Syed Firdaus Ashraf covers national politics, and sometimes movies too -- a truly wide arc! You can e-mail the author at firdausa@rediff.co.in
'The people of Jharkhand know that Modi is not going to become chief minister, so why should they vote for the BJP?'
'I came for my national service. I am the son of people like Gandhiji, Nehru, Patel, Dr Ambedkar and Maulana Azad.'
'In our country, files disappear from government offices so easily and you expect a poor man to keep all his papers in orders,' says actor Sushant Singh who was removed as host of the daily crime drama Savdhaan India a day after he was seen in a rally against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act.
The former Big Boss contestant posted objectionable content on her social media pages on September 6 and 21 against Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and other members of the Nehru-Gandhi family, following which Rajasthan Youth Congress General Secretary Charmesh Sharma filed a complaint.
Ladeeda Sakhaloon from Kannur district in Kerala has become the face of protests by Jamia Millia Islamia students against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act after they stood up to the cops who were chasing down the protesting students and beating them up, and a video of the same has gone viral on social media.
'There was outside intervention which is what led to the initial violence.' 'Once the violence started, there was a brutal lathi-charge by the police.'
'Assam is not a dumping ground for Bangladeshi Hindu refugees,' says Assamese actor Ravi Sharma who joined the BJP in August and quit the party on December 10 in protest against the Citizenship Act.
'We are only going to the Supreme Court to protect the rights (of Muslims) which are given by the Constitution. Nothing more,' says Indian Union Muslim League MP P V Abdul Wahab, explaining why the IUML has challenged the Citizenship Amendment Bill in the Supreme Court.
'The Indian Army and paramilitary have to land more in Assam as the situation is very bad, especially in upper Assam,' says BJP MLA Binod Hazarika whose home was burnt down by mobs.
'With the Citizenship Amendment Bill, Hindus from Pakistan can come to India. They have got a way,' says Gurumukh Jagwani who came to India on his honeymoon, loved the country so much that he stayed back and got Indian citizenship.
'There are 17 million Hindus in Bangladesh and we, in the north east, see this Citizenship (Amendment) Bill as a route for them to enter India on the plea that they are facing persecution in Bangladesh.'
Some police encounters that stunned India.
'We cannot believe the police encounter story at all.' 'They were in the hands of the police and they were de-weaponised.' 'They didn't have weapons. How can you kill them?'
'The NRC had an effect on Assam and I think to cover up or make up for that, CAB has been brought in.'
'I want the Supreme Court to give directions to the government of Kerala that they must give protection to all those women who want to enter Sabarimala.'
'We are aggrieved about the ruling and there is no other way of putting it across to the Supreme Court and entire society that wrong has been committed and which requires correction.'
There are many life lessons to be learnt from the way Sharad Pawar handled the Maharashtra political crisis.
'I am happy Sanjay Raut and Sharad Pawar changed the game of Maharashtra politics.'
'The Shiv Sena as a party was going nowhere.' 'Now Uddhav Thackeray has shown his partymen that he can take the BJP head on.'
Ahead of the floor test in Maharashtra, what is more crucial is who becomes the pro-tem speaker. And bagging this post is part of the BJP's plan to retain power, reports Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com/
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