Tapir Goan, Bharatiya Janata Party member of parliament from Arunachal Pradesh, has decribed the talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao as meaningless.
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.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper formally announced on Friday morning that he would 'welcome' his Indian counterpart 'Dr Manmohan Singh for a bilateral visit on June 27.'
Readers hope Dr Manmohan Singh will take India to new heights during his tenure as prime minister.
The death toll in the collapse of an unauthorised building in Virar, Maharashtra, has risen to 15. Rescue operations are ongoing to ensure no one remains trapped under the debris.
Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, V Narayanasamy on Tuesday rubbished Time magazine's description of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh as an "underachiever".
An elderly Sikh man was assaulted in Los Angeles, suffering a skull fracture and potential brain trauma. A suspect has been arrested for the attack.
Pakistani experts are disappointed with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's speech in Parliament on the Indo-Pak joint statement, terming it as a response to the pressure exerted by Opposition parties.
Chandrapuram Ponnusamy Radhakrishnan was sworn in as the 15th Vice President of India, succeeding Jagdeep Dhankhar.
'...still have lost the 2014 Lok Sabha polls but could have won 140 seats.'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the speeches of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in the Lok Sabha for articulating the success of Operation Sindoor and India's global outreach respectively.
In 2021, the Centre renamed the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna as Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. But many wonder, why despite the public sentiment the country's highest civilian honour continues to elude the man who put Indian hockey on the world map.
Former IPS officer Meeran Borwankar claims political interference hindered justice in the Malegaon and 7/11 blasts, and the Narendra Dabholkar murder case. She cited instances of pressure on investigators and prosecutors.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appears to have hit it off with United States President Barack Obama and he got on famously well with his predecessor George W Bush as well.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Cabinet of ministers on Saturday declared their assets.
Sharpening its attack on Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday demanded that he step down owning "moral responsibility" for the 2G spectrum scam.
Hard-selling American military technology to India, United States President Barack Obama has assured Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in a top-secret letter signed by him that the 'US is a willing, capable and reliable defence partner to India'.
In a bid to remove irritants which have crept in bilateral relations in the last one year, India and China on Thursday reached broad consensus on several issues and pledged firm commitment to resolve outstanding differences, including the boundary issue at the earliest through peaceful negotiations.
The death toll in the collapse of an allegedly unauthorised building at Virar in Maharashtra's Palghar district has risen to 17. Police have arrested the builder of the four-storey structure after a complaint was lodged.
Film folk celebrated Raksha Bandhan over the weekend and posted their happy pictures online.
Under criticism for being mum on a number of issues plaguing the nation, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is setting in motion regular interactions with senior journalists, beginning on Wednesday. But senior analysts B Raman feels the PM needs to relook at his media strategy and set up a body of mediapersons on the lines of the White House Press Corps.
While Sonia's emphasis and priorities are clearly tilted towards the protection of environment, the prime minister is clear environment cannot stand in the way of development and stresses for industrialization, if required.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday announced merging of the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) and the Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) cards into a single facility to simplify visa-free entry and participation of Indian Diaspora in business and other activities in New Delhi.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper had a telephonic conversation with his Indian counterpart Dr Manmohan Singh on Monday morning about preparations and priorities for the Toronto G20 Summit to be held at the Metro Toronto Convention Center on June 26-27.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's New York-based daughter Amrit Singh, who has been one of the fiercest critics of former United States President George W Bush and his administration for its alleged condoning of torture and other abuse of prisoners, on Wednesday turned her guns on President Barack Obama for his decision to fight to block the court-ordered release of photographs of detainee abuse by US troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and several other prisons.
Political conflicts with deep social roots are not resolved through ill-conceived surreptitious deals. They require a bold political vision to resolve them. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's speech at the recent annual conference on internal security showed a vision that is cynical, sterile and bureaucratic, writes RN Ravi, former special diretor of the Intelligence Bureau
Notwithstanding the snub from the party, Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Saturday said he stands by "every word" he has said about Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday led the Rajya Sabha in felicitating Hamid Ansari on his second term as vice president and chairman of the House, saying his re-election was a tribute to his qualities. When the House met for the day, the prime minister stood up to felicitate and congratulate Ansari, who took oath as the vice president for his second term on Saturday.
The situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan were among the various issues that came up for discussion as ranking United States Senator John Kerry on Monday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi. Kerry, Chairman of the influential Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was on a day-long visit to India. Singh and Kerry took stock of the bilateral relations and prospects of taking these forward. In the regional context, the two discussed the situation in Afghan and Pak.
Justice Sameer Jain cancelled the exam 2021 which was the bone of contention for both Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress governments in the state and gave a detailed verdict.
The MiG-21 episode demonstrates that procurement is always strategic.
Choices about what aircraft to acquire, who builds them, who supplies the spares, who trains the pilots and technicians are decisions with political consequences lasting for decades.
'At the end of 2011, everyone had forgotten the so-called India Story and double-digit growth. Outside the members of the official economist clique, led by the prime minister's sidekick Montek Singh Ahluwalia, no economist predicts that GDP will grow at nine-plus percent. The last quarter saw growth slip alarmingly. At this rate, instead of Ahluwalia's 9% we will soon be back to the Hindu rate of growth of 3.5%,' notes Virendra Kapoor.
While the middle class believes that while Dr Singh may not exactly be corrupt, they simultaneously also perceive that the best bet for anyone to loot and scoot in India is while he continues to be around.
'Personalities are temporary, policies provide for stability.' 'With the former, when personalities change so does the nature of the relationship.' 'Policies and structures, on the other hand, are idiot-proof, as well as maverick-resistant,' explains Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
'Shashi Tharoor is destroying the history of India.' 'He is distorting facts about the Congress party.'
'The US reciprocal tariff has added another element of uncertainty and the central bank may prefer to wait and get further clarity.'
There was more to him than he let on, asserts Aditi Phadnis.
United States President Barack Obama on Monday began talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on a wide range of bilateral and other issues. After a ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Obama drove to the Hyderabad House from Rajghat to begin restricted talks with the prime minister, which would be followed by delegation-level talks. The two leaders are expected to issue a joint statement covering a number of issues ranging from security, trade and economy.
In an open letter to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi senior analyst B Raman says that the credibility of the Manmohan Singh government is withering and what the nation needs is a psychological turnaround.
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