Govt. should have paid as much attention to pollution as it did to Article 370, says Kapil Sibal
Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Saturday hit out at the government over the pollution crisis in Delhi, saying the Centre should have paid as much attention to poor air quality as it did in dealing with Article 370.
The national capital witnessed a dip in pollution levels on Saturday morning even as the air quality in the city remained in the “severe” category .
"Nature is punishing us for our own misdemeanours. We have ourselves jeopardised our fundamental right to breathe. Forget odd prescriptions. Let’s be even in our solutions," Mr. Sibal said in a tweet, in an apparent swipe at the Delhi government’s odd-even road rationing scheme.
"Was the politics behind Article 370 more important than our right to breathe clean air? Our Government should have paid as much attention to air pollution as it did in dealing with Article 370!" the former Union Minister said, referring to the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir in August and the steps taken by the Central government following the action. - PTI
BJP youth activists protest near Congress office on Rafale deal
BJP youth activists on Saturday staged a protest rally outside the West Bengal Congress headquarters here demanding an “apology” from the Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi for spreading “lies” on the Rafale issue that was rejected by the Supreme Court.
The Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha activists took out a rally from Moulali to Bidhan Bhawan in Central Kolkata and then burnt effigies Rahul Gandhi for his “lies and propaganda” on Rafale deal in a bid to defame Prime Minister Narendra Modi during Lok Sabha polls, a BJYM leader said.
The BJYM activists also demanded an apology from Mr. Gandhi, he said.
Carrying posters and placards, BJYM activists shouted slogans against the Congress party and Mr. Gandhi. - PTI
Political parties promoting their vested interests by starting newspapers, says Venkaiah Naidu
By starting their own newspapers, political parties and business groups are promoting their vested interests and compromising the values of journalism, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu said on Saturday.
Mr. Naidu was speaking at an event organised by the Press Council of India to observe the National Press Day and confer National Awards for Excellence in Journalism.
“Nowadays business groups and political parties are also starting their own newspapers and channels. Through these, they are promoting their vested interests and compromising the values of journalism,” he said.
Mr. Naidu stressed that if a newspaper is run by a political party, it should clearly mention so. - PTI
Bizarre remarks made to divert attention: Congress on Minister’s ‘people getting married’ comment
The Congress on Saturday hit out at the government over a BJP Minister’s remark that economy is doing fine with people getting married and trains full, alleging that such statements were being made in a planned manner to divert attention from reality.
Union Minister Suresh Angadi on Friday dismissed the opposition’s criticism over the state of economy, asserting that “airports and trains are full and people are getting married” and this indicates that the country’s economy is “doing fine“.
Noting that the economy slows down every three years but it will pick up soon, the Minister of state for railways said “some people” were trying to malign the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Hitting out at the Minister’s remarks, Congress’ chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala in a tweet said that it seems such bizarre statements are made or are prompted to be made in a planned manner to divert attention from the reality and prevailing circumstances.
“Airports are full, trains are full, people are getting married. Some people are doing this for nothing else but to malign the image of Narendra Modi,” Angadi had told reporters during an inspection of the soon to be commissioned Tunda Khurja eastern dedicated freight corridor.
“Every three years there is fall in demand in economy. It is a cycle. Then the economy picks up also,” he had said.
- PTI
Out of power, BJP afraid turncoat MLAs may defect: NCP chief spokesperson Nawab Malik
The Maharashtra BJP is bedevilled by the trepidation that politicians who joined the party ahead of the October 21 Assembly polls will defect and, hence, its leaders are claiming they will form government in the state, the NCP said on Saturday.
NCP chief spokesperson Nawab Malik made the remarks a day after Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil said his party will soon form the government and claimed it can count on the support of 119 MLAs, including Independents, in the 288-member Assembly.
