Former FBI Director self-admitted leaker: White House
Washington, April 16: White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has criticised former FBI Director James Comey, whose controversial memoirs will go on sale this coming week, adding that it is time to "move on" from the Russia investigation.
"Not only has... special counsel (Robert Mueller) but a number of different congressional committees have been looking at this for over a year and come up with nothing. I think it really is getting time to move on and I certainly think the American people would appreciate Congress and the rest of the country being able to focus on some of the things that really impact them," said Sanders on Sunday on the ABC News programme "This Week", Efe news reported.
Mueller is investigating the links between the Kremlin and President Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign, but is also looking into other areas such as obstruction of justice, money laundering and a number of others issues.
Sanders' remarks came at a time when Trump has been openly engaged in a media and public opinion war to undermine Comey, who in an interview to be aired Sunday night - but from which numerous excerpts have already been made public - compares the president to a "mob boss".
"James Comey is a self-admitted leaker. He lied to Congress. He's been inconsistent," said Sanders, who went on to claim that the former FBI chief has no credibility and no support from either Democratic or Republican lawmakers.
In fact, Trump on Sunday once again unloaded on the man he fired last May, a decision that is being investigated by Mueller as a possible attempt to obstruct justice in the Russia probe Comey was heading at the time.
"Slippery James Comey, a man who always ends up badly and out of whack (he is not smart!), will go down as the WORST FBI Director in history, by far!" Trump wrote in a Twitter post.
The Comey interview on ABC, the first he has given since he was fired, comes on the eve of the publication of his book titled "A Higher Loyalty," in which he recounts his recent experiences as FBI director.
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Bharat Bandh today: Nationwide strike disrupts services as over 25 cr workers protest govt policies
New Delhi: A nationwide strike or Bharat Bandh called by ten central trade unions is underway today, with over 25 crore workers from both organised and unorganised sectors participating. The strike, which is also supported by several rural and agricultural labour organisations, is a protest against the central government’s economic and labour policies, which unions claim favour corporates at the cost of workers, farmers, and the poor.
Key demands of protesters:
► Withdrawal of the new labour codes,
► Increase in minimum wages,
► Creation of more government jobs,
► Hike in MGNREGA wages and workdays,
► A similar urban employment guarantee scheme,
► End to hiring retired officials over younger professionals in government departments.
A 17-point charter of demands has been submitted to the Union Labour Ministry, but union leaders allege no meaningful engagement has been initiated by the government so far.
Disruptions reported:
While banks, stock markets, and government offices are functioning as usual, disruptions are being reported in public transport across several states:
West Bengal: Protesters blocked railway tracks at Jadavpur railway station despite police deployment. Bus services continued amid high security, with some drivers seen wearing helmets as a safety measure.
Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Bihar and parts of Delhi and Maharashtra reported sporadic disruptions in bus and train services.
Schools and colleges remain open in most places, though some institutions announced last-minute closures depending on local conditions.
Unions leading the strike:
The strike is being spearheaded by major trade unions including: INTUC, AITUC, CITU, HMS, SEWA, AIUTUC, AICCTU, LPF, UTUC, and TUCC.
The new labour laws, a major flashpoint, have drawn flak for allegedly weakening worker protections. Union leaders say the changes:
► Extend working hours,
► Restrict the right to strike,
► Undermine collective bargaining.
The unions have also criticised the trend of hiring retired officials instead of young jobseekers. With 65% of India's population under the age of 35, they argue that ignoring youth employment in sectors like Railways, steel, and education is both unjust and economically damaging.
This is not the first large-scale strike organised by the trade unions. Similar nationwide protests were held on:
November 26, 2020,
March 28–29, 2022,
February 16, 2024.
All of them focused on issues like the privatisation of PSUs, job insecurity, and the casualisation of the workforce.
