Through his commitment to democratic norms, debate, dissent and constitutionalism, Jawaharlal Nehru helped ensure that parliamentary democracy took deep root in independent India. Utkarsh Mishra evaluates Nehru's 17 years as India's first prime minister, examining his role in nation-building, democratic institution-building, economic planning, scientific advancement and foreign policy.
The Congress party has launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him a 'millstone' around India's neck and accusing him of presiding over the 'murder of democracy', even as he achieved the milestone of becoming India's longest continuously serving elected prime minister.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in a country-wide marathon to be organised on October 31 to celebrate the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, a Union Minister said on Wednesday.
Superstition is likely to rule the day with many believing that a small movement could result in the fall of a wicket.
Narendra Modi's recent observation that India's fate would have been different had Sardar Patel been the country's first prime minister, instead of Jawaharlal Nehru, has caused a stampede of public opinion.
On the eve of Sardar Patel's birth anniversary rediff.com publishes exclusive excerpts of his soon to be published book Sardar: The Saint Emperor.
On the eve of Sardar Patel's birth anniversary rediff.com publishes exclusive excerpts of his soon to be published book Sardar: The Saint Emperor.
'Nehru's hegemonic politics has been responsible for many ills, which undoubtedly includes Kashmir'
Invoking Sardar Patel, BJP's prime ministerial hopeful, Narendra Modi asked the people of Gujarat to pay homage to the legendary freedom fighter by voting him to power in Delhi, and said if he is sent to jail he will open a tea stall there.
The Congress on Tuesday accused Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party of trying to appropriate Sardar Patel's legacy, which "belongs to Congress", and reminded that Patel had said that it was the "communal poison of RSS" which killed Mahatma Gandhi.
The 182-metre 'Statue of Unity', being built at Sadhu Bet in Narmada district, is slated to be inaugurated by Modi on Patel's birth anniversary on October 31.
Take Kashmir but don't talk of Hyderabad, Soz claimed Patel told the then Pak PM.
Ahmedabad police have arrested eight individuals involved in a pre-planned scheme to steal 2.1 kilograms of gold jewellery worth Rs 2.58 crore from an Akasa Air cargo shipment at Ahmedabad airport.
'It is time India withdraws the complaint from the UN and fully integrates the state of J&K into the Indian Union,' recommends Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
The debate on Sardar Patel's legacy is less about the Sardar and more about the acute sense of threat felt by the Delhi establishment at the rise of Narendra Modi and questions he has raised about the disproportionate share of credit given to a single family, says Colonel (retd) Anil Athale.
British High Commissioner to India, Lindy Cameron, paid tribute to the victims on the first anniversary of the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, which claimed 260 lives, including 52 British nationals. She visited the crash site and attended a prayer meet, where 260 trees were planted and a blood donation camp was organised.
British High Commissioner to India, Lindy Cameron, paid tribute to the victims on the first anniversary of the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, which claimed 260 lives, including 52 British nationals. She visited the crash site and attended a prayer meet, where 260 trees were planted and a blood donation camp was organised.
Ahmedabad is preparing to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, with key sports complexes slated to be ready by 2029. The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave and the Gujarat Police Academy will be central to the Games, featuring 17 disciplines including shooting, badminton, and hockey. Celebrations are planned across 8,000 locations to mark Commonwealth Games Day.
Eight people have been arrested in Ahmedabad for allegedly stealing 2.1 kilograms of gold jewellery worth Rs 2.58 crore from an Akasa Air cargo shipment. The theft involved a pre-planned racket, with two Akasa Air employees among those arrested. The airline has terminated their services and is cooperating with the police investigation.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh gave Defence Minister Rajnath Singh diary entries of Vallabhbhai Patel's daughter, disputing claims that Nehru wanted to build the Babri Masjid with public funds.
He blamed policies of the Congress-led governments for the Kashmir issue remaining unresolved.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Hemang Joshi has invited Congress MP Rahul Gandhi to join a 'Unity March' passing through Vadodara, Gujarat, organized in honor of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
A man from Uttar Pradesh was arrested at Ahmedabad airport for allegedly possessing over 20 kg of marijuana after arriving from Bangkok.
'...because that protects their aviation industry.' 'The Boeing 787 is one of the most widely-flown wide-body aircraft in the world, and Airbus is running neck-and-neck with Boeing.' 'Airbus is not going to let an opportunity like this pass.' 'If a software problem with the 787 is confirmed, they will use it to increase their own orders.'
The Union home minister said that on November 15, a grand celebration will be held at the 'Statue of Unity' to mark the birth anniversary of tribal icon Birsa Munda.
Delhi is implementing heightened security and traffic restrictions for the five-day AI Impact Summit, deploying over 10,000 police personnel and issuing traffic advisories to minimize disruption to commuters and students.
'It will take a long time to recover from the impact of this war.'
A year after the tragic Air India flight AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad claimed 260 lives, grieving families are still waiting for the final probe report, with investigators yet to release conclusive findings on the disaster's cause.
Satinder Singh Sandhu, a supervisor with 108 Emergency Services, recounts the horrific scenes and his biggest regret from the AI-171 plane crash in Ahmedabad, which claimed 260 lives.
Rather than wasting time on rhetoric, emotions and drama, if Aakhri Sawal had engaged in a serious debate with more controversial questions and stronger arguments to counter them, it would have enriched the viewer as well as lifted the discourse, observes Utkarsh Mishra.
He also said that although India got independence much before Goa became free, people of the country could not enjoy at that time as they felt uneasy thinking that one part was the country was still under foreign rule.
Ram V Sutar, 89, has already created more than 200 distinct statues, many of them massive. Now, he is a leading contender for the commission to produce the world's largest statue: A 597-foot tall rendering of Sardar Patel, an independence leader who played a crucial role in uniting India's fractious states.
The Congress party launched a scathing attack on the RSS on its 100th anniversary, citing excerpts from a book claiming Mahatma Gandhi described the Sangh as a "communal body with a totalitarian outlook." The party also referenced Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's criticism of the RSS.
A special court in Ahmedabad sentenced a 41-year-old Filipino woman to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for smuggling 2.1 kg of heroin at the behest of an overseas drug syndicate.
The Congress party has strongly refuted Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's claim that Jawaharlal Nehru wanted to build the Babri Masjid using public funds, calling it a 'lie' and a 'WhatsApp university story'. Congress leaders have accused Singh of distorting history and distracting from real issues.
A 72-year-old man in Meerut has been arrested for allegedly keeping his deceased daughter's body inside their house for nearly four months.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appealed to citizens to adopt austerity measures, including avoiding destination weddings abroad and reducing edible oil consumption, to mitigate the impact of the West Asia crisis on India's economy.
Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos is not supposed to make sense, and doesn't even pretend to, observes Deepa Gahlot.
A man who lost family members in the 2023 Air India AI-171 crash has made claims about the pilot's position in the mortuary, prompting calls for an independent investigation.
Opposition leaders have criticized Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's remarks about Jawaharlal Nehru's alleged desire to build the Babri Masjid with public funds, accusing him and the BJP of distorting historical facts.
