Category: NATIONAL NEWS

The Lok Sabha today failed to take up again notices for no-confidence motion against the government after Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said the House was not in order and adjourned proceedings amid noisy protests over various issues. In a novel way to convey they have enough numbers to seek the no-confidence motion, members from the Congress, the Left and some other parties displayed blue-coloured placards, each with a circled number along with the words ‘For no- confidence’. The numbers ranged from 1 to at least 80. At least 50 members need…

Yoga guru Ramdev launched a new initiative on the occasion of Ramnavami today with an avowed aim to make India a spiritual superpower by conferring ‘deeksha’ on a batch of around 90 ‘sanyasis’ (renunciates) groomed by Patanjali. The ‘deeksha’ was accorded to 51 sanyasis and 39 sanyasins on the banks of the Ganga in the holy city by Ramdev in the presence of their family members. Welcoming their initiation into a life of renunciation, the yoga guru said nothing could be more glorious than the act of offering oneself to…

Accusing the BJP of seeking to drive a wedge into the new-found bonhomie between her party with the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati today said the two parties’ “friendship” has been forged in national interest and not to meet any selfish end. “The BSP’s close ties with the Samajwadi Party are not for any selfish motive but in the national interest,” she said, emphasising that the opposition parties will have to work jointly to stop the BJP from coming to power at the Centre. She said the non-BJP…

Asserting that the sanctity of government jobs examinations must be maintained at any cost, a Parliamentary panel has asked the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) to spare no efforts in ensuring that such tests are free from any malpractices. The SCC, which conducts exams to select candidates for various central government jobs, had to cancel nine examinations, fully or partially, in the last five years. Most recently, it had to recommend a CBI enquiry into allegations pertaining to the conduct of Combined Graduate Level (Tier-II) examination 2017. Such cancellation of exams…

Continuing his attack on the Janata Dal (Secular), Congress president Rahul Gandhi today asked former prime minister H D Deve Gowda’s party to come clean on its support to the BJP. “JD(S), they have to make it clear whether they are the BJP’s B team or not,” Gandhi said at a public meeting here in the Vokkaliga belt of the old Mysuru region, considered a JD(S) stronghold. “They (JD-S) have to make it clear whether they are supporting the BJP, if yes, why? The JD(S) stands for ‘Janata Dal Sangh…

Gearing up for the next general election, BJP President Amit Shah today set a target of 21 seats out of 25 parliamentary constituencies from northeast in Lok Sabha polls in 2019. Addressing a rally of BJP booth unit chiefs here, he asked the party members to work towards achieving this target. “I want to give a target for 2019 polls. We want to win more than 21 seats out of 25 seats from North East,” Shah said in the rally. “Except Mizoram, all other states in NE are ruled by…

Congress President Rahul Gandhi today hit out at Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad over huge pendency of cases in courts and shortage of judges, and charged him with “peddling fake news” instead. His attack came after Prasad accused the Congress of hiring the services of controversial data firm Cambridge Analytica, accused of harvesting data stolen from Facebook, in previous elections. The charge has been denied by the Congress, which instead accused the BJP of using the services of the firm. Legal system collapsing under Pending Cases: Supreme Court 55,000+, High…

Congress MLA in Maharashtra Nitesh Rane today said car stickers given to legislators were being misused by certain people and sought action against them. Raising the issue in the Assembly, Rane said he found one such sticker on a car bearing registration number MH02 CL 6353 owned by one Bala Khopade, who, he said, was not a lawmaker. “As per my knowledge, there is no legislator by such a name,” he said and demanded that Khopade be arrested. The MLA from Kankavli was supported by Manisha Chaudhary (BJP) who said…