Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has said the 'wholesale attack on the democratic system' currently underway in India is the single biggest risk the country is facing, and asserted that allowing different traditions to thrive is very important as 'we cannot do what China does, which is to run an authoritarian system'. IMAGE: Kindly note that this image has been posted for representational purposes only. Photograph: / Rediff.com Speaking at a seminar titled 'The Future is Today' at the EIA University in Medellin, Colombia, Gandhi also alleged that there are 'huge amounts of corruption at a centralised level' in India now. "In India, we have huge amounts of corruption now at a very centralised level. So, three or four businesses taking over the whole economy, having a direct relationship with the prime minister, is rampant in India," the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha said. "But I believe decentralising power, making things more transparent, bringing people into conversations, and bringing people into processes is the best way forward," Gandhi said while addressing the seminar on Wednesday. Hitting back at the Congress leader for his remarks, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday accused Gandhi of insulting and degrading India on foreign soil. Posting a video clip of Gandhi's speech on X, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said, 'Rahul Gandhi does it again, degrades India on foreign soil. From defaming our democracy in London, to mocking our institutions in the US, now in Colombia he spares no chance to insult Bharat globally.' 'This isn't dissent. It's disgrace to the fake Gandhi. Criticising BJP may be your right but dare you malign Mother India for your cheap and petty politics,' Bhatia said. Speaking at the seminar, Gandhi said India has a much more complex system as compared to China and its strengths are very different from that of the neighbouring country. India also has a very old spiritual tradition and a thought system with profound ideas that are useful in today's world, he said, adding that there is a lot that the country can offer in terms of tradition and way of thinking. "I am very optimistic about India, but at the same time, there are fault lines within the Indian structure. There are risks that India has to overcome. The single-biggest risk is the attack on democracy that is taking place in India," the Leader of Opposition said. "India has multiple religions, traditions and languages. India is actually a conversation between all its people. Different ideas, religions and traditions require space. The best method for creating that space is the democratic system," he said. "Currently, there is a wholesale attack on the democratic system in India, so that is a risk. The other big risk is different conceptions -- some 16-17 different languages, different religions... So, allowing these different traditions to thrive, and giving them space to express themselves is very important for a country like India.
'In the real world, it's not about being the smartest person in the room -- it's about being the one who stays grounded, adaptable and emotionally steady when everything else shakes,' says Ankita Kaul, a National Board certified health and wellness coach from the Dr Sears Wellness Institute.
China's second-ranked general, He Weidong, is under investigation for corruption, along with nine other senior military officers punished for discipline violations and work-related crimes. This crackdown comes ahead of a key Communist Party conclave.
The Delhi High Court cautioned social media users about responsible content creation, especially those with large audiences, while granting bail to actor Ajaz Khan in a case involving sexually explicit remarks.
India now have two points from three matches after a 0-0 draw against Bangladesh and 0-1 loss to Hong Kong in their earlier match.
P V Sindhu and the men's doubles pairing of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty sailed into the quarter-finals of the China Masters tournament with straight-game wins, in Shenzhen, on Thursday.
IMAGES from Day 3 of the 2nd Test between India and West Indies in New Delhi on Sunday.
The growth of India's services sector eased in September from the recent high in August, as new business and activity expanded at slower rates, according to a monthly survey released on Monday.
'I will not be surprised if there is a 7 per cent handle in front of the decimal place for the full financial year.'
Contradictory statements from officials have surfaced regarding the post mortem examination in the case of two infants who died after being bitten by rats at a government-run hospital in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. The incident has triggered investigations and disciplinary actions.
The 2025 Redefined Thar takes that phenomenal, rugged capability and wraps it in a shell of genuine usability. Rajesh Karkera/Rediff simply cannot stop raving about the offroad civilised beast.
The Pakistan Army has criticized recent remarks by Indian military officers and political leaders, warning that a future conflict between the two countries could lead to "cataclysmic devastation." The statement follows comments from Indian officials regarding India's ability to cross borders and the potential for military action against Pakistan.
India and China will resume direct flight services by the end of this month after a five-year gap, signaling an effort to rebuild ties strained by the border standoff in eastern Ladakh.
England edged India by just four runs in a nerve-wracking finish to storm into the Women's World Cup semi-finals on Sunday night in Indore.
India will be keen to get the job done against Bangladesh and seal their place in Sunday's final before considering resting their players.
According to sources, the ICC fined Pakistan tearaway, Rauf, while opening batter Sahibzada Farhan received a warning for his controversial celebration gesture during the Super Fours fixture against arch-rival India at the ongoing Asia Cup.
Denmark beat Greece 3-1 at home on Sunday to keep their unbeaten World Cup qualification campaign on track and end the visitors' hopes of reaching next year's tournament, with the battle for Group C supremacy set to go down to the wire.
'In the last couple of tournaments, we've served a lot better than in the past year. The game is too fast to rely on one style. You need multiple ways to score points, and that's what we are trying to develop.'
Deepak Hooda smashed a brilliant double hundred to put Rajasthan in control as they took a massive lead against Mumbai on Day 3 of the Ranji Trophy Elite Group D match.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia addressed the uncertainty revolving around the future of the board's president after Roger Binny completed his tenure and announced that the Indian cricket board will reveal its next course of action in the next two days.
China calls the shoal Huangyan Dao. China has already deployed some of its biggest CCG vessels in the area to assert its claims.
'Lots of people fade away from our memory after they die, but he will stay on forever.'
Yash Rathod makes 194 as Central extend command over South in Duleep Trophy final
The movement of the drones from across the border was picked up over Balakote, Langote and Gursai nallah in Mendhar sector at 9.15 pm on Sunday, the officials said.
The Border Security Force (BSF) is training specialized 'drone commandos' and 'drone warriors' for modern warfare, with plans to deploy them in missions like Operation Sindoor. A 'School of Drone Warfare' has been inaugurated to provide training in UAV operations, anti-drone warfare, and surveillance.
China is set to build a rail link connecting Xinjiang province with Tibet, part of which will run near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India.
A quiet but consequential power struggle has erupted within the storied 156-year-old Tata Trusts just a year after the death of group patriarch Ratan Tata on October 9, 2024.
The administration appealed that the process of law should be allowed to take its own course and expressed confidence that "together we will bring back normalcy in the peace-loving Leh township and continue with our dialogue process".
'The people who were protesting and getting violent were all in the age group of 14-25.'
Colliers reports that GCC leasing has jumped from 4.6 million square feet in 2021 and is expected to hit 10.6 million square feet by 2025 -- a clear sign that multinationals see Bengaluru as a long-term base.
Sai was never under pressure as he is mentally very tough: Kotak
The surge in radicalisation has even startled some ex-separatist groups as they are concerned that another religious extremism wave, forced from the other side of the Line of Control, will destabilise the Valley's centuries-old Sufi tradition.
'I realised why the farmers and the rural folks are going for Trump. They are so insecure and vulnerable that anybody who is throwing a line of hope to them, they seize it.'
60 per cent of hospitals are directing investments towards IT capability building, 50 per cent towards business intelligence tools and data lakes, and a significant share into AI-led use cases such as clinical documentation (72 per cent), decision support systems (64 per cent) and imaging (60 per cent).
The India Meteorological Department issued an orange alert of heavy rains for Mumbai for Wednesday, and predicted the intensity of rainfall in the metropolis will go down from Thursday.
Brits ton, Mlaba's four-for power South Africa to commanding win over New Zealand
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh says India achieved all objectives of Operation Sindoor, emphasizing that escalating the situation to war with Pakistan was not the aim. He highlighted India's fight against cross-border terrorism and the successful exposure of Pakistan's air defense system.
Shivam Dube remains a vital cog in India's T20 set-up and bowling coach Morne Morkel wants the Mumbai all-rounder to step up as a back-up medium pacer ahead of the T20 World Cup, in line with head coach Gautam Gambhir's philosophy of packing the XI with multi-skilled cricketers.
As a protege of Shinzo Abe, Takaichi is expected to scale bilateral ties much higher. Trade and investment shall grow. People-to-people contacts shall be scaled up, points out Dr Rajaram Panda.
Ladakh Director General of Police S D Singh Jamwal on Saturday said forces were compelled to open fire on protesters, else the entire Leh would have been burned to the ground.
