Politics

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Tuesday gave a clean chit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his speech in Maharashtra's Wardha in which he had slammed Congress chief Rahul Gandhi for contesting from Wayanad and had "indicated" that the Kerala constituency had more voters from the minority community. “The matter has been examined in detail in accordance with provisions of Model Code of Conduct, R P Act, and Maharashtra CEO’s report. Accordingly, EC is of the considered view that in this matter no such violation has been noticed," the poll panel said. On Friday, the Congress had moved the EC against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech in which he said the opposition party was "scared" to field its leaders from constituencies where majority dominates. The party alleged that the comments by Prime Minister were "hateful and divisive". A delegation of Congress leaders Ahmed Patel, Jairam Ramesh, Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Randee...

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Centre to respond to the Rafale case review petition by Saturday. The court will hear the matter on Monday. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi did not allow the plea of the Centre that it be granted four weeks time to file its response to the pleas. The government had asked the top court to put off the Rafale review hearing, saying it needs more time to file its affidavit. The SC had earlier rejected the government’s counter on the admissibility of some documents used by petitioners. The petitioners are seeking a review of the top court’s verdict last December rejecting a court-ordered probe into the deal to buy Rafale fighter jets. The SC judgment had rejected the argument that the documents should not be considered during the hearing because these were sensitive in nature and had been obtained through “unauthorised photocopying and leakage”. Former Union ministers Arun Shourie and Yashwant Sinha and activist lawyer Pr...

New Delhi: Congress’ eastern UP incharge Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday rubbished the BJP’s claims that her brother and party incharge Rahul Gandhi was a British citizen, saying everyone knew he was born and raised in India. Rahul Gandhi was issued a notice by the ministry of home affairs after BJP leader Subramanian Swamy complained that he holds British citizenship. The ministry has asked the Congress chief to explain his “factual position” in a fortnight. Earlier this month, the returning officer of Amethi --- Rahul Gandhi’s constituency -- had declared that the Congress president’s nomination papers were valid after a complaint was made that there were several discrepancies in his affidavit, including details about his citizenship. “I am directed to say that this ministry has received a representation from Dr Subramanian Swamy, in which it has been brought out that a company named Backops Limited was registered in the United Kingdom in the year 2003, with addres...

AMRITSAR: Actor-turned-BJP candidate Sunny Deol filed his nomination papers from Punjab's Gurdaspur parliamentary constituency today. Earlier in the day, Sunny Deol, 62, offered prayers at the Golden Temple in Amritsar before leaving for Gurdaspur, 75 km away. Punjab BJP chief and Rajya Sabha MP Shwait Mailk, Haryana finance minister and party''s election incharge of Punjab Capt Abhimanyu and Akali leader Gurbachan Singh Babehali also accompanied Deol. In a tweet, veteran actor Dharmendra sought support of the people for the victory of his son Sunny Deol from Gurdaspur seat. "We seek your support…Support us…it will be your victory. It (victory) will be of brothers of sisters of my Punjab. It (victory) will of India''s beautiful part of Gurdaspur," Mr Dharmendra tweeted. Sporting a blue turban and a blue shirt, Mr Deol, who himself is a Sikh, entered the shrine complex with folded hands, accompanied by his supporters. He offered prayer...

On PM Claim Of Congress Doing "Nothing" In 70 Years, Rahul Gandhi's Reply RAEBARELI/AMETHI, UTTAR PRADESH : Hitting back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for accusing the Congress of doing "nothing" while in power, party president Rahul Gandhi said Saturday nobody had committed the "foolishness" of the notes ban and the "Gabbar Singh Tax" in the last 70 years. Addressing rallies in Raebareli and Amethi constituencies of Uttar Pradesh, Mr Gandhi also assured the people that implementing the minimum income guarantee scheme, Nyay, was possible. "In the past 70 years, the foolishness of demonetisation and Gabbar Singh Tax (Rahul Gandhi's coinage for the goods and services tax or the GST) was not done by anyone," he said at a rally in Unchahar town of Raebareli district, where United Progressive Alliance chairperson and his mother, Sonia Gandhi, is seeking re-election. The Congress chief's remarks come against the back...

Priyanka Gandhi's own decision not to contest from Varanasi: Sam Pitroda Congress leader Sam Pitroda Friday said it was Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's own decision not to contest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat. Speculation over Priyanka Gandhi's electoral debut from Modi's constituency ended Thursday when the Congress fielded Ajay Rai from there. "The party president had left the final decision on her,” Pitroda said when reporters asked him about Rahul Gandhi not fielding his sister from the

Mamata Banerjee Promises Rosogullas For PM, But There's A Twist KOLKATA:Prime Minister Narendra Modi should be wary of biting into the next bunch of 'rosogollas' that Mamata Banerjee sends him.  Responding to his revelation that she sent him gifts of Bengali sweets and hand-picked 'kurtas' once or twice each year, Mamata Banerjee today said she will still send Narendra Modi rosogollas from Bengal but not the soft, melt-in-your-mouth variety. "I will send him rosogollas made of mud with some stone chips thrown in -- like cashew nuts and raisins are used in laddu. One bite and it will break the teeth. That's the kind of mithai I will send," the Chief Minister said at a campaign rally at Asansol, the same town where PM Modi had mocked her on Tuesday saying the "PM's chair is not for auction". The bitter exchange over sweets started when PM Modi told filmstar Akshay Kumar, "I don't know if this will politically hurt me ...

Narendra Modi in Varanasi; Lok Sabha Election 2019 LIVE updates: 'Kashi blessed me to become both MP and PM' Kashi gave me courage to answer terrorists in their language, says PM Addressing a rally in Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "Kashi blessed me for becoming an MP only PM. It gave me the strength of faith of 130 million Indians. It gave me the courage to answer terrorists in their own language."