'As a student of history, I am no pessimist, but regardless of which party/coalitions comes to power on May 23, the space for secularism, pluralism and minority rights has shrunk significantly,' says Mohammad Sajjad.
Modi told the delegation that urgent action was needed against those supporting and sponsoring terrorism.
Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena sacked Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and appointed former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa as the new premier. Sirisena's move has triggered a constitutional crisis in the country. Here are some points about the unfolding crisis and the role of key players:
Claiming that that the law is a rejection of secularism, the Kerala CM said his govt will question its validity on all platforms.
'But Russia is well aware of Pakistan's nuisance power on its border.'
Some of the key proposals of the agenda relate to transforming the banking sector, addressing agrarian distress, countering hate crimes and discrimination, and spurring employment generation.
'Forming cults around Lalus, Nitishes, Mulayams, Mayawatis and Mamatas will do as much harm to the Republic as the bhakti of the Hindus for Modi will do,' says Mohammad Sajjad.
The latest extension until October 31 makes it more likely that the UK would have to contest the European elections next month, something none of the British political parties were looking forward to in light of the June 2016 referendum in favour of Brexit.
Communist Party of India-Marxist's top leader in Jammu and Kashmir Mohammed Yusuf Tarigami tells rediff.com's Krishnakumar Padmanabhan about Bharatiya Janata Party's plans to hoist the national flag at Srinagar's Lal Chowk on Republic Day, and how 'it will disturb the region's fragile peace.'
By all yardsticks 2024 isn't expected to be like 2014 or 2019. But with the mandir expected to be ready in time for the next Lok Sabha polls, Modi will have a new ally in Ram to see him through, observes Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
The Election Commission of India is likely to hold a final meeting with officials on Monday to announce the poll schedule for legislative assembly elections in Delhi, later in the week.
Asking Bharatiya Janata Party to drop its plan to hoist the national flag at Lal Chowk in Srinagar on Republic Day, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday warned the party that it would be responsible for "any repercussions" in the Valley.
The agitating parties will launch protest rally in Ratnapark of Kathmandu on Saturday and sit-in in front of the Singhdurbar Secretariat.
'We will resist it.' 'Farmers will not let that happen.'
'There's nothing in the 2019 campaign air, the chunavi hawa that tells you it's a wave election, for anyone,' argues Shekhar Gupta.
Three Central Reserve Police Force commandos, who formed the strike squad that killed top Maoist leader Kishenji, have been named for President's police medals for gallantry on the eve of Republic Day.
In a goodwill gesture, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah spoke to Bharatiya Janata Party leader Arun Jaitely and invited party members, who were arrested for trying to enter the state, to attend the Republic Day function either in Jammu or in Srinagar.
We bring you some of the best photographs from across the globe.
As the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Jammu and Kashmir government prepare for a showdown over the hoisting of the national flag at Lal Chowk on Republic Day, party leaders from the state unit on Wednesday met a senior police officer to 'inform' him about their plans.BJP national president Nitin Gadkari had flagged off the Rashtriya Ekta Yatra from Kolkata on January 12. It is scheduled to culminate with the hoisting of the tricolour at Lal Chowk.
'Unlike the Chinese army that has been largely a peace time force, the Indian Army is a battle hardened force,' explains Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
'We all know that when the Babri Masjid was demolished, P V Narasimha Rao was prime minister.' 'He did not do anything to stop the demolition.'
Had India agreed to join the trade pact, Indian markets would have been flooded with cheap Chinese products.
India was an 'excellent feast' and that such imposition would lead to 'nausea', he said.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal calling off the dharna being enacted outside the Rail Bhawan in a partial compromise with the Union government is being seen as a face-loss for him by many. Renu Mittal explains
Hua also said China is ready to hold talks with India to resolve differences on CPEC.
The apex court, however, allowed the West Bengal unit of the BJP to continue with its proposed public rallies and meetings under its "Ganatantra Bachao Yatra".
SAR Geelani, the Delhi University lecturer who was acquitted in the Parliament attack case and has been closely associated with the Kashmir issue, told Rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa that the Ekta Yatra is an indication that the BJP does not want to win over the hearts of the people in Kashmir, but wants to rule over them.
Kashmir is back in the focus, and this time it's thanks to the Bharatiya Janata Party's yatra to Srinagar to hoist the national flag at Lal Chowk on Republic Day
Fancy cars, helicopters, crime and money in abundance, the Reddy brothers were once a symbol of aggression; the Bharatiya Janata Party, which they represented, was totally subservient to them. However, all that has changed today.
Sticking to their key demand of the repeal of three farm laws to end their protest, farmer leaders on Friday told the government their 'ghar wapsi' can happen only after 'law wapsi' but the Centre insisted talks must be limited to contentious clauses and ruled out a complete withdrawal of Acts.
PM Modi inaugurates the second phase of Rashtrapati Bhavan museum.
The US, he said, rejects any Chinese claim to waters beyond a 12-nautical mile territorial sea derived from islands it claims in the Spratly Islands (without prejudice to other states' sovereignty claims over such islands).
In politics, if your objective is only winning elections, just Chanakya neeti might do. For governance you need both, Chanakya neeti and Ram Rajya. You can neither beat up the farmers into submission, nor dismiss them as 'Khalistanis', asserts Shekhar Gupta.
Cautioning that there will be social and psychological consequences for the rest of the country too, Guha said the migrant tragedy could have been averted or at least minimised if Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given them a week's notice to return home before the lockdown kicked in.
If Uddhav Thackeray is fazed by the BJP's attempts to build a narrative against his government in order to bring it down, he is not showing it. He has fought against all odds to remain in the CM's chair and faced difficulties with a smile, reports Syed Firdaus Ashraf.
'Now that the Ram mandir is done, we need to move on. And grapple with COVID-19, a sputtering economy, a belligerent China...' 'The temple may win a few more elections for the BJP, but by itself it won't solve the nation's growing problems of economic and social distress,' notes Virendra Kapoor.
'Bharat Ratna and longest bridges, while necessary, will not promote the peace and prosperity of the citizens of India. Only just popular laws and foresight on the part of the leadership will'
'With the Election Commission wisening up to the practice, which strikes at the very root of electoral democracy, the practitioners of cash for votes have been getting more and more ingenious,' points out Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
'Suspect all, fix all.' 'It is this mindset that begins at the very top of an establishment and then trickles down and across,' notes Shekhar Gupta.
Describing the clashes as 'shameful', Naik observed that this was for the first time in the last 9-10 months that such an incident occurred in the state.
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