India
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| | 40% polling recorded in 6th phase of LS elections | | | | NEW DELHI, Apr 24 (Agencies): The sixth phase of the Lok sabha elections is being held today in 117 constituencies across 11 states and Union Territory of Puducherry. Stray incidents of violence have left a policeman dead in Assam and 13 others injured in other states.
The fate of 2076 candidates will be decided by 18 crore voters in the polls in which stakes are high for Congress, BJP and number of other parties like AIADMK, DMK, NCP and Shiv Sena.
Prominent candidates in the fray include Mulayam Singh Yadav, Sushma Swaraj, Dayanidhi Maran, A Raja, Salman Khurshid and Shahnawaz Hussain
In all elections to 349 of the 543 Lok Sabha constituencies will be completed in today's exercise in the nine-phased poll. Polling for the remaining 194 seats will be held on April 30 (89 seats), May 7 ... |  | |
| | | Narendra Modi files nomination from Varanasi | | | | NEW DELHI, Apr 24 (Agencies): Narendra Modi today filed his nomination for the high-profile electoral battle here after a mega road show, saying "Mother Ganga" has called him and vowed to make this temple town on the banks of Ganges the world's spiritual capital.
Conch shells rang through the air and rose petals were showered on him as 63-year-old Modi, riding atop an open truck, waved to cheering people thronging the three km route from Lahurabeer to Kachhari.
People donning Modi T-shirts, Modi masks and holding BJP flag lined up the arterial roads i and on balconies and rooftops in sweltering heat to have a glimpse of the BJP Prime Ministerial candidate.
As Modi’s convoy made its way through Muslim-dominated Nadesar, several people from the minority community also greeted the BJP lea... | | |
| | | No Modi wave in India: Manmohan Singh | | | | GUWAHATI, Apr 24 (Agencies): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today dismissed that there was any Modi wave in the country and said it was a creation of the media.
"I don't think there is any Modi wave. It is the creation of the media. The country has not been swept by any Modi wave," Singh told reporters after voting at a polling booth in the Dispur Government Higher Secondary School along with his wife Gursharan Kaur.
To a question, Singh said, "I don't think Congress is losing ground. Wait for the results on May 16. We will win a majority."
He also urged all citizens to participate in the democratic process and cast their vote.
Earlier, the Prime Minister arrived at the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport here in a special IAF aircraft from Delhi and then flew in an IAF h... | | |
| | | Cong wants FIR filed against Modi for 'violation' of model code | | | | NEW DELHI, Apr 24 (Agencies): The Congress demanded the registration of an FIR against Narendra Modi dubbing the telecast of his roadshow and filing of nomination for the Lok Sabha elections in Varanasi in the constituencies going to the poll today as a "flagrant violation" of the Model Code of Conduct.
"We do not want just issuing of notice. We want action. FIR should be registered against all BJP leaders involved including the candidate from Varanasi," party spokesman and Union Minister Anand Sharma told reporters here.
Insisting that the telecast of Modi's roadshow and his filing of nomination had "gravely violated" the model code, Sharma alleged that this was done as part of a "well-planned" scheme of the BJP to influence voters in the constituencies going to polls today.
He said t... | | |
| | | Shazia Ilmi chose wrong words: Kejriwal | | | | VARANASI, Apr 24 (Agencies): Amid increasing criticism of Shazia Ilmi's controversial remarks, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal today said she chose the wrong words and did not mean to trigger hatred among communities for electoral profit.
He, however, condemned the use of such words by his party colleague who has come under attack by almost all parties.
"As per the Election Commission, the communal word is defined as somebody trying to instigate hatred among two communities. If there was any indication of Shazia doing that, she would have been ousted from the party.”
"Her use of words was not proper. We condemn that. She wanted to say that you people (Muslims) become selfish for education and future of your children. We disapprove of the use of words by her," the AAP leader said.
Ilmi foun... | | |
| | | DMK, AIADMK men clash in 2 booths in Tamil Nadu | | | | TIRUNELVELI (TN), Apr 24 (Agencies): Six persons were injured in a clash between AIADMK and DMK workers at a booth in Tenkasi constituency in the district during the polling in Lok Sabha elections today, police said.
The clash erupted after DMK agents in the booth at Pottalputhur objected to a local Panchayat Chairman allegedly seeking vote for AIADMK by showing the victory sign (which also denotes the two leaves symbol of the ruling party).
Three persons each from DMK and AIADMK were injured in the clash and later admitted to hospital, police said.
Armed police were rushed to the booth and the situation was brought under control immediately, they said.
Officials said polling was affected for about 30 minutes following the incident.
In Madurai, three persons were injured when police ... | | |
| | | MNS-Sena men clash over alleged cash distribution | | | | MUMBAI, Apr 24 (Agencies): A police constable was today injured during a clash between Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and Shiv Sena workers after both parties alleged that cash was being distributed to voters in suburban Trombay, police said.
At least 18 Shiv Sena workers including Kamini, wife of Rahul Shewale contesting from South Central Lok Sabha constituency were booked under sections 307 (attempt to murder), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), among others of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Trombay police station, said Senior Inspector Vijay Kadam
"Two people associated with Shiv Sena have been arrested in the case involving the incident which occurred at about 1 AM today," he added.
Other candidates contesting from the constituency include Ekna... | | |
| | | 3 injured in clash between BJP, RLD supporters in Mathura | | | | MATHURA, Apr 24 (Agencies): Three persons were injured following a clash between supporters of two political parties in Daulatpur village outside of a polling booth in the district, police said today.
Polling in underway in Mathura, where BJP candidate and actress Hema Malini is pitted against sitting MP from RLD Jayant Chaudhary, which reported about 50 per cent turnout till 3 PM.
The trouble started when two persons belonging to RLD and BJP entered into an altercation on the issue of victory of their respective candidates, they said.
After casting their votes, they engaged in fisticuffs outside the polling booth. Later, the supporters of both the parties (RLD and BJP) resorted to brickbatting in Daulatpur village, followed by firing from both sides there, police said.
"Twelve person... | | |
| | | Pak intruders won't dare to cross border if Modi wins: Shah | | | | MIRZAPUR (UP), Apr 23 (Agencies): Claiming that the country's borders are not safe under the present regime, BJP leader Amit Shah today said once Narendra Modi becomes the Prime Minister, Pakistani intruders "will not dare to enter" into Indian territory.
"Once Modiji becomes PM, leave incidents of beheading of Indian soldiers, the Pakistani intruders will not even dare to enter into Indian side," Shah said at an election rally here in support of Apna Dal leader and NDA nominee Anupriya Patel.
Attacking the Congress-led UPA government, Shah, a confidant of Modi and in-charge of party affairs in Uttar Pradesh, said not only the soldiers but the country's borders are also not safe under the present regime.
"Whenever the Chinese soldiers want, they come and have picnic inside our territor... | | |
| | | Priyanka Gandhi slams Modi over 'Snoopgate' issue | | | | RAE BARELI, Apr 23 (Agencies): Seeking to corner Narendra Modi, Priyanka Gandhi today raked up the "snoopgate" controversy surrounding him and questioned his credentials of talking about empowering women.
Campaigning for her mother and Congress President Sonia Gandhi in this constituency of Uttar Pradesh, she asked the electorate not to vote for a person who believes in concentrating all powers with himself and exhorted them to reject divisive politics.
Taking on Modi without mentioning his name, she said, "If you want to empower women, how will you do that? You empower us by listening to phone conversations in closed rooms?"
She was clearly referring to the alleged snooping of a woman in Gujarat ostensibly on orders from Modi.
"If there are leaders who are disrespecting women, throw ... | | |
| | | SC panel for guidelines on govt ads showing politicians | | | | NEW DELHI, Apr 23 (Agencies): The Supreme Court today set up a committee for framing guidelines to prevent the misuse of public funds by the government and its authorities in giving advertisements in newspapers and television to get political mileage.
A bench headed by Chief Justice P Sathasivam said that substantive guidelines are needed to regulate such advertisements that were at the cost of the public exchequer and constituted a four-member committee comprising former Director of National Judicial Academy, Bhopal, N R Madhava Menon, former Lok Sabha Secretary T K Viswanathan, senior advocate Ranjit Kumar and the Secretary of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.
The apex court asked the committee to submit its report within three months.
The court passed the order on a PIL fil... | | |
| | | Arrest warrants against Giriraj Singh for 'Hate Speech' | | | | BOKARO, Apr 23 (Agencies): Arrest warrants were issued today by a local court against former Bihar minister and BJP leader Giriraj Singh for making an inflammatory speech during a poll meet in the district.
Sub-divisional Judicial Magistrate Amit Sekhar issued the warrants against Singh for his alleged remarks that people who oppose Narendra Modi will have to find a place in Pakistan.
Singh is facing charges under the IPC sections 153 A (promoting enmity between classes), 295 A (maliciously insulting religion or religious beliefs of any class) and 298 (uttering any word or making any sound in the hearing or making any gesture, or placing any object in the sight of any person, with intention to wound his religious feelings).
He is also facing charges under the People’s Representation Ac... | | |
| | | Kejriwal files nomination for Lok Sabha polls in Varanasi | | | | VARANASI, Apr 23 (Agencies): Pitching his 'aam-aadmi' credentials, Arvind Kejriwal today hit out at Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi for their "helicopter democracy" while projecting himself as an "honest" alternative.
On his way to file his nomination papers for the Lok Sabha polls from this holy city, the AAP leader highlighted the "massive" spending in the advertisement campaigns for BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate and Congress Vice President and asked people to decide what kind of democracy they want.
"Somebody was saying that Modi is spending Rs 5000 crore in advertisements. Gandhi is also spending a lot of money. You watch TV, read newspapers, see billboards, they are there and everywhere. If he (Modi) is elected to power, he will make at least Rs 5 lakh crore.
"I am a fakir. I h... | | |
| | | Stop personal attacks on Modi: Arun Jaitley | | | | AMRITSAR, Apr 23 (Agencies): A day after Priyanka Gandhi said she strongly feels about attacks against her husband Robert Vadra, BJP today said that while she wants people to refrain from personal attacks, Congress has been targeting Narendra Modi on a variety of issues including his marital status.
Agreeing that "personal issues" should not be raked up, BJP leader Arun Jaitley said, "issues of probity are public issues. They are not personal issues." He was apparently referring to allegations relating to land deals against Vadra.
Jaitley said he was glad Priyanka has made a statement on Vadra and "I only hope her immediate family and her party heeds to her advice."
He said Priyanka's friends in the Congress would now hopefully realise that they had personalised their attack on Modi re... | | |
| | | 'Foreigners in Mini skirts prompted Jama Masjid attack' | | | | NEW DELHI, Apr 23 (Agencies): Foreigners wearing mini skirts and entering Jama Masjid here prompted Indian Mujahideen (IM) co-founder Yasin Bhatkal and his aides to commit terror strike at the historic mosque in September 2010, the Delhi Police has told a court here.
In its charge sheet filed against Bhatkal and his aide Asadullah Akhtar, the Special Cell of Delhi Police said the accused considered wearing of short clothes by the foreigners as "un-Islamic" and due to this they decided to strike at gate number three of the mosque.
"After the recee carried out by Yasin, it was decided that gate number three of the Jama Masjid was suitable for shootout as foreigners were found frequenting the place and their wearing of mini skirts/ short clothes while entering the Jama Masjid compound was ... | | |
| | | Pakistan 'encouraged' by Modi's remarks on ties | | | | NEW DELHI, Apr 23 (Agencies): Pakistan today said it was "encouraged" after BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's remarks regarding ties with foreign countries and asserted that it was looking forward to a stable government here to engage "quickly, comprehensively and meaningfully".
Making a strong pitch for resumption of dialogue process, Pakistan High Commissioner Abul Basit said talks were the only way to resolve outstanding issues and no one nation does any "favour" by talking, indicating that stopping of talks by India was not good for bilateral ties.
Interacting with women journalists here, Basit also said his government was committed to change the bilateral narrative of conflict into one by cooperation and mutual trust.
Asked about BJP's view that all those who do no... | | |
| | | Cash-starved SAI lowers medal targets for CWG | | | | NEW DELHI, Apr 23 (Agencies): Faced with a severe fund crunch and no immediate government help in sight due to ongoing general election, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) has scaled down its medals target for the Commonwealth Games this year.
"The funds that have been given to SAI in the interim budget are woefully inadequate considering it is a CWG and Asian Games year. All the sports federations are unanimously asking for more money for athletes' training and exposure trips and there is nothing you can do about it until we have the next government," SAI Director General Jiji Thomson told PTI today.
Out of the Rs.1219 crore earmarked for sports, Rs.165 crore have been kept aside for the National Sports Federations for looking after their athletes. Rs.160 crore was given to NSFs for t... | | |
| | | 'Save Ganga' gets support from Modi, Varanasi candidates | | | | VARANASI, Apr 23 (Agencies): Thirty two years and thousands of crores of rupees later, the fight to clean Ganga is now pinning hopes on a high-profile Lok Sabha battle in Banaras, where this sacred river becomes million-times more polluted than the level fit for bathing.
Hopeful of their cause finally moving from ghats of Benaras to the Parliament, proponents of 'Save Ganga Campaign' have secured commitments from BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, Aam Aadmi Party's Arvind Kejriwal and others in poll fray from this holy city.
The campaign was launched by non-government organisation Sankat Mochan Foundation's founder president late Veer Bhadra Mishra in 1982, while his son Vishwambhar Nath Mishra is spearheading the cause since death of his father last year.
The foundation,... | | |
| | | Rahul visits poor homes like tourists visit Taj: Modi | | | | HARDOI, Apr 21 (Agencies): Launching a hard-hitting attack on SP, BSP and Congress, Narendra Modi said today that the "power game by the clan of three parties" is responsible for the poor plight of Uttar Pradesh and the nation. He stepped up his attack as he ridiculed Rahul Gandhi for visiting homes of the poor like tourists who visit Taj Mahal.
Playing up his tea-vendor image, BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate also sought to contrast it with those "born with a silver spoon in their mouth" and made an oblique reference to his OBC origin as he reached to voters in the Hindi heartland.
Promising to cleanse the political system and Parliament from criminal elements, Modi said that his first job after the formation of a new government will be to set up a committee to probe the pending crimi... | | |
| | | 800 kg explosives recovered from naxal-hit areas | | | | NEW DELHI, Apr 21 (Agencies): Over 800 kg of explosives and 127 improvised bombs have been recovered by security forces from across Naxal violence-hit areas since the Election Commission sounded the poll bugle in the country on March 5.
The maximum of these killing traps and deadly ammunition, aimed at security forces and poll officials, have been recovered by the paramilitary CRPF from Left Wing Extremism affected areas of Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Odisha.
According to an official report, a maximum of 61 Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) were recovered from Bihar, 33 from Jharkhand, 24 from Chhattigarh and nine from Odisha.
The total number of these locally made recovered bombs, which also killed troopers, is 127.
750kgs of explosives was seized from Bihar, 53... | | |
| | | A. Raja, others to record statements on May 5 | | | | NEW DELHI, Apr 21 (Agencies): A Delhi court today fixed May 5 for commencement of recording of statements of former Telecom Minister A Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi and 15 others facing trial in the 2G spectrum allocation case.
Special CBI Judge O P Saini posted the matter for May 5 after the accused sought some more time to answer the 1,718 questions running into 824 pages asked by the court.
"The time has come when the accused will talk to me directly. It is a dialogue between the accused and the judge," he said.
"I have no problem in giving time but I will not give time in between. After it (recording of statements) will start, it will go on. It must go at an appropriate speed," the judge said, adding, "You (accused) will have to answer the questions in bullet speed."
As soon as the heari... | | |
| | | FIR against Kejriwal, Vishwas for violating model code | | | | AMETHI, Apr 21 (Agencies): An FIR was today registered against AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Kumar Vishwas and 10 others for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct and prohibitory orders.
The FIR was lodged at the Gauriganj police station here after authorities reviewed a video of Vishwas' campaign, Circle officer Naveen Kumar Singh said.
Kejriwal and Vishwas had allegedly violated the model code and prohibitory orders by holding roadside meetings without taking permission and disrupting traffic.
Earlier, an FIR was registered against Vishwas and 100 others on April 18 for staging a dharna inside the Gauriganj Police Station to press for an FIR against Priyanka Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Vinod Mishra and others.... | | |
| | | No need for Govt that makes Hindus fight Muslims: Rahul | | | | RAMANATHAPURAM, Apr 21 (Agencies): In a fresh broadside at Narendra Modi and the BJP, Rahul Gandhi today said the country does not need a government that makes "Hindus fight Muslims" and imposes ideas of one state on another and instead looks for a "pro-poor, secular government" .
"You must ensure that a pro-poor, secular government comes to power at Delhi. We don't need a government that promotes hate and anger. We don't need a government that makes Hindus fights Muslims," he said while addressing an election rally here.
The country also does not want a government that "imposes ideas from one state on another," Rahul said in an apparent reference to Modi's assertions that the Gujarat model of development would be replicated in the rest of the country once the BJP comes to power at the ... | | |
| | | Gorla Rohini is first woman Chief Justice of Delhi HC | | | | NEW DELHI, Apr 21 (Agencies): Justice Gorla Rohini was today administered the oath of office as the first woman chief justice of the Delhi High Court.
Justice Rohini, 58, who hails from Visakhapatnam succeeds Justice N V Ramana, who vacated the position in February, following his elevation to the Supreme Court.
The former Andhra Pradesh High Court judge was administered the oath of office and allegiance by Delhi's Lieutenant Governor, Najeeb Jung.
"This symbolises women's empowerment and of course we need many more role models like her who can inspire young girls across the country to aspire for top positions in all walks of life," Jung said.
Justice Rohini will be the 10th woman judge of the 40 judges in the Delhi High Court.
Born in 1955, Justice Rohini studied at Osmania Universit... | | |
| | | Karuna denies politicising Rajiv case verdict | | | | CHENNAI, Apr 21 (Agencies): DMK President M Karunanidhi today asserted he has not politicised the issue of release of seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case but insisted that his poser to the Chief Justice of India was to indicate that "judges should not politicise" such issues.
"Everyone knows that DMK had made a request for the release of the seven accused. I had asked if it was right on part of Chief Justice P Sathasivam to comment about it since Judges should not politicise such issues. Not for politicising it," he told reporters here.
He was responding to a query on the appeal made by Arputhammal, mother of A G Perarivalan, one of the convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi case, to political leaders not to politicise the issue relating to the verdict on their release.
Karunan... | | |
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