Prime Minister Manmohan Singh deserves 'full marks' for his 'sincere' efforts to resolve the Kashmir issue and have peace with Pakistan, but is held back from taking a bold step over fears of domestic political backlash, former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticized the Congress party for allegedly neglecting the tribal community's contributions to India's freedom struggle during its 60-year rule. He spoke at an event marking Janjatiya Gaurav Divas and inaugurated development projects for tribal communities.
Maharashtra Finance Minister Ajit Pawar presented the state budget, announcing the construction of numerous memorials dedicated to historical figures like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and others. These memorials aim to preserve and celebrate the legacy of these prominent figures, contributing to the state's cultural and historical landscape.
Should India continue with its peace initiatives? Or is the prime minister's mission a lost cause?
Modi, who was accompanied by BJP president Amit Shah, also met the family members of the former prime minister, who completed 92 years on Sunday and is ailing for a few years now.
The Confederation of Indian Industries, on Friday, was all praise for the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led coalition governments in terms of being development-oriented and helpful to the industry.
Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, PM Modi, Rajnath, Advani, Sushma, Shah and several other leaders visited the AIIMS to enquire about the ex-PM's health.
'You cannot run Parliament with 800 MPs as nobody will get time (to speak in Parliament). And Parliament sits for barely 60 days in a year.' 'Look at the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. They have 650 MPs and they sit for 150 days on an average in a year.'
'Vajpayee is the tallest leader of the BJP...' Venkaiah Naidu said, adding that the party held him in 'high esteem'.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has praised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for showing grace in apologising for the demeaning remarks made by a Congress member against Atal Bihari Vajpayee and said this situation would not have arisen had the offender himself done so a day earlier.
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who drove to Advani's residence, was among the first callers to wish him a happy birthday.
'He has sacrificed a lot. Always done something for others. But never asked for anything in return.'
Democratic Freedom Party leader Shabir Ahmed Shah suggested setting up a Kashmir committee headed by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to frame a policy.
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.
Stung by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's remarks suggesting a rift between its leaders Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Kishenchad Advani, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday accused him of attempts to divert public attention from governance.
'When economic policies were attacked by people on his own side, he went ahead despite all the criticisms in the coalition, within the party and the Sangh Parivar.'
In the first political contact between India and Pakistan after Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's April peace initiative, the prime minister shook hands with Pakistani Information Minister Sheikh Rashid on Tuesday.
All security arrangements are in place for the rally, which will be the centrepiece of Vajpayee's two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said his country wants to resolve all issues, including Kashmir, with India through talks. He reiterated his "unwavering " support for the Kashmiri people during a speech in Muzaffarabad on the occasion of "Kashmir Solidarity Day. "
'I was present at a meeting where he decided to permit the IAF to strike at Pakistan positions in Kargil, with the caveat that they should not cross the LoC.' 'Confident that the Indian Army would succeed, Mr Vajpayee was positioning himself to tell the world after the Kargil conflict was won that India did not violate the 'sanctity' of the LoC,' recalls Ambassador G Parthasarathy, who served as India's envoy in Islamabad in that eventful year, 1999.
Yashwant Sinha, who served as finance minister and external affairs minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government, salutes Atalji.
Isak Swu and T Muivah had a one-hour meeting with the former prime minister at his residence.
Hoping to sway the electorate with the charisma of former prime minister and senior party leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday issued an appeal from the ailing leader to the voters of Maharashtra and Haryana to vote for the party.
The February 25 India-Pakistan talks are bound to fail. India is acting under American and British pressure. The Americans and the British are just looking for an honorable excuse to flee from Afghanistan. And Pakistan will continue to undermine India till the Indian armed forces don't have clear superiority. This, in essence, is what former Indian national adviser Brajesh Mishra -- a vocal opponent of New Delhi's latest olive branch to Islamabad -- feels.
'Vajpayeeji's BJP was democratic.' 'It was a BJP that belonged to its party workers. Every worker, every member was an Atal Bihari.' Today's BJP belongs to businessmen.' 'Modi and Amit Shah have reduced the BJP to a two-man party.'
Shao Huaze, editor-in-chief and president of the People's Daily, said the visit would be historical.
He the government of India should also raise the compensation for the train blast victims in Mumbai to Rs 10 lakh each just as it is doing in the case of victims of the Samjhauta Express.
His meeting with Vajpayee was described as a 'courtesy call'. Manmohan Singh called on the President to inform him about the Cabinet decision to request him to address both Houses of Parliament on June 7.
He said Shiv Sena protected a political leadership for 25-30 years but they (the BJP) didn't want Sena and also the Akali Dal -- the erstwhile members of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
The Pakistani prime minister in an interview with The Nation said he had no apprehensions about visiting India or to meet his Indian counterpart anywhere in the world.
Unveiling a three-pronged strategy to create more jobs, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Friday promised to speed up economic reforms and growth, besides hastening infrastructure development.
Agniveers will be granted reservation in government jobs in Uttarakhand upon their return after serving in the armed forces, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced on Friday, as the nation observed the 25th anniversary of the Kargil Vijay Diwas.
Sushma Swaraj's bid to link the terror attack in Srinagar with the lunch hosted in Jaipur to Pakistani Prime Minister Raja Parvez Ashraf irked External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, who advised the Leader of Opposition to take tablets to improve her memory.
A decision to this effect was taken at a two-hour long meeting of Cabinet Committee on Security chaired by Prime Minister Vajpayee.
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