Tral, the former hotbed of terrorism, rocks to the music of democracy.
India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar countered a US senator's claim that democracy does not put food on the table, citing India's PMGKAY program which provides food to 800 million people. Jaishankar argued that different parts of the world have different experiences with democracy and that the model of globalization has contributed to issues with democracy in some regions. He emphasized that India's democratic system effectively delivers food security, highlighting the PMGKAY program as an example.
Atishi, a former Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader, accused the newly formed BJP government of failing to fulfill Prime Minister Narendra Modi's promise of providing financial assistance to women under the Mahila Samridhi Yojana. She questioned why the scheme, which promised Rs 2,500 to each woman in Delhi, was not passed at the first cabinet meeting.
Asserting that Article 370 is a thing of the past, Shah stated that no one can bring it back.
The political parties have been given time slots for the meeting with the Election Commission.
This restoration, according to the officials, is seen as a crucial step towards initiating a healing process, reinstating constitutional rights and safeguarding the unique identity of the region's residents.
Tahawwur Rana, accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, has been extradited to India after the US Supreme Court denied his last-ditch effort to avoid being sent back. Rana, a close associate of David Coleman Headley, another key conspirator in the attacks, was expected to be extradited "shortly" after his legal appeals failed. This decision comes after a multi-agency team from India traveled to the US to complete all necessary paperwork and legalities with the US authorities. Rana's extradition marks a significant development in the pursuit of justice for the victims of the Mumbai attacks.
Wangchuk rued that over the years, glacial ice has been receding but action remains delayed.
Bharatiya Janata Party national general secretary Ram Madhav on Wednesday accused the National Conference and the People's Democratic Party of taking support from ex-militants for the assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, and said the two parties want to take the Union territory back to its 'trouble-filled days'.
This article traces the history of the DMK's fight for state autonomy, beginning with C.N. Annadurai's advocacy in the 1960s and culminating in M. Karunanidhi's resolution in the Tamil Nadu Assembly in 1974. The article highlights the key figures involved, the arguments presented, and the impact of the Rajamannar Committee Report.
Asked if the party would approach the court for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood, the NC leader said, "I do not want to get into that right now."
'Everyone is unhappy with the lieutenant governor's administration, which is ignorant, high-handed, and inaccessible.'
A new book by former West Bengal governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi claims that former chief election commissioner T N Seshan proposed an immediate halt to the general election process after Rajiv Gandhi's assassination in 1991 and even offered to become home minister. Gandhi, who was joint secretary to then president R Venkatraman, writes that Seshan was the one who broke the news of the assassination to the president and arrived at the Rashtrapati Bhawan "super-fast" that night. According to Gandhi's account, Seshan told Venkatraman that he felt the election process needed to be stopped and that he was ready to take on the role of home minister if necessary. However, Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar and Cabinet Secretary Naresh Chandra assured the president that the situation was under control and that there was no need to pause the election process. Seshan's suggestions were ultimately ignored, but he did manage to postpone the second and third phases of polling.
The Congress party suffered a crushing defeat in the Delhi elections, failing to secure a single seat in the 70-member assembly for the third consecutive time. Key candidates, including Sheila Dikshit's son, Sandeep Dikshit, lost their deposits. The only consolation for the party was a slight improvement in its vote share, which they attribute to a vigorous campaign and a renewed focus on contesting elections independently. However, the defeat raises questions about the party's ability to compete in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections, particularly in light of its performance in other recent state elections.
Trump said that he and Putin agreed to have their respective teams start negotiations immediately and begin by calling Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy regarding the conversation.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has accused Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi of raising questions on sensitive defence matters in Parliament after his marriage to a British citizen. Sarma alleged that Gogoi's wife, Elizabeth Colburn, has links with the Pakistani establishment, including working for an organisation allegedly a front for the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Gogoi has rejected the allegations as "baseless" and said the BJP is trying to divert attention from its own failures.
Colonel Sofiya Qureshi revealed that 300 to 400 drones were deployed across 36 locations, with several being shot down by Indian forces using both kinetic and non-kinetic methods.
The Congress was fighting the elections in a pre-poll alliance with National Conference and had fielded 32 candidates, mostly in Jammu region, compared to 51 by the regional party.
The EC asked him to provide factual evidence with specific and pointed response to type, quantity, nature and manner of poisoning of Yamuna.
The row broke out after a private television news agency attributed the excerpts of the article shared by the NC leader to him.
There is a proposal from the BJP camp that they would resort to a proportion-based increase in the number of Lok Sabha seats for individual states, based on what they now have. On the face of it, this sounds like a fine argument that those demanding a 'freeze' now cannot oppose without reasons and justification, avers N Sathiya Moorthy.
The Election Commission on Thursday asked its Delhi chief electoral officer to probe the Aam Aadmi Party's complaints against Bharatiya Janata Party leader Parvesh Verma and allegations of additions and deletions in the electoral roll of the New Delhi assembly seat.
The United States has extradited Pakistani-Canadian Tahawwur Hussain Rana to India to face charges for his alleged involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks. Rana, 64, was convicted in the US in 2011 for providing material support to Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Pakistani militant group responsible for the Mumbai attacks. The US Department of State said it has long supported India's efforts to bring those responsible for the attacks to justice and that the extradition is a critical step towards seeking justice for the victims. Rana's extradition comes after the US Supreme Court denied his last-ditch attempt to evade extradition. He will now face justice in India for his role in the attacks which killed 166 people, including six Americans.
He asserted that the AAP cared for the people of Delhi and that's why they announced financial assistance for the Resident Welfare Associations to help people ensure better security in their neighbourhood by hiring private security guards.
The former chief minister said if there was any danger of his losing from Budgam, then his party colleagues would not have allowed him to contest from Budgam.
Bhutan Prime Minister Lotay Tshering said on social media that he was overjoyed to hear "His Majesty pronounce Your Excellency Modiji's Narendra Modi name for the highest civilian decoration, Ngadag Pel gi Khorlo".
United States President Donald Trump on Thursday announced the extradition of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack accused Tahawwur Rana to India and said he will face justice.
A delegation of diplomats from 16 countries, including the United States, Norway and Singapore, on Wednesday observed the ongoing assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir.
Uttar Pradesh Minister of Labour and Employment Anil Rajbhar has informed the state Legislative Assembly that the state has successfully sent 5,600 workers to Israel for employment opportunities, with an additional 5,000 workers in the process of being sent. Rajbhar stated that these workers are contributing significantly to the state's economy by sending foreign currency worth Rs 1,000 crore annually. In addition to Israel, the state is also facilitating applications for overseas employment in Germany and Japan, with thousands of jobs available for nurses and caregiver workers, respectively. Rajbhar also highlighted the state government's initiatives to provide employment opportunities within India through employment fairs and collaborations with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC).
Those who stay in other countries illegally do not have any legal right to be there, Modi said.
'Pakistan's only concern has been while they were on the FATF watch list was to distance their State institutions and organs from any direct connection with the actual execution of militancy inside Kashmir.'
The Congress on Tuesday said it cannot accept the Haryana assembly polls verdict as there were 'serious issues' about the integrity of the counting process and functioning of the EVMs in some districts, and asserted that it would take up the matter with the Election Commission.
The last Friday prayers of Ramzan (Jumatul Vida) were not allowed to be held at the historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar.
US President Donald Trump announced a 26 per cent "discounted reciprocal tariff" on India, half of the 52 per cent levies imposed by India on American goods, as he described India as "very, very tough."
With 19 border polling stations along the Line of Control in Rajouri and Poonch, a contingency plan has been worked out to deal with cross-border shelling though chances are negligible given the ongoing ceasefire between India and Pakistan that came into effect in February 2021, officials said.
A high-level inter-ministerial team conducted a six-hour investigation in Badhaal village, Rajouri district, Jammu and Kashmir, to ascertain the causes of death of 17 members of three families under mysterious circumstances. The team, led by a director-rank officer in the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, collected samples and briefed by senior district, health and police officers. The team's visit follows the deaths of 16 people between December 7 and January 19. The investigation is ongoing, with authorities focusing on potential neurotoxins and a spring that tested positive for pesticides.
The email came from the Office of Personnel Management's new HR email address but had no signature. The subject line reads: "What did you do last week?"
Although the Supreme Court has mandated the Centre to conduct the polls by the end of September, a spate of terrorist attacks in J&K could cause delays.
'I am not afraid of BJP. I am not armed with lathi or stone, let them come to me and reply to my questions which they will not'
Most of the MLAs shared their resignation letters on social media and slammed the Aam Aadmi Party over corruption and other issues.
