The Congress leader was Union Home Minister from 2004 to 2008 and the 10th Speaker of the Lok Sabha from 1991 to 1996. He was the Governor of Punjab and also served as Administrator of the Union Territory of Chandigarh from 2010 to 2015.
Sonam Wangchuk is under tight surveillance within the three-tiered prison, with CCTV cameras monitored around the clock.
For the first time since curfew was imposed three days ago in violence-hit Leh town of Ladakh, the restrictions were relaxed Saturday afternoon in a phased manner for a few hours, providing relief to residents who lined up outside shops selling essential commodities.
Democracy in India is too important to be left to a leader with a limited appeal. If Rahul Gandhi cares for India, he should step aside for a new crop of leaders, suggests Harishchandra.
'We need to be very vigilant as we are passing through some fraught times.'
"It is high time India traded dynasty for meritocracy. This would require fundamental reforms, from imposing legally mandated term limits to requiring meaningful internal party elections, together with a concerted effort to educate and empower the electorate to choose leaders based on merit," Tharoor said.
Tension grips Malkangiri district in Odisha after a tribal woman was beheaded, leading to clashes and property damage. Internet services are suspended as authorities work to restore peace.
'If at all human beings require a religion, the future religion will be Hinduism.'
Speaking to reporters at Tezpur, Sarma also said that he would be happy if Gogoi files a case against him for making such a remark.
As the year draws to a close, Rediff's Senior Contributor Roshmila Bhattacharya takes a look at the hits and misses, the highs and lows, the newsmakers and the dealbreakers in alphabetical order.
Sharif said that the US president had shown beyond any doubt that "he is a man for peace... and beneficial business deals".
United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday lavished praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the 'nicest-looking guy' while describing him as a 'father' but also calling him 'a killer' and 'tough as hell', while hinting at an imminent trade deal between the two countries.
The 2025 US National Security Strategy marks a major pullback, with America turning backward and effectively allowing China greater dominance in Asia. while long-time partners like India are left to face an increasingly unstable global order largely on their own, observes Rajeev Srinivasan.
Opposition parties in India are demanding a thorough and speedy investigation into a car blast near the Red Fort in Delhi that resulted in multiple fatalities and injuries. They are also raising concerns about the security situation in the national capital and questioning the government's handling of the matter.
The Winter session of Parliament will be held from December 1 to 19, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju announced on Saturday, in what the opposition has described as an 'unusually delayed' and truncated session.
Hitting back, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate posted a picture of Afridi with BJP leader Anurag Thakur to say that the ruling party should be ashamed for asking questions from the Congress while it itself maintain ties with them.
'And then the people who call themselves great nationalists, I can bet you that 99 per cent of them are dodging taxes, have sent their kids to America, or are doing everything to make sure that what goes on in this country doesn't affect their personal wealth or their whatever bull*&$%.'
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh refuted claims of US President Donald Trump's intervention to halt the Indo-Pak conflict following Operation Sindoor, emphasizing that the action against terrorists was not suspended due to any third-party mediation.
'No military offensive by Pakistan will end the insurgency in Balochistan without simultaneous, concerted efforts toward political dialogue to de-escalate tensions.'
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman criticizes the DMK government in Tamil Nadu, alleging corruption, caste-based crimes, and a rise in drug abuse. She dismisses the DMK's claims about language and Dravidian identity as a distraction from their governance failures.
Opposition parties in India, including the Congress, Left parties, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Trinamool Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (SP), have unanimously hailed the armed forces' "Operation Sindoor", a retaliatory strike against terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The operation, which involved missile and drone strikes, was conducted in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. Despite political differences, all parties expressed support for the government and the armed forces, stressing the importance of national unity and integrity in the face of terrorism. While emphasizing the need for diplomatic avenues to prevent further escalation, some parties also called for caution in attributing political credit for the strikes.
'If destroyed runways and burnt-out hangers look like victory, as the prime minister claimed, Pakistan is welcome to enjoy it.'
Interacting with the Indian diaspora in Kuala Lumpur, Banerjee said, "We have been in talks with them (Pakistan) for decades, despite changes in various paradigms and governments. But one thing remains constant, the conflict with Pakistan."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday claimed that the Congress had been unwilling to accept Tejashwi Yadav as the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) chief ministerial candidate and relented only after the Rashtriya Janata Dal pointed a 'katta', an unlicensed country-made gun, at its head.
The diplomatic exercise aimed at presenting India's stance against Pakistan on terror comes in the wake of Operation Sindoor -- the Indian offensive against terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed.
Leaders of 16 opposition parties demanded a special session of Parliament on Operation Sindoor in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) parties held a meeting on the issue in the national capital on Tuesday.
Now, in exile in India, Hasina, often dubbed the 'Iron Lady' of Bangladesh, watches from across the border as the nation she helped build, and often ruled with a firm hand, grapples with the legacy her rise and fall has left behind.
Rane also questioned Uddhav Thackeray's right to comment on the match, accusing his party of staying silent when pro-Pakistan slogans were allegedly raised at a rally by one of its MPs.
The Congress claimed that dynastic politics exists across party lines and also hailed the Nehru-Gandhi family's leadership.
The women's wing of the Sena UBT will launch a Sindoor Raksha Abhiyan, a protest campaign where women will take to the streets to express their outrage.
Senior Congress leader and former Rajya Sabha MP Ripun Bora was on Thursday questioned by Assam Police in connection with a case related to party colleague Gaurav Gogoi's alleged links with Pakistan, officials said.
Dar recalled that when he met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in July and asked about dialogue with India, the top US diplomat clarified that India has maintained it is a "bilateral issue."
Former US President Donald Trump claims Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir support his plan to end the Gaza conflict, citing their involvement in negotiations and a recent statement of full support.
This came after Pakistan People's Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Saturday stated that Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had tasked him to lead a delegation to present Pakistan's case on the recent escalations of tensions between the two nations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday asked the Congress to tell the nation who prevented India's military response after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks linked to Pakistan, and accused the party of weakening the fight against terrorism when in power.
The Islamabad high court is set to hear the petitions requesting the suspension of sentences to Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the 190 million Pound Al-Qadir Trust case on June 11.
'He is the same man who has won honours for the country across the world.'
The problem in holding talks with Pakistan is not the language but finding a common vision for decency and peace, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said on Tuesday, stressing that New Delhi can engage in dialogue with Islamabad if it takes significant action against the infrastructure of terrorism that is visible everywhere in the country.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched a sharp attack on country's first premier Jawaharlal Nehru, claiming he prevented Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel from fully integrating Kashmir into the Indian Union.
China on Tuesday called for a 'comprehensive and lasting ceasefire' between India and Pakistan, urging both countries to properly handle their differences through dialogue.
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