Politics

Modi pays tribute to Veer Savarkar on 131st birth anniversary

New Delhi, May 28 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to freedom fighter Veer Savarkar on his 131st birth anniversary on Wednesday. Newly sworn-in ministers including Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Rural Development Minister Gopinath Munde, Minority Affairs Minister Najma Heptulla and senior BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani also paid floral tribute at Savarkar’s portrait in New Delhi.

May 28, 2014

Mukul Rohatgi to be appointed as new Attorney General of India

New Delhi, May 28 (ANI): Senior Supreme Court advocate Mukul Rohatgi is to be appointed as the new Attorney General of India, the top law officer of the country. Rohatgi said that his top priority would be to streamline the litigation process and to cut down litigation among government departments. His appointment comes a day after the country's two top law officers Attorney General Goolam Essaji Vahanvati and Solicitor General Mohan Parasaran resigned, following the change in the government at the Centre.

May 28, 2014

Congress condemns BJP Govt on Article 370, clarifies Smriti Irani's education issue

New Delhi, May 28 (ANI): Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi on Wednesday slammed the BJP government over the statement of removing Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. Singhvi stated that the new government is having a diverse divisive agenda on the front as the very first thing they took up was Article 370. He also said that every statement said by the government representative is orchestrated with an aim of polarization. Commenting upon the controversial issue of Smriti Irani's educational qualifications, Singhvi stated that no personal issue was raised by the Congress leaders. He clarified that Irani's affidavit contained mismatched educational qualification details in 2004 and 2014, of which only one can be true.

May 28, 2014

Govt all set to make schemes to help farmers persevere: Radha Mohan Singh

New Delhi, May 28 (ANI): India's newly appointed Agriculture Minister, Radha Mohan Singh, a leader of the ruling BJP said on Wednesday that the government is considering many schemes to benefit farmers to get agriculture back on its feet. Addressing the media after taking charge of the position, Singh elaborated on the provisions he has in mind to improve the lives and livelihood of the strained farmers of the country.

May 28, 2014

Government proposes Kamal Nath's name to President as Protem Speaker

New Delhi, May 28 (ANI): Briefing reporters in New Delhi on Wednesday, after assuming the charge of Parliamentary Affairs Ministry, Venkaiah Naidu said that Congress leader Kamal Nath's name has been recommended as the Protem Speaker by the Government to President Pranab Mukherjee.

May 28, 2014

SIT chief ensures investigation to unearth India's black money

New Delhi, May 28 (ANI): Former Supreme Court judge Justice M.B. Shah, who is heading the Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up to investigate cases of black money has assured a speedy probe to uncover the matter. Meanwhile, Congress leader Digvijay Singh said that the SIT team was a decision of the Supreme Court and the newly formed government should not take credit. On Friday last week, the Supreme Court had given the Centre a week's time to notify a SIT to probe black money stashed in foreign banks by Indians.

May 28, 2014

America to Withdraw Military Force in Afghanistan by 2016 End: Obama

The US will withdraw its military troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2016, said President Barack Obama.

May 28, 2014

South Korea hospice fire kills 21, arson suspected

A fire sweeps through a South Korean hospice for elderly, infirm patients, killing 21 people in what police say appears to be an act of arson by an 81-year-old dementia sufferer.

May 28, 2014

Sharif- Modi meeting outcome better than expected: Sartaj Aziz

Islamabad, May 28 (ANI): Pakistan on Wednesday said the actual outcome of the meeting between Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif was much better than expected. Sharif's National Security and Foreign Affairs Advisor Sartaj Aziz said in Islamabad that both the PMs recognized the need to turn a new page in the relations between the two South Asian neighbours. Aziz said the issues of cross-border terrorism and Kashmir were discussed but not substantially during the bilateral meeting on Tuesday in New Delhi. He added that Sharif did not meet the Hurriyat leadership as it was a ceremonial visit to India. During the meeting, Modi also sought that the 26/11 Mumbai attacks case be expedited, a demand which Aziz described as not a new one from India.

May 28, 2014

Jitendra Singh calls for debate on Article 370, politicos slam

New Delhi, May 28 (ANI): A day after Minister of state in the Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh kicked up a controversy after he made a statement calling for a debate on Article 370, which gives special and autonomous status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir, politicos from rival parties slammed him. Targeting the BJP, many said that immature ministers should understand their responsibility and speak cautiously.

May 28, 2014

Sharad Yadav condemns statement on Article 370, calls SIT on black money 'time waste'

New Delhi, May 28 (ANI): JD (U) Chief Sharad Yadav on Wednesday severely slammed the statement given by Dr Jitendra Singh about removing Article 370 from J&K. Yadav stated that Kashmir is an integral part of India and the national heritage is associated with the state. Yadav also said that the decision of the Cabinet of forming an SIT to probe black money is merely a time waste. Commenting on the tweet of Ajay Maken questioning the qualifications of HRD Minister Smriti Irani, Yadav said that education does not help in understanding the nation and thus, criticism should be done on her work not her education.

May 28, 2014

Former SG says he faced pressure, Politicos give mixed reactions

New Delhi, May 28 (ANI): In a startling revelation about political interference in bureaucracy, former solicitor general Mohan Parasaran said that he faced political pressure in many sensitive cases by the members of UPA Government in the last one decade. Reacting to this CPI leader D Raja said that this should be answered by the Congress party as it ruled for the last decade during which Mohan Parasaran was the SG. Meanwhile, Congress leader Meem Afzal stated that the resignation of the SG does not mean he felt pressure from within the administration. He added that Parasaran should have resigned earlier if he sought any such pressure before. Parasaran had submitted his resignation on Tuesday along with Attorney General Goolam Essaji Vahanvati following the change in the Government at the Centre.

May 28, 2014

Delhi court to decide on bail petitions of telecom scam accused on May 30

New Delhi, May 28 (ANI): A Delhi court said on Wednesday that it would decide on the bail petitions of the accused allegedly involved in money laundering in 2G-scam case on May 30. The court granted two days extension to all the accused to scrutinize the documents related to chargesheet filed by Enforcement Directorate (ED). Former Telecom Minister A Raja, lawmaker of DMK Kanimozhi and seven other accused moved bail applications before a Delhi court on Monday. Lawyer of Vinod Goenka, one of the accused in the telecom scam, Majid Memon, said the accused sought more time to go through the documents related to chargesheet.

May 28, 2014

Sonakshi Sinha promotes 'Holiday'

New Delhi, Mumbai 28 (ANI): Bollywood Diva Sonakshi Sinha was in the capital to promote her upcoming flick 'Holiday : A Soldier is Never off Duty'. Holiday is an action thriller directed by A.R Murgadoss and features Akshay Kumar and Sonakshi sinha in the lead role along with Govinda in a supporting role. Sonakshi not only promoted the action thriller but also shared her fitness mantra for this summer season. Well we wish Sonakshi all the best for the movie and a very happy Holiday season.

May 28, 2014

Ashton Kutcher rescues stranded strangers after car breaks down

Mumbai, May 28 (ANI): Ashton Kutcher rescued a group of strangers who were stranded after their car broke down. According to an online portal, he was driving down a street near the Hollywood Hills when he spotted a group signaling for help, and even though the actor had a passenger in his car, he promised he’d be back after he dropped her off. He did return, and even though it took him a while to actually help as he struggled to find his own battery, he took his error in good spirits. Meanwhile, one of the group members suggested said that Ashton’s companion in the car was his pregnant fiancee Mila Kunis.

May 28, 2014