Sonia to speak on Mahatma’s ideals at UN
By Parveen Chopra, IANS
New York : Congress president Sonia Gandhi will Tuesday address the UN General Assembly (UNGA) when it formally declares Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary as International Day of Non-Violence.
Gandhi, accompanied by her son and newly appointed Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, arrived here Sunday night.
India: NCP ready to support, Sonia, Rahul as PM after 2009 polls
By NNN-PTI
New Delhi : Sharad Pawar-led NCP, a key constituent of the ruling UPA, has said it is ready to support Congress President Sonia Gandhi or her son Rahul for the post of Prime Minister in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections.
"Congress is the biggest party in the UPA. There is no question of NCP, DMK or RJD or any other party coming close to their numbers and if tomorrow Congress decides to nominate Mrs Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi, it's not a question for NCP to decide," NCP General Secretary Praful Patel said.
INLD wins Haryana’s Ellenabad by-election
By IANS,
Ellenabad (Haryana) : Abhey Singh Chautala of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) Saturday won the crucial by-election for the Ellenabad assembly seat in Haryana.
Abhey, younger son of INLD president and former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala, won the seat by 6,227 votes over his Congress rival Bharat Singh Beniwal.
Mystery of PMO’s vanishing Twitter followers
By Prasanto K. Roy,
On May 20, four days after the Congress party and its ruling alliance conceded the mother of all mandates in three decades to the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party, the Twitter handle of the Prime Minister's Office, @PMOIndia, vanished mysteriously.
BJP plans inroads into Uttar Pradesh’s Bundelkhand region
By IANS
Lucknow : Close on the heels of its political rivals, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is gearing to make inroads into the poverty-ridden Bundelkhand region of southern Uttar Pradesh.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chieftain Mulayam Singh Yadav and Chief Minister Mayawati have already visited the region plagued by starvation deaths.
Now, state BJP chief Raj Nath Singh is scheduled to undertake a three-day tour of Bundelkhand from March 3, party spokesman Hriday Narain Dikshit told IANS Monday.
Banerjee suggests simultaneous polls, calls model code bizarre
Kolkata : Dubbing the model code of conduct for elections as "bizarre", Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee Tuesday suggested simultaneous holding of Lok Sabha,...
Achuthanandan asks SJD and RSP to pull out of UDF
Thiruvananthapuram : Leader of opposition V.S. Achuthanandan Monday asked two of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) allies, the Revolutionary Socialist Party and the...
West Bengal Congress to contest Rajya Sabha polls
By IANS,
Kolkata : The Congress party is to contest the coming Rajya Sabha polls in West Bengal, state Congress president Pradip Bhattacharya said here Sunday.
Jammu-Delhi Rajdhani Express searched after bomb threat
Pathankot (Punjab): The Jammu-Delhi Rajdhani Express was Sunday evening stopped and searched at the Pathankot railway station in Punjab following a high-level alert that...
Has Akhilesh emerged from his father’s shadow?
By Mohit Dubey
Lucknow : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav may be finally moving out of the long shadow of his towering father and...
Not returning Padma Bhushan a mark of respect for Manmohan: Artist Arpita Singh
By Preetha Nair
New Delhi : A black and white street impression of a lynched man with "Dadri, north of India, Circa 2015" scribbled...
Polling held for 56 Rajya Sabha seats
By IANS
New Delhi : The fate of many central ministers and some top leaders of the country's political parties who contested polls for a seat in parliament's upper house was decided Wednesday when the biennial Rajya Sabha elections for 56 seats were conducted in 17 states.
Simultaneously, elections were also held to fill up 18 seats of Maharashtra and Bihar legislative councils.
The elections for two Rajya Sabha seats from Karnataka, which fell vacant due to the retirement of Vijay Mallaya and M.V. Rajasekharan, could not be held because the state's assembly stands dissolved.
Suspended Congress MPs hold protest
By IANS,
New Delhi : Congress MPs from Telangana who were suspended from the Lok Sabha Tuesday staged a protest against the decision at the parliament complex here Wednesday.
Uma Bharti ropes in Govindacharya for his expertise to brighten her party’s prospects
By Pervez Bari, Two Circles.net,
Bhopal: Ms Uma Bharti, the stormy petrel of India politics, meaning serious business for her political outfit Bharatiya Janashakti Party, (BJSP), to stand up and be counted has been successful in roping in her mentor Govindacharya, who is a RSS ideologue and former Bharatiya Janata Party, (BJP), leader, to help her out in her endeavor.
Kalyan court sends Thackeray to jail for 14 days
By IANS,
Mumbai : A court in the Maharashtra town of Kalyan Wednesday sent Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray to jail till Nov 5.
As he was sent to judicial custody in the case filed by Kalyan police following Sunday's attack by MNS supporters on non Maharashtrians appearing for the railway recruitment examinations, there were others waiting for him as well.
Samajwadi Party for Congress, rules out tie-up with Third Front
By IANS,
Kolkata : The Samajwadi Party Sunday said it was open to a tie-up with the Congress after the Lok Sabha polls but ruled out any truck with the Third Front and the Left as they were aligned with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).
"As long as our arch rival BSP chief Mayawati is with the Left parties or the Third Front, we are not going for any post-poll tie-up with them," said Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh, in the city to canvass for his party candidates.
Sponsorship deal cancelled; powerlifter Majiziya Bhanu requests help on social media
By Najiya O, TwoCircles.net
International powerlifter Majiziya Bhanu has qualified to participate in the World Championship being held in Russia in December but is in...
Got positive assurance from Modi on demands: Jayalalithaa
New Delhi/Chennai : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday to raise demands concerning her state, said she...
Day after, ‘aam aadmi’ flock AAP office
New Delhi : From requests of ensuring a good career for their children to that of meeting President Pranab Mukherjee, the AAP headquarters was...
It’s BJP money, says Congress of currency flashed in parliament
By IANS,
New Delhi : India's ruling Congress charged that the wads of currency notes displayed in parliament Tuesday by three Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs to allege they had been bribed ahead of a crucial trust vote belonged to their own party.
"Yes, that's what I am saying," Congress spokesperson Jayanti Natarajan told NDTV news channel in reply to a pointed question as to whether she was saying that the money belonged to the BJP itself.
"Unless they give evidence, we can't take them at their word," Natarajan maintained, adding: "They are bringing parliament into disrepute."
Covid-19, state repression and the decline of people’s movement
The outbreak of Covid-19 shattered the whole world and everything was on a standstill except the state. The state managed to get absolute control...
Portfolios of Manmohan Singh cabinet announced
By IANS,
New Delhi : The UPA government Thursday evening announced the portfolios of the 72 ministers. Among the prominent cabinet ministers, Farooq Abdullah is the minister of New and Renewable Energy, while M. Veerappa Moily is the Law Minister, and Ambika Soni is the new Information and Broadcasting Minister.
Kapil Sibal is the Human Resource Development Minister, Anand Sharma is the Commerce and Industry Minister while Shashi Tharoor is Minister of State for External Affairs.
CABINET MINISTERS
1. Shri Virbhadra Singh Minister of Steel
Mamata hindering Burdwan probe as Trinamool involved: Amit Shah
Kolkata : BJP president Amit Shah Sunday alleged the involvement of Trinamool Congress leaders in the Oct 2 Burdwan blast, and accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of compromising national security by hindering the NIA probe into the blast in which Bangladeshi militants were involved.
Article 370 cannot go without re-opening question of accession: Omar
Srinagar : Contending the constitution's article 370 granting special status to Jammu and Kashmir cannot be abrogated without reopening the question of its accession...
Modi vs Kejriwal vs Sonia on last Sunday before Delhi polls
New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal Sunday made determined bids to woo the people...
Lt. Gen. Nirbhay Sharma sworn-in as Mizoram governor
Aizawl : Lt. General Nirbhay Sharma (retd.) was sworn in as the 17th governor of Mizoram at the Durbar Hall of Raj Bhavan here...
Kerala to host Congress’ south regional conference
By IANS,
New Delhi: Kerala's state Congress unit chief Ramesh Chennithala said Wednesday that the party will host its southern regional conference in October.
The Kerala conference will be one of the five such conferences being organised across the country as part of 125th anniversary of the Congress.
"The KPCC (Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee) has agreed to host the conference in the state during the third week of October, after the elections to local civic agencies," Chennithala told IANS.
Vinod Rai seeking publicity for his book: Congress
New Delhi : The Congress Friday dismissed former CAG Vinod Rai's remarks on ex-prime minister Manmohan Singh's role in the 2G spectrum and coal...
Modi injecting communalism in Bihar: Nitish
Patna : Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of injecting communalism into the election campaign after the...
Kashmir: Claims of probe on Hyderpora encounter leave police, families of slain, political parties...
The claims of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Jammu Kashmir Police ordered to probe the controversial Hyderpora encounter, have been dismissed by...
No assembly polls duty for striking Bihar home guards
Patna : Bihar government has decided not to deploy the Home Guards, who are on strike for the past one week, on duty for...
Anti-trafficking Bill to be introduced in Parliament soon: Maneka Gandhi
Chandigarh : Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi on Monday said the government will soon bring an anti-trafficking legislation in Parliament to...
Jayaprada to return to Andhra politics
By IANS,
Hyderabad : Planning a comeback to Andhra Pradesh politics, actress-turned-politician Jayaprada is keen to contest the Lok Sabha election from Rajahmundry, her hometown.
Ramdev supporters root for Modi at yoga guru’s show
New Delhi : BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi stole the thunder at Baba Ramdev's "Yoga Mahotsav" at the Ramlila Maidan Sunday as the...
After Lalu, Bihar CM demands probe into SIMI activists’ killing
Patna : After RJD chief Lalu Prasad, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday demanded a high-level impartial probe into the killing of eight...
Chhattisgarh poll: Congress brings graft charges against BJP
By IANS,
Raipur : The opposition Congress in Chhattisgarh Saturday brought out a long chargesheet alleging that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had "crossed all limits of corruption" and there was "complete misrule" in the state.
The first phase of polling for 39 seats in Chhattisgarh concluded Friday. Voting for the other 51 constituencies will be held Nov 20.
The chargesheet titled "BJP's five year rule - a black chapter" mainly focuses on Chief Minister Raman Singh and his 13-member council of ministers.
Rahul’s loan waiver proposals under consideration : Congress
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Congress party Tuesday said Rahul Gandhi's proposals on farm loan waiver are still under consideration of the finance ministry, even though Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar had ruled out any changes in the scheme.
"We do not consider it (Pawar's statement) a rejection (of Rahul Gandhi's suggestions). all constructive suggestions will be looked into when final allocations are made in the budget," said Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi at a press conference.
BJP rejigs national executive; Smriti, Najma left out
New Delhi : BJP president Amit Shah on Thursday reconstituted the party's national executive, but union ministers Smriti Irani and Najma Heptulla did not...
Coal mine probe should be honest: Karunanidhi
By IANS,
Chennai : DMK president M. Karunanidhi said Saturday everything relating to the investigation in the coal mine allocation scam should be done in an honest manner.
Congress holds state-wide stir against Mayawati government
By IANS,
Lucknow: The Congress party Thursday held state-wide demonstrations against the Mayawati government's decision to hold urban local body elections in Uttar Pradesh along non-political lines.
During the series of protests conducted across Uttar Pradesh, Congress activists burnt the copies of the notifications related to the change of pattern in the urban local bodies, and shouted slogans against the state government.
Minor clashes with the police were also reported during the demonstrations at some places, including in Allahabad, Bareilly, and Kanpur.
With Bihar MLA in jail, rape victim takes Class 10 exam
Patna : A day after ruling RJD legislator Raj Ballabh Yadav, accused of raping a schoolgirl, surrendered in a court and was sent to...
Elements from both sides raking up ‘ghar wapsi’ issue: Naqvi
Hyderabad : Trying to do a balancing act on the religious conversions, union Minister of State for Minority Welfare and Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas...
Modi defends welfare camps for poor
By IANS,
Gandhinagar: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi Sunday said that the programme of garib kalyan melas (GKM) to distribute welfare assistance among the poor under various schemes will continue despite criticism by middlemen and the opposition.
"The critics are none other than organized groups of middlemen who have lost their exploitative edge," he said at a mela in Aankalav town in Anand district after distributing assistance worth Rs.6.75 crores to 4,534 beneficiaries.
The success of the melas has prompted the government to take them down to the taluka level, he said.
My statement on Congress, Rahul misinterpreted: Khurshid
By IANS,
New Delhi: Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid Tuesday said his comments on the Congress and its general secretary Rahul Gandhi in a daily newspaper had been interpreted "wrongly".
Congress leader’s killing sparks violence in Uttar Pradesh
Lucknow, Oct 26 (IANS) A former president of the district Congress was shot dead in Uttar Pradesh's Allahabad, sparking violence in which party activists fought a pitched battle with the police, attempted to torch a police station and set afire two State Roadways buses, a police official said Sunday.
"The former district president of the Congress, V. Tiwari, was sprayed with bullets late Saturday night at his residence," L. Shukla, senior superintendent of police of Allahabad, told IANS by telephone.
The motorcycle-borne assailants shot dead Tiwari and fled from the spot, he added.
AAP leader Somnath Bharti beaten up in Varanasi
Varanasi: AAP leader and former Delhi law minister Somnath Bharti was beaten up allegedly by some BJP supporters during a TV show here Wednesday...
Thackeray improves, Mumbai returns to normal life
By IANS,
Mumbai : Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray's condition showed signs of improvement Friday, leading to normalcy returning to the city and crowds outside his residence thinning.
PM meets President on completing a year in office
New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday called on President Pranab Mukherjee to mark the first anniversary of the National Democratic Alliance...
Uproar in Lok Sabha over Salim’s remarks; Rajnath says deeply hurt
New Delhi : A remark attributed to Home Minister Rajnath Singh by CPI-M member Mohammad Salim during the debate on intolerance triggered turmoil in...
BJP demands Pawar’s resignation over Pune IPL bid
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Friday demanded resignation of union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar alleging that he had misled the nation about his interests relating to the Indian Premier League (IPL).
"He should resign forthwith. If (he does) not, we demand stern action against Pawar from Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh)," BJP chief spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters here.
A media report Friday said Pawar and his family members had 16 percent share in City Corporation which was one of the bidders for Pune IPL team.
Jammu and Kashmir governor seeks centre’s financial help
Jammu : Jammu and Kashmir Governor N.N. Vohra Wednesday confirmed that the state is facing a serious financial crisis and needs immediate support of...
Congress aims for a hat-trick in Chandigarh
By IANS,
Chandigarh : The Congress and its sitting MP Pawan Kumar Bansal are aiming for a hat-trick of victories in the Chandigarh parliamentary constituency which goes to the polls Wednesday.
With the sobriquet of 'City Beautiful' attached to its name, Chandigarh - a union territory and the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana - is an important political centre of northern India.
Modi calls for global partnership against terrorism
Nay Pyi Taw : Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday called for rejecting any linkages between religion and terrorism and said that comprehensive response...
No new taxes in Punjab budget
Chandigarh : Punjab Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa on Wednesday said no new taxes are being imposed in the state's budget for 2015-16.
Presenting the...
Communists ask government not to allow FDI in multi-brand retail
By IANS,
New Delhi : Two opposition communist parties Tuesday asked the government not to allow foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail, saying it would jeopardise the livelihood of lakhs of people.
बिहार की चुनाव डायरी – किसकी जोड़ी कितनी हिट
नासिरुद्दीन हैदर
बिहार में चुनाव प्रचार खत्म हो चुका है. आज आखिरी दौर का मतदान भी हो गया है. फिर नतीजों की बारी है. उससे...
Campaign tale of two Allahabad families – and their ‘bahus’
By Sharat Pradhan, IANS, Allahabad : It is the Gandhis versus the Bachchans in this historic Uttar Pradesh town in these crucial campaign days, with the political dynasty vying with the glitter of Bollywood to attract voters. And the eminent daughters-in-law of both families are using every sentimental trick in the book to strike a chord.
Chidambaram hits out at BCCI, Narendra Modi
By IANS,
New Delhi : Home Minister P. Chidambaram Monday hit back at the Indian cricket board, saying the comments of its president on shifting the Indian Premier League (IPL) out of the country were "unwarranted".
"The comments of BCCI (Board of Cricket for Control in India) president Shashank Manohar that it was because of the attitude of the government for not providing security forces that the organisers were forced to take the event out of India are unwarranted," Chidambaram told journalists here.
Centre to make toilets available for every family: BJP
New Delhi : Making toilets available for every family who have been deprived of proper sanitation facilities is one of the most important tasks...
BSP’s Rae Bareli candidate charged with violating poll code
By IANS,
Lucknow : R.S. Kushwaha, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate from Uttar Pradesh's Rae Bareli seat, has been charged with violating the model code of conduct for using mikes without permission, police said Saturday.
A case against Kushwaha has been registered for defying the model code of conduct for using mikes and loudspeakers without the necessary permission to address an election meeting in Mirzapur Aehari village in Rae Bareli, police inspector B.R. Mishra told IANS over telephone.
MP by-poll: 33 percent vote till 1.00 p.m.
Bhopal: Voting proceeded peacefully in the Garoth assembly constituency by-poll in Madhya Pradesh's Mandsaur district on Saturday, with one-third of the electorate exercising their...
Two-thirds voting for 2nd Tripura seat
Agartala: Two-third of the voters Saturday cast their ballots till afternoon for the second Lok Sabha seat in Left-ruled Tripura, an official said.
Around 66...
We oppose offshore casinos, ok with land ones: Parrikar
Panaji : The Goa BJP is opposed only to offshore casinos and not onshore ones, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar told the state assembly Wednesday.
He...
Congress-SP likely to contest polls together
By IANS,
Lucknow : The Congress and the Samajwadi Party are likely to contest the 2009 Lok Sabha elections together in Uttar Pradesh.
Highly placed sources in both parties told IANS that the decision had been taken after the realisation that going separately would split their common vote in favour of the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).
Shiv Sena ready to back BJP-led coalition in Maharashtra
Mumbai : The Shiv Sena may support a Bharatiya Janata Party-led government in Maharashtra, a top Sena leader said here Thursday.
"The election results indicate...
I am now a sinner in the eyes of the party: Somnath
By IANS,
Kolkata : In his first hard-hitting reaction after expulsion from the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee has said he was now a "sinner" in the eyes of the party, and asserted that he would see how far those spreading "canards" against him could go.
Chatterjee also promised to reply to the "canards" being spread against him "in a day or two".
BJP may contest without ally in Jharkhand
Ranchi : After winning 12 of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in Jharkhand, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is determined to go it alone...
वैसे, नीतीश कुमार पर किन्हें भरोसा था?
नासिरूद्दीन
क्या सिर्फ़ नीतीश कुमार पर बात कर बिहार से निकली बहस ख़त्म की जा सकती है?
क्या महागठबंधन से बाहर होने के लिए अकेले...
Relax poll code to save Vidarbha farmers, says NGO
Nagpur : A leading NGO Tuesday urged the Election Commission (EC) to relax the model code of conduct in Vidarbha region, to enable the...
NCW summons Ashutosh for ‘demeaning’ women
New Delhi: The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Monday summoned Aam Aadmi Party leader Ashutosh for "demeaning" women through one of the articles...
Rural jobs scheme funds misused in Uttar Pradesh: Congress
By IANS,
Lucknow: The Congress Tuesday alleged large-scale corruption and irregularities in the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) in Uttar Pradesh, and announced a series of agitations against the "corrupt" Mayawati regime.
"We have got a report prepared by one of our activists who has gathered sufficient evidence to establish how officials of the Mayawati administration have indulged in blatant misuse of NREGS funds," Congress general secretary and state in-charge Digvijay Singh told media persons.
PDP’s self-rule agenda is ‘de-facto freedom’: Mufti
By IANS,
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir's main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Tuesday said its demand for self-rule in the state was equivalent to freedom that does not undermine the sovereignty of India and Pakistan in their respective ruled regions of the territory.
"Self-rule is equivalent to de-facto azadi (freedom)... the freedom from siege - from mental, physical, political siege - but without undermining the sovereignty of India and Pakistan," PDP president Mehbooba Mufti told reporters here.
Congress leader chairing Kerala film body criticised
Thiruvananthapuram : A section of the Malayalam film industry has expressed its displeasure at firebrand Congress leader Rajmohan Unnithan being appointed chairman of the...
BJP leader apologises for hate speech, Trinamool files complaint
Kolkata : A BJP leader in West Bengal who called for chopping off the hands of activists of the ruling Trinamool Congress Friday apologised...
Voting begins in Jammu and Kashmir
By IANS,
Srinagar/Jammu : Voting began Monday morning for the first phase of the seven-phased assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir to elect a new state government amid a boycott call by Muslim separatists.
Polling started at 8 a.m. in 10 constituencies spread over the Muslim-dominated Kashmir Valley, the Hindu-majority Jammu region and the mainly Buddhist Ladakh.
Braving the chilly conditions, voters in small numbers came out early morning in the Bandipora and Sonawari constituencies of the valley to elect their representatives to the new 87-member assembly.
Mayawati inducts Dharmraj Nishad as cabinet minister
By IANS,
Lucknow : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati Wednesday inducted Dharmraj Nishad in her ministry after the arrest of former minister Jamuna Nishad, who led a protesting mob that killed a policeman.
Dharmraj Nishad, a lawmaker from the Katehari constituency, was sworn in as a cabinet minister with independent charge. He has not been allotted any department.
Naseemuddin Siddiqui, accused in disproportionate asset case, takes a dig at Lokayukta
By TCN Special Correspondent,
BJP criticises Jharkhand governor for mass transfers
By IANS,
Ranchi : The Jharkhand unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came down heavily on state Governor K. Sankarnarayanan, accusing him of violating the guidelines of the central home ministry and the Supreme Court by transferring 21 Indian Police Service (IPS) officers.
The Jharkhand government Oct 2 effected reshuffle of 21 IPS officials. The district police chiefs of 13 of the 24 districts in the state were transferred.
Political parties in the state, including the BJP, have raised questions over the mass reshuffle of the IPS officials.
Communalism Combat re-launched on the occasion of Constitution Day
By TCN News,
New Delhi: Social activists Teesta Setalvad and Javed Anand have launched a re-invented online version of Communalism Combat, on www.sabrangindia.in on the...
Celebration for Congress in Telangana, gloom in Seemandhra
Hyderabad: For the Congress, it was time for celebration in Telangana while it was gloom in Seemandhra as the results of the municipal elections...
Left leaders urge action against Bajrang Dal and VHP
By IANS,
New Delhi : Demanding appropriate action against Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) for their role in instigating communal violence in Orissa, a five-member Left party delegation led by Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) politburo member Brinda Karat met President Pratibha Patil here Thursday.
The other Left party leaders included Gurudas Das Gupta and D.Raja of the Communist Party of India and Suresh Kurup, Tapan Sen (CPI-M) - all of whom visited Orissa separately.
Four Muslim youths booked for their opinion on Ayodhya Verdict; one had asked for...
By NewsDesk, TwoCircles.net
The UP Police booked four people, including one student of the Aligarh Muslim University, for their Facebook posts following the Ayodhya Verdict....
Tie-up with DMK strong, says Congress
By IANS,
New Delhi : There were no hiccups in the Congress' alliance with the DMK and there were no possibilities of the party tying up with the AIADMK ahead of elections in the state next year, a party spokesperson said here Wednesday.
"Our alliance (with the DMK) is strong," Congress spokesperson Shakeel Ahmed told IANS. He clarified that the alliance continued and "there were no hiccups or misunderstanding between the two parties".
He also stressed that the DMK was part of the United Progressive Alliance government.
Sukhbir Badal resigns as Punjab deputy chief minister
By IANS,
Chandigarh : Sukhbir Singh Badal resigned as Punjab deputy chief minister Wednesday, less than six months after being sworn in as second in command to his father Parkash Singh Badal.
Chief Minister Badal confirmed that his son had put in his papers.
Badal junior resigned as he could not get himself elected to the Punjab assembly within six months of being sworn in.
He took oath on Jan 21 this year and had to get elected within six months under the rules of the Representation of Peoples Act. The six month period was to end July 20.
More youngsters should vote, says EC
By IANS,
New Delhi : More youngsters should come forward and exercise their franchise as "each vote counts", an Election Commission (EC) official said Monday.
Police protection sought for Bihar Congress chief
By IANS,
Patna : Police protection has been sought for Bihar Congress president Anil Kumar Sharma after an alleged threat by former MP Pappu Yadav, convicted in 2008 for the murder of Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) legislator Ajit Sarkar.
Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) vice president Samir Kumar Singh said Sunday that he Saturday wrote to Bihar police chief Neelmani to provide security to Sharma.
Mumbai CID team visits West Bengal, find out that Bengali workers they arrested in...
By Mirza Mosaraf Hossain, TwoCircles.net
Nearly a month after the arrest of four people in Mumbai for being ‘illegal Bangladeshis’, a team of two men...
Complete NRC by March 1: SC to Assam government
New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Assam government to make available all resources including manpower for compilation of the draft...
Regional parties here to stay, says Manmohan
By IANS,
New Delhi : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh clarified Saturday that he had nothing against regional parties and that regional parties had a role to play.
Asked to comment on his earlier critical comments about regional parties in the light of Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi's attempt to woo them, the prime minister said he had only made "a casual remark".
He said he had meant to say that when there were too many political parties, "it affects our ability grow fast.
Government on the edge after communist warning
By IANS
New Delhi : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was Saturday faced with the worst political crisis in three years after communist leader Prakash Karat warned there would be "serious consequences" for the Congress-led government and the country if it went ahead with the Indo-US civil nuclear agreement.
British Muslim Sadiq Khan ‘set to win London mayoral race’
London : Sadiq Khan looks set to become the new Mayor of London - boosting Labour after it slumped in Scotland's elections.
Khan, who would...
Cabinet clears seeds bill
By IANS,
New Delhi : The union cabinet Thursday cleared a bill that aims to regulate the quality of seeds sold in the country.
According to sources, the bill, which was introduced in the Rajya Sabha in 2004, seeks to replace the Seeds Act 1966.
The bill was cleared at the cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
According to provisions of the bill, all varieties of seeds for sale have to be registered and the seeds are required to meet certain prescribed minimum standards.
Forced family planning can’t take place in democracy: Varun Gandhi
By IANS,
Lucknow : Varun Gandhi, the controversial Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Pilibhit, Monday once again asserted that he was not in favour of forced sterilisation as had been reported in the media.
"I am against forced family planning measures. In a democratic country like ours, such measures cannot be adopted," Varun Gandhi said at an election rally in Pilibhit, some 250 km from here.
"I never said that I am in favour of forced family planning. My comments about family planning were reproduced in a wrong way in a section of media," he said.
In Jharkhand, friends and foes swap roles
By IANS,
Ranchi : As Jharkhand prepares to get another coalition government, old friends have become foes while once bitter rivals are set to prop up Shibu Soren as the next chief minister.
The 2009 post-poll scenario is quite different from what one saw five years earlier.
In 2005, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the Congress were together. The latter played a key role in the formation of the Shibu Soren government although the numbers were pitted against him.
Acute food shortage in Kashmir: CPI-M
New Delhi : The CPI-M Friday asked the central government to step up relief and rescue work in flood-hit Jammu and Kashmir, saying the...
Vajpayee’s niece Karuna Shukla joins Congress
New Delhi : Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's niece and former BJP vice president Karuna Shukla Thursday joined the Congress, and hit out...
Bihar BJP legislator arrested for killing employee
Agarwal was alleged to be involved in the Forbesganj firing of June 2011 also
By IANS,
BJP’s first list of Jharkhand candidates out
New Delhi: The BJP Sunday came out with its first list of 63 candidates for the Jharkhand assembly elections.
Polls for the Jharkhand assembly's 81...
Nothing much to cheer for Karunakaran as he turns ninety
By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram : Veteran Congress leader K. Karunakaran wouldn't have been happy with the 'gift' given to him by the Congress headquarters in New Delhi as he turned ninety Saturday. The All India Congress Committee (AICC) has allocated only four posts to accommodate his followers in the state party unit, say media reports.
Fact check of Prime Minister’s 70th Independence Day speech
New Delhi : A fact check on claims made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Independence Day speech from the Red Fort:
* Claim:...
Court turns down Pappu Yadav’s plea to contest poll
By IANS,
Patna : The Patna High Court Thursday rejected Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Rajesh Ranjan Yadav alias Pappu Yadav's plea to suspend his conviction in a criminal case so that he could contest the coming Lok Sabha election.
A division bench of the court rejected the petition of Yadav, who has been sentenced to life imprisonment by a lower court for murdering Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) legislator Ajit Sarkar in 1998. Yadav, the sitting MP from Madhepura, is currently out on bail.
Don’t act like Sherlock Holmes: Himachal CM to BJP
Dharamsala : Don't try to act like modern Sherlock Holmes. This was the advice Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh Wednesday gave to the...
AAP win a defeat for arrogance, ‘Bhaag Modi Bhaag’, says Trinamool
Kolkata : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress Tuesday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying "arrogance and political vendetta have...
US policy on India and Modi needs to change: US media
Washington : The American media Friday greeted Narendra Modi led Bharatiya Janata Party's stunning win in the Indian election with a leading Indian-American commentator...
Advani, Rajnath eye 150 seats in Gujarat
By IANS
Ahmedabad : Gujarat's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sounded the election bugle Wednesday with senior leader L.K. Advani and party president Rajnath Singh asking cadres to ensure the party's victory in the forthcoming assembly polls with 150 of the 182 seats.
Addressing a state-level meet of party workers here, they said it was the cadres' responsibility that the party got the type of "massive mandate" they were seeking and succeeded in forming the government in the state for the third time running.
Special centres for rape victims, says Maneka
New Delhi : The government would set up special centres for rape victims in each district of the country to give them protection, medical...
Akhilesh orders 24×7 power supply for Varanasi
Lucknow : Bowing to public pressure and demands of the BJP, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav Monday ordered 24x7 power supply for Varanasi,...
RSS, BJP leaders to address world Hindu congress
New Delhi : BJP and RSS leaders will address an international conference beginning here Nov 21 that seeks to provide a global platform to...
Jadavpur University files complaint against ABVP-BJP activists
Kolkata : The Jadavpur University authorities on Friday filed a police complaint against four outsiders - three of them ABVP activists - for allegedly...
Advani wants POTA back
By Sahil Makkar, IANS,
Jaipur : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani Wednesday urged the Indian government to re-enact the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) to meet the challenge of terrorists.
"After seeing the major blasts in Jaipur, it is high time for the government of India to reintroduce POTA (Prevention of Terrorism Act)," Advani told reporters here.
Himachal monsoon session set to be stormy
By IANS,
Shimla : With assembly elections only months away, the four-day monsoon session of the Himachal Pradesh assembly starting Monday is likely to be stormy.
Lok Sabha passes bill to amend Citizenship Act
New Delhi/Jammu : The Lok Sabha Monday passed a bill that allows the central government to notify that Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) card-holders...
“Was asked to stop recording Khori Gaon villagers,” independent journalists decry ‘police harassment’
Several independent journalists were denied access to cover the recent farmer's protest at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi and the Khori Gaon demolition in Haryana....
Opposition parties come out strongly against privatisation
By IANS,
New Delhi: Trade unions will be forced to intensify their agitation if the government does not fulfil their demands, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) said Wednesday, strongly protesting rising prices and privatisation of state-run firms.
"There is a strike against merger of banks and backdoor move towards their privatisation through outsourcing," said CPI-M MP Tapan Kumar Sen, raising the matter during zero hour in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of parliament.
Mayawati urges people to vote BSP in states, centre
By IANS
Mumbai : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati Sunday exhorted people to bring the BSP to power at the centre and states to improve the lot of the poor, minorities and weaker sections of society.
Addressing a huge rally at the Shivaji Park here, Mayawati lashed out at all other parties including the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and their allies, saying these parties always came to power and ruled with the support of industrialists.
Samajwadi Party not to join government: Mulayam Singh
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Samajwadi Party will extend legislative support to the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) but will not be a part of the government, party president Mulayam Singh Yadav announced here Tuesday.
“There is no question of joining the government,” Mulayam Singh told reporters, shortly after the four Left parties withdrew their legislative support to the government over their differences on the India-US nuclear deal.
Another lie exposed: Modi not invited to Davos
By TwoCircles.net staff reporter
New Delhi: Mr. Narendra Modi has no invitation to come to World Economic Forum (WEF) summit in Davos in January 2008. This information was made available to media by Indian Muslim Council-USA (IMC-USA). This news that exposes another lie of Modi camp, further damages Mr. Modi’s national and international image.