'Did you see my pamphlet?' Andimuthu Raja, the 2G scam-tainted DMK MP from Nilgiri, asks Rediff.com's Saisuresh Sivaswamy. 'Two things are very clear. One, that I did not have any disproportionate wealth, as per the CBI's contention before the court. And there has been no loss to the exchequer, which has been admitted by the joint secretary. Under the Prevention of Corruption Act these two things are very important, and that has been ruled out.'
As noted in January, flying with VIPs like the President, Vice President, Prime Minister etc is both onerous and fun.
The popular perception is that A Raja will be fighting with his back to the wall, given the enormity of the charges against him in the 2G scam, but all it takes is for one to follow his campaign trail for 12 hours to be disabused of such a notion. Rediff.com's Saisuresh Sivaswamy spends time with the controversial former telecom minister's road show in Ooty on April 19.
President Pranab Mukherjee is deeply satisfied with his three-day visit to Mauritius, Saisuresh Sivaswamy reports.
'It is not inconceivable to me that a strong leader can come to power with the consent of the people, with democratic sanction, go berserk with that democratic sanction and bypass some of our Constitutional guarantees,' Vinod Mehta tells Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
'To Sanjay Gandhi, the means were not as important as the end... The appeal that someone like Narendra Modi holds is precisely this -- that he gets things done. Don't ask too many questions about how he gets it done though... But that's exactly what is dangerous because that is how authoritarianism comes in. It always comes in with public consent.' Vinod Mehta, editor extraordinaire, speaks to Rediff.com's Saisuresh Sivaswamy in an eloquent interview.
Keeping his secular credentials in mind and his love for all religions, a special prayer will be held at the Rameshwar temple and the Mohideen Aandavar Masjid.
Rahul's time is not now, only Sonia Gandhi can lead the Congress into the 2014 final, says Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
November 26, 27, 28, 29, 2008. Remember those horrific days and nights. Light a candle.' Remember those who died and those who survived.
A special court on Thursday held that the prosecution "miserably failed" to prove the charges in 2G scam case.
Saisuresh Sivaswamy, who is accompanying President Pranab Mukherjee on his trip to Mauritius, reports on the spectacular celebrations of the 45th anniversary of independence of the island nation
Nawab Mir Jafar Abdullah, direct descendent of Nawab Asaf ud Daula, speaks on Lucknow's past, present and future, in a conversation with Saisuresh Sivaswamy
Mani Ratnam's Kadal lacks a compelling story, writes Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
As Annus Horribilis ends with a whimper, the tantalising question is: In its 100th anniversary as the capital of colonial India, will Delhi become the graveyard of yet another dynasty, asks Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
Rediff.com's Saisuresh Sivaswamy, who travelled with Vice President Hamid Ansari as part of his media entourage during his recent trip to Vietnam, shares his experiences.
Now that the numbers are out and it is nowhere near as spectacular as expected/feared by some or hyped by many -- it is Narendra Modi's lowest in three elections -- it is a sobering thought. Is this the best he can do, wonders Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
Now that the numbers are out and it is nowhere near as spectacular as expected/feared by some or hyped by many -- it is Narendra Modi's lowest in three elections -- it is a sobering thought. Is this the best he can do, wonders Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
On Sunday February 19, when Uttar Pradeshi-ites will be voting in the fourth round of assembly elections, a small village on the outskirts of Lucknow may choose to sit it out.
Can an active politician like Pranab Mukherjee ever be an apolitical President? Dilliwalla took questions from Rediff.com's Saisuresh Sivaswamy and Abhishek Mande.
Having traversed through the DMK bastion of Thiruvarur and the AIADMK stronghold of Srirangam, Saisuresh Sivaswamy concludes his poll journey in Peramabalur -- the hometown of jailed former telecom minister A Raja -- which slowly seems like slipping out of the DMK's hands.
'The impression I get is bread and butter matters more than freedom and choice. And China is providing bread and butter in plenty.' Saisuresh Sivaswamy/Rediff.com takes the road less travelled -- to Tibet.
While the delegation accompanying Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on his 9th India-Asean summit said that the India-China relationship was a 'complex' one, they also emphasised that India-US relations were in good shape, reports Saisuresh Sivaswamy, who is a part of his media delegation accompanying the prime minister to Bali.
Apple Inc can look to an equally exciting future as it did under Jobs.
It is a party whose growth in just four years has impressed many. It first came into notice in the 2009 Lok Sabha election, when it put up an impressive show in some seats in eastern UP, and in the Domariyaganj assembly by-election the next year it stunned everyone when its candidate polled more votes than the Congress and Samajwadi Party candidates.
It is a party whose growth in just four years has impressed many. It first came into notice in the 2009 Lok Sabha election, when it put up an impressive show in some seats in eastern UP, and in the Domariyaganj assembly by-election the next year it stunned everyone when its candidate polled more votes than the Congress and Samajwadi Party candidates.
It is a party whose growth in just four years has impressed many. It first came into notice in the 2009 Lok Sabha election, when it put up an impressive show in some seats in eastern UP, and in the Domariyaganj assembly by-election the next year it stunned everyone when its candidate polled more votes than the Congress and Samajwadi Party candidates.
Dr Mohamed Ayub Ansari, the founder-president of the Peace Party, hopes to make waves in the Uttar Pradesh elections. Having fielded 240 candidates, and with a wide spectrum of allies in all the remaining seats, Dr Ayub expects to be the new kingmaker in Lucknow. In the first of a two-part interview with Saisuresh Sivaswamy and Sharat Pradhan in Lucknow, he elaborates on his views.
All the behind-the-scenes action in the Uttar Pradesh elections is taking place in a non-descript room in Lucknow, reports Saisuresh Sivaswamy
If the prime minister doesn't plan to step down post the FDI fiasco, he should get down to real governance -- and can start by having the numerous clowns in his court shut up, says Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
India and China may not be the antagonists everyone says they are, fighting for the same piece of pie, but nor are they the best of friends. Unlike, say, the United States and India which have discovered each other after a long period of standoffishness.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's daughter Selvi is sweating it out in Thiruvarur, seeking votes for her father. Despite odds stacked up against him, her father's AIADMK rival K M Rajendran is confident about causing an upset in the DMK chief's hometown. Saisuresh Sivaswamy reports from Thiruvarur.
The women who unburdened themselves of their anguish on television won't win a gift hamper sponsored by a corporate; but if it could make us pause and think, Aamir Khan's effort will not have been wasted, says Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
'Hazare is not the issue, and the government should not make him into one. Rather, it should focus on the issue he has voiced: Corruption that is depriving people of the mind-boggling welfare funds but for which India would already be a member of the Comity of Nations the prime minister often speaks about.'
The film is less about reservations and more about education.
Mayiladuthurai in Tamil Nadu might still lack basic amenities, but lack of development has not deterred its MP Mani Shankar Aiyar from embarking on a flamboyant campaign.
The Ayodhya verdict, far from legitimising the deeply divisive rath yatra Advani set out on, has tried to repair the damage he did to inter-community relations in India, says Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
Shah Rukh Khan's latest film offers no emotional connect with the audience even as its story flops in the telling says Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
'I wish somebody would tell the prime minister that peace with Pakistan is a good thought. Indians and Pakistanis can be friends, but India and Pakistan can never be friends in our lifetime,' says Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
Saisuresh Sivaswamy, who was in New York on 9/11, relives the day that changed America and the world.
Saisuresh Sivaswamy travels to temple town Srirangam in poll-bound Tamil Nadu, a seat which former chief minister J Jayalaithaa has chosen to contest. But will she be given a red-carpet welcome?
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