Page 2 - Politics

K Chandrashekar Rao to skip PM Modi's programme in Telangana today

KCR will also not be receiving PM Modi at Begumpet airport upon his arrival

After row, Sharad Pawar 'clarifies' on JPC probe remarks, bats for SC panel

Pawar said he was not opposed to the JPC probe, but if the Committee comprises 21 members, then 15 would be from the ruling side and the remaining six from the Opposition side

Sibal slams govt over fact-check provisions of IT Amendment Rules

Former IT minister Kapil Sibal on Saturday attacked the Centre over the fact-check provisions of the IT Amendment Rules, saying now the government will decide what is fake and Union Home Minister Amit Shah says democracy is not in danger. Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Thursday said internet firms like Google, Facebook and Twitter may lose protection under safe harbour if they fail to remove content identified by the government-notified fact-checker as false or misleading information. Reacting to the development, Sibal said, "Now PIB will decide what is fake and what is not and notify it. If online platforms choose to ignore, they will lose their immunity from prosecution." "Now Government to decide what is fake and what is not! And Amit Shah ji says democracy is not in danger," the Rajya Sabha MP said. Sibal was referring to remarks made by Shah in Uttar Pradesh on Friday when he attacked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his recent comments in th

Oppn must heed Pawar's statement on Adani: Maha CM in swipe at Cong, Uddhav

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has taken a swipe at the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray by asking them to heed the words of Nationalist Congress Party supremo Sharad Pawar on the Adani issue. United States-based Hindenburg Research had alleged large scale stock manipulation and accounting fraud in the firms of billionaire Gautam Adani, leading to strident protests by the opposition Congress and others against the Narendra Modi government. The group had refuted the allegations. In an interview to NDTV, Pawar came out in support of the Adani Group and criticised the narrative around Hindenburg Research's report on the conglomerate. "Such statements were given by other individuals earlier too and there was a ruckus in Parliament for a few days but this time out-of-proportion importance was given to the issue," he said. "The issues that were kept, who kept them, we had never heard of these people who gave the statement, what is the background. When they .

Targeting Adani, demand of JPC worthless, says Pawar on Hindenburg report

Extending support to the Adani Group, Pawar said that the report seems like an individual industrial group of the country was targeted

V-P slams Rahul, says it 'painful' when people try to tarnish India's image

"Any person, who has the best interests of the country at heart, will always speak about the strides that India is making and where it should improve," he added

All Kannadigas should pledge not to buy Amul products: Siddaramaiah

"BJP government is going to betray the farmers by shutting down Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF)," he added

This is my last election, will retire from electoral politics: Siddaramaiah

Siddaramaiah further added that he will still be in active politics but after this election he won't accept any posts which will be in Delhi

Former AP CM Kiran Kumar Reddy joins BJP, slams Congress leadership

Former Congress leader and last chief minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh N Kiran Kumar Reddy joined the BJP on Friday, lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi and slamming the leadership of the opposition party. Reddy joined the BJP in the presence of Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and hit out at the Congress leadership for its inability to accept people's verdict and make course correction. They believe they are correct and all others, including the people of India, are wrong, he said. They want authority to control but don't want to work hard or take any responsibility, said the four-time former MLA, who had quit the Congress last month. Citing his family's over six-decade-long association with the Congress, Reddy said he never imagined he will leave the party. The Congress is getting damaged in all states and its high command does not interact with others or take their opinion, he said. Reddy contrasted the rise of the BJP with the decline of the Congress since 1984 and lauded th

Cong has released 2 lists, BJP unable to declare candidates: Shivakumar

Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar took a dig at BJP and said while the Congress has released two lists of candidates for polls in the state, BJP has not been able to release even its first list

NCP may have its view but 19 Oppn convinced Adani issue real: Congress

With NCP supremo Sharad Pawar stating that the Adani Group was seemingly targeted by the US-based short-seller Hindenburg Research, the Congress on Friday said its ally NCP may have its view but 19 like-minded Opposition parties are convinced that the charges against the conglomerate are real and very serious. The Congress also said all 20 like-minded Opposition parties, including the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), are united and will be together in saving the Constitution and democracy from the "BJP's assaults". In an interview to NDTV, Pawar came out in support of the Adani Group and criticised the narrative around the Hindenburg Research's report on the conglomerate. "Such statements were given by other individuals too earlier and there was a ruckus in Parliament for a few days but this time out-of-proportion importance was given to the issue. "The issues that were kept, who kept them, we had never heard of these people who gave the statement, what is the background. When the

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav hits out at BJP over party MLA's 'house arrest'

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday called the "house arrest" of party MLA Pallavi Patel an "extreme form of negative politics of the BJP". Patel is the leader of Apna Dal (Kamerawadi) and daughter of Apna Dal founder Sone Lal Patel. A member of the Samajwadi Party in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, Patel represents the Sirathu constituency in Kaushambi district. Earlier in the day, Patel claimed that she was put under house arrest at her party office in Sirathu and not allowed to welcome Union Home Minister Amit Shah. However, Additional Superintendent of Police Samar Bahadur dismissed the charge. In a tweet in Hindi, Yadav said putting a woman MLA of the opposition under "house arrest" and not allowing her to meet people in her constituency on the foundation day of Kaushambi is an "extreme form of negative politics of the BJP". "The people of Kaushambi will show the exit door to the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections," he said. In the 2022 assembly elections, Patel defeated

TMC accuses Shah of 'double standards' in addressing Ram Navami violence

The Trinamool Congress on Friday accused Union Home Minister Amit Shah of adopting "double standards" while addressing incidents of violence during Ram Navami in various states. Ram Navami was celebrated across the country last week with grand processions and special pujas, but the festivities were marred by the deaths of 14 people in separate incidents in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan and clashes and arson in some parts of the country. Prohibitory orders were imposed in West Bengal's Hooghly and Howrah districts, where clashes broke out between two groups when processions were taken out to celebrate Ram Navami. HM@AmitShah shows DOUBLE STANDARD in addressing Ram Navami violence: Goes all ballistic on Opposition-ruled states: West Bengal & Bihar. Takes no actions against @BJP4India& Allies-ruled states: Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, & UP. Rules for thee but not for me, much? TMC posted on its official Twitter handle. Shah had said that if the BJP comes to power in Bihar,

DMK, allies to hold 'massive protest' against Governor Ravi on April 12

Slamming Governor R N Ravi for commenting that foreign funding fuelled anti-Sterlite demonstrations, the ruling DMK and its allies on Friday announced a massive protest against him here on April 12. The DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) said that ever since Ravi assumed office in 2021, his speeches and activities have been controversial and mysterious. "Our struggle will not cease until he stops activities that lower the Assembly's dignity." On April 5, Ravi had stoked fresh controversy by remarking that foreign funds had fuelled the protests against Sterlite plant in Thoothukudi and Kudankulam nuclear power plant. While addressing civil service aspirants in Raj Bhavan, Ravi said such protests were aimed at hindering progress Forgetting that he was a Governor, Ravi has been "desperate to project himself as a representative of the BJP and RSS", a joint statement of SPA parties said. "To say that the Kudankulam (nuclear power plant) and Sterlite protests were driven by funds

YSRCP launches mega survey to reach out to 50 mn people ahead of state poll

In a massive exercise to reach out to five crore people ahead of next year's assembly elections, Andhra Pradesh's ruling party YSRCP on Friday launched a state-wide survey.

Motherhood no hurdle to leadership: Ex-New Zealand PM Ardern quits politics

"I leave knowing I was the best mother I could be," Ardern said in her valedictory speech to parliament

Congress' candidates for about 60 seats in Karnataka unsuitable: CM Bommai

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday commented that the Congress didn't have suitable candidates in about 60 seats and the party would lose badly in the May 10 Assembly polls, performing worse than last time. He said the Congress lacked not only candidates, but a base in the State as well as clarity on its policies. "As per my understanding, Congress doesn't have suitable candidates in about 60 seats, so they are trying to get people from here and there," Bommai said in response to a question. "As I had said earlier, D K Shivakumar while preparing Congress' second list contacted almost all our MLAs saying, 'seats have been reserved for you, will you join?'" . Speaking to reporters here, he said that the Congress and Shivakumar speak with valour, but the reality inside was different. "They (Congress) will lose badly than last time, there is no doubt on that, because they neither have candidates, nor base nor clarity on policies -- whether it is on reservation or on ..

Kanataka polls: Cong faces dissent & rebellion after 2nd list announcement

The Congress workers barged inside the party office in Mandya on Friday and vented out their ire on party leaders for issuing the ticket to Ravi Kumar to contest elections

Country won't forgive Oppn for disrupting Parliament for Rahul: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday claimed that people would not forgive the opposition parties for disrupting Parliament proceedings over Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from the Lok Sabha based on a legislation brought by the Congress-led UPA government. Addressing a public meeting after inaugurating the Kaushambi Mahotsav, he exhorted people to elect Narendra Modi as prime minister once again in 2024 for the all-around welfare of all sections of society. "The country will not forgive opposition parties for disrupting Parliament proceedings over Rahul Gandhi's disqualification... Democracy is not in danger, it is casteism and dynastic politics ('parivarwad') which are in danger," Shah said. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, his deputies Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, and state BJP president Bhupendra Chaudhry also attended the event. In a big blow to the Congress, its leader Rahul Gandhi was on March 24 disqualified from Lok Sabha, nearly 24 hours after

Third gender denoted as a 'caste' in Bihar's recent caste-based survey

With each political party having a distinct area of influence in various regions of the state, it is key to understand the "micro picture" in every such part, as Karnataka heads for Assembly polls on May 10. Kittur Karnataka (earlier known as Mumbai/ Bombay Karnataka region) sends 50 MLAs to the Legislative Assembly. Comprising seven districts- Belagavi, Dharwad, Vijayapura, Haveri, Gadag, Bagalkote and Uttara Kannada- it's a direct fight between the ruling BJP and the Congress in this region, where the Janata Dal (Secular) is considerably weak. The state government decided in 2021 to rechristen the region that was under the erstwhile Bombay presidency, before Independence, as 'Kittur Karnataka' from 'Mumbai-Karnataka.' The name Kittur is after a historical taluk in Belagavi district that was ruled by Rani Chennamma (17781829), who had fought the British before Jhansi Rani Laxmibai did. Predominantly a Lingayat dominated region (other than Uttara Kannada district), it is the home