Thursday, April 11th, 2019
Laser on Rahul Gandhi was a mobile phone light, not a sniper, says government
The government has rejected the Congress allegation of a security breach involving party president Rahul Gandhi in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, saying the green light seen on his head came from a mobile phone, not from a marksman. The Congress had raised the matter over the day Gandhi visited the constituency to file his nomination. What the Congress alleged In a letter to Home Minister Rajnath Singh, signed by Ahmed Patel, Jairam Ramesh and Randeep Singh Surjewala, the party said a green laser had been aimed at Rahul Gandhi’s head severalRead More
Google doodle marks start of voting in 2019 Lok Sabha election
Google marked the start of voting in the 2019 Lok Sabha election with a doodle encouraging people to cast their ballot. The doodle shows an inked finger; clicking it takes users to a page explaining how to vote and what happens at a polling booth, with information aimed especially at first-time voters. What the guide covers The page explains how and where to vote, how to use an electronic voting machine (EVM) and the procedure inside the polling booth. It notes that a person can vote only if their nameRead More
‘Remember 2004’: Sonia Gandhi says Modi is not invincible
UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi said on Thursday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was by no means invincible, pointing to the 2004 general election. She spoke to reporters after a roadshow and after filing her nomination from the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat. Sonia Gandhi’s remark Asked whether Modi was unbeatable, she replied: “Remember 2004. Vajpayee ji was powerful, however, we won.” She was referring to the 2004 election, in which the BJP-led ruling alliance campaigned on its ‘Shining India’ slogan and the Congress-led alliance defeated the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.Read More
Congress alleges laser was pointed at Rahul Gandhi’s head in Amethi
The Congress alleged a breach in Rahul Gandhi’s security, claiming that a green laser, possibly from a sniper’s weapon, was repeatedly aimed at the party president’s head during his visit to Amethi on Wednesday, 10 April, when he filed his Lok Sabha nomination. The Congress letter In a letter to Home Minister Rajnath Singh the same day, senior leaders Ahmed Patel, Jairam Ramesh and Randeep Singh Surjewala wrote that the laser was seen on Rahul Gandhi’s head on at least 7 separate occasions within a short time, twice at hisRead More
India’s 2019 Lok Sabha election in numbers: voters, booths and seizures
India began voting in its general election on Thursday, the largest democratic exercise in the world, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a second consecutive term. Polling runs in seven phases until 19 May, and votes will be counted on 23 May. Here are some of the figures behind the election in a country of 1.3 billion people. Voters and candidates Roughly 900 million people are eligible to vote, about 10 percent more than in 2014. Around 432 million of them are women, and 15 million are aged 18 orRead More