'There are 7,000 guns which are in the hands of the armed militia of the Kuki and Meitei communities.'
'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.'
Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com comes across a Ganesh temple in Kashmir's summer capital that remains a well kept secret.
Dominic Xavier wonders whether Rhea is being made a scapegoat in a case which has clear political overtones.
Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com tried to buy a house on his recent visit to Srinagar.
'That was my mistake.' 'Gautam Adani was not involved in forming the Maharashtra government.' 'Adani was not there in the meeting.' 'The meeting was at his guest house and we were sitting in his guest house.'
'Politicians can do symbolism by changing the names of places and museums.' 'Judges need not be seen to be craving for approval from the public.'
'The government does not want to be transparent or accountable. Therefore, they do not want to appoint information commissioners.'
'Ranbir Kapoor has only one film as does Salman Khan.' 'Hrithik Roshan only has War 2.' 'Ranveer Singh has no film on floors today.'
'Government cannot pick and choose as to against whom they want to take action and against whom they do not want to take action.'
Tral, the former hotbed of terrorism, rocks to the music of democracy.
'The 2024 general elections proved that UP is not Gujarat.'
'If the country felt very strongly about the BJP, then why did the country not put money where the mouth is?'
'I want to die with my finger on the click button of the camera,' veteran photographer Pradeep Bandekar, who passed into ages early on Sunday morning, told Syed Firdaus Ashraf.
'Party workers sit outside polling booths and they know everything that is happening.' 'Besides, as a voter when you push the EVM button to vote there is a paper slip that comes out showing you who you voted for.'
'Ladakh has become a hollow UT.' 'Bureaucrats from Delhi rule Ladakh and there is no attention paid to the grievances of the people.'
'The reason I am not anxious about the opponent facing me in the front (Ajit Pawar) is because of who is standing behind me like a rock (Sharad Pawar).'
'Article 370 is now dug 70 feet deep in the ground. It cannot come out.'
The trailer has everything you were looking for: Suspense, action, drama, plotting and vengeance, cheers Syed Firdaus Ashraf.
'The BJP claims they have eight lakh cadres in the Kashmir Valley so why can't they contest elections from Kashmir?'
'All these farmers and tribals were told to bring their own wood and ration to cook food during the march.'
Congress leaders are a jubilant lot after the results.
'Many MPs felt they were going to take out a weapon and shoot us all.'
Rediff.com's Syed Firdaus Ashraf's excitement knew no bounds when he laid his hands on the 'poor man's iPad'. But the supposedly 'revolutionary' and 'game-changing' piece of technology that sells at Rs 2,500 a piece went kaput in 30 minutes flat. Yes, we are talking about the Aakash Tablet PC. Firdaus pours his heart out.
'In the case of a road accident, prevention is the only answer.' 'There's no cure to death or disability when the accident happens, and when it's due to reckless or negligent driving, it's worse because it's avoidable.'
'I want to ask the Congress only one question: What is more important than election management in politics?'
Dominic Xavier offers his take on how Sachin Pilot is keeping everyone guessing about his future move.
'Who are Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti to issue certificates?'
'The wave of terrorism is over in Kashmir. Local people do not support it.'
'The whole Kashmiri population is seemed to be a suspect community. This status is not good.'
'I love to meet people.' 'I love that personal connect when they express their genuine, heartfelt feelings.'
'Aspiring doctors have put in years of their lives to study in preparation for NEET exams as they start studies from Class 9 to get good marks.' 'And today, after the NEET paper leak, these students even after getting good marks are unable to get admission in any good medical college (because of inflated merit marks due to the paper leak).' 'They are thinking, was it worthwhile to study so hard for the examinations to become a doctor?'
'The real leader is not the one who builds flyovers and bridges. The real leader gets into the space of the human hearts which are at war and brings them together.' 'Gandhi did that. There cannot be a nation which is vibrant and strong where there is hatred which is tearing you apart,' filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt tells Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com
The realities at the nerve centre of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement are glaring with lack of development, rampant unemployment and 12-hour long power cuts making life miserable. And most of the people are hopeful that Narendra Modi will change the situation in Ayodhya. Syed Firdaus Ashraf speaks to some Ayodhya residents to get a hang of their real issues.
'There is some deep rot that has set in the Congress party. This requires an organisational surgery.'
The realities at the nerve centre of the Ram Janambhoomi movement are lack of development, rampant unemployment and 12 hour-long power cuts. Most residents hope Narendra Modi will change the situation in Ayodhya.
'Congress leaders are ready to lose the election and not form the government, but are never ready to share seats with others.'
'...or go to jail.' 'The government is getting them silenced.'
'Not disclosing information to the public indicates that there is something wrong with Project Cheetah.'
'People have got into the habit of sitting at home (and watching films).' 'They don't want to watch movies in theatres because they do not want to waste as much as Rs 1,000 on tickets.' 'They feel there is no point in watching a film on the big screen because it will anyway come on OTT in a month's time.'
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