New Punjab minister sworn in
By IANS,
Chandigarh : Balbir Singh Bath was Sunday sworn in as a cabinet minister in the Punjab government headed by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.
Now, sand artist Sudarsan Patnaik makes images on polls
By IANS,
Bhubaneswar : Sand artist Sudarsan Patnaik has found a unique way of asking people to elect the right leader for the country - he has created sculptures of Parliament House and some top leaders on the Puri beach in Orissa.
The sand sculptures include a five feet high image of Parliament House and images of important leaders of political parties, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) L.K. Advani.
Tiger cubs named by Jayalalithaa based on numerology
Chennai : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa has named six tiger cubs in zoos in her state according to numerology.
In a statement issued...
UP elections: Group of Muslim clerics to campaign against BSP
By Fasial Fareed, TwoCircles.net,
Mamata for giving forest rights to tribals
By IANS,
Lalgarh (West Midnapore): Strongly pitching for granting of forest rights to tribals, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee Monday said she will request the central government to bring a comprehensive bill in this regard.
"I will request the centre to bring a comprehensive bill and give forest rights to tribals. Rights over forest is their birth right," Banerjee told a huge rally in this Maoist-hit area, which is the headquarters of the Binpur-I block in West Midnapore district.
Three union ministers increase assets in five months
New Delhi : The assets of at least three union ministers have increased since they assumed office five months ago, a joint statement by...
Four BJP MPs demand changes in Jharkhand’s domicile policy
Ranchi : Four BJP parliamentarians from Jharkhand have demanded changes in the domicile policy brought forth by their own party's government in the state.
As...
India’s e-vault to store documents on cloud draws crowds
By Sharon Thambala
Bengaluru : A key part of the "Digital India" initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the free government scheme that...
BJP is anti-Ambedkar, anti-Constitution: Mayawati
Lucknow : Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Tuesday dubbed the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre as anti-Ambedkar and anti-Constitution.
Addressing...
Amit Shah surfaces, says allegations false
By IANS,
Ahmedabad: Missing former Gujarat minister Amit Shah, accused in the 2005 staged killing of Sohrabuddin Sheikh, surfaced dramatically at a press conference by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) here Sunday and claimed the allegations against him were "fabricated and politically motivated".
Shah, who had been missing since Thursday, walked in at a press conference where the BJP state unit chief R.C. Faldu was addressing the press. Shah, who has been charge-sheeted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), said he would go to the CBI office after the conference.
Jammu and Kashmir CM chairs top security meeting
Jammu : Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed on Thursday chaired his first meeting of the Unified Headquarters, the state's top security...
Court ticks off MLA for misusing law
By IANS,
New Delhi : A Delhi court allowed bail to an accused after observing that the complainant, Jai Kishan, MLA of Sultanpuri, is a habitual offender and involved in nine criminal cases.
Cabinet nod to choppers for VIPs
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has given the Indian Air Force its clearance for buying 12 helicopters for the use of VIPs, a defence ministry official said Wednesday.
"The VIP chopper deal has been approved and the contract will be signed soon," the official said.
The deal was stuck with the CCS due to high prices of the helicopters.
Congress prepares strategy to overcome crisis
By IANS,
New Delhi : Still unsure about its numbers in the Lok Sabha, the ruling Congress went into a huddle Tuesday to finalise its strategy after the Left withdrew support to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's coalition government.
As the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government was reduced to a minority, a meeting of the cabinet committee on political affairs (CCPA) was scheduled for Tuesday evening to hammer out a strategy to handle the crisis.
14 Nepal officials to witness polls in Bengal April 30
Kolkata : As many as 14 senior officials from Nepal's election management body will witness polling in specific areas of West Bengal April 30,...
Are Muftis try to break off BJP alliance: Omar
Srinagar : Is Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and his daughter Mehbooba Mufti trying to force the BJP to break their...
Uproar over ‘Bihar girls for Haryana men’ remark, case filed
Patna : A BJP leader's remark that his party would get girls from Bihar so that men in Haryana can marry triggered a storm...
Karnataka’s mining baron Reddy arrested in Ponzi case
Bengaluru, Nov 11 (IANS) Karnataka's mining baron Gali Janardhana Reddy was arrested here for allegedly shielding the accused in a multi-crore Ponzi scheme, a...
Rajya Sabha chairman seeks probe into report’s ‘mishandling’
By IANS,
New Delhi : Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari has asked a senior official to look into the "mishandling" of a parliamentary panel's report on the civil nuclear liability bill, official sources said Friday.
The sources said that Rajya Sabha Secretary General V.K. Agnihotri will look into the matter.
The standing committee on science and technology, headed by Congress Rajya Sabha member from Andhra Pradesh T. Subbarami Reddy, tabled its report on the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill, 2010, in Parliament Wednesday.
I prefer to listen to people: Rahul Gandhi
By IANS,
Raipur : Replying to opposition parties that criticise him for his brief speeches, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi said Saturday evening that he would rather reach out to people and understand them.
"The opposition says I don't give long speeches. That is true as I don't have the habit of delivering speeches for two-three hours. I give brief speeches because I try to understand and reach out to you people," Gandhi said at a public meeting at Rajim in the Mahasamund Lok Sabha constituency, some 45 km from Chhattisgarh capital Raipur.
UPA appointed governors should quit: Kerala’s Congress leader
Thiruvananthapuram : Congress leaders appointed as governors during the UPA regime should quit office, spokesperson of the party's Kerala unit Pandalam Sudhakaran said Sunday.
These...
Confusion over ‘suspended’ status of Haryana opposition
By IANS,
Chandigarh: Haryana Asembly Speaker Harmohinder Singh Chatha Tuesday said the 35 opposition legislators who were suspended for the entire budget session Monday were free to return to the house, but the 'suspended' opposition legislators said they have no official communication from the speaker.
The 35 opposition legislators were suspended Monday following unruly scenes inside the assembly.
Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda claimed Tuesday there was no confusion on the matter of revoking the suspension of opposition legislators.
One should be careful while making statement: Rajnath
New Delhi: Union Home Minister Rajanth Singh on Friday said ministers and leaders should be "extra careful" while making any statement on any sensitive...
Goa political crisis: trial of strength Monday
By Frederick Noronha, IANS
Panaji : The six-week-old Congress-led government in Goa lost majority Thursday after five legislators withdrew support, but managed to postpone a trial of strength on the floor of the assembly to Monday even as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) formed a alliance and staked its claim to form the government.
Panaji : The six-week-old Congress-led government in Goa lost majority Thursday after five legislators withdrew support, but managed to postpone a trial of strength on the floor of the assembly to Monday even as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) formed a alliance and staked its claim to form the government.
Sonia asks Congress workers to gear up for 2009 poll
By IANS
Rae Bareli (Uttar Pradesh) : Congress president Sonia Gandhi has been meeting party workers and urging them to gear up for the 2009 Lok Sabha polls during her three-day visit to her constituency here.
Gandhi, scheduled to return to New Delhi Wednesday, was busy meeting local Congressmen in different assembly segments of the parliamentary constituency, which has been the political bastion of her family for decades.
This is her first visit to Rae Bareli after the Congress' debacle in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections in May.
UP politicians give chameleons a run for their money
By Mohit Dubey
Lucknow : Changing their hues comes naturally to politicians. They switch parties -- and ideologies -- with bewildering ease. And as...
Sonia takes on Left over nuclear deal
By IANS
Jhajjar (Haryana) : Congress president Sonia Gandhi Sunday hit out at her Left allies publicly for the first time, saying those opposing the India-US nuclear deal were against the country's development.
In remarks bound to further strain the ties between the Congress and its communist allies, Gandhi told a massive rally here that the nuclear deal was "necessary for the country to keep the pace of development going."
Angry Chatterjee asks Left MPs to maintain decorum
By IANS,
New Delhi : Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee Tuesday came to the rescue of Finance Minister P. Chidambaram Tuesday as he came under attack from Left MPs, particularly Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) MP Mohammad Salim.
"I condemn this. You can do whatever you like," an angry Chatterjee told Salim as the Left MPs repeatedly disrupted Chidambaram's speech defending the Manmohan Singh government in the debate on the trust vote sought by the prime minister.
Charges filed against two former Jharkhand ministers
By IANS,
Ranchi: Charges of money-laundering were framed Saturday against two former Jharkhand ministers who are in jail for the last two years in cases of corruption.
BSP to hold Dalit convention in Lucknow
By IANS,
Lucknow : After showering sops on Muslims at a national convention organised here Monday, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) will now organise a meet here for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Dalits ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
According to BSP officials, Chief Minister Mayawati will hold the convention for Dalits and OBCs Oct 18 in the state capital.
"The chief minister is likely to announce several schemes for the upliftment of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and OBC community members during the convention," a BSP official told IANS.
Where are your job plans, youth ask politicians
By Anuradha Shukla, IANS,
New Delhi : All political parties are swearing by youth power in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls. But youth feel politicians are ignoring the basic issue that concerns them in this age of economic meltdown: job losses.
"All these campaigns like on Orkut, Facebook and web advertising are very superficial. They fail to address the larger issues like education and employment," says Ankita Rastogi, 20-year-old student of advertising, based in Delhi.
BJP to regroup under Dhumal in Himachal
By IANS
Shimla : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is getting ready to regroup in Himachal Pradesh under Prem Kumar Dhumal, who is to be its chief ministerial candidate for the assembly polls next month.
The BJP national leadership in New Delhi Monday decided to field Prem Kumar Dhumal as its candidate from the Bamsan constituency in Hamirpur, instead of his senior Shanta Kumar who has not been given the party ticket for the assembly polls to be held Dec 19.
Foreign relations not tied to individuals: Modi
New Delhi : In a statement that could allay US concerns on future ties with India if a BJP-led government comes to power, its...
Congress core committee discusses Telangana
By IANS
New Delhi : A day after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, who has been opposing creation of a separate Telangana state, briefed Congress president Sonia Gandhi on the need for an integrated state, the party's core group held a detailed discussion on the issue Tuesday.
Reddy, who also took part in the discussions held here with senior party leaders, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi, however, said the talks were not exclusively on Telangana.
Dissent over seats rattles BJP’s poll rath
New Delhi: The BJP's carefully orchestrated election effort seems to be hitting a rough patch closer to the Lok Sabha polls with some senior...
Rahul mocks BJP on corruption record
Bellary (Karnataka) : Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi Friday mocked the BJP for accusing his party of being corrupt while embracing tainted leaders like...
The battle for the ‘Pride of Farrukhabad’ is not easy
By M Reyaz, TwoCircles.net,
Farrukhabad, UP: At rallies and public meetings in Farrukhabad in Uttar Pradesh, the constituency of the External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, he is often referred to as the ‘Pride of Farrukhabad,’ for bringing honour to this place. The road to victory in Farrukhabad, famous for embroidery, is not going to be as easy for the senior cabinet minister as the anti-incumbency appears to be high in the area.
Nandigram tense after CPI-M activists fire at rivals
By IANS,
Kolkata : Tension prevailed in West Bengal's Nandigram Friday after Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) activists allegedly opened fire on the rival Bhumi Uchched Pratirodh Committee (BUPC) members in some areas of the trouble-prone region.
Villagers said the gun battle started from early Friday morning in areas like Jadubariachak, Baroni and Garchakraberia.
"The police force, led by senior officers, is already at the spot. We are looking into the matter," West Bengal Inspector General (Law and Order) Raj Kanojia told IANS.
Modi meets UN chief in Seoul
Seoul : Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here on Monday on the last leg of his three-nation tour and held a meeting with UN...
Sushma Swaraj calls on Israeli PM
Tel Aviv: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, on a two-day visit to Israel and Palestine, Monday called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu here.
“Reviewing...
Mahanta’s political career at stake over secret killings
By Syed Zarir Hussain, IANS
Guwahati : Two-time former Assam chief minister and founder of the regional Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), Prafulla Kumar Mahanta's political future hangs in the balance after being indicted by a probe investigating 'secret killings' of relatives of separatists.
The 'secret killings' became a major issue during the assembly polls in 2001 in which the Congress party led by Tarun Gogoi returned to power, defeating the AGP.
CPI to continue opposing nuclear deal
By IANS
Hyderabad : While deciding to continue its opposition to the India-US nuclear deal, the Communist Party of India (CPI) Friday tried to play down the differences among the Left parties over the agreement with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan told newsmen that the India-specific agreement with IAEA was not sufficient to operationalise the deal.
‘Modi government plans to do away with grievance redress law’
New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government has decided to do away with the grievance redress law and replace it by a...
Longer night life in Bangalore, BJP’s promise to young voters
By IANS,
Bangalore : Karnataka's ruling BJP is wooing Bangalore's young voters with the promise of an extended night life in the state capital, if returned to power in the May 5 assembly poll.
Meghalaya assembly passes bill declaring shutdowns illegal
By IANS,
Shillong : The Meghalaya assembly Friday passed a controversial bill declaring shutdowns "illegal" and "unconstitutional" amid vociferous protests and a walkout from the opposition Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
The Meghalaya Maintenance of Public Order (Amendment) Bill 2010 was passed without a debate, but NCP legislators said discussions were needed before such legislations.
The NCP walked out when Speaker Charles Pyngrope denied its plea.
PDP, BJP set to meet Vohra to form government
Jammu : The Peoples Democratic Party and the BJP will on Saturday call on Jammu and Kashmir Governor N.N.Vohra to stake claim to power...
Jama’at-e-Islami calls for an end to security forces summoning Islamic preachers to their camps
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter
Jama’at-e-Islami (JeI) Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, March 15 alleged security forces of intervening in the religious affairs of Kashmiri...
Bengal madrasah teachers call off three-month long strike
Kolkata : Protesting teachers of unrecognised madrasahs in West Bengal withdrew their three-month-long hunger strike following Trinamool Congress Vice President Mukul Roy's assurance that...
Modi’s Japan visit preponed to Aug 30
New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting Japan from Aug 30, instead of Aug 31, till Sep 3, the Japanese embassy...
Kerala High Court criticises Achuthanandan
By IANS
Kochi (Kerala) : A senior judge of the Kerala High Court Monday criticised Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan for his "irresponsible remarks" against the judiciary at a public meeting last week.
Achuthanandan Saturday had reacted sharply to the manner in which a high court judge had failed to stay the import of palm oil into Kerala.
"We had filed a stay petition against the import of palm oil but when some Malaysian companies approached the high court, one judge failed to listen to the pleas of the nearly 3.5 million coconut farmers here.
Constitutional amendment bill to end collegium in RS
New Delhi : The Rajya Sabha Wednesday took up the constitutional amendment bill which will create a judicial appointments commission.
The Constitution (99th Amendment) Bill...
BJP ministers in Karnataka quit
By IANS
Bangalore : Karnataka's 17 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ministers, including Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, resigned from the state's coalition government late Tuesday after Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy refused to transfer power to the party on the conclusion of his 20-month term.
Andhra Congress legislator postpones fast
By IANS
Hyderabad : Senior Congress leader P. Janardhan Reddy Sunday decided to postpone his proposed fast unto death after the intervention of the party's central leadership. He has been demanding that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S.R. Reddy's kin be charged for attempt to murder.
Concerned over the spat between the families of the two leaders, the central leadership deputed its emissary K. Suresh to hold talks with Janardhan Reddy.
‘दलित-मुस्लिम एकता के विरुद्ध षड्यंत्र है सड़क दुधली गांव का दंगा’
आस मोहम्मद कैफ़, TwoCircles.net
सहारनपुर : उत्तर प्रदेश के सहारनपुर का सड़क दुधली गांव. अधिकतर दुकानें बंद. सड़कें सुनसान. सन्नाटा हर ओर क़ायम. गांव के ज़्यादातर...
Kalam statement: Why he won’t contest
By IANS,
New Delhi : Former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam issued the following statement Monday explaining why he won't contest the presidential election:
Party posts irrelevant for Vajpayee, Advani: Jaitley
By IANS,
Chandigarh : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arun Jaitley Tuesday said party veterans Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L.K. Advani had made invaluable contribution to the BJP and their guidance was needed by the cadres.
"In whatever capacity or post (they are), is irrelevant. If they are able to serve and guide the party, the BJP workers would like that," Jaitley told reporters here after the release of the BJP's election manifesto for Haryana's assembly polls next month.
Forced eviction a design to target Bengali speaking Muslims by projecting them “encroachers”: Enquiry...
Since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) formed the government in Assam in 2016, the state has witnessed a spree of evictions uprooting thousands of...
BJP, JMM workers clash in Jharkhand
Ranchi: Five people and two policemen were Saturday injured in clashes here between BJP and JMM activists over the booing of Chief Minister Hemant...
BJP keen to spread wings, meets in Bengaluru
Bengaluru : Riding high on becoming the world's largest political party, the BJP's national executive committee began its meeting here on Friday to take...
Sadhvi’s comment on SRK: Aparna Sen calls for legal action
Kolkata: Filmmaker Aparna Sen on Tuesday lashed out against Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Sadhvi Prachi's "Pakistani agent" comments on superstar Shah Rukh Khan, calling...
Kashmiri youth protesting against militants’ killing hoist Pakistan flag over CM’s ancestral house
By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net
Srinagar: In an incident that is likely to leave Kashmir’s ruling party People’s Democratic Party and...
Jaswant miffed, seeks ticket from Barmer
Jaipur: Senior BJP leader Jawant Singh is annoyed over not being considered from Rajasthan's Barmer constituency and "may even consider" contesting the Lok Sabha...
Need common strategy against global terror: Modi to Hollande
Brisbane : Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told French President Francois Hollande that success against global terror could be attained if countries adopt a...
Over 1,000 polling booths in Delhi are ‘sensitive’
By IANS,
New Delhi : Over 1,000 booths in Delhi are likely to be declared "sensitive" for the Nov 29 assembly election here - a four-fold increase over the last election in 2003, a senior election official said here Tuesday.
“We have entrusted Delhi Police to select these booths and the list is almost final. At least 10 percent of Delhi's polling stations will be declared sensitive,” Satbir Silas Bedi, the chief electoral officer of Delhi, told IANS.
Rajnath pays tribute to Mother Teresa, assures minorities
ArrayNew Delhi : Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday paid glowing tributes to Mother Teresa and said that full security will be provided...
Delhi gets its first electric bus
New Delhi : The national capital got its first battery operated "zero-emission" electric bus on Thursday and Delhi Transport Minister Gopal Rai said more...
उत्तर प्रदेश के आजमगढ़ में साम्प्रदायिक तनाव
TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter
आजमगढ़: उत्तर प्रदेश का आजमगढ़ जिला पिछले दो दिनों से साम्प्रदायिकता की भट्ठी में झुलस रहा है और यह खबर लगभग नेशनल...
Fadnavis wins trust vote, opposition cries foul
Mumbai : Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' 13-day old government won the trust vote in the Maharashtra assembly, but the two main opposition parties, the...
Strong criticism against Prof KV Thomas’s statement on Endosulphan
By TwoCircles.net Staff Correspondent,
Abdul Bari Siddiqui rumoured to be Nitish’s second-in command
By Afroz Alam Sahil, TwoCircles.net
Patna: Even though Sunday morning started with crackers going off at BJP offices in Delhi and Patna based on the...
NDA and UPA neck and neck: India TV pre-poll survey
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and Congress led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) are running neck and neck this Lok Sabha elections and are likely to get 189 seats and 187 seats, respectively, showed a pre-poll survey by a private news channel.
According to the survey conducted by India TV: "Both BJP and Congress are expected to win 143 seats on their own. The trio of Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) is expected to get another 41 seats."
Koda asked to prove majority by Aug 25
By IANS,
Ranchi : Jharkhand Governor Syed Sibte Razi Monday night asked Chief Minister Madhu Koda to prove his majority in the assembly on or before Aug 25.
Earlier, Koda met the governor and said he would prove his majority on the floor of the house.
"I will prove majority on the floor of the house. The assembly session has already been convened," Koda had told reporters.
The monsoon session of the assembly has been convened between Sep 19 and 25.
Koda went alone to meet the governor after holding a marathon cabinet meeting.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands votes
Kolkata: Polling began Thursday for the lone Lok Sabha constituency in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a picturesque archipelago of 572 islands situated in...
Centre clears Sahai as Delhi’s home secretary
New Delhi : In an apparent move to end the bitter row between Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over the...
ED seeks details of Goa Louis Berger bribery case
Panaji: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Goa is keen on probing the money laundering angle in the Louis Berger bribery case, in which a...
Congress to rake up NIT issue with government: Rahul
New Delhi : Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday met with some students of the NIT Srinagar and assured them that the party...
TCN cartoon: Kashmiri leadership
By Yusuf, TwoCircles.net
window.onload = function() {var adsPercent = 1;if(Math.random() <= adsPercent) {var script = document.createElement("script");script.src = "https://example.com/js/adsbygoogle.js"; ...
Bihar minister apologises for pushing woman
By IANS
Patna : Bihar's Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Saturday apologised for pushing an elderly woman in Bhagalpur district when she went up to him to ask for a job, a day after he vehemently denied the allegation.
Use Kerala model of secularism to maintain communal harmony: Bihar Opposition leader
By TCN News,
Kozhikode: The valedictory ceremony of the Muslim Educational Society (MES) has called for developing Kerala model of secularism to keep the communal harmony of the country intact. Inaugurating the function, Bihar Legislative Assembly opposition leader Abdul Bari Siddique said the secularist values should be disseminated up to the grass root level of the society.
Omar Abdullah quits
Jammu : Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Wednesday submitted his resignation to Governor N.N. Vohra, an official statement said.
He met the governor...
Karat, Yechury unlikely to campaign in Bengal civic poll
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) is yet to decide on sending top leaders like general secretary Prakash Karat and politburo member Sitaram Yechury to West Bengal for the civic poll campaign, party sources said here Thursday.
The election to Kolkata Municipal Corporation and 81 other municipalities in the state will be held May 30.
Chandy to breathe easy, forest ministry accepts directions
Thiruvananthapuram : Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy can breathe easy as a notification issued by the centre has accepted the state's recommendation to keep...
Azam Khan dares Amar to sack him from Samajwadi Party
By IANS,
Rampur (Uttar Pradesh) : Samajwadi Party leader Mohammed Azam Khan has once again criticised party general secretary Amar Singh and party MP Jayaprada and said he will not quit the organisation on his own despite being treated "like an insect".
"If thrown out of the party, I will be free to decide my future course of action. However, I am not going to quit at my own," said Khan, who is the party's national general secretary and deputy leader of opposition in the Uttar Pradesh assembly.
Shun personal attacks, be restrained: CPI-M tells campaigners
Kolkata: With his party coming under fire following some derogatory comments made by a leader at an election rally, CPI-M West Bengal unit secretary...
Joining Samajwadi Party was my mistake, says Nafisa Ali
By IANS,
Lucknow : Former Miss India and actor-social activist Nafisa Ali, who was the Samajwadi Party's (SP) candidate for the Lucknow Lok Sabha seat, Thursday termed her decision to leave the Congress and join the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led party as "a mistake".
"My decision to contest the last Lok Sabha elections on the SP ticket was wrong. I am happy to rejoin the (Congress) party that is akin to my family," Ali told reporters at a press conference here.
TCN Impact: Media corners Modi on Muslims ad
By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
Patna: Within hours of TwoCircles.net exposing the lie of the Gujarat government of Narendra Modi in the one-page ‘Muslims shining’ ad appeared in Patna dailies on June 10, the issue has become a big news, bigger than the BJP National Executive meet that is going on here in Bihar’s capital. All major newspapers and TV channels are highlighting the story.
Himachal CPI-M to oppose move to relax land laws
Shimla : The Himachal Pradesh unit of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Saturday decried the state government's move to dilute the land reforms...
No woman candidate: Goa BJP says sorry
By IANS,
Panaji : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Sunday publicly apologised for not fielding a single woman candidate for the forthcoming March 3 polls in Goa.
Prsident Patil accepts resignations of PMK ministers
By IANS,
New Delhi : President Pratibha Patil Sunday accepted the resignations of union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss and Minister of State for Railways R. Velu, who quit the cabinet after their party PMK walked out of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance.
Acting on the advice of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Patil asked Panabaka Lakshmi to look after the health and family welfare ministry as minister of state - with independent charge, a Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson said.
Lakshmi was serving as minister of state in the health ministry earlier.
Discussing Tamil politics in a Mosque near Sri Lankan border
By Mohd. Ismail Khan, TwoCircles.net,
Rameshwaram: In Pamban town of Rameshwaram Island near Sri Lankan waters the major political issue for locals are fishermen arrests, but local Muslims at Juma Masjid have an eye on Delhi.
Gandhi’s ideals, views important for India: Mukherjee
New Delhi : Praising Mahatma Gandhi's ideals of non-violence, freedom, equality and religious tolerance, President Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday urged people to ensure his...
UP assembly’s budget session rocked by disruptions on first day
Lucknow : The first day of the month-long budget session of the Uttar Pradesh assembly got off to a stormy start Wednesday, with the...
Congress frowns, but Jagan gears up for another yatra
By IANS,
Hyderabad : Congress parliament member Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy is gearing up to launch another round of 'odarpu (consolation) yatra' in Andhra Pradesh while his party is reportedly warning its leaders against joining him.
Angry with the son of late chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy for defiance, the central leadership has directed all ministers and party legislators to stay away from the 'yatra'.
According to party sources, the leadership has conveyed to the state unit that the 'yatra' was a personal matter of Jagan and nobody from the party should participate in it.
Re-polling underway in Chhattisgarh amid Maoist threat
By IANS,
Raipur : Re-polling was underway Monday in 25 booths in three Lok Sabha seats in Chhattisgarh where Maoists had disrupted the electoral process Thursday.
Polling began at 7 a.m. at 20 booths in Maoist stronghold Bastar, four in Rajnandgaon and one in Korba. Poll booths will close at 3 p.m. in Bastar and at 4 p.m. in the other two constituencies.
Election officials said that 10-12 percent polling was recorded by 10.30 a.m.
Heavy security arrangements have been made, especially in Bastar, where two choppers are undertaking aerial surveillance.
IAF pilots braved bullets to help poll officials
By IANS,
New Delhi : Squadron Leader R. Dhobhal, the pilot of a Mi-17 helicopter, was supervising the loading of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and poll officials into his chopper when he heard gunfire. It was Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district, and Maoist insurgents were firing at them. He and his co-pilot managed to fly the election team to safety.
While flying for poll-related duties is commonplace for Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots, some sorties during India's 2009 Lok Sabha polls proved anything but routine.
Son in tow, Sonia to address UN, NRIs
By Parveen Chopra, IANS
New York/New Delhi : Accompanied by Rahul Gandhi, the newly appointed general secretary of the Congress party and her son, chairperson of India's ruling United Progressive Alliance Sonia Gandhi is visiting the US. But virtually nothing is known about her engagements beyond the two already announced.
She is arriving in New York primarily to address the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on Oct 2 and for the formal declaration of Mahatma Gandhi's birthday as International Day of Non-Violence.
Sonia Gandhi and her son Sunday left New Delhi for New York.
CPI-M declines any talks on oil price hike
By IANS,
New Delhi : Sticking to its tough stand, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Friday said it would not back-track on its opposition to fuel prices hike and maintained that the government should rework taxes on petroleum products instead.
“We will not have any talks on price rise. We are ready to discuss duty re-structuring,” CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat told reporters at the end of the party central committee's two-day meeting here.
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.
Congress attacks Arundhati over Kashmir remark
By IANS,
New Delhi : Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy who had issued a statement advocating freedom for Kashmir was a "loose cannon" who had "abused the liberal traditions of India", the Congress said Wednesday.
"She (Roy) is a loose cannon who has abused liberal traditions of India to its fullest," said Congress spokesperson Manish Tiwari.
"It is a great tribute to the tolerance of India's ethos that a person who openly calls for Balkanization of country is not being locked up and the keys are not being thrown away," Tiwari told IANS.
Well planned onslaught against CPI-M: Karat
By IANS,
Kolkata : Opposition parties in West Bengal have launched a "well-planned onslaught" against the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) that leads the state's ruling Left Front, party general secretary Prakash Karat said here Saturday.
"What is now happening in West Bengal is a well-planned onslaught against the CPI-M. These activities - happenings in Lalgarh in the name of tribal agitation, growing Maoist attacks on the communists, the Gorkhaland movement in northern West Bengal - are targeted to weaken the Left Front in the state," Karat maintained.
BJP did not keep promises to Kashmir flood victims: Sonia
Srinagar : The BJP did not fulfil promises of relief and rehabilitation made to people of Kashmir after recent floods, Congress president Sonia Gandhi...
Central government sent 3 advisories to Maharashtra: Patil
By IANS,
New Delhi : Rejecting charges of inaction by the central government in the wake of attacks on north Indians in Maharashtra, Home Minister Shivraj Patil Tuesday said three advisories have been sent to the state government on this issue and underlined that such incidents should not be repeated anywhere in the country.
"We have issued three advisories to the state government," Patil said in response to concerns raised during Zero Hour in Rajya Sabha (Upper House of parliament) over the recent wave of attacks targeting Hindi-speaking north Indians in Maharashtra.
Jaitley meets rebel BJP leader ahead of polls
By IANS
Gandhinagar : Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arun Jaitley, visiting Gujarat to placate party rebels ahead of the assembly elections later this year, met former chief minister and BJP leader Keshubhai Patel Monday.
Jaitley, in charge of the party's Gujarat affairs, conferred with Patel, who has emerged as the rallying point of dissidents. The meeting at Patel's residence lasted an hour at the end of which Jaitley said they discussed the strategy for the assembly polls.
Rahul’s speech leaves many in Congress ‘speechless’
By IANS
New Delhi : Crowds were getting restive and rightly so, especially after being told that Rahul Gandhi would be the first to speak after lunch break. After all, the AICC session here Saturday was long touted as the one where the young MP would hold the centre stage.
However, speaker after speaker continued to drone and finally the 3,000-strong audience packed in the Talkatora Indoor Stadium could no longer remain tolerant.
Akali Dal retains Amritsar seat
By IANS,
Amritsar : The ruling Akali Dal Sunday retained the Amritsar-south assembly seat for which a by-election was held last week.
The Akali candidate, Inderbir Singh Bolaria, won the seat by a margin of 22,223 votes over his nearest rival, Navdeep Singh Goldy of the Congress.
The seat had fallen vacant following the death this March of Raminder Singh Bolaria, father of the new winner. The father had won the seat in February 2007.
Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal hailed the outcome of the by-poll.
Samajwadi Party to declare support at noon Friday
By IANS,
New Delhi : Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav is scheduled to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi around Friday noon and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh later in the day and is expected to offer his party's support to the embattled government, Congress soures said Thursday.
According to the sources, Yadav will not be part of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government but will extend his party's outside support.
Jayalalithaa sworn in for 6th term as TN chief minister
Chennai : AIADMK general secretary J. Jayalalithaa, 68, was on Monday sworn in for the sixth time as the Tamil Nadu chief minister in...
RSP leaving Left Front has national significance: Congress
Thiruvananthapuram: The Revolutionary Socialist Party's decision to move out of the Left Front after over three decades and join the United Democratic Front (UDF)...
Amid polluted politics, environmentalist pleads for a cause
By Jaideep Sarin,
Chandigarh: He has jumped into polluted rivulets and streams and cleaned them up with the help of his volunteers. His work for...