'When I met the prime minister, he asked me, "Dr Ganguly, what do you do with people in your company who lie to you?"' 'I said, "Prime Minister, we counsel them and give them a gentle warning. If they lie again, they are sacked".' '"This is my problem,'" Rajiv responded. "I can't sack people in government".' A revealing excerpt from former Hindustan Lever Chairman Dr Ashok S Ganguly's We Are Our Future: Reflections On Life.
A new book reveals former Congress MP Amarinder Singh's mission to arrange a meeting between Rajiv Gandhi and Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale in the 1980s, along with other anecdotes.
'The LTTE were the pioneers of that.'
Responding to the controversy, Congress leader Harish Rawat refused to comment on Aiyar's remarks, dismissing him as a "frustrated individual."
As Prabhakaran was leaving his house, Rajiv Gandhi called his son Rahul and asked him to fetch his (Gandhi's) bulletproof jacket. He put the jacket on Prabhakaran's back and remarked with his usual charming smile: "Take care of yourself."
A new book by former West Bengal governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi claims that former chief election commissioner T N Seshan proposed an immediate halt to the general election process after Rajiv Gandhi's assassination in 1991 and even offered to become home minister. Gandhi, who was joint secretary to then president R Venkatraman, writes that Seshan was the one who broke the news of the assassination to the president and arrived at the Rashtrapati Bhawan "super-fast" that night. According to Gandhi's account, Seshan told Venkatraman that he felt the election process needed to be stopped and that he was ready to take on the role of home minister if necessary. However, Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar and Cabinet Secretary Naresh Chandra assured the president that the situation was under control and that there was no need to pause the election process. Seshan's suggestions were ultimately ignored, but he did manage to postpone the second and third phases of polling.
Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar intervened during the swearing-in ceremony of a new minister, S Rajesh Kumar, after he deviated from the written oath by hailing party leaders. The incident occurred during the expansion of the TVK Cabinet.
'This was a decision taken and executed by Prabhakaran and his intelligence chief Pottu Amman. Both were convinced that the assassination would not be linked to them.'
An upcoming book by investigative journalist Chitra Subramaniam claims that senior Indian bureaucrats "tutored" Bofors officials in a secret meeting in 1987 on how to absolve then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi of all blame in the infamous bribery scandal. The book, "Boforsgate," details how the meeting was held to cover up the alleged Rs 64 crore bribe in a Rs 1,437 crore deal for Howitzer guns, and how Indian officials provided advice on concealing information from investigators. Subramaniam's revelations are based on documents provided to her by the Swedish head of police investigating the Bofors case.
Indian badminton star PV Sindhu was seen at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium during the IPL match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders, sparking social media buzz.
A revealing excerpt from Mani Shankar Aiyar's fascinating new book, The Rajiv I Knew.
Senior Congress leaders paid tributes to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 75 birth anniversary on Tuesday
'Some of his decisions were not so good, but his intentions were always guided by a deep national interest.'
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay expanded his Cabinet, inducting 23 more legislators as ministers, including two from the Congress party, marking their return to governance in the state after nearly 60 years.
Santhan alias T Suthendiraraja (55) is a Sri Lankan national and was one of the seven persons set free by the Supreme Court in 2022 after they served over 20 years of jail term in connection with the killing of the former prime minister near here in 1991.
Rahul Gandhi pays tribute to his father, former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, on his 79th birth anniversary on the banks of the Pangong Lake in Ladakh, August 20, 2023.
Gianiji had crafted his moves with the meticulous planning of a chess grandmaster. He did not know whether a checkmate was feasible, as his time was running out, but he wanted Rajiv Gandhi to smell the fear of loss. A fascinating excerpt from K C Singh's The Indian President: An Insider's Account of the Zail Singh Years.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized eight kgs of hydroponic ganja worth Rs 3 crore at the Hyderabad international airport and arrested two persons arriving from Bangkok.
'People don't like leaders who just crib and complain without offering a clear objective.' 'Theoretically and pragmatically, Rahul has to show an agenda beyond bad-mouthing Mr Modi on economic policies, foreign policy...'
Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad will both be eyeing a top-two finish when they square off in their final IPL 2026 league match.
Pat Cummins praised fast bowlers Eshan Malinga and Sakib Hussain after Sunrisers Hyderabad's win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League.
'Congress needs a positive agenda rather than primarily picking up on two business houses.'
The award, which carries a citation and cash amount of Rs 10 lakh, is given for promoting communal harmony and peace.
'She was not a yes person. She would tell the truth and her feelings to Indira Gandhi, and Indira Gandhi would value her opinion. The same was the case with Rajiv Gandhi who would value her opinion.'
Ganesh Joshi also credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the smooth conclusion of Rahul Gandhi's Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir.
The father of Arjumand Gulzar, the mastermind behind the 2019 Pulwama attack, stated that his son deserved his fate after being killed in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. He also appealed for the release of his other son, who is currently imprisoned.
As Vijay prepares for his next innings as chief minister of Tamil Nadu, he would do well to learn from the life lessons of NTR.
"Tributes to former PM Shri Rajiv Gandhi on his death anniversary," Modi tweeted.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president and the late leader's wife, Sonia Gandhi, had a hectic day attending several ceremonies, including one at Rajiv Gandhi's memorial, Vir Bhumi.
Punjab Kings aims to regain winning momentum as they move to their home base in Dharamshala for a crucial three-match stint, following a loss against Sunrisers Hyderabad
Aizawl FC secured their first victory of the Indian Football League 2025-26 season by defeating Rajasthan United FC 3-1. Zomuasanga opened the scoring, followed by goals from Vincent Lalduhawma and Lalhriatpuia, while Pedro Astray scored for Rajasthan United. Gokulam Kerala FC and Chanmari FC are set to play their respective matches on Saturday.
Leaders at various functions across the country eulogised Gandhi for carrying the country forward, especially in the field of science, technology and telecommunication.
The Supreme Court on Friday directed the premature release of six convicts, including Nalini Sriharan and R P Ravichandran, serving life term in the assassination case of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, noting that the Tamil Nadu government has recommended remission of their sentence.
The idea of weaponization got a fillip from an unexpected quarter. In the last week of October 1985, Rajiv met US President Ronald Reagan. Reagan told Rajiv, 'Pakistan has already made a bomb.' When Rajiv started talking about disarmament, the US president cut him short, 'Don't talk theory, think of your own protection.'
Sunrisers Hyderabad pacer David Payne has been ruled out of the remainder of the Indian Premier League 2026 season due to an ankle injury, the franchise confirmed on Thursday.
Intense lobbying is underway in Kerala as V D Satheesan, K C Venugopal, and Ramesh Chennithala vie for the chief minister's post, with their camps citing popularity, MLA support, and experience as key factors for the Congress high command's decision.
Rediff.com brings you a chronology of the more than two decade-long Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, which finally seems to be getting some closure
Punjab Kings paid the price for sloppy fielding and dropped catches in a defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad, with Irfan Pathan criticising their costly errors in IPL 2026.
Heinrich Klaasen has emerged as the cornerstone of Sunrisers Hyderabad's batting lineup in IPL 2026, consistently delivering impactful performances and justifying his hefty price tag.
Sonia Gandhi has made her daughter Priyanka Gandhi a trustee of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation.Political insiders believe that Sonia's decision indicates that Priyanka will be inducted into politics within a year or so.The website of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation mentions Priyanka as a teacher and an educationist.Priyanka also makes time to visit the foundation's office every weekday.