Pakistan’s top civilian and military leadership decided Monday that “all-encompassing talks” would be conducted with the Taliban to “achieve tangible results,” officials said.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif convened the meeting to review the ongoing talks with the Taliban at a time when a surge has seen in terror attacks after the Taliban ended their ceasefire.
Russia will retaliate for the new sanctions imposed by the US over alleged Moscow involvement in the crisis prevailing in Ukraine, deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Monday.
“We will respond, of course. There are possibilities for such a response and there is a wide set of measures,” Xinhua quoted the diplomat as saying in a media report.
Ryabkov assured the Russian response would be “painful for Washington”, because “no one has a right to speak to Moscow in the language of sanctions”.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Nitin Gadkari on Monday said that the country was reeling under inflation and price rise due to wrong economic policies and misrule of Congress-led UPA Government. Gadkari criticized Congress party and its alliance United Progressive Alliance (UPA), saying they had created a world record in corruption.
YSR Congress Party chief Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday said people’s welfare is hallmark of YSRCP politics, and called for a change in the present political system. “We need to change this system and bring in value based politics. We play the politics of people welfare unlike others who come during elections and drift away after polls never to be seen till the next elections,” said Jagan while campaigning here today.
The high-profile Lok Sabha battle in this temple town will finally see 42 candidates fighting it out among themselves, after nominations of 34 contestants were rejected and two others withdrew from the race.
BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is fighting from this seat, while his major challengers include Congress’ Ajay Rai and Aam Aadmi Party’s Arvind Kejriwal. Modi is also in the fray from Vadodara in Gujarat.
A complaint was lodged with the police here today against yoga guru Ramdev for his controversial remarks that Rahul Gandhi visited Dalit homes for “honeymoon and picnic”.
“Yes, we have received a complaint against Ramdev about his remarks against Rahul Gandhi,” Falaknuma police inspector Mohammed Shakir Hussain said, adding that no case has been booked so far.
“We are inquiring into the complaint that sought registration of a case and necessary action against him. We are also seeking legal opinion and will proceed accordingly,” the police officer said.
BJP president Rajnath Singh today said his party was not at all in favour of privatisation of Indian Railways, and added no such thing would happen when BJP came to power at the Centre.
On the second day of his mass campaign programme, Singh today addressed a public meeting at the Carriage and Wagon Workshop here and said, “I am a staunch supporter of railway not being given in private hands and no such thing will be done when BJP formed the government.”
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today held a massive roadshow in support of party candidate from Lucknow Abhishek Mishra.
The roadshow, which started from GPO Park in Hazratganj, was attended by a large number of party workers and youths. It ended at Lohia Park at Chowk where senior cabinet minister Shivpal Singh Yadav was also present.
During the roadshow which covered a distance of 12 kms, people showered flower petals on Akhilesh, who in turn greeted them.
Social activist Shabnam Hashmi claimed that she and her associate were “manhandled” by a group of BJP workers Monday in Rae Bareli while they were distributing leaflets that aim to explode “the myth surrounding the Gujarat development model”.
“A group of about 25-30 BJP workers wearing saffron caps surrounded us and snatched away the leaflets. They also threatened and manhandled us,” Hashmi alleged.
“Their language was highly abusive and sexist. The incident took place in afternoon,” Hashmi told PTI over phone.
Jordan’s military-run State Security Court Monday decided to imprison 10 “jihadists” for two years -and-a -half each after they tried to enter Syria and join radical groups, the state media reported.
“The convicts were charged with seeking to do forbidden acts,” Xinhua quoted the court as saying in a statement, which added that the convicts wanted to join Syrian Islamist militia groups like al-Nusra Front and Daash.
They were arrested at the borders as they were trying to enter Syrian territory, the report said.
With Congress’ Kerala unit president V.M.Sudheeran seemingly softening his stand against renewing the annual license to 418 bars, it appears that a consensus on this issue is likely to emerge when the issue will come for discussion at the meeting of the party-led United Democratic Front Tuesday.
Sudheeran Monday toned down his stand, saying he is open to more views coming up and talks on the matter as the UDF is meeting Tuesday.
Kings XI Punjab beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by five wickets in a Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium here Monday.
Set a target of 125, Kings XI Punjab made 127 for five with seven balls to spare after Virender Sehwag made 32.
(IANS)
Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy Monday wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, seeking his intervention to save FACT, the largest central public sector in the state as it is reeling under severe financial crisis.
In his letter, Chandy asked Manmohan Singh to intervene to clear the comprehensive financial relief package worth Rs.991 crores that has already been approved by the Board for Reconstruction of Public Sector Enterprises (BRPSE) and is pending before the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs.
The Supreme Court Monday stayed the execution of December 2000 Red Fort terror shootout convict Mohamed Arif’s death sentence on a plea that he has already undergone life sentence of nearly 14 years and could not be punished twice and referred the matter to a constitution bench.
Counsel Tripurari Ray, appearing for Arif, said that carrying out the death sentence of Arif after he has already completed 13 years, four month imprisonment would be violative of article 20 (1) of the constitution.
BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi Monday pitched for support from people of Gujarat saying that the Lok Sabha election was about giving an opportunity to the son of the land to serve the nation.
Addressing five rallies in the state on the last day of campaining in the state, Modi, the Gujarat chief minister, said his Bharatiya Janata Party wanted to improve living standard of every person and targeted Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and her son and vice president Rahul Gandhi.
Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee chief spokesperson Rudraraju Padmaraju on Monday ridiculed TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu’s praise for BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.
Union Minister and APCC Campaign Committee Chairman K. Ciranjeevi today ridiculed the TDP President Chandrababu Naidu for challenging Rahul Gandhi to get Congress Rajya Sabha member K.V.P. Ramachander Rao arrested in the alleged titanium scam.
Speaking to the media at Guntur, Chiranjeev pointed out that the law would take its own course of action on any one who is found to be guilty of any charge. All are equal in the eyes of the law and any guilty person, irrespective of his status or position, would be dealt with accordingly and appropriately , he observed.
The Hyderabad City Police Commissioner Anurag Sharma on Monday said that elaborate security arrangements were made in the City to ensure free and fair polling on April 30.
Speaking to the media here, Anurag Sharma informed that 20,000 policemen were deployed in the City for the purpose of elections. In addition, 37 companies of central forces would also be utilized for the purpose.
He reminded that ban was imposed on bulk SMSs. Stringent action would be taken against those who would violate the rules of the Election Commission. (NSS)
Strongly reacting to the comments of BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, the TRS President K Chandrasekhara Rao (KCR) on Monday urged the people of Telangana to root out the BJP from Telangana in the present elections.
Speaking at an election campaign meeting organized at Nizamabad, KCR pointed out that Narendra Modi was saying that Hyderabad does not belong to any region. The true colors of Narendra Modi, who wanted that Hyderabad be made second capital of the Country, have come out in his interview published in a Telugu news daily Namasthe Telangana.
TDP senior leader Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy today demanded the state governor and the election commission to order an inquiry into alleged involvement of YSRC leaders in distributing liquor and money to woo the voters.
Somireddy, TDP polit bureau member, in a statement here alleged that Jagan party was involved in various irregularities, presuming that there is no chance of its winning the elections.
District magistrate court today directed the police to register a case against Jana Seva Party founder and actor Pawan Kalyan for his objectionable comments against TRS president KCR.
The Nizamabad 2nd additional magistrate court directed Dichpally police to file a case against Pawan Kalyan under section 163/A and 506.(NSS)
Keeping general elections 2014 in view, the Election Commission has issued a paid holiday for government and private firms, failing which stringent action will be initiated. Campaign for general elections in Telangana state came to a halt on Monday evening and 119 MLA and 17 MP segments will go for polls on April 30 till 6 pm, according to Chief Electoral Officer Bhanwar Lal.
Dharma is definitely going to triumph over money in the defining contest for the Malkajgiri Lok Sabha seat, asserted Loksatta Party national President and party candidate Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan.
The campaigning for the April 30th polling in Telangana came to an end today on a violent note in Mahabubnagar district.
In their desperate move to race against time on the last day of campaigning, the Congress and TRS workers came face to face in Choudharypally village in the district. This triggered off heated exchanges leading to a clash as both sides indulged in attacking each other with sticks and stones resulting in juries to many.
Is Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh trying to play the role of the legendary Narada to create a rift among the senior leaders of the BJP ?
Speaking at a meet the press programme, Jairam Ramesh said there was no denial of the fact that BJP’s Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj had extended support in the Lok Sabha to the A.P. Reorganizaton Bill 2014 for the creation of Telangana state, where as the party’s senior leaders like Arun Jailtely and Venkaiah Naidu went all out to create hurdles to the Bill in Rajya Sabha.