'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.
Congress leader Sonia Gandhi is set to release her memoir, "Belonging: A Journey of Love," in November. The book will cover her personal life, including her marriage to Rajiv Gandhi, the tragedies she faced, her decision to decline the prime ministership in 2004, and her journey into politics. It promises an intimate look at her experiences within one of India's most powerful political families.
Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's 544-page memoir, 'Belonging: A Journey of Love', is set to be published in November, offering an intimate account of her life, from her childhood in Italy to her experiences in India and her eventual entry into politics following personal tragedies.
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.
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."
'The LTTE were the pioneers of that.'
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi expressed immense pride and happiness over his mother Sonia Gandhi's upcoming memoir, 'Belonging: A Journey of Love,' stating that millions who love her will finally read her 'beautiful story,' despite her private nature.
Penguin Random House India has clarified that it is not the publisher of Sonia Gandhi's memoir, "Belonging: A Journey of Love," in India. This statement follows reports suggesting the publisher backed out due to Gandhi's refusal of editorial changes. The company maintains it was willing to publish but has a prerogative to fact-check authors. The book's India distribution remains uncertain, though an e-book version is available for pre-order from another publisher.
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.
As India prepares to mark its 80th Independence Day on August 15, 2026, the magnificent Red Fort will once again become the centre of the nation's celebrations.
'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.
Senior Congress leaders paid tributes to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 75 birth anniversary on Tuesday
A revealing excerpt from Mani Shankar Aiyar's fascinating new book, The Rajiv I Knew.
Rahul Gandhi recently connected with Gen Z through an engaging 'Ask Me Anything' session on Instagram, offering candid responses on student protests, his views on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and even his philosophy on pet ownership.
'Some of his decisions were not so good, but his intentions were always guided by a deep national interest.'
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.
Researchers at BRIC-RGCB in Thiruvananthapuram have developed a novel nanopore-based sensing technology. This innovation allows for the early and highly sensitive detection of biomarkers associated with neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's and ALS, addressing a critical challenge in current diagnostic methods. The technology, published in Nature Nanotechnology, uses self-assembling dual-diameter nanopore sensors to identify disease-specific biomarkers even at low concentrations.
The award, which carries a citation and cash amount of Rs 10 lakh, is given for promoting communal harmony and peace.
Ganesh Joshi also credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the smooth conclusion of Rahul Gandhi's Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir.
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.
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.
"Tributes to former PM Shri Rajiv Gandhi on his death anniversary," Modi tweeted.
Leaders at various functions across the country eulogised Gandhi for carrying the country forward, especially in the field of science, technology and telecommunication.
A 17-year-old JEE aspirant was found dead by suicide in his paying guest accommodation in Kota, Rajasthan. Police are investigating the incident, and no suicide note has been found.
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
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.
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.
Rich tributes were offered to Rajiv Gandhi amid singing of hymns at Vir Bhumi, the memorial to the departed leader on the banks of river Yamuna.
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.'
Bharatiya Janata Party president Jagat Prakash Nadda on Friday alleged that Prime Minister's National Relief Fund was donating money to Rajiv Gandhi Foundation during the United Progressive Alliance years while adding that to divert this public money into a family-run foundation is not only a "brazen fraud" but also a "big betrayal" of the people of India.
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.
Devotional music rent the air as scores of political leaders and Congress workers remembered the late leader for his services to the nation.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay announced official vehicles and a monthly allowance for MLAs to address public grievances and monitor government projects in their constituencies. This initiative aims to reduce financial burden, improve transparency, and ensure grassroots service delivery.
Rajiv Gandhi would have turned 72 on August 20. Had he lived. On a humid night 25 years ago, the former prime minister of India was murdered in cold blood by an LTTE suicide bomber. Neena Gopal was an eyewitness to the assassination, and in this exclusive extract from her new book, The Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, she reveals for the first time what she saw in Sriperumbudur that night.
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Rajiv Gandhi had made the comment following the anti-Sikh riots which broke out after the assassination of Indira Gandhi in 1984. The comment had created a major controversy.
