Our Rafale deal 20% cheaper than what UPA govt negotiated: Arun Jaitley

Clearing the air around the Rafale deal, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday said that the present NDA government has negotiated hard to keep prices down by at least 20 per cent for each aircraft as per 2016 deal, compared to that of the UPA in 2007.

In an exclusive interview to ANI, Jaitley underlined the fact that each of these aircraft was coming fully loaded and the deal is government-to-government, without involving anyone in between.

“Can you compare a basic aircraft’s pricing with a loaded aircraft? Can you compare a simple aircraft with a weaponised aircraft?... If in 2012 they had come to an agreement, the first would have been delivered in 2017. From 2007 to 2017 the escalations would have gone up, along with a foreign exchange variation. So there is India specific add-ons and the foreign exchange variants… Is the Congress party aware that if you take the 2007 L1 offer and the escalation clause without the add-ons, the price negotiated in 2015-16 is cheaper?” Jaitley said.

National Statistical Commission seeks comments on GDP back series report

The National Statistical Commission (NSC) has sought public comments on a panel report which showed that the economy grew at fastest pace under the Congress rule, amid a political row over the growth numbers.

The report of the panel, constituted by the NSC, was made public last week.

The government has maintained that the GDP Back Series Report 2011 was an unofficial document that has not been accepted by it. The Centre had also said the report was only at discussion stage and its acceptance will be based on wider consultations.

Agnivesh alleges assault by BJP workers on way to pay homage to Vajpayee

Swami Agnivesh was allegedly heckled and assaulted near the BJP headquarters in New Delhi on Friday by some people, who the social activist said were BJP workers, when he was on his way to pay homage to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

A video of the alleged attack that circulated on social media showed some people heckling the 79-year-old social activist.

"I was attacked while walking towards BJP headquarters to pay my respects to Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Around 20-30 BJP workers came and surrounded me and pushed me. My pagdi fell down and they started calling me a traitor," Agnivesh told reporters.

ALSO READ: From Putin to Oli to Sheikh Hasina: Global leaders condole Vajpayee's death
"They pushed me towards the Vishnu Digamber roundabout and kept abusing me. Some policemen were standing there but these persons, including some women, carrying slippers, kept abusing me," he added.

Somnath Chatterjee, communist who saw danger in equating Congress with BJP

Former Lok Sabha speaker and veteran communist Somnath Chatterjee died in Kolkata on Monday. He was 89 years old. A member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) for some four decades, Chatterjee was expelled from the party in 2008 after refusing to step down as Lok Sabha speaker following his party’s decision to pull out support from the then Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.

A ten-time member of the Lok Sabha, Chatterjee occupied the post of the speaker from 2004-2009. The sole exception to his electoral winning spree was when he lost Kolkata’s prestigious Jadavpur constituency in 1984 to the present West Bengal chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, then only 29 years old.

A powerful and persuasive speaker for his party in the Lok Sabha, Chatterjee owed his oratorical skills to his training at Cambridge University, where he studied law in the 1950s, and his work as a lawyer.

Good he doesn't take real questions: Rahul Gandhi calls Modi's Q&A scripted

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of giving pre-scripted interviews, claiming his response to real questions would have been an "embarrassment for all".

Gandhi was referring to an interview Modi gave at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore during his recent visit to the city-state.

After Modi answered a question in Hindi, the interpreter started reading from a piece of paper, prompting speculation that the script may be "pre-planned".

"The first Indian PM who takes 'spontaneous' questions that the translator has pre-scripted answers to!

"Good that he doesn't take real questions. Would have been a real embarrassment to us all if he did," Gandhi said on Twitter.

Farmers' strike in MP to increase veggie prices; BJP dubs it Cong agitation

On the first anniversary of the death of seven farmers due to beating and firing by police in Mandsaur district of Madhya Pradesh on June 6 last year, the farmers are going to launch "Gaon Bandh" (village blockade) agitation from Friday, said a farmer representative on Thursday.

During the period, no eatables would be supplied from villages to cities in the state. Although the state government has made arrangements to minimise the impact of agitation, cities are set to see shortage of items like vegetables and milk.

Chief of Aam Kisan Union, Kedar Sirohi told IANS that the agitation enjoys the support of more than 150 farmers organisation. Besides, all 50 Panchayats of the state have also announced to fight for the rights of farmers.

"The government responds to the rightful demands of the farmers with lathis and bullets. June 6 is a black day for farmers. Nothing will be supplied by villages to cities for the next 10 days, neither will anything be brought from the cities during the period," Sirohi said.

Time machine inventors trying to go back to rewrite history: Ansari

In a jibe at the present regime for trying to appropriate historical figures for its advantage, former Vice President Hamid Ansari on Sunday said that a "new set of inventors" were trying to make a time machine in order to go back in time and change history.

However, Ansari stressed, that could not be done because efforts made to change history anywhere in the world have not succeeded.

"Years ago, a book called 'The Time Machine' was written by H.G. Wells. The idea behind the book was that there would be a form of technology by which you could go back to visit what has happened in the past. The book was a great success," Ansari said in his remarks at the release of book "Jawaharlal Nehru: An Illustrated Biography" compiled by A. Gopanna.

"But today I notice another set of inventors -- not writers, but inventors -- who are trying to create a time machine by which you can go back in history and rewrite it," Ansari said at an event here that was attended by former President Pranab Mukherjee and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh among others.

4 years of Modi: BJP to take achievements to 100,000 influencers, experts

The BJP will launch a fortnight-long programme to mark the fourth anniversary of the Modi government, with its president Amit Shah leading an exercise to reach out to 100,000 personalities from different walks of life to highlight its achievements.

The programme will start on May 27, in which all ministers -- both from the Centre and BJP-ruled states -- MPs, MLAs, mayors and all other office-bearers of the party will reach out to personalities or experts or influential people across the country, BJP general secretary Arun Singh said in a letter. 

It will also include a special contact drive in SC and ST localities and also with senior citizens, he said

"As part of the programme, each BJP leader will interact with at least 25 renowned people from various fields such as retired judges of the Supreme Court and high courts, retired bureaucrats, retired army personnel, sports stars, and writers, among others, and will inform them about the achievements of the Modi government in the past four years," Singh said. 

Singh further said all party leaders have also been instructed to organise various events such as a conference of beneficiaries of various welfare schemes, get-togethers of intellectuals, press conferences, and gram sabhas. 

'Modi betrayed India': Congress to people on NDA govt's 4th anniversary

The Congress party will observe 'Vishwasghat Diwas' (betrayal day) on Saturday when Narendra Modi-led BJP government will complete four years in the Centre. 

Press conferences will be held in 20 different cities, including the capital, by senior party leaders such as Gulam Nabi Azad, Ashok Gehlot, and Randeep Singh Surjewala.  

In other places, state unit presidents and AICC incharges will hold press conferences to mark the protest. State units have also been asked to stage protests at the district level.
 

ALSO READ: Why Modi's fourth anniversary is not the happiest of occasions 

Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi will also hold press conferences in Bhuwneshwar and Mumbai, respectively.

This comes after the BJP has been receiving flak over the hike in fuel price. 

ALSO READ: Dependence on crude oil import rises under four years of Modi govt 

Following the hike, various Opposition parties, including the Congress, All Assam Students' Union (AASU), Trinamool Congress (TMC), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and Biju Janata Dal (BJD), staged protests in various parts of the country.   

Karnataka CM Kumaraswamy says have stopped Modi's Ashwamedha horse: Updates

Karnataka: Kumaraswamy responds to Shah's 'unholy Cong-JD(S) alliance' jibe

A political slugfest between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress continues in Karnataka, even days after the results to the Karnataka Assembly election 2018 were announced.

In his first interaction after BJP failed to solve the Karnataka equation, BJP president Amit Shah on Monday hit out at the Congress for "preaching lessons of democracy", and dubbed its alliance with Janata Dal (Secular) as 'unholy'.

"They don't see their history and preach us democracy. Those who put lakhs of people into jails without a reason and censored the press are preaching us democracy. Leave Congress aside, I am surprised to see even you people (media) listening to it," he said in an obvious attack on the Congress for the Emergency of 1975.

Later in the day, Karnataka's chief minister-elect HD Kumaraswamy hit back at Shah, calling his thought process 'unholy'.

"According to you, Congress-JD(S) is 'unholy alliance'. Then which is holy alliance? Was it trying to purchase legislators elected on other party symbols? Since no one got the majority, secular parties came together and there is a common philosophy behind it," Kumaraswamy said.

Karnataka shows what Modi should most fear ahead of 2019 general elections

As a politician, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is distinguished by his relentlessness. Every vote, every constituency, every election matters. Modi has built his Bharatiya Janata Party into an electoral juggernaut that runs 21 of India’s 29 states; 70 per cent of India’s population is ruled by the BJP at both the state and the federal level.

In some of these states, such as the vast northern territory of Uttar Pradesh, the party swept elections on its own. In others, such as UP’s struggling neighbor Bihar, the BJP stole away one member of the ruling coalition in order to seize power for itself. In yet others, such as the coastal state of Goa, the opposition Congress Party in fact did better than the BJP in the elections only to discover that Modi’s lieutenants were far more skillful alliance-builders.

Last weekend, in the southern state of Karnataka -- home to India’s IT capital, Bangalore -- Modi discovered the limits of this strategy. Karnataka was the last major state ruled by Congress; after a bruising election campaign, the BJP ended up winning more seats in the state assembly, though not quite enough to form an outright majority.

Karnataka verdict: Kumaraswamy to take oath as CM on Wednesday; highlights

Karnataka poll result: In an anti-climax to the hectic political developments since the split verdict on May 12 Karnataka Assembly polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lost power in Karnataka as Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa resigned on Saturday before the trust vote, as he did not have the numbers to prove his majority. His resignation paved the way for the formation of a Congress-Janata Dal(Secular) government headed by H D Kumaraswamy, who has been invited to form a government and will be sworn-in on Monday.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the trust vote, saying he would have learnt lessons from Yeddyurappa having been forced to resign as the Karnataka Chief Minister two days after he was sworn in.

The order for advancing the trust vote to Saturday came from the Supreme Court as the Congress and the JD(S) had filed a petition challenging Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala's invitation to Yeddyurappa to form the government and giving the BJP leader 15 days to prove majority.

Karnataka polls: Siddaramaiah's welfare schemes can decide Congress' fate

In its election rhetoric against the ruling Congress government in Karnataka, there is one thing that rival Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rarely attacks–the state’s flagship welfare schemes, especially, Anna Bhagya which provides free rice and subsidised foodgrains for those living below poverty line (BPL).

Karnataka, the only southern state governed by the Congress party, is slated for assembly elections on May 12, 2018. And BJP chief ministerial candidate and state party president BS Yeddyurappa has said that his party would retain all the good welfare programmes initiated by the Congress government.

All he would do is change their names if he came to power, The Hindu reported on May 7, 2018. The BJP has also sought some credit for these schemes.

CJI Dipak Misra impeachment: SC bench to hear petition today; top updates

After two Rajya Sabha members of the Congress party on Monday moved the Supreme Court challenging the rejection of their impeachment notice against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, a five-judge Bench comprising Justices A K Sikri, S A Bobde, N V Ramana, Arun Mishra and A K Goel will on Tuesday hear their petition. The MPs have questioned Upper House Chairman and Vice-President of India M Venkaiah Naidu's decision to reject the party's notice for an impeachment motion against the CJI.

The Bar Association of India, a voluntary organisation of lawyers stated that "the notice for the impeachment of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra was "unwarranted" and an assault on the judiciary".

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, also one of the signatories of the impeachment notice, mentioned the petition filed by two Members of Parliament -- Partap Singh Bajwa and Amee Yajnik -- for an urgent listing before a Bench headed by Justice J Chelameswar. Sibal said Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu could not summarily reject the notice bearing signatures of 64 MPs and seven former members who had recently retired, on the ground that there was "no proved misbehaviour".

The SC Bench asked Sibal and advocate Prashant Bhushan to mention the matter before the Chief Justice of India for an urgent listing by citing a constitution Bench judgment on the powers of a "master of roster".

Impeachment notice's rejection raised "serious constitutional issues" and involved interpretation of constitutional provisions, said Sibal.

Karnataka polls: BJP fields 83, Cong 59 candidates with criminal background

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is at the first spot and the Congress is at the second position in giving tickets to candidates with criminal background in the Karnataka Assembly Elections, says a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).
The ADR released the report after analysing the affidavits filed by 2,560 candidates, which said that 391 candidates declared criminal cases against themselves.
"Among major parties, 83 (37%) out of 224 candidates from BJP, 59 (27%) out of 220 candidates analysed from Indian Nataional Congress, 41 (21%) out of 199 candidates analysed from Janata Dal (Secular) [JD(S)], 5 (20%) out of 25 candidates analysed from Janata Dal (United) [JD (U)] , 5 (19%) out of 27 candidates analysed from Aam Aadmi Party [AAP] and 108 (10%) out of 1090 independent candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits," said the report.

Loya case: 'Assault on judiciary' makes SC see red; top 10 developments

The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that the death of special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) judge Brijgopal Harkishan Loya, who was conducting a trial in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case -- Amit Shah, now the president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was an accused -- does not merit an independent probe. The apex court dismissed petitions seeking a special investigation team (SIT) probe into judge Loya's demise and held that he died of "natural causes". Holding that there was absolutely no merit in the petitions, the court also rebuked the petitioners, saying that it became clear from their PILs that there was "a real attempt and frontal attack" on the judiciary's independence.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and judges A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud delivered the 114-page judgment. In all, there were five petitions, including those filed by Congress leader Tehseen Poonawala and Maharashtra-based journalist B S Lone, seeking an independent probe into judge Loya's death.

Govt worked hard for building developed, inclusive India: PM Narendra Modi

India is going through a period of change and the government in the last four years has worked towards building a developed and inclusive country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said here tonight.

Addressing the Indian diaspora at the Stockholm University here, Modi said earlier removing poverty was limited to just words and slogans, but his government was committed to poverty alleviation and was using empowerment as a tool to achieve its goal.

"The country is going through a period of change. Presently, there is a government in India which for the country's prestige, self respect and taking it to new heights in the 21st century, is working day and night," Modi said amidst loud cheers from the audience.

"In the last four years, the government has worked for building a developed and inclusive India. It has worked for creating a New India by 2022," the prime minister said.

BJP calls Rahul tech illiterate; experts say NaMo app data leak dangerous

The Twitter war between the Congress and the BJP on the issue of data 'theft' escalated on Monday, with Congress President Rahul Gandhi dubbing Prime Minister Narendra Modi the "Big Boss who likes to spy on Indians" and the ruling party hitting back, saying even "Chhota Bheem" knows it is not snooping. Apart from the cartoon character, mythological characters from the epic 'Mahabharata' were also used by the two parties to take jibes at each other.

The BJP described Rahul Gandhi’s accusation of “data theft” against Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “a classic case of technological illiteracy” and said the Congress president was rattled after his plan to influence the next Lok Sabha election with the help of Cambridge Analytica was “exposed”. At a press conference, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra lashed out at Gandhi, saying such a technological illiteracy had rarely been seen in Indian politics.Twitter was the battleground as the BJP also accused the Opposition Congress of data "theft", saying it had taken off its app after the allegations came out in the open. The Congress, however, claimed it had not done so. The site was "dysfunctional" and all memberships were done through the party's official website, it said

Delhi sealing drive: State BJP leaders to attend all-party meet tomorrow

Delhi BJP leaders will attend an all-party meeting convened by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal with the members of the Supreme Court-appointed Monitoring Committee over the sealing issue at the Secretariat on Wednesday.

Party MLA and Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta today confirmed his participation.

"I will go to the meeting. The Delhi unit of our party will also send its representatives," he said.

Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari said he was ready to go to the meeting, even though he had not received a formal invitation.

"I am preparing to go (to the meeting), though there is no formal invite," he said.