Swamy criticises EU delegation’s visit to J&K
BJP MP Subramanian Swamy on Monday attacked the Union government over a European Union delegation’s visit to Jammu and Kashmir, saying its members will visit the region in their private capacity which, he claimed, is a “perversion of our national policy“.
He demanded that the visit should be cancelled.
“I am surprised that the MEA has arranged for European Union MPs, in their private capacity [Not EU’s official delegation], to visit Kashmir area of J&K. This is a perversion of our national policy. I urge the government cancel this visit because it is immoral,” Swamy said.
The Congress also questioned the government for allowing the European Union delegation to visit Jammu and Kashmir while preventing Indian leaders from going to the state, and claimed that it was an insult to India’s Parliament and democracy.
A delegation of 27 parliamentarians of the European Union is set to visit Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday to assess the ground situation there after abrogation of Article 370.
The parliamentarians seek to talk to locals in Jammu and Kashmir and ask them about their experience.
Wrong candidates, factional fights cost UDF ‘dearly’ in Kerala bypolls: Congress leader Chacko
The selection of wrong candidates and factional fights in the Congress in Kerala have cost the party-led United Democratic Front (UDF) “dearly” in the October 21 Assembly bypolls in the state, senior Congress leader P.C. Chacko said on Monday.
Mr. Chacko said the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) wrested the Konni assembly seat in Pathanamthitta district from the Congress, which held it for nearly 23 years. Similarly, the Vattiyoorkavu seat, held by the Congress since 2011, was lost to the LDF’s CPI(M) candidate, he said.
“The Congress would have gained these two seats if only the winning ability of the nominees was considered and the right candidates selected instead of succumbing to pressure from factions,” Chacko told PTI in an interview.
Congress will slide no further, can now reverse tide: Salman Khurshid
Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid said on Monday that the outcome of Haryana and Maharashtra elections indicates that his party’s slide in the country has stopped and it can now look forward to reversing the tide.
The party has now come out of a bad period of confusion and self-doubt, the former Union Minister said, obviously referring to the party’s poor show in the Lok Sabha elections, Rahul Gandhi quitting as the party President and some leaders deserting in a few States.
Terming the election results in the two States as “encouraging”, he said the party workers are very pleased.
Three independent MLAs support BJP in Maharashtra
In its bid to rob the Shiv Sena of its bargaining power to get a bigger pie in power, the BJP which returned at the helm in recently-held Maharashtra assembly elections with a weakened tally on Sunday enlisted support of three Independent MLAs.
While Geeta Jain and Rajendra Raut announced their support for the BJP after meeting Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at his residence, another MLA Ravi Rana, also an Independent, has written a letter to this effect.
PM Modi greets Farooq Abdullah on 82nd birthday
In what reflects a softening of approach towards regional parties in Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sent greetings to National Conference (NC) president and Srinagar Member of Parliament Farooq Abdullah on his 82nd birthday.
The Prime Minister’s greetings were conveyed in a letter handed over to Dr. Abdullah in Srinagar last week. Dr. Abdullah’s birthday falls on October 21, according to the party sources.
Mr. Modi in the letter wished Dr. Abdullah on his birthday and prayed for his long and healthy life, party sources said.
Kerala Assembly adjourned for the day following protest by UDF legislators
The Speaker, P. Sreeramakrishnan adjourned the opening day of the 16th session of Kerala Legislative Assembly following protest by Opposition UDF legislators in the well of the House demanding a CBI inquiry into the Palakkad POCSO Court's release of three accused in the rape of two girl siblings at Attappalam in Walayar.
Dissatisfied by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's reply in the House on Monday to a notice seeking leave for an adjournment motion on the issue by Shafi Parambil (Congress) and others, that the Government will appeal against the verdict and look into the demand, the Opposition trooped into the well of the House demanding CBI inquiry.
The UDF legislators were not satisfied by Mr. Vijayan’s reply that the Government will seriously look into the lapses and into whether a reinvestigation or CBI inquiry is needed.
Mid-term polls not good for the State: Kumaraswamy
At a time when speculations are rife about the future of the BJP government Karnataka post byelections, former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy has said that he would support any political party, which helped people, particularly those badly affected by the floods.
Speaking to press persons in Hubballi on Monday, Mr. Kumaraswamy however clarified that he had said nothing about supporting BJP.
“At a time when the people of the State are facing hardships due to floods and proper relief and compensation is yet to reach them, holding repeated elections would mean another burden on the State government. Any election would consequently delay relief of the displaced people instead of mitigating their sufferings. That’s why I said elections are not good for the State at this juncture”, he explained.
Why is there so much ‘silence’, asks Shiv Sena on economic slowdown
The Shiv Sena on Monday borrowed an iconic dialogue from Hindi blockbuster movie ‘Sholay’ to target the Centre over the economic slowdown, seeking to know why there was so much “silence” in markets on the occasion of Diwali and wondered if worse days were ahead.
“...Itna sannata kyon hai bhai?” (why is there so much silence) is the question resonating everywhere on “silence” over the future of the country and Maharashtra, the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece ‘Saamana’.
BJP, Shiv Sena leaders to separately meet Maharashtra Governor
Amid the battle of oneupmanship over sharing of power in the next Maharashtra government, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena leader Diwakar Raote will be meeting state Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari separately.
Both the leaders claim they want to extend Diwali greetings to the Governor and "no political issues will be discussed."
Despite receiving the people's mandate to govern the State for the next five years, the BJP and Shiv Sena is yet to agree on government formation.
