Politics

Rajnath says proper steps will be taken on Badal's request as he demands action under law

Gandhinagar, Jan 09 (ANI): Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday that the request made by Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal will be considered after reading the letter written by him. He said that legal action shall be taken on the basis of request. Meanwhile, Badal said that he has made a request only to release prisoners who have completed their jail sentence not others. He added that he only wants lawful action.

Jan 9, 2015

Rajnath Singh invites heavy investment from Indian diaspora for development

Gandhinagar, Jan 09 (ANI): Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday (January 09) invited Non-Resident Indians (NRI) to heavily invest in India to make it a Super Economic Power. While addressing a gathering of NRI and foreign delegates at Diaspora Conclave, or Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Gandhinagar city of Gujarat, Singh said that development is the main agenda of their government. He also said that policies are being formed to minimize hurdles for heavy investment in the country.

Jan 9, 2015

Politicos react after Capt Amarinder Singh demands Punjab PCC Chief be changed

New Delhi, Jan 09 (ANI): Political leaders reacted on Friday after Captain Amarinder Singh demanded to change Punjab PCC Chief Partap Singh Bajwa explaining that Congress party will not be able to establish itself in the state under Bajwa's leadership. BJP Spokesperson Sambit Patra said that Congress has lost its significance in the entire country. SAD leader Manjit Singh GK also said that Congress will never be able to stand before SAD and BJP. Meanwhile, Congress leader Manish Tewari said that Singh's demand will be considered by Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

Jan 9, 2015

Reactions flow in on Venkaiah Naidu's controversial remark on conversion

New Delhi, Jan 09 (ANI): Reactions flowed in on Friday after Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu in his controversial remark claimed that religious conversions have been happening for over 200 years with the help of foreign money. Congress leader PC Chacko said that forceful conversion is not permitted in the Constitution itself. NCP leader Tariq Anwar slammed Naidu for speaking RSS's ideology. CPI leader Atul Anjan said that such talks would only divide the nation. JD (U) leader Ali Anwar also expressed similar sentiments. All India Imam Organization Chief Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi said that Islam has nothing to do with conversion.

Jan 9, 2015

Capt. Amarinder Singh demands removal of Pratap Singh Bajwa from Punjab PCC chief post

New Delhi, Jan 9 (ANI): Hitting at his bete noire and Congress state chief Pratap Singh Bajwa, Former Punjab Chief Minister and Congress leader Captain Amrinder Singh on Friday said that Bajwa cannot lead the state to victory. The deepening Bajwa-Amarinder feud led to speculations that the latter may move towards the BJP, a claim that the AICC on Wednesday dismissed as baseless.

Jan 9, 2015

Politicos react after Kejriwal trolls PM Modi a day before Delhi rally

New Delhi, Jan 09 (ANI): Politicos reacted on Friday after Aam Aadmi Party Chief Arvind Kejriwal in his tweet asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi if he will declare full statehood to Delhi in his first rally ahead of the assembly elections in the national capital. BJP leader Sudhanshu Trivedi slamming Kejriwal said that AAP chief had to accept his mistake in his political career of two years. Congress leader PC Chacko said that Congress has nothing to do with BJP and AAP's election campaigns. However, NCP leader Tariq Anwar backing Kejriwal's tweet said that he did right by asking about the full statehood to Delhi. AAP leader Manish Sisodia also expressed similar sentiments.

Jan 9, 2015

Politicos react as JandK heads for Governor's rule after Omar decides to quit as Caretaker CM

New Delhi/ Jammu, Jan 09 (ANI): Political leaders on Friday react as Jammu and Kashmir heads for Governor's rule with incumbent NN Vohra sending a report to the Centre on the political impasse after Omar Abdullah asked him to relieve him as caretaker Chief Minister of the state. Omar Abdullah told him that the state needed a full-time administrator to deal with the situation along the border with Pakistan and providing relief to flood-affected people in the Kashmir valley. Reacting on the same, NC leader Davinder Singh Rana said that Abdullah has taken this decision in view of the larger interest of the people of the state. BJP leader Sudhanshu Trivedi said that since JandK got a fractured mandate, situation in the state is obvious. Congress leader Manish Tewari said that the governor's take on the issue would be ultimate decision. Meanwhile, NCP and CPI also called for early establishment of government in the valley.

Jan 9, 2015

SC says no trial against Sunil Mittal, Ravikant Ruia in 2G spectrum case

New Delhi, Jan 09 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Friday quashed ongoing trials against Sunil Bharti Mittal, the chairman and managing director of Bharti Cellular Ltd, and Ravi Ruia, the promoter of Essar Group, in a case of allocation of additional spectrum. The court quashed the CBI special court's order making the two top telecom executives accused in the case. The industrialists had been summoned as accused by a special CBI court hearing the case involving the allocation of additional second 2G spectrum in 2002. Their names had not figured in the charge sheet submitted by the CBI, which was handling the case. Both Mittal and Ruia had approached the Supreme Court, challenging the order. The case relates to alleged irregularities in allocation of additional spectrum - 10 Mhz instead of 6.2 Mhz - during the NDA rule.

Jan 9, 2015

Mani Shankar Aiyars justification on Paris attack draws flak

New Delhi, Jan 09 (ANI): Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyars justification on Paris attack drew flak for him on Friday. Aiyar had justified the attack saying that the attacks were imminent as the "powerless" people were retaliating. Reportedly, Aiyar referred to the French ban on Muslim women wearing hijab and said that it was just a "backlash." BJP leader Sudhanshu Trivedi, NCP leader Tariq Anwar and Majid Memon and CPI leader Atul Anjan condemned Mani Shankars statement.

Jan 9, 2015

Sri Lanka Polls: Mahinda Rajapaksa concedes defeat after decade in power; politicos react

New Delhi, Jan 9 (ANI): Politicos on Friday reacted after Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa conceded defeat to challenger Mithripala Sirisena in elections. Rajapaksa conceded defeat to his opposition challenger on Friday after a presidential election, ending a decade of rule that critics say had become increasingly authoritarian. The results came in from Thursday's election on this Indian Ocean Island of 21 million people. Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi and BJP leader Sudhanshu Trivedi hoped that India-Sri Lanka relations will continue to strengthen under the new regime. NCP leader Majid Memon, said that results of Sri Lankan polls show that the peoples mandate is unpredictable.

Jan 9, 2015

Delhi Polls: Sheila Dikshit says Congress might back AAP in case of hung verdict; politicos react

New Delhi, Jan 9 (ANI): Politicos reacted on former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today who on Thursday had hinted that Congress might support the Aam Aadmi Party in case of a hung verdict in the upcoming assembly elections. Her comments were, however, quickly contradicted by her party.

Jan 9, 2015

Lakhvi to Remain in Jail Despite Getting Bail in Abduction Case

The Pakistan Supreme Court had over-ruled a recent high court verdict after Lakhvi was granted bail in December last year.

Jan 9, 2015

Venezuela's economy: all downhill from here

Venezuela is battling a tough economic storm, sending President Nicolas Maduro to China to raise finances. But ordinary Venezuelans and analysts alike are worried that things will only get worse.Duration:02:11

Jan 9, 2015

Sri Lanka's Maithripala Sirisena will emerge as powerful candidate like PM Modi: Tamil Journalist

New Delhi, Jan 09 (ANI): Senior Tamil Journalist R Rajagopalan said on Friday that Sri Lanka's Maithripala Sirisena will emerge as a powerful candidate in South-Asia region, just like Prime Minister Narendra Modi has become an international figure. Rajagopalan also said that now the people of Sri Lanka will have a breath of life. Comparing Sri Lanka's politics to India's 'dynastic politics', Rajagopalan said that like Sonia Gandhi, Mahinda Rajapaksa's dynastic politics will come to an end with the results of the polls. He also assured that all the issues, like fishermen, will be addressed very properly. Praising Sirisena's win he said that Sirisena is the opposition candidate and was nowhere and suddenly woken up, and came as a powerful opposition candidate for three reasons. One is because of the antipathy towards Rajapaksa.

Jan 9, 2015

Cold Wave continues to throw life out of gear across North India

New Delhi/ Uttar Pradesh, Jan 09 (ANI): Most parts of North India continued to be in the grip of a severe cold wave-cum foggy conditions on Friday, throwing normal life out of gear, as road, rail and air traffic was disrupted. The minimum temperature in national capital New Delhi early this morning was seven degree Celsius, one notch below normal. According to the Met department, the cold wave will continue for some more days and there will be dense fog in some places in the city. Visibility on Friday was reduced to 500 meters. Northern Railway confirmed that 52 trains are running late, while two trains have been rescheduled. The Met Department has said there will be clear skies with a maximum temperature of around 12 degrees Celsius. In Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow, there was a sharp decline in minimum temperature. It was pegged at around five degrees Celsius. So far, 160 people have died due to cold wave conditions in the state.

Jan 9, 2015