anger
The French government must implement bold tax cuts in response to the "yellow vest" protests, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe argued Monday as he revealed the results of a major public consultation on the crisis. Giving the first conclusions of a "Great National Debate" which was launched in January, Philippe said that French citizens had expressed "an enormous exasperation" over the country's tax burden, which is the highest in the world. "The debates show us very clearly which way to go. We need to lower taxes, and lower them more quickly," Philippe who told an audience in Paris. The "yellow vest" protests, so called for the fluorescent vests worn by demonstrators, began in small-town France in mid-November, initially over fuel taxes before spiralling into a nation-wide revolt against President Emmanuel Macron. The 41-year-old came to power in May 2017 promising pro-business reforms and tax cuts for companies and investors to encourage job creation, earning him a reputation as a ...
Karunanidhi was kept under 'house arrest' for 2 yrs, alleges
In what appeared to be a tit for tat to repeated assertions by M K Stalin of a fresh probe into J Jayalalithaa's death, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami Monday alleged late DMK supremo M Karunanidhi was kept under "house-arrest" for two years. Levelling the charge at an election rally here, the Chief Minister said the 94-year-old Karunanidhi, who passed away on August 7 last year, could have been taken abroad for treatment and indicated the AIADMK government could launch a probe into it. Repeated attempts to contact senior DMK leaders for their reaction to Palaniswami's charge did not yield any immediate response. Stalin, who succeeded Karunanidhi as DMK chief, has been harping on the 'circumstances' leading to the death of late chief minister Jayalalithaa in December 2016, saying if DMK comes to power, it would order a comprehensive probe into it. In his Lok Sabha election campaigns, Stalin has been saying such a probe would 'unravel' the facts behind her death .
Seven protesters dead in Sudan demos dispersed since Saturday: Minister
Sudan's interior minister said Monday that seven protesters had died, including six in the state of Khartoum, when security forces dispersed several anti-government demonstrations held since April 6. "While the demonstrations were being dispersed seven citizens died, six of them in Khartoum state and one in central Darfur," Bushara Juma told parliament, adding that about 10,000 protesters had rallied in front of the military headquarters in the capital on Saturday.
Unaccounted cash seized from car near Coimbatore
Unaccounted cash totalling Rs 1.02 crore was seized from a car during a vehicle-check near here Monday, election officials said. Though the occupants in the vehicle claimed the money was meant to be deposited in an ATM, the election flying squad seized the money, the officials said. Besides, Rs 17 lakh in cash was seized from a vehicle in Udhagamandalam, which was reportedly following the convoy of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami, now on an election campaign in Nilgiris Parliamentary constituency, they said. Preliminary investigations revealed the cash belonged to a private company in the area, they said adding further investigations into both the seizures were on.
Kejriwal terms BJP manifesto as fresh set of 'jumlas'
AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal on Monday termed the BJP's manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls as a "fresh set of jumlas" and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah did not have the courage to say why demonetisation was done and farmers were pushed towards destruction. Reminding the prime minister of his party's 2014 promise of granting full statehood to Delhi, Kejriwal said the BJP's 2019 manifesto did not have any mention of it, which meant that Modi was lying and, in turn, making it even more difficult for people to believe him. "BJP unveils a fresh set of jumlas without telling the country what is the fate of its 2014 jumlas. Modi-Shah don't have the courage to speak on why demonetisation was done? What happened to two crore jobs? Why were farmers pushed towards destruction?," the Delhi chief minister said in a tweet. Eyeing to retain power, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) made a plethora of poll promises on Monday, including expeditious construction of ...
IAF releases radar images of Feb 27 aerial engagement to assert downing of Pak F-16
The Indian Air Force on Monday released radar images as part of its "irrefutable evidence" to assert that it shot down an F-16 fighter jet of Pakistan during the February 27 aerial combat over Nowshera in Jammu and Kashmir. Graphic captures from an airborne warning and control system (AWACS) were shown by the IAF at a media briefing, reiterating that it has credible evidence that Pakistan Air Force (PAF) lost an F-16 fighter jet in the aerial engagement. The IAF had issued a similar statement on Friday asserting that it shot down an F-16 in Nowshera sector after leading American magazine 'Foreign Policy' reported that a US count of the F-16s with Pakistan has found that none of them are missing. Government has been maintaining that IAF pilot Abhinandan Varthaman had engaged with one of the Pakistani F-16s and shot it down before his Mig-21 Bison was downed, but Pakistan has denied losing any aircraft in the combat. Varthaman was captured by Pakistan and was released after spending ...
Raj BJP praises party's manifesto, calls it based on 'nation first' concept
The state BJP chief Madan Lal Saini on Monday praised his party's election manifesto, saying it was based on 'nation first' concept, even as the Congress criticised it for only focusing on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The BJP election manifesto has been prepared by participation of 6 crore people. It is far-sighted and practical, Saini said in a statement. He said the party has clearly mentioned that it aims to make India one of the top three economies in the world. The BJP is committed to nationalism and has zero tolerance policy against terrorism, he said, adding the party is committed to scrapping section 35A and eliminating infiltration in Jammu and Kashmir. Commenting on the BJP's manifesto, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot tweeted, "Congress focused on people of this country and their issues in its manifesto whereas BJP highlights only PM Modi. Their promise is only Modi ji, their claim is to return to power of Modi ji and their vision is how to prolong the rule of Modi ...
Succession row hits Navy, superceded officer moves court
The Armed Forces Tribunal will hear a petition filed by Vice Admiral Bimal Verma challenging his supersession and appointment of Vice Admiral Karambir Singh as the next Navy Chief.
Pak, India to hold technical meeting on Kartarpur corridor on April 16: FO
Pakistan said Monday that it will hold a technical meeting with India on April 16 to discuss the modalities for the corridor linking Gurudwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur to Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district in Punjab. "Continuing with Pakistan's spirit of constructive engagement, we have agreed to the Indian proposal for a technical meeting on 16 April," Foreign Office spokesman Dr Mohammad Faisal tweeted. "We expect positivity from India so that the corridor becomes reality for 550th celebrations," he further said. India and Pakistan last month held a meeting of technical experts on the Kartarpur corridor during which its alignment, coordinates, and other engineering aspects of the proposed crossing points were discussed. The technical meeting at the level of experts, including engineers and surveyors, was held at "proposed zero points" in the follow up to the decision reached on the March 14 meeting. Later, the Pakistani Cabinet constituted a 10-member Pakistan Sikh ...
EC's directive to I-T Dept on raids is 'too little, too late': Cong
The Congress Monday termed the EC's directive to the I-T Department on raids carried out during poll time as "too little, too late" and hoped it will take decisive action against "prejudiced officers" of I-T and ED trying to "bulldoze and intimidate" political opponents. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala alleged that the Narendra Modi government was being blinded by hatred and revenge in the manner its probe agencies were acting against BJP's political opponents. He claimed there were four people campaigning for the BJP -- Prime Minister Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). "The Election Commission's action is too little, too late. We are happy that they have finally taken note of their responsibility of superintendence and conduct of election under Article 324 of Constitution of India. "We do hope that the Election Commission will take decisive action against the patently prejudiced officers of Income ..
Patnaik accuses Panda of spreading rumour about his health
Biju Janata Dal president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Monday accused former MP Baijayant Panda of spreading rumour about his "ill" health. "I am sure that one of our ex-MPs spreads this rumour, I think to get political gain," Patnaik told a private news channel before going on campaign trail to western Odisha. When asked whether he is referring to Baiyajant Panda, the four-time chief minister said: "I am." To a question as to why he (Panda) would spread such a rumour, 72-year-old Patnaik, who is seeking election from two Assembly constituencies this time, said: "I think for his personal political ambitions." On whether Panda attempted positioning himself in the party to take on the chief minister, Patnaik said: "He was trying." However, Panda was quick to refute the allegation. "That's just ridiculous thing to say. Also, it's false. It's very sad to see him descend into this paranoia about me," Panda said his twitter post. "I pray Lord Jagannath to give him ..