News for 'Secular India'

'Dr Singh Was The Best PM In Modern Times'

'Dr Singh Was The Best PM In Modern Times'

Rediff.com2 Jan 2025

'All the big things happening today in economic development have their beginning in Dr Manmohan Singh's ideas.'

'India is secular because it is Hindu'

'India is secular because it is Hindu'

Rediff.com16 Jun 2017

'We have Hindu values, Hindu customs, Hindu philosophy, Hindu way of looking at all religions as acceptable.' 'These are all great assets of India.'

Rash of suits over shrines after SC's 2023 Gyanvapi order

Rash of suits over shrines after SC's 2023 Gyanvapi order

Rediff.com28 Nov 2024

The Supreme Court's 2023 order refusing to stay a scientific survey at the Gyanvapi Mosque complex has sparked claims over several other disputed places of worship across India. This has led to several court cases, including one in Mathura where a survey of the Shahi Idgah Mosque complex was ordered, and another in Ajmer where a claim was made that a Shiva temple existed within the dargah of Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti. The article also highlights a dispute over the Bhojshala in Madhya Pradesh, which Hindus consider a temple and Muslims consider a mosque. The Supreme Court's order has reignited debates about the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, which prohibits the change of character of religious places as they existed on August 15, 1947.

Owaisi raises 'Jai.....!' slogan at LS oath-taking, expunged

Owaisi raises 'Jai.....!' slogan at LS oath-taking, expunged

Rediff.com25 Jun 2024

After taking oath, he hailed his state Telangana, Bhimrao Ambedkar, apart from raising the AIMIM's slogan for Muslim, along with the West Asian country.

Day after chaos at Waqf panel meet, JPC member slams BJP MP

Day after chaos at Waqf panel meet, JPC member slams BJP MP

Rediff.com23 Oct 2024

A Raja said panel's chairman Jagdambika Pal has been conducting the panel's meetings in haste, raising doubts that it will not be able to serve justice.

Why do Bengal parties clash over attacks on Bangladesh Hindus?

Why do Bengal parties clash over attacks on Bangladesh Hindus?

Rediff.com5 Dec 2024

Recent attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh have ignited political debate in West Bengal, with the ruling TMC and opposition BJP utilizing the issue to advance their respective agendas. While the TMC emphasizes communal harmony and calls for international intervention, the BJP criticizes the TMC's inaction and links the situation to its push for the Citizenship Amendment Act. The issue has also brought other opposition parties into the fray, with all sides highlighting the interconnectedness of the region's socio-political fabric.

'Divisive agenda': Oppn slams Modi's 'communal civil code' remark

'Divisive agenda': Oppn slams Modi's 'communal civil code' remark

Rediff.com15 Aug 2024

'The non-biological PM's capacity for malice, mischief, and maligning of history knows no bounds. It was on full display today from the Red Fort'

CAB may weaken India's secular character: Bangladesh

CAB may weaken India's secular character: Bangladesh

Rediff.com12 Dec 2019

B'desh minister termed as "untrue" the allegations of minority repression in the country.

Will Modi Make India A Hindu Rashtra In 3rd Term?

Will Modi Make India A Hindu Rashtra In 3rd Term?

Rediff.com8 Feb 2024

Those who continue to think that the 2024 election will see the BJP pursuing a more militant line are being alarmist, argues Rajeev Mantri. The BJP, Mantri believes, is not about to shoot itself in the foot. If anything, he says, the BJP may be more inclined to push a harder secularism.

A revealing excerpt from Rahul Shivshankar and Siddhartha Talya's book, Modi & India: 2024 and the Battle for Bharat.

Why I Mourn Sitaram Yechury

Why I Mourn Sitaram Yechury

Rediff.com21 Sep 2024

There are few leaders in the Opposition line up who can claim a path to party leadership like Sitaram Yechury and certainly, very few who blended that ascent through student politics with awareness about non-elite real India, urban India and liberal politics, as he did, notes Shyam G Menon.

Mixed bag for MVA, Mahayuti in Muslim-dominated seats in Maha

Mixed bag for MVA, Mahayuti in Muslim-dominated seats in Maha

Rediff.com24 Nov 2024

It was a mixed bag for 11 seats with more than 35 percent Muslim voters, where six candidates of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi emerged victorious in the Maharashtra assembly polls on Saturday, while four seats went to the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Mahayuti alliance.

'Prime Minister Of India Has Become The High Priest Of Hinduism'

'Prime Minister Of India Has Become The High Priest Of Hinduism'

Rediff.com23 Jan 2024

'We are very close to become a theocratic State where Hinduism is the official religion of the government.'

'Babri case will decide what happens to secularism'

'Babri case will decide what happens to secularism'

Rediff.com25 Sep 2019

'What is at stake is not one mosque or temple, it is the question of the principle of secularism which is part of the basic structure of the Constitution as declared even by the Supreme Court of India.'

'I Was Fated To Play Jinnah'

'I Was Fated To Play Jinnah'

Rediff.com25 Nov 2024

'I have no idea why I was so many film-makers' choice for Jinnah. I assume it is because I was born and bred in Mumbai and speak English.' 'There's also my name, people tend to believe that a Muslim character can best be played by a Muslim actor.'

In birthday address, Dalai Lama hails India's 'secular values'

In birthday address, Dalai Lama hails India's 'secular values'

Rediff.com6 Jul 2021

In a virtual address from his residence in Dharamshala, the Tibetan spiritual leader thanked people from across the globe who greeted him on his birthday and said he would continue to serve humanity and combat climate change.

Ajmer dargah row as politicians, community leaders weigh in

Ajmer dargah row as politicians, community leaders weigh in

Rediff.com28 Nov 2024

A local court in Ajmer has issued notices to the dargah committee, the Ministry of Minority Affairs, and the Archaeological Survey of India on a plea seeking to declare the shrine of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti a temple. The petition, filed in September, has sparked a heated debate, with politicians and community leaders weighing in on the potentially volatile issue. The dargah committee has declined to comment, but the Anjuman Syed Zadgan, a body representing the caretakers of the dargah, described the petition as a deliberate attempt to fracture society along communal lines. The petition comes just days after four people were killed in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, following a local court ordering survey of a Mughal-era shrine. The Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, which fixed August 15, 1947, as the cut-off date for status quo on the character of religious places, is at the centre of much of the debate. Several politicians, including Union minister Giriraj Singh and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, have weighed in on the issue. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has called the civil court's decision to entertain the petition unwarranted and has asked the Supreme Court to immediately intervene.

Bypoll boost for NDA in Bihar, Assam, Meghalaya; jolt in Bengal

Bypoll boost for NDA in Bihar, Assam, Meghalaya; jolt in Bengal

Rediff.com23 Nov 2024

The juggernaut of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance, which triumphed in three of the four east and north-eastern states that went for assembly bypolls on Saturday, was halted yet again in West Bengal where Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress registered a six-on-six clean sweep.

RG Kar fails to sway voters as TMC makes clean sweep in Bengal bypolls

RG Kar fails to sway voters as TMC makes clean sweep in Bengal bypolls

Rediff.com23 Nov 2024

The bypolls were held in six constituencies - Naihati, Haroa, Medinipur, Taldangra, Sitai (SC), and Madarihat (ST) - following the resignation of MLAs who had vacated their assembly seats after securing victories in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Counting for bypolls today: Will Priyanka win in Wayanad

Counting for bypolls today: Will Priyanka win in Wayanad

Rediff.com23 Nov 2024

The counting of votes for the bypolls to 46 assembly seats in 13 states and in the Lok Sabha segments of Nanded in Maharashtra and Wayanad in Kerala, a crucial electoral exercise since the parliamentary polls in April-May, will begin at 8 am on Saturday.

Bypolls: BJP wins big in UP; Trinamool sweeps Bengal

Bypolls: BJP wins big in UP; Trinamool sweeps Bengal

Rediff.com24 Nov 2024

Ruling parties held sway in most of the 13 states in the assembly byelection results declared on Saturday, with the Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies wresting seats in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan and the Trinamool Congress sweeping West Bengal.

TMC worker killed as incidents of violence mar bypolls in Bengal

TMC worker killed as incidents of violence mar bypolls in Bengal

Rediff.com13 Nov 2024

Sporadic incidents of unrest marred the West Bengal bypolls, with a local Trinamool Congress worker Ashok Shaw dying following a crude bomb attack in Bhatpara, an area adjoining Naihati assembly constituency where voting was underway.

Wayanad, 31 assembly seats face bypoll test on Wednesday

Wayanad, 31 assembly seats face bypoll test on Wednesday

Rediff.com12 Nov 2024

Bypolls will be held on Wednesday in 31 assembly seats spread across 10 states and Kerala's Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, from where Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is making her electoral debut. Though these bye-elections are not going to have any bearing on the governments, they are seen as a big test for the Congress and the INDIA bloc which failed to put up a united show in the recent Haryana assembly polls. Most of these seats fell vacant after the sitting MLAs contested the Lok Sabha elections and won while in some constituencies, the bypolls are being held due to death of the representatives. The Wayanad seat was vacated by Rahul Gandhi, who also won from the Rae Bareli parliamentary constituency which he kept. Voting will be held in seven seats in Rajasthan, six in West Bengal, five in Assam, four seats in Bihar, three in Karnataka, two seats in Madhya Pradesh, and one seat each in Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Kerala and Meghalaya. Votes will be counted on November 23.

Will Pinarayi Vijayan Survive Ally Anvar's Attack?

Will Pinarayi Vijayan Survive Ally Anvar's Attack?

Rediff.com5 Oct 2024

At a time when none in Kerala's Left politics questioned the chief minister's authority, MLA P V Anvar hurled a series of accusations against Pinarayi Vijayan's government, notes Shyam G Menon.

Will fight Modi's Naya Kashmir narrative, says 'Engineer' Rashid

Will fight Modi's Naya Kashmir narrative, says 'Engineer' Rashid

Rediff.com11 Sep 2024

Lashing out at Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, Rashid on Wednesday alleged that they have "destroyed" Kashmir.

How Yechury forced then PM Indira Gandhi to quit

How Yechury forced then PM Indira Gandhi to quit

Rediff.com12 Sep 2024

There was a protest in the university demanding Gandhi's resignation as the chancellor and the students decided to walk down to her residence and paste a memorandum demanding her resignation on the door.

Ratan Tata: A Corporate Titan Like None Other

Ratan Tata: A Corporate Titan Like None Other

Rediff.com10 Oct 2024

Ratan Tata was one of the world's most influential industrialists yet he never appeared on any list of billionaires. He controlled over 30 companies that operated in over 100 countries across six continents yet lived an unpretentious life. Ratan Naval Tata, who died at a Mumbai hospital on Wednesday night at the age of 86 years, enjoyed a perhaps unique status -- a corporate titan who was considered a 'secular living saint' with a reputation for decency and integrity.

The Diary Of West Bengal Review: Senseless!!

The Diary Of West Bengal Review: Senseless!!

Rediff.com30 Aug 2024

How can a film that has a character declare that secularism is an illness be taken seriously, asks Deepa Gahlot.

Decide CM face first: Uddhav's pitch to MVA allies

Decide CM face first: Uddhav's pitch to MVA allies

Rediff.com17 Aug 2024

Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said he will back any candidate announced by the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar as Maha Vikas Aghadi's chief ministerial face.

5 dead as rain brings Bengaluru to its knees

5 dead as rain brings Bengaluru to its knees

Rediff.com22 Oct 2024

At least five people were killed in separate rain-related incidents on Tuesday in Bengaluru, which has been reeling under incessant rains for the past three days causing widespread flooding in several residential areas and turning roads into virtual rivers.

'Unhappy' with chair, Opposition MPs may exit Waqf panel

'Unhappy' with chair, Opposition MPs may exit Waqf panel

Rediff.com5 Nov 2024

Opposition MPs in the parliamentary committee scrutinising the Waqf (Amendment) Bill are scheduled to meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday to protest its chairperson Jagdambika Pal's alleged 'unilateral' decisions and attempts to 'bulldoze' proceedings, indicating that they may disassociate themselves from the panel.

'Hindutva Must Refute Nehru To Make Its Case'

'Hindutva Must Refute Nehru To Make Its Case'

Rediff.com27 May 2024

'Nehru remains central to the polemic between the Congress and the BJP, or stated ideologically, between secular and Hindu nationalism.' 'The reason is that Nehru represents what is optimally possible as a secular politics along with liberalism and democracy in a country like India.'

Siddaramaiah refuses to step down, ready for probe; Shivakumar backs him

Siddaramaiah refuses to step down, ready for probe; Shivakumar backs him

Rediff.com24 Sep 2024

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said he will not hesitate from facing investigation in a site allotment issue but added that he would consult legal experts to find out whether such a probe is allowed under law.

One nation, one election: 32 parties back proposal, Cong among 15 to oppose

One nation, one election: 32 parties back proposal, Cong among 15 to oppose

Rediff.com18 Sep 2024

Among the national parties, the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Communist Party of India-Marxist opposed the proposal, while the Bharatiya Janata Party and the National People's Party supported it.

ISI, terror groups turn to social media platforms for J-K recruitments

ISI, terror groups turn to social media platforms for J-K recruitments

Rediff.com20 Oct 2024

Once identified, these individuals are drawn into private groups where they are exposed to manipulative content, including fabricated videos depicting atrocities allegedly committed by security forces, the officials said.

If Yogi is communal, who was secular?

If Yogi is communal, who was secular?

Rediff.com20 Mar 2017

'I hope he will continue to be what he is. And doing so, he won't be much different from those whose example he is being given right now,' says Utkarsh Mishra.

Maqbool Sherwani: The Forgotten Hero Who Won Kashmir For India

Maqbool Sherwani: The Forgotten Hero Who Won Kashmir For India

Rediff.com8 May 2024

Shaheed Maqbool Sherwani changed the course of Indian history forever, but himself lies forgotten in the town he saved.

'Modi right leader at right time': What key allies said at NDA meet

'Modi right leader at right time': What key allies said at NDA meet

Rediff.com7 Jun 2024

Nitish slammed the opposition and expressed confidence that they will be defeated in the next Lok Sabha elections.

'Secular parties have abandoned Muslims'

'Secular parties have abandoned Muslims'

Rediff.com25 Jun 2019

'Which path should Muslims take politically as they have been completely marginalised?'

CAA against Tamil race and secularism, is unconstitutional, DMK tells SC

CAA against Tamil race and secularism, is unconstitutional, DMK tells SC

Rediff.com30 Nov 2022

The ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has submitted before the Supreme Court that it is discriminatory to exclude Tamil refugees from the purview of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 and prayed that the legislation be declared null and void as it is unconstitutional and "destroys the basic fabric of secularism."

'You Have To Respect The Soul Of India'

'You Have To Respect The Soul Of India'

Rediff.com3 Feb 2024

'Bharat is the core value that has to be lived by and if you deny it, then the people will discard you.'