A Delhi court on Tuesday ordered that Afzal be hanged on October 20.\n\n
'The TMC has become a private limited company.'
In controversial comments, Abhishek Banerjee, Trinamool Congress member of Parliament and nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, referred Jadavpur University protestors as "drug addicts" questioning whether the student protests in Jadavpur University were because of a ban on drugs and liquor inside the campus.
Modi is seen as exceptional not only on account of his acts but also owing to his style. He appears to sacrifice his life for the people -- like a fakir, a figure he came to epitomize even more in 2020 by growing a long white beard. Charisma is above accountability, and Modi has grasped these dynamics.
'Having long portrayed Rahul as being out of touch, the BJP was suddenly confronted with a spectacle of humbleness and concern for the downtrodden,' observes Amulya Ganguli.
The Baharatiya Janata Party on Sunday hailed Anna Hazare's agitation as one that had awakened even the non-political class and insisted that such movements also have a place in democracy as they serve to change the status quo. The BJP felt Anna Hazare's agitation had achieved much for democracy and empowerment of the people.
With violence spreading to cities across London and other major cities, British Prime Minister David Cameron has vowed to unleash the full force of law on "thugs" and ordered the deployment of 16,000 police personnel in riot-hit areas to maintain law and order.
'Governments, democratically elected governments, are custodians for a short- specified time.' 'Parents don't let baby sitters decide the course of their child's future.'
Following the order, the Peace and Harmony Committee of the Delhi Assembly deferred its proceedings, and said it would notify the further course of action and the next date of sitting in due course of time.
Those killed include 41 police officers, 47 civilians, 2 soldiers, 104 coup plotters.
Outgoing British Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday said that post-Brexit the United Kingdom should "try and be as close to the European Union as we can be".
Piling pressure on the Centre, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday threatened to take to the streets from Thursday to press for immediate withdrawal of joint forces from Maoist-hit areas in West Bengal. Alleging that the joint forces were committing atrocities on innocent people and Trinamool Congress workers, Banerjee said she was demanding their immediate withdrawal."Our party MPs will launch a dharna outside Parliament House," she said.
'If the envoys are satisfied, it will either mean they are naive or that they are not serious about their trip, which they probably regard as some kind of a picnic, a much-needed break from their dreary routine in Delhi,' notes Amulya Ganguli.
'Tell me, one BJP policy that Mamata has opposed and is fighting tooth and nail?' Be it Article 370, instant triple talaq, be it CAA/NRC/NPR, be it notebandi, FDI, she has aligned with the BJP.'
Several protests -- some peaceful, some violent -- erupted across India on Monday against the police crackdown in Jamia Millia Islamia and the controversial citizenship law as students and political leaders took to the streets, even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi called these protests "deeply distressing" and appealed for peace.
'No one has ever heard of a thulabharam scale collapsing before.' 'I was very fortunate to have escaped with a head injury, which could have been a lot worse if my optic nerve was hit or say if the hook had landed on my neck.'
In this winter of discontent, in every procession, in every demonstration, in every protest -- from Jawaharlal Nehru University to Jamia to Shaheen Bagh to the streets of Mumbai -- the front rows have been occupied by women. It's been weeks since women have been sitting in protest across the country against the newly-introduced Citizenship Amendment Act and the proposed National Register of Citizens. The protests are a nerve centre of unwavering voices against what has been perceived as a discriminatory law. The women -- some housewives, some students with hijabs covering their hair, and others in full-length burqa robes -- are rallying against the 'Man' in what could also be perceived as a revolution for the 'weaker sex' in India.
Andhra Pradesh erupted in protests on Tuesday after the Maharashtra police allegedly "manhandled" detained Telugu Desam president and former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
'We want to protect our history, we want to protect our people from getting overwhelmed by the influx from Bangladesh, that is why the people of Assam are out in the streets,' says former Assam chief minister and Asom Gana Parishad leader Prafulla Kumar Mahanta.
The 70-year-old was the only contender in the election.
The country witnessed over 100 incidents of racial abuse and hate crimes, including alleged racist graffiti and cards reading "no more Polish vermin" posted outside a school.
As street violence broke out in Colombo to protest the jailing of defeated presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka, Sri Lanka on Wednesday announced the dates for snap parliamentary polls which will be held on April 8.
'The government may backpedal for now to stave off bad international press and diplomatic demarches, but that it will go ahead with putting religion at the centre of citizenship rules is certain.' 'For it is convinced that this is the magic bullet that will ensure its return to power in 2024,' says Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
Maharashtra and Punjab, which are recording a surge in new COVID-19 cases, tightened curbs on Friday and the chief minister of the western state said lockdown is an option, as India added close to 40,000 cases in the biggest daily increase in nearly four months.
Authorities faced double-barrel challenge -- strengthening its check and prevention mechanism, and addressing public panic, leading to hoarding of essential items.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan branded the clashes as unacceptable behaviour and called on the police to take action against the perpetrators.
India welcomed resolution of the political crisis in Sri Lanka and exuded confidence that relations between the two countries will continue to move on in an upward trajectory.
May has already announced that she will make a statement to the House of Commons shortly after invoking Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty.
The man charged with the brutal street killing of UK's first-time woman lawmaker Jo Cox on Saturday gave his name as "death to traitors, freedom for Britain" when he appeared in a court in London, as the European Union referendum campaigning was suspended nationally until Sunday in tribute to her.
'People feel concerned about the future, whether it is the land or the jobs.' 'The BJP came to power in Assam with promises of maati, bheti (home, hearth and identity), land, jobs and culture.' 'Are these going to taken care of? I think those are real concerns.' 'The Assam chief minister (Sarbananda Sonowal) was one of the leaders of the All Assam Students Union which fought for and is one of the signatories to the Assam Accord.' 'Today, his comrade-in-arms (Samujjal Bhattacharya, chief advisor, AASU) is leading the opposition in the streets.'
The proposed reservation will be over and above the existing 50 per cent reservation enjoyed by the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and the Other Backward Classes, taking the total reservation to 60 per cent.
'The Constitution says the government, the council of ministers, shall be responsible to the House of the People which is the Lok Sabha, not to the Rajya Sabha.' 'Let us hope they will be able to show better floor and political management through a process of, if necessary, give and take.'
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of blocking passage of six anti-graft bills by Parliament, which form part of the government's anti-corruption framework.
Opposition parties think they have until New Year's Eve to build nationwide narrative against demonetisation.
Asking the people of Bihar to bring their own government to power, the post made a veiled reference to the alleged high handedness of bureaucracy under the JD(U)-BJP rule but fell shy of a frontal attack on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, his arch rival, or the near hegemonic saffron party which considers him a bete noire.
Barring his own testimony, no one has seen Narendra Modi selling tea on streets, Union Minister R P N Singh on Thursday said, and alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party was a party of "dream sellers".
"The tragedy of Jallianwala Bagh of 1919 is a shameful scar on British Indian history," May said.
The government and the farmers must come back to the negotiating table with only the interest of the country in mind, suggests Vivek Gumaste.
'India should be able to weather the storm, given its enhanced standing among the major powers. However, India's international clout is partly from its rapidly growing emerging economy and a large and expanding commercial market. 'If the Indian economy continues to slow and protectionist barriers advance, then our international clout will also diminish. The international fallout from bringing the Valley to heel may be more difficult to handle,' says Shyam Saran.
Nepal's constituent assembly on Monday rejected calls to remove the key term secularism from the new constitution and revert the Himalayan nation to a Hindu state, triggering protests by Hindu activists.
