The Congress's revival plan says it needs to bring back into its fold Hindus repelled by the Sangh Parivar, take its message to youth and women and sections upset at curbs on their personal freedoms.
With Thursday's win, the Congress's strength in the Lok Sabha has gone up to 48.
'The problem of a Hindu rashtra is that it has no text which can be adapted to the modern world.' 'The most prominent element of the Hindu way of organising society and the State is through caste.' 'This is not acceptable to most Hindus.' 'Because a Hindu rashtra also erodes the power and the rights of the majority of Hindus, we can be assured that this is not something that the BJP, or any other force can do,' argues Aakar Patel.
Indications of a stormy start to the Budget session emerged at an all-party meeting with opposition accusing the government of "setting the agenda for disruption".
Some glimpses of the Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort
A video purportedly showing a Pakistani soldier sharing details of an encounter in which Captain Saurabh Kalia was killed in 1999 just before the Kargil war broke out has emerged, sparking a fresh debate on his death amid allegations that he was brutally tortured.
'In the next two years, we might see a new kind of realignment across India.' 'I don't see political alliances working against the BJP until an alternative political agenda is created.'
Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday began a stock-taking exercise following the party's debacle in assembly polls in Haryana and Maharashtra even as a clamour for "course correction" grew within its ranks in the wake of the dip in electoral fortunes.
Rashtriya Lok Dal Ajit Singh on Friday attacked the government for rejecting his demand for converting the bungalow occupied by him into a memorial to his father, former Prime Minister Charan Singh, and blamed it for protests over the issue.
The passage of this major legislation comes ahead of the general election due early next year.
'When you meet Rahul Gandhi, you will know he is definitely the right guy to lead this country.'
The trial court declined the plea of Kumar's lawyer that he be sent to high-security Tihar Jail.
The least the leaders who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi could have done was to highlight the plight of the Muslim riot victims, but they happily chose to ignore it, so privileged they must have felt to be in the presence of the prime minister, the most powerful man in the country, says Syed Firdaus Ashraf.
Curfew was lifted on Monday from all parts of riot-hit Muzaffarnagar, ten days after it was imposed, as the administration found the situation "conducive" for scaling down the high alert.
'Gurmeet Ram Rahim's political clout inhibited the chief minister, affected the bureaucracy and restricted the police.'
'Modi maintains what has been called a 'strategic silence' on controversial topics,' points out Amulya Ganguli.
#RIP #Brexit #Trump #Aleppo made Twitter a pretty distressing place in 2016. Dhruv Munjal wonders what 2017 will bring.
'The situation in Doklam has plateaued; militarily, the Chinese know they can do nothing here,' an Indian general tells Ajai Shukla.
'Rahul is misguided by a handful of family retainers who don't want him to show unrestrained initiative in forming allies.' says Sudhir Bisht.
The man's family was against their marriage, claim the girl's kin.
'Am I wrong in presuming that UP is being seen as a new laboratory of communal politics like one has seen in Gujarat,' asks Ashutosh.
'Every person has two identities in India, that of his caste and nation.' 'It is understandable in a multi-caste, multi-religious society and I don't mind this.' 'What I mind is the State has failed in doing enough to melt these two identities in such a way that everybody has access to citizenship which is more important than your caste.' 'That is why people remain in the narrow identities of his caste or religion.'
Sudhir Bisht recalls the battle of 1984, in which UP's strongman H N Bahuguna was felled by Bollywood superstar turned political novice Amitabh Bachchan.
'It was frightening to feel that you were in a war-like situation.' 'Why do I have to feel unsafe in my own country?' asks angry Panchkula resident Raashi Sethia.
'If I am angry, then I do not have the right to be in the Cabinet. Whatever I have done, I have ensured that farmers' interests are protected,' Rural Development Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh, who 'abstained' from a meeting with the President on the ordinance, tells Rashme Sehgal.
The Battle of Pratapgad can be termed the turning point in Indian history as it interrupted the continuous chain of Muslim successes on the battlefield.
'The BJP has lost 5 states and Lok Sabha elections are due in less than 90 days.' 'The reservation bill is a jhunjhuna (lollipop) for the upper castes.'
Maruti, Hyundai & Mahindra together had 72.5% market share in year's first half.
The Mathura MP's Mercedes car reportedly rammed into an oncoming Maruti Alto.
In the wake of forthcoming assembly polls in Haryana, retired bureaucrats and police officers are in the fray to test political waters in the 'jat' heartland which goes to polls on October 15.
The Bharatiya Janata Party's solid solo performance in Maharashtra and Haryana assembly elections confirms continuation of some of the trends that emerged in the Lok Sabha elections in May this year.
'Narendra Modi might not have made 145 in Maharashtra, but it is definitely true that the Congress, and other dynastic parties, are well and truly stumped.'
'Sachin Pilot has revived the Congress.' 'What goes in favour of Ashok Gehlot is experience.'
'I don't think you have anything to say to me and I certainly don't have anything to say to you.' Bharat Bhushan recalls his encounters with V S Naipaul.
Camel milk is an excellent source of iron and protein when compared to cow milk. It also has high Vitamin B3 and good probiotics. With the variety of nutrients camel milk has, experts feel it should be labelled a superfood.
A day after he was expelled from the Bharatiya Janata Party on charges of indiscipline, Jaswant Singh on Sunday lashed out at the party, saying it had lost its vision and frittered away its virtues for temporary political gains by heeding to "petty whims" of individuals.
No BJP president is powerful when the party is in power. Amit Shah is completely dependent on Narendra Modi's clout. He has a protective political immunity and everyone knows its source, says Bharat Bhushan
PM to launch outreach campaign with a rally in UP on May 26, ministers to visit 200 cities in 2 weeks.
'I am sexy in my own self.' Randeep Hooda puts his sexiness on display in Main Aur Charles.
Five months into office, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will expand and reshuffle his Council of Ministers on Sunday, bringing in new faces and is likely to drop a few.
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