Politics

New Delhi, November 05: BJP on Thursday welcomed the visit of President Barack Obama to India but said being a major economy, the US should not play the role of a “protectionist”.

“BJP welcomes the visit of President Obama to India later this week…US is the biggest economy in the world. But we hope that US does not play the role of a protectionist,” BJP chief spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters here.

He said the party will come out with a detailed statement on Obama’s tour after he completes his visit.

New Delhi, November 04: The BJP today accused the Congress of trying to shift blame over the housing society scam in Mumbai on former Army chief Deepak Kapoor.

“The blame is being shifted on General Kapoor. If he is involved, action should be taken against him, but don’t shift the blame to divert attention,” BJP chief spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters here.

He claimed that names of “more and more” Congress leaders were coming out in the open in various scams and that the ruling party was trying to shift the onus on others to escape its share of blame.

Ranchi, November 04: Jharkhand High Court today allowed former Chief Minister Madhu Koda, who is facing money laundering charges, to attend the winter session of Lok Sabha from November 7 to December 15.

On a plea by Koda, who represents Singhbhum Lok Sabha constituency, Justice Pradeep Kumar directed the CBI and the state police to take appropriate steps to taking the MP to Delhi.

39-year-old Koda, who was arrested on November 30 last year and is now in judicial custody, is facing money laundering charges to the tune of Rs 2,500 crore.

New Delhi, November 04: Women can now look forward to a secure workplace with the government on Thursday proposing to bring in the long-pending sexual harassment bill under which an employer would be liable to pay a fine of Rs 50,000 on failing to comply with its provisions.

A meeting of the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, approved the introduction of the Protection of Women against Sexual Harassment at Workplace Bill, 2010, in the coming winter session of Parliament.

New Delhi, November 04: Against the backdrop of Rahul Gandhi equating the RSS with Students Islamic Movement of India, Congress on Thursday said a ban on the saffron outfit like the one on SIMI was unlikely to work as the Sangh has many sister organisations.

Party general secretary Digvijay Singh told reporters that there could not be any comparison between RSS and SIMI as RSS has many sister organisations and suggested that therefore a ban will be of no use.

He wanted the RSS to rethink about its approach.

Sasaram, November 04: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati today charged Congress, BJP and other opponents with pushing the people to below the poverty line out of lust for clinging to power.

“Right from the day India attained freedom and up to this day, the Congress, BJP and other political opponents in the country and the states have pushed the people to below the poverty line,” Mayawati said while addressing an election meeting in Nokha constituency in Rohtas district.

Kolkata, November 04: Railways Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee Wednesday brushed aside queries on Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi’s recent visit to West Bengal to strengthen his party, saying the young leader first needed to learn the nuances of politics.

“I don’t want to say anything about his (Rahul Gandhi) visit to Bengal. Please don’t ask me to say anything on him. Ask me about Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi or Sonia Gandhi, I will talk. I can comment on those people with whom I have worked in politics.

Kolkata, November 04: Railways Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee Wednesday brushed aside queries on Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi’s recent visit to West Bengal to strengthen his party, saying the young leader first needed to learn the nuances of politics.

“I don’t want to say anything about his (Rahul Gandhi) visit to Bengal. Please don’t ask me to say anything on him. Ask me about Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi or Sonia Gandhi, I will talk. I can comment on those people with whom I have worked in politics.

Lucknow, November 03: BJP national secretary and MP Varun Gandhi, who is planning to set on a three day tour of flood affected areas of Uttar Pradesh, Wednesday said he is not imitating cousin and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, as there is a “generation” gap between the two.

“All those who are travelling the country are all learning…Rahul ji is 10 years older to me…I don’t consider him to be of my generation,” Varun, who arrived here for a visit to flood affected areas in adjacent Hardoi district, told reporters responding to a question.

Shimla, November 03: The Himachal Pradesh state secretariat of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has decided to hold a state-wide protest against the visit of US president Brack Obama on November 8.

“The visit is to further accelerate the pace of economic reforms in India and aggressively force the government to adopt policies which are detrimental to the interests of people, in the name of strategic alliance,” a CPI(M) statement said.

Lucknow, November 03:National Commission for Scheduled Castes Chairman P.L. Punia Wednesday accused Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati of being insensitive to the problems faced by Dalits.

He also alleged that she was not taking any serious steps to prevent atrocities against them.

‘In the last five-six months, several incidents of rape and killing of Dalits took place in districts like Muzaffarnagar, Basti, Kannauj and Hathras, but the state government preferred to remain silent on all such incidents,’ Punia told reporters at a press conference here.

New Delhi, November 03: During his visit to the flood-hit areas in Uttar Pradesh, BJP national secretary and MP, Varun Gandhi claimed that politics should be poor-centric, not election-centric.

“I am of the view that politics should not be election centric, instead it should be poor centric,” stated Varun on Wednesday, Nov 3.

Hinting at central government’s negligence towards the poor people in the region, Varun alleged that although nearly one crore people live in the peripheral areas of rivers in Uttar Pradesh, effective schemes had been not chalked out to check floods.

Lucknow, November 03: Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Wednesday revoked the expulsion of senior leader Azam Khan, who was expelled from the party after Lok Sabha polls last year.

“SP National General Secretary Ram Gopal Yadav has written a letter to Khan informing him about Mulayam Yadav’s decision to revoke his suspension,” party sources said here.

“I am extremely happy to inform you that the SP national president Mulayam Singh Yadav has revoked your expulsion from the party,” Ram Gopal said in the letter.

Lucknow, November 03: In an apparent move to please its expelled leader Azam Khan, Samajwadi Party today issued notices to two of its MLAs who had reportedly made remarks against him at a meeting of the party’s legislators here.

Notices have been issued to party’s Meerut MLA Shahid Manzoor and Sambhal legislator Iqbal Mahmood by SP general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav following a report appearing in a section of the media saying that they issued remarks against Azam Khan at the meeting, SP sources said.

New Delhi, November 03: Asking party members to work for the weaker sections who can take the country forward, Rahul Gandhi today said it was only Congress which could unite the “two Hindustans”– one for the rich and the other for the poor.

The 40-year-old Congress general secretary, who sat in the back row on the dais at the AICC session here, rose to speak after vociferous demands from party workers.

“This (his speech) was not part of the plan. You cornered me at the last minute,” he said as Congress members cheered and clapped in Talkatora indoor stadium.

New Delhi, November 02: Chief ministers of two non-Congress ruled states today attacked Sonia Gandhi for her statement that state governments could not escape the blame for inflation.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati said states were only following the national policy while her Orissa counterpart Naveen Patnaik asked the Centre to stop the “blame game” on inflation.

Addressing the AICC meet here, Gandhi said that states easily take credit for the schemes which are formulated and funded by Centre but when it comes to inflation, they blame the Centre.

Bangalore, November 02: Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa Tuesday dropped plans to fill up vacancies in the ministry, apparently in the face of a growing number of aspirants.

“The cabinet expansion, slated for Nov 3 at 9.30 a.m. at the Raj Bhavan, has been postponed,” an official release said late Tuesday, within hours after an invite was sent to the media.

The statement did not give any reason. There was no indication from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) when the expansion will take place.

Lucknow, November 02: CPM general secretary Prakash Karat today accused the UPA of serving the interests of capitalists, saying it had resulted in wealth being limited to the privileged few.

“Economic development is being done by keeping in mind the interests of capitalists. In its second stint UPA government is working in this direction with wealth getting confined to just a few people,” Karat alleged during a meeting of party workers here.

New Delhi, November 02: Sweeping aside the raging controversies over scam in a Mumbai housing project and the Commonwealth Games, the Congress today directed all its firepower against RSS accusing it of involved in terror acts and the BJP on the Babri Masjid demolition issue.

At a day-long session of the AICC, which ratified the election of Sonia Gandhi as Congress President, leaders including Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee avoided any mention of the two scams in their speeches.

Srinagar, November 02: The Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) here Tuesday called for a ‘sustained’ agitation against Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for his ‘uncalled for’ remarks on the accession of Jammu and Kashmir with India.

The party has called for ‘Jammu bandh’ or shutdown Nov 8, when the seat of the state government shifts to winter capital Jammu. It has planned a calendar of protests against the chief minister.

New Delhi, November 02: Insisting that she was not involved in bringing down Babri Masjid, expelled BJP leader Uma Bharti, a prime accused in the case today said she is ready to face any consequence in wake of submission of the Liberhan Commission report to the Prime Minister.

Defending herself, Bharti said she had merely led an agitation to Ayodhya to muster support for construction of Ram Temple.

New Delhi, November 01: Days after Sushma Swaraj subtly pointed out that Narendra Modi’s popularity is confined to Gujarat sparking a controversy and tension within the BJP, senior leader L K Advani on Sunday showered praise on Modi’s leadership qualities once again.

Advani as also other top leaders of the party had heaped praise on Modi after the BJP’s civic election victory. On Sunday, Advani posted an entry in his blog saying one of the “distinctive traits of Narendra Bhai’s leadership in Gujarat has been his imaginativeness”.

Mumbai, October 31: The Maharashtra unit of BJP will meet Governor K Sankaranarayanan tomorrow to demand dismissal of the Ashok Chavan-led government, which is facing heat over the controversial Adarsh Housing society scam.

State unit spokesman Madhav Bhandari said the party delegation will be led by state BJP president Sudhir Mungantiwar.

Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Eknath Khadse, senior leader Vinod Tawde would also be present along with legislators and office-bearers.

Jalgaon (Maha), Oct 31 (PTI) The RSS today condemned Home Minister P Chidambaran’s “saffron terrorism” remarks, saying the organisation has believed in peace and non-violence ever since its inception.

Addressing a press conference here at the end of the three-day national executive meeting of the RSS, Sarkaryavah Suresh Joshi said the organisation believed in peace and non-violence ever since its inception.

He said RSS will observe the 150th birth anniversary of Madan Mohan Malviya and Rabindranath Tagore in 2011.

New Delhi, October 31: Close on the heels of BJP leader Sushma Swaraj stirring a controversy by claiming that Narendra Modi’s magic may not work in Bihar, senior leader L K Advani today heaped praise on the “leadership” of the Gujarat Chief Minister.