BSP spices up poll battle in Chhattisgarh
By IANS,
Raipur : The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which has decided to go it alone in Chhattisgarh and has named potential candidates in several seats, may affect the chances of the two main contenders, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress, politicians here say.
The party has fielded three women candidates and has given tickets to five candidates from the Scheduled Tribe (ST), two from the Scheduled Caste (SC), one from the upper castes and three from the other backward class (OBC). The OBCs form about 50 percent of the state's 20.08 million population.
JD-U plans defamation case against Rabri Devi
By IANS,
Patna : Bihar's ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U) will file a defamation suit against Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Rabri Devi for her alleged abusive remarks against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and state JD-U chief Rajiv Ranjan alias Lalan Singh, party leaders said here Saturday.
A JD-U leader said that Lalan Singh will file a criminal case against Rabri Devi for her abusive remarks against the JD-U leaders at a public meeting in Saran district last Saturday. Her husband and RJD chief Lalu Prasad is a candidate for the Lok Sabha from the seat.
Scrip of Adani companies up, as BJP leads
New Delhi : Stocks of various Adani group companies rose Friday as on-going counting of votes cast in the April-May Lok Sabha elections showed...
Karunanidhi, Jayalalitha harden stand on Sri Lanka
By IANS,
Chennai : Tamil Nadu's ire against the Sri Lankan Navy's alleged attacks on Indian fishermen became more pronounced Saturday as both the ruling DMK and the opposition AIADMK hardened their stand on the issue.
While Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi opposed a proposal for joint patrolling of the Palk Straits by the Indian and Sri Lankan navies to prevent attacks on Indian fishermen, Leader of Opposition J. Jayalalitha criticised India's contribution to Colombo's war machine.
Left Front leaders meet Bengal governor
By IANS,
Kolkata : "Unable to discuss matters of public importance" inside the West Bengal assembly, the opposition Left Front Tuesday met Governor M.K. Narayanan, seeking his intervention.
Media boycotts Badal after police clash with women
By IANS
Bathinda (Punjab) : Upset over lack of action against police officials who allegedly misbehaved with women workers and later also manhandled media persons at a government function, local reporters boycotted the press conference of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal here Thursday.
5 yr Ariful of Murshidabad languishing in Bangladesh jail for 1 yr
By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,
Congress likely to name Delhi candidates Tuesday
New Delhi : Congress is expected to announce its Lok Sabha candidates for Delhi Tuesday and could could replace "one or two" its sitting...
Centre not consulting states on crucial issues: Sarkar
Agartala : The Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government is not consulting state governments on crucial policy decisions, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar said Wednesday.
"The...
Left Front wins West Bengal panchayat polls but base eroded (Intro Roundup)
Kolkata, May 21 (IANS) West Bengal's ruling Left Front suffered an erosion of its rural base though it managed to retain its domination in 13 of the state's 17 districts in results declared Wednesday in elections to three-tier self-government bodies.
The Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee regime's industrialisation drive seemed to have cost the Left Front, led by the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), dearly as it was wiped out in Nandigram and Singur, the two hotspots which saw large-scale, opposition-sponsored agitation against plans to acquire land for setting up industries.
Modi congratulates Sumitra Mahajan on election as speaker
New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday congratulated Sumitra Mahajan on her being elected speaker of the 16th Lok Sabha, and said it...
BJP protests fuel price hike in Odisha
Bhubaneswar : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Friday staged demonstrations in Odisha against the hike in petrol and diesel prices in the state.
Party leaders...
Congress trying reservation card in UP polls: BJP
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Saturday alleged that the Congress was trying to make a place for itself in the Uttar Pradesh polls through reservation.
TRS is opportunistic, says Sonia
Hyderabad : Congress president Sonia Gandhi Sunday lashed out at the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), saying its opportunistic face again stand exposed. She also...
मुसलमानों को पिछड़ेपन से उबारने की अदुभुत कोशिश थी फ़ातिमा शेख़ की मुहिम
आकिल हुसैन।Twocircles.net
देश की पहली महिला शिक्षक फातिमा शेख की 191वीं जयंती देशभर में मनाईं गई। कोविड के चलते फातिमा शेख़ की जयंती पर कार्यक्रम...
Stop twisting history in school books: BJP to Tripura government
Agartala : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday organised a rally in Agartala, demanding among other things that the distortion of history...
Privacy not fundamental right, Centre tells SC
New Delhi: The Centre on Wednesday reiterated its stand that privacy was not a fundamental right, while contesting a bunch of petitions challenging the...
Deal only after consensus with Left: Pranab
By IANS
New Delhi : External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said the government is not in favour of going ahead with its nuclear deal with the US without carrying along the Left parties that have virtually issued an ultimatum to the government on the issue.
"A minority government cannot, need not and should not sign a major agreement like this," Mukherjee told the Outlook magazine in an attempt to dispel the Left's fears that the government is planning to push ahead with the deal in the face of stiff opposition of supporting parties.
Rising Cold and Fading Shadows of Communal Violence in Meerapur: A Glimpse Ahead of...
Asad Shaikh, TwoCircles.net
About 100 kilometers from Delhi, in Meerapur, the cold weather is slowly intensifying, with a light mist now visible in the mornings...
Former Andhra police chief joins YSR Congress
Hyderabad: Former Andhra Pradesh police chief V. Dinesh Reddy Monday joined the YSR Congress.
Dinesh Reddy, who retired as the director general of police (DGP)...
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.
Breaking protocol, Nepal PM to receive Modi
By Anil Giri,
Kathmandu : Breaking protocol, Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala will receive his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi when he lands in Kathmandu Aug...
Congress nominee from Puducherry elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha
By IANS,
Chennai : The Congress candidate for Rajya Sabha from Puducherry, P. Kannan, will be declared elected unopposed Saturday evening.
Kannan, a former state assembly speaker, had merged his party - the Puducherry Munnetra Congress (PMC) - with the Congress party last month.
According to a Puducherry Election Commission official, the election results will be declared around 3 p.m.
Four people had filed their nominations for the elections. But the nominations of three independent candidates were rejected as they did not fulfil the required norms.
BJP says change of guard will take place in Karnataka
By IANS
New Delhi : Despite its ally Janata Dal-Secular's volte face on change of guard in Karnataka, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Friday maintained that the party would head the government from October.
BJP general secretary Ananth Kumar expressed confidence that Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa would become the chief minister, heading the BJP-JD-S government, Oct 3, in line with the power sharing agreement.
The coalition government, he added, would last until mid-2009 when fresh elections are due.
New Delhi : Despite its ally Janata Dal-Secular's volte face on change of guard in Karnataka, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Friday maintained that the party would head the government from October.
BJP general secretary Ananth Kumar expressed confidence that Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa would become the chief minister, heading the BJP-JD-S government, Oct 3, in line with the power sharing agreement.
The coalition government, he added, would last until mid-2009 when fresh elections are due.
Shekhawat moves out of Vice President’s residence
By IANS
New Delhi : Former vice president Bhairon Singh Shekhawat Monday shifted into Rajasthan House in the capital as the bungalow allotted to him is being renovated.
His shift enables his successor Mohammad Hamid Ansari to move into the Vice President's residence. Ansari is currently staying at Haryana Bhavan.
Shekhawat resigned from the vice president's post soon after losing the presidential elections to United Progressive Alliance (UPA) candidate Pratibha Devisingh Patil last month.
UP poll litmus test for state chiefs of political parties
By Faisal Fareed, TwoCircles.net,
BJP, SP to win equal number of seats in UP polls: Survey
New Delhi : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) in Uttar Pradesh appear to be in a neck-and-neck...
India’s national interest and smaller parties
By K. Subrahmanyam, IANS,
The current political turbulence and the calculations about the way in which the smaller political parties will vote on a major issue involving India's changing foreign policy paradigm have highlighted the need for smaller parties taking interest in foreign policy and international relations.
National Conference wins from Hazratbal
By IANS,
Srinagar : Sheikh Mustaffa Kamal, National Conference leader and younger brother of party patron Farooq Abdullah, Sunday won the Hazratbal assembly by-poll defeating his nearest Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rival.
Kamal polled 8,066 votes to beat PDP's Asiya Naqash by 1,066 votes, officials said. The seat fell vacant following the resignation of Farooq Abdullah before his election to the Rajya Sabha earlier this year.
The by-election was held June 3. Of the 82,677 voters, only 20 percent exercised their franchise. The counting of votes was held Sunday morning.
Varun to move Supreme Court, legal action must says Nitish
By IANS
New Delhi/Lucknow: With Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)candidate Varun Gandhi threatening to move the Supreme Court after an Uttar Pradesh court Wednesday ruled that there was a strong case against him for his alleged communal speeches, the party's key ally Nitish Kumar of the Janata Dal-United fuelled the controversy by stating that "legal action" should be taken against Gandhi.
Rahul Gandhi will revive Congress, says Tharoor
New Delhi : Dismissing speculation that Rahul Gandhi was unwilling to lead from the front, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor Wednesday said the party vice...
PM invites support for ‘secular’ government, Sonia thanks people
By IANS,
New Delhi : With Sonia Gandhi content to stay in the background, a beaming Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday invited all parties to support "a secular government".
Clearly the man of the moment, Manmohan Singh said after a meeting with the Congress chief at her residence 10 Janpath: "I invite all parties to support the secular goverment. We should stand together."
The prime minister said: "We have an obligation to the people of India to provide a stable and secular government.
Campaign for Kerala assembly by-poll ends on Thursday
Thiruvananthapuram: The 39-day campaign for Saturday's by-poll in the Aruvikara assembly constituency reached a crescendo on Thursday, the last day of campaign, with the...
Left-UPA marriage finally ends, BJP wants trust vote
By M.R. Narayan Swamy, IANS,
New Delhi : Indian Communists Tuesday finally ended four years of support to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's ruling coalition over the contentious India-US nuclear deal, reducing it to a minority in parliament. But the Samajwadi Party quickly announced allegiance to the government and Manmohan Singh declared that his government's stability would not be hit.
"Left pulling out will not affect the stability of the government," a confident Manmohan Singh told the media in Japan where he is attending the G8 summit and related meetings with world leaders.
Akalis sweep Punjab by-polls, Sukhbir Badal triumphs
By IANS,
Chandigarh : Former Punjab deputy chief minister and Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal Thursday won the Jalalabad assembly by-election by over 80,000 votes even as the ruling Akali Dal in Punjab won all three assembly by-elections in the state.
Akali Dal candidate Jasjit Singh Bunny, son of former cooperation minister Kanwaljit Singh, won the Banur assembly seat in Mohali district by nearly 20,000 votes. Akali leader Sewa Singh Sekhwan won by over 12,000 votes from the Kahnuwan assembly seat in Gurdaspur district.
Top Congress leaders named in illegal construction case
By IANS,
Chandigarh : Two senior Congress leaders and three others were slapped with cases by the Punjab vigilance department Tuesday for the illegal construction of a building on government land in Amritsar city, an official said.
The cases of forgery and cheating under the Prevention of Corruption Act were registered by vigilance officials against former local bodies minister Jagjit Singh and former Punjab assembly deputy speaker Darbari Lal.
Two sons of Darbari Lal and an executive engineer have also been named in the same case.
Ahead of UP elections Dalit groups pressurize UPA to get SC status
By Md. Ali, TwoCircles.net,
Mayawati beckons voters to do a ‘UP’ in Karnataka
By Fakir Balaji, IANS,
Kollegal (Karnataka) : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati Monday appealed to the electorate of Karnataka to vote for her party in the assembly elections and install the first BSP government in south India.
Alagiri decision on new party in two months
Chennai : DMK president M. Karunanidhi's eldest son M.K. Alagiri Monday said he would decide on floating a new party in two months' time.
Speaking...
Kejriwal assures government job to Akshay Singh’s sister
New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal along with Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Wednesday met the family members of deceased journalist Akshay...
Mamata will face opposition in Singur: CPI-M leader
By IANS,
Kolkata : A time will come when West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will face steep opposition from the aggrieved people of Singur, CPI-M leader Gautam Deb said Wednesday.
Lalu poses threat to Varun’s life, Maneka tells police
By IANS,
Lucknow : Alleging that Railways Minister Lalu Prasad poses a threat to her son Varun Gandhi's life, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Pilbhit Maneka Gandhi Wednesday complained to the police.
Her written complaint was submitted to the senior superintendent of police, Badaun district, N. Ravindran. Badaun borders the Aonla constituency from where Maneka Gandhi is now contesting.
"She has complained to the SSP that Lalu has used objectionable remarks against Varun and also threatened to kill him," Badaun district BJP chief Rajiv Kumar told IANS on phone.
Fatwas impact voters, EC should take stock: Bedi
New Delhi : BJP leader Kiran Bedi Wednesday urged the Election Commission (EC) to not allow the issuance of 'fatwas' that impact voters before...
Hyderabad varsity students want VC to go
Hyderabad : Students and two professors of University of Hyderabad vowed after their release from jail to intensify their struggle till Appa Rao is...
Supreme Court stops high court from ‘interfering’ in Maharashtra polls
By Rana Ajit, IANS,
New Delhi : The Supreme Court has junked a Bombay High Court ruling related to the Maharashtra assembly polls, saying the constitutional bar on "interfering" in the election process was like the Great Wall of China.
Cases against Karunanidhi, Stalin for attacks on AIADMK cadres
Chennai : Cases have been filed against DMK president M. Karunanidhi, his son and party treasurer M.K. Stalin and around 500 people for attacking...
Anna should contest elections: Congress
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Congress party Wednesday said Anna Hazare and his team should fight the next general elections and then get their version of the Lokpal bill passed in parliament.
Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh join Uday discoms debt recast scheme
New Delhi : The Jharkhand government has joined Andhra Pradesh in conveying its in-principle approval for joining the Uday (Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana) scheme...
Nitish-BJP stand-off continues, question mark on alliance
By IANS,
New Delhi/Patna: As ties between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar remained strained, the BJP Monday held two rounds of discussions on the political situation in Bihar, where it is part of the ruling coalition with the Janata Dal-United, but deferred till Tuesday a decision on whether to continue with the alliance.
A great year for BJP, nightmare for Congress
By Prashant Sood,
New Delhi : It was a historic, memorable and momentous year for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi....
Media boycott of Sushma Swaraj embarrasses BJP
By IANS,
Mumbai: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was embarrassed when journalists prevented from speaking to party leader Sushma Swaraj at the airport boycotted a function addressed by her here Friday evening.
The media walked out from the venue near the Mumbai Airport after they were denied an opportunity to talk to Sushma Swaraj on her first, although private, visit to Mumbai after being named leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha.
Journalists at the airport wanted Sushma Swaraj to speak to them first as they had been waiting for her for hours. She was ready to oblige.
UPA-Left decide to meet again after renewed deadlock
By IANS,
New Delhi : India's ruling coalition and its Left allies Wednesday said they would pursue efforts to end their flaming row over the India-US nuclear deal and meet again "in due course".
After about 100 minutes of talks at External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee's residence, leaders of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and its Left allies declared that an expected showdown had been averted.
Mukherjee read out a brief statement after the ninth UPA-Left nuclear committee meeting.
National Conference, Congress close to seat sharing deal
By IANS,
Jammu : Jammu and Kashmir's ruling coalition partners National Conference (NC) and Congress are likely to share equally the six Lok Sabha seats in the state, party sources have indicated.
Though seat sharing arrangements are still to be finalised, sources in both the parties said it would be 50-50. "Three seats of the Kashmir Valley are going to the National Conference, and two in Jammu and one in Ladakh going to the Congress," a party source said, declining to be named.
Congress steps up attack on Modi government on black money
By IANS
New Delhi: The Congress on Saturday stepped up attack on the Narendra Modi government over 50 per cent jump in deposits by Indians...
Tension in Haryana village after church attack; 14 booked
Chandigarh : Tension prevailed in a village in Haryana's Hisar district on Monday after an under construction church was attacked and vandalised by miscreants...
Gujjar-Bakerwal Communities: Neglected Voices in Jammu and Kashmir Elections
Kounsar Bashir and Safoora Hilal/TwoCircles.net
Srinagar: As Jammu and Kashmir approaches the third and final phase of its Assembly elections — marking the first polls...
Manpreet Badal loses both Punjab seats
By IANS,
Chandigarh : Former finance minister and People's Party of Punjab (PPP) president Manpreet Singh Badal Tuesday lost both from Maur and Gidderbaha constituencies,...
Drop Raja from cabinet immediately: CPI-M
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to "immediately drop" Communication and IT Minister A. Raja for his alleged involvement in the 2G spectrum allocation scam that cost the nation "Rs.190,000 crore".
In a letter to the prime minister, CPI-M politburo member and Rajya Sabha MP Sitaram Yechury demanded that "immediate steps" should be taken to "recover lost licence and spectrum fees of about Rs.190,000 crore by using 3G licence figures as the benchmark."
Post-rejig, PM’s websites don’t have ministers list
By IANS,
New Delhi : Hours after a big-bang reshuffle Sunday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's official websites did not have the complete list of his council of ministers.
Make internal democracy ‘substantive’, vice president tells political parties
By IANS,
New Delhi : Political parties should now have "substantive organisational" democracy, Vice President Hamid Ansari said here Monday in the presence of India's ruling party president Sonia Gandhi and opposition leader Sushma Swaraj.
BJP plans to stamp out Maoists in Bastar
By IANS,
Raipur : After an unprecedented win in the Maoist bastion Bastar in Chhattisgarh's southern half, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which has been returned to power in state assembly elections now plans to launch a decisive battle against the rebels and "stamp out insurgents holing up in thick forests", a party leader said Thursday.
Voters in the nearly 40,000 sq km Bastar region, hit by Maoist violence since the early 1980s, have for the first time given an overwhelming support to the BJP, which won 11 out of the 12 assembly seats in the region in the November polls.
Christians asked to take part in politics
By Sanjay Sharma, IANS,
Bhopal : As Madhya Pradesh goes to the polls Nov 27, Archbishop Leo Cornelio of Bhopal has called for greater involvement of Christians in politics though many others in the community feel the elections would make little difference to them.
Christians represent one per cent of the state's six crore (60 million) population.
"Our voice is not heard in the process of decision-making as we are not involved in politics," Archbishop Cornelio told IANS.
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.
Chiranjeevi all set to launch his party at Tirupati
By IANS,
Hyderabad : Popular Telugu film star Chiranjeevi is all set to take a plunge into Andhra Pradesh politics and launch his own party from the temple town of Tirupati this month.
The mega star is likely to address a public meeting in the temple town Aug 22, his birthday, to announce his political party and its agenda.
The actor has selected Tirupati as the platform to launch his political career because of his attachment to the place, famous for the Lord Venkateshwara temple.
Tipu Sultan: He fought British and now Hindutva fanatics fighting him
By IndScribe
The BJP's bigotry is well-known as far as Tipu Sultan is concerned. They don't like Tipu and there are reasons.But first...
71.2 percent voting in Panaji by-poll
Panaji : Over 71 percent turnout was witnessed in the Panaji by-poll which concluded peacefully late Friday, officials said.
According to poll officials, 71.2 percent...
Avoid pompous display of wealth: Sonia to party leaders
By IANS,
Jaipur : Don't indulge in pompous displays of wealth, lead a simple life and be rooted, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi told party workers at a meeting here Friday.
Resurrecting Sanjay Gandhi and his politics of hooliganism
By Vidya Bhushan Rawat,
As media reaches the conclusion about the outcome of the general elections the Sangh Parivar and its excited ‘chhutbhaiyyas’ are competing each other in speak loud and threatening the opponents. One important thing the modern day politics teach us is that those who ride on the chariot of hype are dumped mercilessly by the same forces who are responsible for their rise. The example of Arvind Kejriwal is a pointer as how he was created by media as an alternative and how he has been dumped by the same media because at the moment media magnets and their ‘loudspeakers’ are anointing Narendra Modi as the future of India.
Modi greets nation on Ramadan
New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday greeted the nation on the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan.
"As Ramzan (Ramadan) begins, I...
Kerala leaders mourn the loss of comrade Surjeet
By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram : Veteran Communist leader Harkishan Singh Surjeet, who died in New Delhi Friday after a prolonged illness, was remembered fondly here not just by his comrades in Kerala's government but also by the opposition Congress.
Chief Minister V.S.Achuthanandan said he had been fortunate to be associated with Surjeet for more than five decades.
"I recall the association that I had with him fondly. When our party here in the state went through troubled times, the timely intervention that he made was very crucial. His loss is irreparable," said Achuthanandan.
Poll boycott call is anti-people: Soz
By IANS,
Srinagar : Union Water Resources Minister Saif-ud-Din Soz, who is also president of the state Congress unit, said here Wednesday that the separatists' poll boycott call was anti-people as it would add to their problems rather than solve these.
Addressing poll meetings in north Kashmir Baramulla district Wednesday, Soz said: "I am happy to see that people had appreciated, in ample measure, that boycott of the electoral process is not in their interests. Therefore, they are participating in the elections".
Bihar quake: Nitish’s colleagues to donate their salary
Patna : A day after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar donated one month's salary for the earthquake victims in the state, his cabinet colleagues,...
Congress-JD-S strike deal for Rajya Sabha, Karnataka council poll
By IANS,
Bangalore : The Congress Monday secured the support of the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) to get two of its candidates, former Maharashtra governor S.M. Krishna and mining magnate Anil Lad, elected to the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka in the June 26 polls.
In return, the Congress will support two JD-S candidates in the state legislative council elections to be held the same day, the parties have confirmed.
Elections are due for four Rajya Sabha and seven council seats in Karnataka.
Mamata politicking over train tragedy: CPI-M
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Wednesday criticised Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee for "floating the conspiracy theory" and "politicking" over the train accident in West Bengal that claimed over 60 lives.
"She (Mamata) is politicking over a grave tragedy. She is not only doing a disservice to the nation, but to the Constitution as well," Yechury told reporters.
Yechury pointed out that "the delay in relief teams reaching the site has caused the loss of several lives... And instead, (the railway minister) is floating the conspiracy theory".
Uddhav Thackeray advises Pawar to rejoin Congress
By IANS,
Mumbai : Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray Tuesday said Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar should now rejoin the Congress party as the "purpose of its existence" had come to an end.
"Pawar's newfound willingness to support Congress president Sonia Gandhi as prime minister in spite of her foreign origin, which was the reason for his breaking away from the party and forming his own 'nationalist' outfit means the NCP has lost its purpose," Thackeray told a press conference in his party office.
TDP’s three-day conclave kicks off in Hyderabad
Hyderabad : The Telugu Desam Party's three-day conclave kicked off at Gandipet on the outskirts of Hyderabad on Wednesday.
TDP's president and Andhra Pradesh Chief...
Rahul Gandhi thanks PM for ‘one rank one pension’
By IANS,
New Delhi : Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi Monday thanked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for accepting the "one rank one pension" demand of...
सुपुर्द ए ख़ाक किए गए मौलाना वली रहमानी
-जिब्रान उद्दीन। Twocircles.net
हज़रत मौलाना मोहम्मद वली रहमानी साहब का आज रविवार को सुबह 10 बजे मुंगेर के खानखाए रहमानी में जनाज़े की नमाज़...
Akhilesh drops out of India Today conclave
By IANS,
New Delhi : Uttar Pradesh's new Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav Thursday dropped out of the India Today conclave 2012 because of official engagements.
Return favour, vote for Left, Basu tells Congress supporters
By IANS,
Kolkata : Citing the Left's support to the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government, Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) veteran Jyoti Basu Sunday made an impassioned plea to the Congress supporters to vote for West Bengal's ruling Left Front in the coming by-polls to ten assembly seats.
"I tell all those who support the Congress that we gave unconditional support to the Congress against communalism which was in the interest of the country," the CPI-M patriarch said in a signed written statement here.
Kashmir needs political solution: PM
By IANS,
New Delhi : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday said his government was ready for dialogue to solve the problems in Kashmir and bring out a political solution "that addresses the alienation and emotional needs of the people" of the state.
Addressing an all-party delegation from Jammu and Kashmir at the Panchvati conference centre adjoining his residence here, Manmohan Singh said the dialogue to solve the Kashmir issue should be held within a democratic framework.
Congress loses both seats in Delhi by-polls
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Congress Thursday lost two seats in the Delhi by-elections with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) winning one seat each.
While BJP's candidate Pardymn Rajput defeated Congress' Tilotma Chaudhary in Dwarka, RJD's Asif Mohhamed Khan trumped the Bahujan Samaj Party candidate Braham Singh in Okhla.
Elections in Dwarka were held on Sep 10, and in Okhla on Sep 15.
“You don’t deserve to live in India,” 4 Tablighi Jamaat members recount near-death experience...
By Aparajita Ghosh, TwoCircles.net
Mumbai: “Tum Hindustan mein rehne ke laayak nahi ho, tum yahan nahi reh sakte.” These were the words of the assailants who allegedly...
Congress attacks Jaitley over ‘small rape incident’ remark
New Delhi : The Congress Friday hit out at Finance Minister Arun Jaitley over his remark terming the Delhi rape a "small incident", and...
UP CM kicks off Samajwadi Shrawan Yatra
Lucknow : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday flagged off the Samajwadi Shrawan Yatra-2015 under which over 900 devotees are being taken...
Dismiss Modi government, Azam Khan urges President
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan has sought the dismissal of the Narendra Modi-led central government for "failing to protect the minorities in the...
Mulayam, Amar meet prominent Muslim scholar, term visit ‘personal’
By IANS,
Lucknow : Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and party general secretary Amar Singh Thursday met Rabe Hassan Nadwi, vice chancellor of the Nadwa College and the chairman of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board.
The meeting comes after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati held a Muslim convention in the state capital last week and invited Nadwi besides a majority of Shia and Sunni clerics. However, Nadwi could not make it to the convention due to poor health.
BJP for law to build Ram temple in Ayodhya
By IANS
Shimla : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will amend the law to facilitate the building of a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya if it wins the next general elections, party president Rajnath Singh said Tuesday.
"The day we get an absolute majority, we will bring in a law so that a Ram temple is built at the disputed site in Ayodhya," Rajnath Singh told reporters here.
"But we will (take recourse to law) only if courts fail to find a solution and talks fail with Muslim leaders," he added.
Mayawati for CBI probe into ‘communal’ CD
By IANS
Lucknow : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati Wednesday favoured a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the release of poll campaign CDs with alleged communal content, for which Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Rajnath Singh faces charges.
The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief apparently responded favourably to appeals by the BJP to soften her stand against Singh and senior BJP leader Lalji Tandon earlier in the day, but she surprised the party late in the evening by favouring a central investigation.
A tale of two union ministers
By IANS,
Shimla : They both belong to Shimla and are union cabinet ministers but when it comes to begging for votes for their Congress party, they belong to differing camps.
201 held in Odisha government jobs with fake certificates
Bhubaneswar : As many as 201 people have been caught for getting government jobs by producing fake caste certificates since 2010, said an Odisha...
Bihar cabinet minister’s resignation accepted
Patna : A day after Bihar's Industry and Disaster Management Minister Renu Kumari Kushwaha resigned from the Nitish Kumar cabinet, her resignation was accepted...
Samajwadi Party corporator arrested
By IANS,
Lucknow : A Samajwadi Party corporator Mahesh Shukla was arrested here Saturday in a dowry harassment case, said the police.
His in-laws had registered the case against him in 2006 in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao district, accusing him of beating and torturing his wife for not bringing enough dowry.
"Shukla, a corporator from the Daliganj ward in Lucknow, is also accused of having a second wife without giving divorce to his first wife based in Unnao," said Ajit Singh Chauhan, a police official.
Himachal CM blames SFI for violence
Shimla : Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Friday blamed the Students Federation of India (SFI) for inciting violence in Shimla, resulting in...
Dikshit, Mukhi to raise voter I-card flaws with poll panel
By IANS,
New Delhi : Discrepancies in voters' identity cards have at last forced both Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit of the Congress and Leader of Opposition Jagdish Mukhi of the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) to come together and approach the Election Commission.
Both leaders are worried about electoral roll problems as the assembly elections are round the corner.
Mukhi raised the issue in the state legislative assembly, which started its monsoon session Wednesday.
Former Bengal speaker H.A. Halim dead
Kolkata: Former West Bengal assembly speaker Hashim Abdul Halim passed away on Monday, family sources said.
He was suffering from old-age-related illness, the sources...
BJP government in Madhya Pradesh to take office Friday
By IANS,
Bhopal : Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is set to be sworn-in for his second term Friday and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sources said Wednesday that he had got a free hand to choose his cabinet colleagues.
Chouhan's cabinet, the sources said, would include eight Brahmins, eight backward caste candidates, five tribals, three Dalits, Two Thakurs and at least four from the minority community, including one each from Jain, Sindhi, Jat and Maratha communities, besides four women.
Army orders probe into missing civilians in Kashmir
Srinagar : The army said on Wednesday that it has ordered a probe into the disappearance of three civilians in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara...
Chapter closed, says Acharia on Trinamool MP’s remarks
By IANS,
New Delhi : The controversy over unparliamentary remarks in the Lok Sabha by Trinamool Congress MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay against Basudeb Acharia seems to be over with the Communist leader Wednesday saying he had closed the chapter in deference to the wishes of house members.
Acharia, a Communist Party of India-Marxist veteran, also said he was grateful to Speaker Meira Kumar for the ruling that she disapproved of the Trinamool MP's conduct Tuesday.
Rajnath Singh has over Rs.10 million assets, but no car
By IANS,
Ghaziabad : Somewhat similar to Congress party president Sonia Gandhi, Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) national president Rajnath Singh too possesses assets of over Rs.1 crore (Rs.10 million), but no car, according to the affidavit filed by him Friday.
Singh, who filed his nomination papers for the Ghaziabad Lok Sabha seat, disclosed assets worth Rs.1.21 crore (Rs.12.1 million).
Pranab’s election unfortunate: Kejriwal
By IANS,
New Delhi : Terming the election of Pranab Mukherjee to the post of president as "unfortunate", Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal alleged that his supporters have deceived the country.
Never opposed candidature of Chidamabaram, Rane: Gurudas Kamat
New Delhi : Former union Minister Gurudas Kamat on Thursday said he had never objected to the nomination of P. Chidambaram to the Rajya...
Muslim leader rejoins Shiv Sena
Mumbai : A prominent Muslim leader and vice president of Raj Thackeray's MNS who had left the Shiv Sena a few years ago has...
Dadri lynching: HC approached over ‘arbitrary’ ex-gratia to victim
Lucknow: The compensation by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav to the family of Mohammed Akhlaq, who was lynched by a mob in Dadri,...
Omar Abdullah to file nomination papers from Ganderbal
By IANS,
Srinagar : National Conference (NC) president Omar Abdullah is set to file his nomination papers Monday from north Kashmir's Ganderbal constituency, which goes to polls Nov 23 in the second phase of the seven-phase assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
Abdullah had lost the 2002 assembly elections from Ganderbal to Qazi Muhammad Afzal of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
The PDP, after much debate and suspense, once again cleared Qazi’s name as the party’s candidate from the constituency.
CWC meeting Monday to discuss Congress’ worst poll performance
New Delhi: The Congress Working Committee (CWC) will meet Monday to take stock of the party's worst Lok Sabha performance and chart the road...
CPI-M minister’s veiled threat to media
By IANS
Kolkata : West Bengal Transport Minister and senior Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Subhash Chakraborty issued a veiled threat to the media Wednesday, saying scribes could face public outrage for providing "wrong information" about the Nandigram violence to the people.
Holy Rights: a brave film essaying complex battle for gender rights by Muslim women
Samvartha ‘Sahil’, TwoCircles.net
Shot and edited between 2016 and 2019, at a time when Hindu fundamentalism in India has tightened its grip on state apparatuses...
Uttar Pradesh reply sought on lawsuit against Mulayam Singh
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Supreme Court Thursday asked for the Uttar Pradesh government response to a lawsuit that alleged diversion of Rs.600 million worth of funds by former chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav to a college run by his family members.
A bench of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan and Justice P. Sathasivam sought the state government's reply within four weeks to the petition that alleged diversion of the money from the Chief Minister's Discretionary Fund in violation of norms.
Lok Sabha elections: JCMOE guidelines for Muslim voters
By Manzar Bilal, TwoCircles.net,
Rich can gamble in Goa instead of Nepal: Congress leader
By IANS,
Panaji : Amid strident criticism against the proliferation of offshore casinos by the Goa unit of Congress' women wing, senior party leader Prabha Thakur Thursday endorsed the industry that has rapidly grown during the Congress-led alliance rule in the coastal state.
All India Mahila Congress (AIMC) president and Rajya Sabha member Thakur said the emergence of casinos in Goa meant that gamblers no longer had to go to Nepal's gambling dens.
Villagers come seeking power from political elite
By IANS,
New Delhi : Residents of Kalavati's village Jalka came calling on political leaders here Tuesday with a request to provide electricity to India's villages, using renewable energy sources. Kalavati, the widow of a farmer in Maharashtra's Yavatmal district, had a much-publicised visit from Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi last year.
Since then, the village has been in the public eye, and the NGO Greenpeace had set up a solar power system there, which was launched March 30.
Amit Shah suited for BJP chief’s position: Rajnath
New Delhi: Amit Shah is suited for the position of the BJP chief due to his leadership in Uttar Pradesh that saw the party...
Modi failed to help farmers, says Lalu
Patna: RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Thursday gave zero marks to the Narendra Modi government which completes one year on May 26, arguing that...
Mulayam expels ‘wanted’ criminal MP from party
By IANS
Lucknow : In an obvious bid to change his party's image, former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav Friday said he had expelled tainted party MP Atiq Ahmad, wanted by the police for the murder of a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) legislator.
Yadav revealed this to reporters during an informal visit to a party colleague's residence at Faizabad, about 120 km from here, Friday afternoon.
"Atiq Ahmad has a criminal background, and we have no place for tainted and anti-social elements like him in our party," he said.
Dalit, Adivasi coalition urges Rajya Sabha to pass SCs and STs (POA) Amendment Bill
By TCN News,
The National Coalition of about 500 Dalit and Adivasi organisations from all over the country appealed to the BJP-led NDA Government...
Assam Jamiat rally against ISIS
By Two Circles Staff Reporter
Guwahati: Members of the Assam State Jamiat Ulama (ASJU) sent out a strong message against the global terrorism which...