This is Gandhi's first visit to Varanasi after Modi became prime minister.
The top posts on social media from your favourite Bollywood celebrities.
'Sonia's term as Congress president -- which was 20 years -- was the longest in the party's history.' 'It will also go down as the period in which the Congress transformed in the way Indians viewed it,' says Aakar Patel.
'The Mughals became completely Indian in every sense and united the vast Indian subcontinent, not only territorially, but also the hearts and minds of people with multiple religio-cultural, linguistic and ethnic diversities' 'The Mughals, arguably, made India an enviable superpower in the then world.' 'Are the Hindutva rulers of today scared of acknowledging Mughal accomplishments?' asks Mohammad Sajjad.
'It smells like a case to silence my voice at this important time in the #metoo movement but in the larger context it could be a ploy to muddy the waters and sabotage the entire movement altogether.'
Kashinath Singh and Katyayani Vidmahe announced their decision to return their awards.
Greetings from all quarters, including his political rivals, poured in on Monday for Prime Minister Narendra Modi who celebrated his 68th birthday in his parliamentary constituency Varanasi.
On the eve of the final phase of the Uttar Pradesh elections, Rediff.com's Aslam Hunani reviews the political landscape in the epicentre and beyond.
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'The Dancing Girl is only one of the many symbols they threaten today.' 'Our country is changing.' 'Elements that ought to have remained on the fringes have been handed power and control of a state on a platter.' 'With this, the party that persistently wooed us with its development agenda has arrogantly taken its mask off,' says Veenu Sandhu.
This Haryana village believes it has 'found' the Saraswati river of the Vedas.
'Mulk questions the very principle, of good-Muslim exceptionalism.' 'That, of course, we adore Abdul Hamid, A P J Abdul Kalam and Bismillah Khan and if only more Muslims were like them.' 'Anubhav Sinha sticks his neck out to say that these are no exceptions.' 'Most Muslims are like them. It is the terrorists who are exceptions,' says Shekhar Gupta.
Former prime minister and BJP veteran leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee and freedom fighter Madan Mohan Malaviya will be conferred with the country's highest civilian award the "Bharat Ratna" after President Pranab Mukherjee gave his consent in his regard on Wednesday.
'Bollywood feels like a dream.' 'I never thought I would be a part of it, but I am glad that I am.'
Renowned scientist Prof C N R Rao on Saturday said the Bharat Ratna had come to him as a "complete surprise" and he could not believe that he had been awarded the country's highest civilian honour.
'There is no one who can fill the vacuum created by the passing of Girija Devi,' mourns Sunita Budhiraja.
'If an election could be won only by canvassing then the AAP candidate will easily win. In canvassing they have let all the parties behind. They have met every voter in the villages many times and they have come from so far.' A Ganesh Nadar/Rediff.com travels to the rural hinterland of Varanasi and finds that only the BJP and AAP are active here.
After getting Indian Oil Corporation, the nation's largest oil firm, to drop four independent directors and Engineers India Ltd to boot out two, it is now seeking to sack former Power Secretary P Uma Shankar, chartered accountant S Ravi and former BPCL Chairman R K Singh from the board of ONGC.
Under Nikesh Arora's leadership, SoftBank has made several investments in India in a short span.
'The standing ovation in Cannes was a rare moment where I felt patriotic. I realised that the audience was not clapping for an individual but for the team that came from India with such a beautiful film.' Masaan's leading man Vicky Kaushal takes us through its making.
'Two have already sacrificed their lives.' 'How many more shall need to sacrifice before the government listens?' 'Four, five or six? They are ready, waiting.' After Ganga campaigner G D Agrawal's death, a Haridwar ashram's sadhus are on a relay fast unto death.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake a day-long tour of his Lok Sabha constituency on Friday.
'We will go to every home and ask them to vote. We will go back once in 3 hours to check if they have voted. If not, we will ask them again... We will not rest till the final vote is cast,' RSS worker Chandramohan Seth tells A Ganesh Nadar/Rediff.com
Unhappy with the veteran leader's performance in the city, political pundits, academicians and the common man say the call to field him from Kanpur instead was a blessing in disguise for him. Sharat Pradhan reports.
The fight between Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal and BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi for supremacy in this temple town has divided students of IIT, Varanasi into two camps who will campaign for their chosen candidate in their own ways.
The government's top leadership was happy with Prabhu's Budget.
They aid patients needing drugs and doctors via their online venture.
Blaming Akhilesh Yadav for "sleeping over" the demand for justice by a "beti" in the rape case against Gayatri Prajapati, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the voters in Uttar Pradesh have got an opportunity to perform the pind daan (last rites) of their "tormentors".
In a gracious, 45-minute victory speech in Vadodara, Modi said the government does not belong to any particular party but to all the people of the country
The nomination process began in Varanasi for the most keenly watched Lok Sabha elections, with Congress candidate Ajay Rai, who is pitted against BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal, filing his papers after offering liquor to Lord Kaal Bhairav as per local tradition.
'I would count my rotis and eat.' 'I broke my sister and brother's insurance policies.' 'Whatever savings I had got over.' 'I was struggling for work.' 'I used to struggle for Rs 500, Rs 1,000.'
SoftBank's Founder-Chairman Masayoshi Son has had strong lieutenants in the past who have faded from view in no time.
Patnaik, 89, passed away at Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences in the temple city
With the festival of colours just around the corner, we dig out some lively bhang-soaked ditties just for you.
From Dudhwa to Veppathur and Havelock Island, the Indian tourism market is booming like never before.
The challenges authorities face in cleaning Ganga and other holy rivers in Varanasi.
Faceless Ambedkarite groups from across the country are running BSP's election war rooms, writes Archis Mohan.
A Ganesh Nadar's tales from the campaign trail.
'Someone is needed to restore India back to Indians. So you decided you won't vote for Modi. But then, who will you vote for? List your leaders from the north to south and east to west, and ask your heart and mind, will any one of them be able to deliver and bring back India from the darkness it has fallen into?' asks Rajya Sabha MP Tarun Vijay.
The National Democratic Alliance government is weeding out independent directors on the boards of public-sector undertakings (PSUs).
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