Congress down but not out; BJP down in the dump
Congress improved its tally, BJP declined in four out of five states
By Soroor Ahmed, TwoCircles.net,
TN MLA Kandasami bats for release of Muslim terror under-trials
By Shafee Ahmed Ko, TwoCircles.net,
Coimbatore: M N Kandasami, MLA from Thondamuthu constituency in Tamil Nadu, has demanded that innocent Muslim under-trials languishing in jail in 1998 Coimbatore bomb blast must be released. The Congress MLA demanded the state DMK government of M Karunanidhi to release the innocents from jail.
Addressing a function organized by Tamil Nadu Journalists’ Union, Coimbatore District, on June 13, Kandasami recalled the horror of February 14, 1998 and the subsequent arrest of Muslims in the bomb blast case.
जनता परिवार लालू-नीतीश तक सीमित नहीं, यह 85% जनता का प्रतिनिधित्व है: डॉ. एजाज...
अभय कुमार
एजाज अली पेशे से डॉक्टर हैं मगर सियासत में उनकी पहचान एक दलित और पिछड़े नेता के तौर पर रही है, जो वर्षों...
CPI-M’s love for minorities a farce: Congress
By IANS
Thiruvananthapuram : Kerala's opposition Congress Saturday said the love shown by the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) towards minorities was a farce.
Senior Congress leader and convenor of the United Democratic Front (UDF) P.P. Thankachen said: "If one takes a look at the newly-elected 84 member state committee of the CPI-M, one can see that it consists of a mere eight members from the Christian community and seven members from the Muslim community."
FDI proposal worth Rs.27.72 crore approved
By IANS,
New Delhi : The government Tuesday approved foreign direct investment (FDI) worth Rs.27.72 crore, while it rejected seven and deferred six proposals.
Death sentence to 2005 Shramjeevi train blast convict
Lucknow : A court in Uttar Pradesh's Jaunpur on Saturday sentenced to death a Bangladeshi convicted in the July 2005 Shramjeevi Express blast which...
Police baton charge opposition rally in Jammu
By IANS,
Jammu : Police Monday baton charged to stop a march by activists of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) towards the civil secretariat here to protest alleged increase in human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in the Kashmir Valley.
Police said the PDP workers were baton charged when they tried to force their way towards the secretariat.
"Prohibitory orders under section 144 CrPC are in force and they (PDP workers) were trying to breach that law," a senior police official said.
However, no one was hurt, he said.
Man held for posters exhorting JNU student leader’s murder
New Delhi : The Delhi Police on Monday arrested a 30-year-old man in connection with posters that announced a reward of Rs.11 lakh to...
No difference between Hindus and Muslims in Trinidad: Author Aliyyah Eniath
By Somrita Ghosh
New Delhi : Debuting with a book that gives voice to the lives of people of Indian origin in Trinidad and...
Geeta meets Delhi CM
New Delhi: Geeta, the young speech and hearing impaired woman who returned to India after being stranded in Pakistan for over a decade, met...
जेल से ही कैराना के विधायक बने नाहिद हसन, बहन इक़रा ने लड़ा पूरा...
जिब्रानुदीन।Twocircles.net
उत्तर प्रदेश: कैराना निर्वाचन क्षेत्र से नाहिद हसन ने लगातार तीसरी बार विधानसभा चुनाव में जीत की दावेदारी पेश की है। समाजवादी पार्टी...
Opposition demands action against Kerala bureaucrat
Thiruvananthapuram : The opposition in Kerala Thursday demanded that strong action be taken against a senior bureaucrat whose office and house were raided by...
Republicans spar over Trump’s proposal to ban Muslims
By Arun Kumar
Washington : Republican presidential candidates joined issue with frontrunner Donald Trump's call to ban Muslims from coming to the US with Senator...
Mahesh Bhatt led Karwan-e-Bedari in Rampur and Bareilly
By TCN News,
Rampur: Karwaan-e-Bedari of the Millat Bedari Muhim Committee (MBMC), Aligarh entered in the Uttar Pradesh on its first leg with an aim to mobilise Muslim electorates in favour of Congress, the Karwan reached Rampur from Delhi where Mahesh Bhatt and Actor Ravi Kishan not only addressed several meetings in Muslim localities but also campaigned door to door.
Hate Crimes and Communal Polarization
By Ram Puniyani,
The Modi Sarkar has been installed in power from last three weeks or so (May 16, 2014). While there is lots of hope from this government by sections of society, there are other types of fears which have started getting actualized and the consequences of that are being felt with great amount of horror. After the morphed images of Bal Thackeray and Shivaji were uploaded on social sites a well planned attack on Muslim minorities was orchestrated in Pune. In this attack the rampaging mobs not only paralyzed the city, they also attacked mosques and torched at least 200 public and private vehicles. The culmination of this was the public lynching of an IT professional, Mohsin Shiekh, an IT manager from Sholapur, a resident of Pune. He was brutally killed by a mob of Hindu Rashtra Sena, led by Dhanajay Desai. This is ‘Hate crime’ of worst order.
No communal angle to church attacks: BJP Dalit leader
By Sushil Kumar,
New Delhi : Udit Raj, the Dalit face of the Bharatiya Janata Party, says the recent attacks on churches do not have...
‘Our only demand is to be allowed back in classrooms with hijab,’ says girl...
Hazra Shifa is a higher-secondary student at the government pre-University (PU) college of Udupi, Karnataka which is at the centre of Hijab row...
Makhdumpur: Road that cuts through, divides politics of caste
By Brajendra Nath Singh
Makhdumpur (Jahanabad): It is just a road which divides the residents of Makhdumpur assembly constituency of Maoist effected Jahanabad...
Andhra chief minister insults Naidu again
By IANS
Hyderabad : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy Monday once again allegedly insulted opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N. Chandrababu Naidu, asking him to "shut up" during a meeting.
A meeting of the business advisory committee (BAC) of the state legislative assembly was being held to discuss the agenda for the winter session that began Monday. Naidu was insisting that the winter session be extended by three days when Reddy reportedly asked him to "shut up".
Pre-emptive Sangh offensive on the Bill to prevent communal violence
Political battle lines drawn even as victim minorities still look for ideal law to stop targeted hate and bloodshed
By John Dayal
Remember these?
India won’t question Bangladesh polls: Sushma Swaraj
Dhaka : India has no opinion on the Jan 5 general election in Bangladesh which the Awami League won amid criticism by the West,...
Women MPs, activists slam Joshi’s remarks against Mayawati
By IANS,
New Delhi : Women parliamentarians and activists Thursday slammed Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi's offensive remarks against Chief Minister Mayawati saying they were "inappropriate and uncalled for".
Congress MP Mohsina Kidwai described Joshi's remarks as "not appropriate", when asked to comment on it.
Mulayam warns Congress not to meddle in his ties with Kalyan
By IANS,
Lucknow : Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav Sunday warned the Congress not to meddle in the party's new-found ties with former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kalyan Singh. "My advice to the Congress party is to keep off what is an internal affair of the Samajwadi Party," Yadav told a press conference here.
The Samajwadi Party and the Congress have been trying to forge an electoral alliance in Uttar Pradesh, but both have stuck to their stands.
Trinamool seeks telecast curb of speeches on polling day
Kolkata: West bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress Wednesday asked the Election Commission to restrain television channels from telecasting election speeches live on a polling day,...
15 per cent turnout in the first three hours of polling
By NNN-PTI,
New Delhi : Nearly 15 per cent turnout was recorded in the first three hours of polling for the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections in eight states and union territories, barring Jammu and Kashmir where it began on a dull note.
A petrol bomb was hurled at a polling booth on the outskirts of Srinagar two hours ahead of polling but no one was injured. Minor skirmishes were reported in Punjab and Haryana while polling elsewhere, including in the seven seats in Delhi, was by and large peaceful.
Rahul’s brain hasn’t matured with age: Modi
New Delhi : Attacking Rahul Gandhi for terming the Gujarat model of development a "toffee model", BJP prime ministerial candidates Narendra Modi Monday said...
RLD to vote against UPA: Ajit Singh
By IANS,
New Delhi : In a severe blow to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) president and former union minister Ajit Singh Sunday announced that his party will vote against it in Tuesday's trust vote in the Lok Sabha.
The RLD stand came just minutes after Ajit Singh finished his meeting with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati at her residence here.
J&K govt. losing interest in the peace process: Mufti
By News Agency of Kashmir
Srinagar: Launching an indirect attack on his successor, former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir and chief patron Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Mufti Muhammad Sayeed today said that Congress led state government seems to have lost his interest in the peace process and confidence building measures.
Sources said that People's Democratic Party (PDP) held an emergency meeting, here today, to decide whether to pull out of coalition or not. The meeting was taken in view of the recent controversies between the two alliance partners over some issues.
UPA government is in ICU: Advani
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government is on its last legs due to growing differences with its Left allies over the India-US nuclear deal, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani said Monday.
"The UPA government is in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) today. It is like a patient in ICU. People are asking whether it is going to survive and for how long," Advani said. He was speaking at a function organised to release a compilation of presidential speeches by Jan Sangh leaders.
Remove home secretary, police chief, poll panel tells Mayawati
By IANS,
Lucknow: The Election Commission Saturday asked the Uttar Pradesh government to remove the state's home secretary and the police chief.
Karnataka woman minister says ready to quit to save government
By IANS,
Bangalore : Shobha Karandlaje, the lone woman minister in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Karnataka, the party's first ever in the south, Thursday said she was ready to quit if it saves the Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa-led ministry.
The BJP central leadership is understood to have proposed dropping Karandlaje, considered close to the chief minister, from the ministry as part of a compromise to the dissidents who are pressing for removal of Yeddyurappa himself.
Congress releases another list of 29 candidates for UP polls
Lucknow, (IANS) : The Congress on Thursday released another list of 29 candidates for the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.
The list released by party National General...
Mayawati scraps fee subsidy for OBC students
By IANS,
Lucknow : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has been demanding reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the private sector, but her own government has scrapped the 'zero fee scheme' for OBC students in the Lucknow University.
Following the government directive, the university administration Wednesday asked over 4,000 OBC students to deposit their fees for the term they had studied.
Congress-NCP alliance urged to field 38 Muslims in Maharashtra
By IANS,
Mumbai : The Jamaat-e-Islami Hind has urged the ruling alliance of the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to field at least 38 Muslims for the 288-member Maharashtra assembly elections, expected to be held in October.
State president of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Engineer Nazar M. Mad'oo told reporters here Wednesday that since the state had an approximate 13 percent Muslim population, the ruling alliance must give tickets to Muslims to contest on at least 38 seats.
Jadavpur varsity woman student gets death threat
Kolkata : A woman student of the Jadavpur University has lodged a police complaint after she received death threats for her post on Facebook.
Triparna...
Mamata attacks CBI, says Saradha probe taking side of thieves
Kolkata : On a day another Trinamool Congress parliamentarian was arrested in connection with the multi-crore-rupee Saradha scam, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee...
Congress to continue stir against attack on Bengal legislators
By IANS,
Kolkata: The West Bengal unit of the Congress Saturday said it will continue the state-wide agitation protesting an attack by supporters of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) on its legislators in Burdwan district last week.
"We have taken a decision in our core committee meeting that Congress would launch a state-wide protest by organising rallies, meetings and sit-in demonstration from August this year," West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee working president Subrata Mukhopadhyay told reporters.
UP cop transferred after minister booked in dacoity case
Lucknow : A senior police officer in Uttar Pradesh was transferred after a cabinet minister was booked in a dacoity and arson case.
Sambhal Superintendent...
Minor fire at South Block, no damage
New Delhi : A minor fire broke out at South Block, which houses the ministries of defence and external affairs, on Sunday but was...
I covered up for Advani on Kandahar hijack: Jaswant Singh
By IANS,
New Delhi : Expelled Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jaswant Singh Friday triggered yet another controversy claiming that he "covered up" for L.K. Advani during the 2009 Lok Sabha campaign by concealing that the party's prime ministerial candidate knew of the terrorist-hostage swap during the 1999 plane hijacking.
"I covered up for Advani...Advani always knew that I was accompanying the terrorists to Kandahar," Jaswant Singh, former external affairs minister, said in an interview to NDTV.
Future of Kashmir should be grounded in realities: PM
By IANS,
New Delhi : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday said the future of the troubled Jammu and Kashmir should be practical and "grounded in political and economic realities" as he urged political parties from the state to build a consensus on a "realizable" vision.
"I would urge you to build a consensus on a practical and realizable vision of Jammu and Kashmir's future," Manmohan Singh said, addressing a meeting of all parties from the state that was boycotted by main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
RPF rescues 44 trafficked children from trains in Assam
Agartala : The Railway Protection Force (RPF) of the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has rescued 44 children from trains in Assam while being trafficked...
JNU clashes: University sets up proctorial committee
New Delhi : The Jawaharlal Nehru University set up a proctorial committee on Wednesday to inquire into an event organised by some former members...
Omar briefs PM on security situation
By IANS,
New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Thursday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and briefed him of the security situation in the state in the light of increased incursion attempts from across the border.
Abdullah said one of the reasons behind the increased infiltration was that militant groups were coming together to give a push and the melting of passes in the summer months could witness more incursions, official sources said.
There has been more terrorism related incidents in the state in the last month.
Nagaland governor’s resignation accepted, suspense now over next target
New Delhi : President Pranab Mukherjee Friday accepted the resignation of Nagaland Governor Ashwani Kumar, the third to quit in the last one week,...
Government ready for talks with Lalgarh tribals, says Buddhadeb
By IANS,
Kolkata : West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhatacharjee Thursday said the state government was ready to hold talks with tribals on their grievances, and appealed to the Lalgarh villagers not to get provoked by Maoist rebels and not let themselves be used as human shields by the Left radicals.
Three crucial bills taken up in extended Lok Sabha session
New Delhi : The extension of Lok Sabha session by three working days has enabled the government to complete some of its crucial agenda...
Lalu asks Bardhan to apologise for remark on MPs
By IANS,
New Delhi : Joining his friends in the Congress in attacking the Left parties, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Saturday asked Communist Party of India (CPI) general secretary A.B. Bardhan to prove his allegation of MPs being bought over for the July 22 trust motion or to apologise.
Terming Bardhan's remarks as "nasty", the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader, one of the strongest allies of the Congress in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), said: "Bardhanji has harmed the reputation of all parties with his comments. He has said a very nasty thing."
Voting process begins for 17 seats in Karnataka
By IANS,
Bangalore : Nearly 29,000 polling booths opened at 7 a.m. across 17 Lok Sabha constituencies in Karnataka Thursday in the first of the two-phase election for the 28 seats in the state.
About 20.6 million voters, including 10.3 million women, are eligible to vote to decide the fortunes of 271 candidates in the fray.
All-party meeting on promotion quota Aug 21
By IANS,
New Delhi : An all-party meeting to discuss reservation in job promotions will be held Aug 21, the government said Thursday.
Chidambaram gets home ministry: Chennithala
By IANS,
New Delhi : Finance Minister P. Chidambaram has been given additional charge of the home ministry following the resignation of Shivraj Patil in the wake of the Mumbai terror attack, a Congress leader said Sunday.
Kerala Congress unit president Ramesh Chennithala told IANS that Chidambaram would look after the home ministry until further notice.
CPI-M meet to decide Lok Sabha poll strategy
By IANS,
Agartala : The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) will hold a crucial two-day meeting in New Delhi later this week to finalise its strategy for the upcoming general elections, party sources said here Wednesday.
"The 87-member central committee would meet March 7-8 to finalise the party's election manifesto and other poll strategies," said Bijon Dhar, CPI-M central committee member and Tripura party secretary.
"The central committee would also formally approve the list of party candidates for the elections," Dhar told IANS.
Bal Thackeray wants Antulay to fight Maharashtra’s case
By Quaid Najmi, IANS,
Mumbai: Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray has urged former Maharashtra chief minister and union minister A. R. Antulay to provide his legal expertise and knowledge in the vexed Maharashtra-Karnataka boundary issue, currently being heard in the Supreme Court, a party leader said.
Thackeray specially invited Antulay to his bungalow, 'Matoshri' in Bandra, late Saturday night and requested him to use his legal acumen and his long political and administrative experience to help strengthen Maharashtra's case in the Supreme Court, Sena MP Sanjay Raut told IANS.
बिहार की लाईब्रेरी, जो इमारत समेत गायब हो गयी
अफ़रोज़ आलम साहिल, TwoCircles.net
बेतिया (बिहार): बिहार के पश्चिमी चम्पारण के बेतिया शहर की सज्जाद लाईब्रेरी अपनी दुर्दशा पर रो रही है. यहां किताबों का...
Congress is communalising terrorism: Advani
By IANS,
Ranchi : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani Wednesday accused the Congress of "communalising terrorism" and urged people to vote for change.
"The Congress is communalizing terrorism in the country for vote-bank politics," Advani told a Vijay Sankalap rally here.
Steps taken to fill slots in NHRC wholly unsatisfactory: SC
New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Central government to fill the slot of the member, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)...
Bring back Indian money stashed abroad: Advani tells PM
By IANS,
New Delhi : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani Sunday asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to raise at the G-20 summit the issue of Indian money stashed abroad and promised to look into the problem of black money if his party comes to power.
"I want to demand today that the prime minister raise this issue strongly at the G-20 and ask to be provided with the details of the Indian wealth abroad," Advani told reporters here.
Girl,15, raped in Jharkhand hospital
Ranchi : A 15-year-old rape victim, undergoing treatment at a Jamshedpur hospital, was raped for a second time by a security guard of the...
BJP, Congress workers clash in Shimla
By IANS
Shimla : A senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and about a dozen workers of the party were injured Wednesday in a clash with the workers of the Congress here.
Former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Shanta Kumar and some of his party men had to be rushed to the hospital. They were released after treatment. The BJP, however claimed, many more cadres of their party had sustained injuries.
Congress leaders said that some of their workers were also injured.
CPI-M wants law against honour killings
By IANS,
New Delhi: The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Thursday called for a law to curb honour killings.
"All democratic forces should demand a separate law against honour killings and to illegalise those activities of 'khap panchayats' which go against the constitution," the party said in a statement.
"Firm and deterrent action must be taken against the offenders whenever such incidents occur. It is the responsibility of political parties to stand up for the right of young women and men to marry according to their choice," it added.
Modi a visionary: Bangladesh media on PM’s visit
Dhaka: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rousing speech and the 65-point joint declaration that wrapped up his two-day trip to Bangladesh received huge splash on...
Burning Lokpal bill an affront to parliament: Government
By IANS,
New Delhi : The government Thursday slammed the burning of copies of the Lokpal bill by Anna Hazare and his team members as "an affront to parliament".
VHP shutdown halts traffic across Orissa
By IANS,
Bhubaneswar : Rail and road traffic was disrupted across Orissa Monday and thousands of people staged demonstrations in several places as part of a statewide shutdown called by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) to protest the killing of a leader of the organisation Saturday.
"Train services have been affected across the state," J.P. Mishra, spokesperson of the east coast railway, told IANS. "Neither passenger nor goods trains were allowed to move from stations."
Road traffic was also badly hit and many vehicles were attacked.
Rabri Devi out of chief ministerial race this election
By IANS,
Patna: She has been chief minister for eight years, but Rabri Devi may be out of the reckoning this time with the view that only her husband and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad or partner LJP's Ram Vilas Paswan can counter Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in the Bihar assembly polls.
In fact, Lalu Prasad himself has indicated that Rabri Devi is unlikely to be projected as the chief ministerial candidate for the Rashtriya Janata Dal-Lok Janshakti Party combine in the assembly elections in October-November this year.
‘Two MPs in Taj hotel are safe’
By IANS,
New Delhi : Two MPs - Lal Mani Prasad and Jaisingrao Gaikwad Patil - are safe in their rooms at the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel, said parliament member N.N. Krishnadas who was himself rescued from there by commandos Thursday.
"They are safe at their hotel rooms," Krishnadas, an MP of the Communist Party of India-Marxist from Kerala, told IANS on phone from Mumbai. "They are expected to join us after the entire operation is over," he added.
कोरोना का केंद्र नहीं है हज़रत निजामुद्दीन, मुसलमानों को ज़लील करना बंद कीजिए
डाॅ. तारिक़ अज़ीम
तुम्ही ने दर्द दिया तुम्ही दवा देना,
मेरे कुछ फाज़िल दोस्त अब एक आईटी सेल मेंं तबदील हो चुके है !
उनको एक एजेन्डा...
Lalu’s rail budget invites bouquets, brickbats in Lok Sabha
By IANS
New Delhi : Brickbats and bouquets poured in for Railway Minister Lalu Prasad from all sides in the Lok Sabha Monday during a discussion on the railway budget which he presented in the house last month.
While Sumitra Mahajan of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Brahmanand Panda of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) castigated Lalu Prasad for ignoring their states - Maharashtra and Orissa respectivelyb - Rameshwar Oraon of the Congress deplored the pace at which railway projects were being completed in the country.
Jyoti Basu on ventilator due to breathing trouble
By IANS,
Kolkata: Veteran Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Jyoti Basu's health deteriorated early Wednesday. The nonagenarian had trouble breathing, and the team of doctors treating him at a private hospital here since last week decided to put him on artificial ventilation.
"His condition is serious," the hospital's Medical Superintendent Debasish Sharma told IANS.
Nitish suspends jail official for sexually assaulting minor
Patna : Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday ordered the suspension of a jail official for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor girl, an...
Poll panel seeks report on Varun Gandhi’s remarks
By IANS,
Lucknow : The Election Commission Sunday sought a report from the administration after Varun Gandhi, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Pilibhit, made allegedly communal remarks at a rally.
"We have been asked (by the Election Commission) to submit a report in the next three days," Pilibhit sub-divisional magistrate Zameel Alam told IANS by telephone.
Final voter turnout in Kerala is 77.35 percent
Thiruvananthapuram: The voter turnout in Kerala for the assembly elections was a tad higher at 77.35 percent as compared to 75.12 percent in the...
Mamata defends high salaries to intellectuals in rail panels
By IANS,
Kolkata : Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee has defended her decision to rope in intellectuals and theatre personalities into railway committees and their so-called hefty salaries that have come under criticism from the ruling Left Front in West Bengal.
"I am the railway minister. It is my discretion...I am not going to draft (chief minister) Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee...Or those corrupt ministers of the LF (Left Front)," Banerjee told Bengali news channel Star Ananda during an interview Sunday night.
US seeks de-escalation of tensions, calls Uri attack ‘horrific’
Washington : Following the Indian Army's surgical strikes against terror launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, the...
BJP, Congress leaders worry over sons — not party
By IANS,
Raipur : Two senior party leaders, one of Chhattisgarh's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)and another of the opposition Congress, have hardly any time to campaign for party candidates in the poll-bound state.
The reason is they are confined to constituencies where their sons are facing an uphill task.
Sources say dozens of BJP candidates have dashed off request letters to the state party headquarters to arrange public meetings of senior party leader and former union minister Dilip Singh Judeo in their constituencies.
Campaigning ends for six seats in Bihar
Patna : The nearly three-week-long campaign for elections to six Lok Sabha constituencies in Maoist-affected districts of Bihar ended Tuesday evening.
The six seats, going...
Polling over, AAP hunts for office in Goa
Panaji : End of polling in Goa has heralded the beginning of a hunt for office space for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in...
UP election: Reservation to backward Muslims in next three months
By Faisal Fareed, TwoCircles.net,
Ethnic violence hits output in Pune-Nashik industrial belt
By Abhijit Deb, IANS
Mumbai : Scores of manufacturing units in the Pune-Nashik industrial belt are experiencing a slowdown with over 30,000 migrant workers fleeing the area in the wake of the anti-north Indian tirade launched by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).
Industries in the area have suffered a combined loss of up to Rs.4 billion (approx $100 million) in the past fortnight of violence.
Rahul Gandhi visiting Himachal to strengthen students’ wing
By IANS,
Shimla : Congress general secretary and MP Rahul Gandhi is set to visit Himachal Pradesh Tuesday to woo students and infuse new life into the party's students' wing - the National Students Union of India (NSUI) - in the state.
Gandhi will have interactive sessions Tuesday morning with the students of Himachal Pradesh University (HPU), Shimla, and later in the afternoon with the youth in Dharamsala, 30 km from the district headquarters town of Kangra.
Amit Shah inaugurates ‘mini PMO’ in Varanasi
Varanasi : The BJP's national president Amit Shah Wednesday inaugurated the public relations office of Prime Minister Narendra Modi here.
Addressing party workers and supporters,...
Notification for first phase of polls issued in Assam, Tripura
Agartala/Guwahati : The notification for the first of the nine-phased Lok Sabha polls was issued Friday with this the process to constitute the 16th...
Mishra urges Modi to revive two closed urea plants in Bengal
Kolkata : Calling upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure revival of two closed urea units of Hindustan Fertiliser Corporation at Durgapur and Haldia...
Gujral was ‘outstanding public figure’, says PM
By IANS,
New Delhi : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday led the nation in mourning former prime minister Inder Kumar Gujral, describing him as "an outstanding public figure".
Kejriwal remains people’s hero after resignation
By IANS,
New Delhi : Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's resignation has only raised his stock among the common people of Delhi, the 'aam admi',...
10 queries Advani poses to government on Mumbai terror
By IANS,
New Delhi : Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) senior leader L.K. Advani has posed 10 pointed questions to the Manmohan Singh government in the light of the terrorist strike in Mumbai.
Advani's newly launched website has listed the 10 questions under the title "Questions government must answer":
(1) Why did the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government not implement the recommendations of various committees on internal security?
Eyeing return to Congress, Karunakaran praises Indira Gandhi
By IANS
Thiruvananthapuram : Former Kerala chief minister K. Karunakaran, who has been trying hard to get back to the Congress fold, Monday reiterated his loyalty to Indira Gandhi on her 90th birth anniversary at a function held at his residence here.
The 89-year-old former Congress chief minister, who had split from the party to form his own Democratic Indira Congress-Karunakaran and has now declared that he is willing to return without any conditions, sent out another clear message.
Congress debunks BJP booklet against Pratibha Patil
By IANS
New Delhi : The Congress Friday termed as "baseless and useless" a booklet released by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against the ruling alliance's presidential candidate Pratibha Patil.
No uniform civil code please: Muslim women’s group
New Delhi: A Muslim women's group on Tuesday opposed attempts to impose a uniform civil code but said "a gender just reform" was needed...
Congress practises politics of harmony: Rahul Gandhi
Patna: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi Thursday said the Congress practises the "politics of harmony" and, in a jibe at BJP's prime ministerial aspirant...
Rahul says stands by words on RSS; BJP hits back
New Delhi : A day after telling the Supreme Court he had not blamed the RSS as an organisation for Mahatma Gandhi's assassination...
Modi promises new irrigation scheme to farmers
Kurukshetra (Haryana) : Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday said his government was considering a new agricultural-irrigation scheme which will ensure ample water supply to...
No question of supporting UPA’s policies, says
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Left parties Monday said they could not support the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) as their policies were very different.
The Left said the UPA was pursuing the policies of globalisation, liberalisation and privatisation, which they were opposed to.
Pathankot attack: BJP ally questions peace talks
Mumbai: BJP-ally Shiv Sena on Saturday strongly condemned the fidayeen attack at an Indian Air Force base in Pathankot in Punjab and said that...
Maharashtra orders probe into hooch tragedy
Mumbai: The Maharashtra government on Tuesday ordered an inquiry into the hooch tragedy in north Mumbai's Malwani suburb that has so far left 102...
Pakistani terrorism in Kashmir to figure in NSA talks: MEA
New Delhi: Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir will be the subject of the August 23-24 India-Pakistan NSA-level talks, the external affairs ministry said...
A few hundred votes made the difference in Andhra
By IANS,
Hyderabad : A few hundred votes made the difference between the winner and loser in a sizeable number of assembly constituencies in Andhra Pradesh.
The Congress party, which retained power with a comfortable majority of 157 in the 294-member assembly, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) and the Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) won at least 20 seats with a majority of less than 1,000 votes.
I will contest on Samajwadi Party ticket: Sanjay Dutt
By IANS,
Mumbai : Ending speculation and ignoring objections from his family members, Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt Friday night announced that he would contest the next parliamentary elections on a Samajwadi Party ticket.
He also said that he was the eldest member of the Dutt family and so there was no need to discuss his political plans with anybody.
If there were legal hurdles to his political plans, then the next step would be decided accordingly, he said.
I resent what Hindutva is doing to Hinduism: Nayantara Sahgal
By Preetha Nair
Dehradun : Hindutva is a brand of fundamentalism and the Hindu right wing is distorting what Hinduism stands for, says renowned author...
Jung orders probe into Delhi jailbreak; MHA seeks report
New Delhi: Delhi Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung on Monday ordered a magisterial inquiry into the escape of two prisoners from Tihar jail while the...
Don’t let sanctions hinder Iran ties, CPI-M
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) has accused the government of backing out of the Iran gas pipeline under US pressure and urged New Delhi to continue economic and energy ties with Tehran despite the latest UN sanctions.
"India had gone on record that it does not think sanctions are the way to tackle (Iran's nuclear) problem. But India had fallen in line with the US whenever Iran was targeted in the IAEA," said an editorial in the CPI-M's mouthpiece People's Democracy.
"The US keeps patting India on the back for this stance," it said.
Kejriwal to meet Delhi farmers
New Delhi : Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will meet farmers of the national capital in the wake of unseasonal rains which have damaged...
Jamuna Devi remains Congress leader in Madhya Pradesh assembly
By IANS,
Bhopal : The Congress has decided to retain Jamuna Devi as its legislature party (CLP) leader in Madhya Pradesh in recognition of her 'fighting spirit' shown as leader of the opposition in the previous legislature, the party said Sunday.
"A decision to retain Jamuna Devi was taken at a meeting of senior party leaders late Saturday at Delhi while Sajjan Singh Verma, who was also in the race for the post, has been nominated her deputy", party spokesperson Manak Aggarwal told IANS.
The appointment comes almost after a month of state assembly results being announced.
Special Panel recommended to screen complaints against judges
By NNN-PTI,
New Delhi : A Parliamentary Panel on Law has suggested the establishment of a special committee to screen any complaints of misconduct by judges before it is referred to the yet-to-be set up National Judicial Council for inquiry.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law and Justice is of the view that before the case goes to the NJC, it should screened by an Empowered Committee, which should have representation from Parliament, Executive and Bar Council of India.
Rahul meets train accident victims
By IANS,
Kanpur: Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi Tuesday visited a hospital here to meet the victims of Kalka Mail train accident, officials said.
CAG reports not gospels, says Congress
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Congress Tuesday said the government auditor's reports on the Adarsh society scam and on the Commonwealth Games are "not gospel".
Chhattisgarh cabinet formation delayed as Raman Singh’s mother falls ill
By IANS,
Raipur : The formation of the 13-member council of ministers by Chhattisgarh's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been delayed as the 84-year-old mother of Chief Minister Raman Singh is battling for her life in a hospital here, party sources said Thursday.
Raman Singh cut short his trip to New Delhi and returned to Raipur Wednesday after his mother Sudha Singh slipped into a coma following a paralytic attack.
"Doctors told the chief minister that the blood circulation to his mother's brain has stopped after the paralytic attack," a family source said.
More women should take part in politics: Activists
By IANS,
New Delhi : Women rights activists have emphasised on increasing the participation of women in Indian politics as they will be able to provide good governance in the country.
"Women should come forward to achieve their goals. They should participate in the country's election process and set an example for the entire world by efficiently working on issues that are close to their heart," National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Girija Vyas said while addressing a workshop on Enhancing the Role of Women in Strengthening Democracy.
Adivasis from Chhattisgarh march to save their habitats from ‘hazards of coal mining’
Nearly 350 residents from the villages of central Chhattisgarh are on a 300-km long march that started on October 2 to reach the capital...
DMK, Left oppose Ramadoss’ rural service proposal
By IANS
Chennai : Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss may have good intentions but even in his home state Tamil Nadu, his allies the DMK and the Left parties are opposed to his suggestion that medical college students be given their degrees only when they complete a year's service in rural areas.
Ramadoss' proposal was criticised Friday by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi even as the minister announced the country's first 200-acre medical park, to be set up in Chengalpet, outside Chennai, as a major manufacturing centre for high-end medical hardware.
AAP’s National Executive hijacked by Kejriwal camp: Yadav
New Delh : Founding AAP members Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan, after being sacked from its National Executive on Saturday, accused party convenor Arvind...
Poll panel defers decision on Sonia’s reply
By IANS
New Delhi : The Election Commission Tuesday deferred taking a decision on Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's reply to its notice over her controversial remarks during the poll campaign in Gujarat.
No decision could be taken on her reply as one of the Election Commissioners was indisposed, Deputy Election Commissioner J.P. Prakash told reporters here, though he declined to name that official.
Gujarat panchayat polls announced
By IANS,
Gandhinagar: Gujarat will be virtually in election mode for over a month in October in view of polls to nearly all the local self-government bodies in the state.
Rahul makes unscheduled night stay in Orissa
By IANS,
Bhubaneswar : Congress leader Rahul Gandhi deviated from his schedule Wednesday and decided to stay back for the night in an Orissa town after addressing an election meeting there.
The Congress general secretary campaigned for party candidates in the state and later decided to spend the night at Kendrapada town, some 100 km from here. He was scheduled to fly back to Delhi in the evening.
"He wanted to stay. It was not on his programme. We have provided him all the necessary security," district police chief Kumarmani Meher told IANS.
Mayawati defends Bansal in bribery scam
By IANS,
New Delhi : Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati Monday defended Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal saying it would "not be appropriate" to sack him unless his guilt is proved.
Another Delhi legislator arrested, AAP targets Modi
ArrayNew Delhi : Another AAP legislator, Sharad Chauhan, was arrested along with five others here on Sunday in connection with the suicide of...
CPI-M leader shot dead in Nandigram
By IANS,
Kolkata : A Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader was shot dead Wednesday afternoon, allegedly by members of Bhoomi Uchhed Protirodh Committee (BUPC), at Nandigram in West Bengal's East Midnapore district, the police said.
"CPI-M leader Niranjan Mondal was shot dead at Nandigram's Rajaramchak area Wednesday around 4 p.m. The party activists are holding BUPC responsible for the incident. But we cannot take any name till we are done with our investigation," officer-in-charge of Nandigram police station Debasis Chakraborty told IANS.
T.N. Seshan not present at EC diamond jubilee function
By IANS,
New Delhi : T.N. Seshan, who introduced historical electoral reforms and made the Election Commission a powerful agency, could not attend the diamond jubilee celebrations of the poll panel Monday.
"He had confirmed his participation. But he informed us later that he could not come as his brother is ill," said a poll panel official.
The ceremony, inaugurated by President Pratibha Patil, was attended by country's top political leaders and former chief election commissioners, including M.S. Gill, who is now a union cabinet minister, and N. Gopalaswami.
Campaign ends for second phase polling in Karnataka
By IANS,
Bangalore : Political parties in Karnataka Wednesday ended their campaign for the second phase of polling Friday for 66 assembly seats in 10 districts in central, coastal and northern parts of the state.
Over 11 million people are eligible to vote and decide the fate of 589 candidates, an overwhelming majority of whom are independents.
Polling will take place in over 12,000 booths in the districts of Raichur, Koppal, Uttara Kannada, Bellary, Chitradurga, Davangere, Shimoga, Udupi, Chikmagalur and Dakshina Kannada.
Kejriwal hints he may quit
By IANS,
New Delhi : Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal hinted at his resignation Friday when he said that this "seems like our last (assembly)...