Syed Firdaus Ashraf In Uttan

Stories by Syed Firdaus Ashraf In Uttan

'There will be more buyers for Jet after NCLT hearing'

'There will be more buyers for Jet after NCLT hearing'

Rediff.com   20 Jun 2019

'When Etihad initiated their bid, it was conditional.' 'They said only if someone takes a 'haircut' would they be interested.'

'Doctors must not be harmed by mobs'

'Doctors must not be harmed by mobs'

Rediff.com   19 Jun 2019

'The government must have armed security personnel for doctors and only then they can go and serve people.'

'21 Indian cities will have zero tap water'

'21 Indian cities will have zero tap water'

Rediff.com   18 Jun 2019

'If the government does not take any action soon, 21 cities of India will become like Cape Town, with no water.' 'Four cities -- Delhi, Gurgaon, Meerut and Faridabad -- will suffer the worst.'

'Muslims must not fear to live in India'

'Muslims must not fear to live in India'

Rediff.com   14 Jun 2019

'Muslims must show patience and endurance.' 'The perception that has been created against them needs to be changed by them.'

Prashant Kanojia and 9 cases that should worry you

Prashant Kanojia and 9 cases that should worry you

Rediff.com   13 Jun 2019

One would not think that a Facebook status or a tweet could land you in jail, at least not in India -- the world's largest democracy. However, the reality is a lot more brutal in India, which has a shameful history of locking up its citizens for dissenting viewpoints. According to Mint, at least 50 people have been arrested through 2017 and 2018 for posts on social media. Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com presents some of the most prominent cases.

'No fear of India turning authoritarian'

'No fear of India turning authoritarian'

Rediff.com   7 Jun 2019

'The objective is not to make India into a one religion place, but to ensure that there is harmonious and peaceful co-existence of all faiths with each of them having their cultural personality.'

'Time for BJP to initiate conversation with Muslims'

'Time for BJP to initiate conversation with Muslims'

Rediff.com   7 Jun 2019

'For Muslims it is time to understand what sense of fears are in the minds of Hindus.' 'I think the conversation somewhere is not taking place.'

How Hindi conquers other Indian languages

How Hindi conquers other Indian languages

Rediff.com   6 Jun 2019

It looks like Hindi, which faces political opposition at the front door, is entering Tamil Nadu through the kitchen, says Syed Firdaus Ashraf.

Do you know who the undergraduates ministers are?

Do you know who the undergraduates ministers are?

Rediff.com   3 Jun 2019

8 ministers in Modi Sarkar.2 are undergraduates.

The poorest MPs in Parliament are...

The poorest MPs in Parliament are...

Rediff.com   31 May 2019

YSR Congress MP Goddeti Madhavi has declared assets of just about Rs 1 lakh whereas the BJP's Pragya Singh Thakur, at 4th poorest, is worth Rs 4.44 lakh.

11 schemes that may have won Modi the 2019 election

11 schemes that may have won Modi the 2019 election

Rediff.com   29 May 2019

Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com lists 11 Modi flagship schemes that may have been gamechangers in the Lok Sabha election.

Amethi's Special 26 who cost Rahul the election

Amethi's Special 26 who cost Rahul the election

Rediff.com   28 May 2019

26 candidates in Amethi fray take away 60,545 votes; the difference between the victorious Smriti Irani and Rahul Gandhi is 55,120 votes.

'Under Modi, the middleman has disappeared'

'Under Modi, the middleman has disappeared'

Rediff.com   24 May 2019

'In Rajiv Gandhi's time, out of every Re 1 spent by the government only 15 paisa reached the public.' 'At this moment, I cannot say that the entire Re 1 reaches the common man's pocket, but yes, two-thirds of that money definitely reaches the common man.' 'And the rest of the money will also reach soon.'

Ambedkar's party dented Cong-NCP in Maharashtra

Ambedkar's party dented Cong-NCP in Maharashtra

Rediff.com   24 May 2019

The result was so disastrous for the Congress and NCP that they lost 41 seats out of 48 to the BJP-Shiv Sena combine.

0 in 14 states; 1 seat each in 9: Congress-mukt Bharat

0 in 14 states; 1 seat each in 9: Congress-mukt Bharat

Rediff.com   24 May 2019

Apart from Kerala, in no state did the Grand Old Party scored in double digits.

Priyanka's flop show in Uttar Pradesh

Priyanka's flop show in Uttar Pradesh

Rediff.com   23 May 2019

The Congress is a dismal third in 17 of the 19 constituencies where the party's general secretary (east) campaigned in Uttar Pradesh.

'Modi is not on the trajectory of dictatorship'

'Modi is not on the trajectory of dictatorship'

Rediff.com   23 May 2019

'I am more worried about the BJP as I see lot of marginalisation of top leaders in the BJP.' 'I am really worried about the terminal decline of the Congress. And the greatest tragedy is that there are so many good people in the Congress.' 'It will take a couple of years, but this is the most appropriate time for a new political party and leadership to emerge.'

'BJP sweep is because of Congress's weakness'

'BJP sweep is because of Congress's weakness'

Rediff.com   23 May 2019

'When real issues hit everybody, the frenzy of Hindutva will start fading.'

Is India's Most Wanted about terrorist Yasin Bhatkal?

Is India's Most Wanted about terrorist Yasin Bhatkal?

Rediff.com   22 May 2019

'People must watch the film to see what is it about.' 'This incident has impacted the families of hundreds of people, whose lives were lost in bomb blasts.'

Leh journalist accuses BJP of handing out bribes

Leh journalist accuses BJP of handing out bribes

Rediff.com   9 May 2019

A video of the purported incident is also in circulation on social media, as the entire episode was captured on CCTV.