Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences following fever and chest congestion, on Thursday showed signs of improvement, doctors said. "He doesn't have fever and his lower respiratory track infection is much better. His condition is stable," AIIMS Medical Superintendent Dr D K Sharma said. The 84-year-old BJP leader was admitted to AIIMS on Tuesday night following complaints of fever and respiratory infection.
A video of the alleged attack that circulated on social media showed some people heckling the 79-year-old social activist.
He was returning to Delhi after a day's visit to Lucknow when his plane was diverted to Jaipur.
'We will discuss it with an open mind,' the former PM said.
Nehru, India's longest-serving prime minister (1947-63), addressed the nation 17 times from the Red Fort. India's second prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri delivered speeches from the Red Fort ramparts for two Independence Days in 1964 and 1965.
'The opposition cannot face the defeat in the assembly electionsÂ… So we should be careful,' he said at the parliamentary party meeting.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday went to the house of senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who turned 87, and greeted him on the occasion. After returning from his visit to Kerala, Dr Singh drove straight to the Krishna Menon Marg residence of the former prime minister and presented a bouquet to the ailing leader. During the brief meeting, the prime minister also inquired about the health of the octogenarian leader from his family members.
The prime minister will be in the state for four days.
Sonia Gandhi has criticised the Modi government's silence on the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader, arguing it raises doubts about India's foreign policy direction and credibility.
"Indian sports persons had done well in the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games and now we are ready to enter the Olympics," the Indian prime minister said.
The new BJP dispensation under party president Nitin Gadkari is likely to continue with Atal Bihari Vajpayee as chairman of NDA and adopt an "accommodative approach" towards out-going senior office-bearers at the Centre and in states by giving them other responsibilities.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stating that the Indo-Pak peace process has become Kashmir-centric with the Hurriyat Conference getting prominence over the democratically-elected government of J&K.
Speaking at the Kashmir University, the prime minister said the people who support militancy in are against the basic ethos of Kashmiri culture and Sufi Islam.
He said since the prime minister does not have the parliamentary majority to bring in a law to construct the Ram Temple at Ayodhya, he should resign and seek a fresh mandate.
On Wednesday, the prime minister had declared that Advani would lead the BJP in the next general election.
The party is slated to organise yoga events in 403 madrasas of UP on International Yoga Day (June 21).
"At one time, Vajpayee was talking about 'aar paar ki ladayi' (fight to the finish)...at another point he said talks with Pakistan would not be possible till cross-border terrorism was stopped," Gandhi said.
Thousands of mourners jostled and some clambered on trees to capture the moment on their phones as former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's cortege left the Bharatiya Janata Party's headquarters for Rashtriya Smriti Sthal.
Amar Singh and Ram Dev, sons of Arjun Gopal alias Tshidawa, said their father had suggested the construction of the tunnel to the former prime minister.
"I request you to please see that my friends in NDA join the House and take part in the proceedings," Somnath Chatterjee said in a letter to the former prime minister.
'We were in a heavily nuclearised environment. China had tested for Pakistan in the 1980s and helped their missile programme stay just one step behind us.'
In an interview to German daily Der Spiegel, the prime minister said he is willing to negotiate with Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to resolve the Kashmir issue.
The former prime minister confirmed what had been widely speculated earlier that he personally favoured Modi's removal but was prevailed upon by hawks in the Sangh Parivar.
Both leaders should take note of their age and remove themselves from active command of the party, RSS chief K S Sudarshan said.
He said in an ancient Indian sacrifice called 'Vajapeya', bamboo seeds were offered to fire.
Rediff.com reader Sathyhadeep shares his story of meeting former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
He will travel from Katra to Ayodhya on February 7 to dedicate to the nation a mega-bridge on Sarayu River.
Speculation is rife that former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose may be named for the country's highest civilian award Bharat Ratna.
