'This is a crisis which did not happen overnight. It was happening slowly.' 'Now we are mining very fast and this crisis won't last long.'
'They are calling me an accused without even an inquiry.' 'The video was fabricated and doctored. Now the truth is coming out.'
'Everyone has to take some step in solving this deadlock -- civil society, separatist leaders, the government.'
'On the Kashmir and Pakistan question, it is startling that Vajpayee and Advani did more than anybody in Indian history.'
From July 27, 2017, says Syed Firdaus Ashraf, my daughter will have to learn that there are only two most important things in life: Power and money.
Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com presents 10 dynasts of the BJP who have managed to get elected this time round.
The entire campaign in Lucknow is based on Narendra Modi -- there is little mention of the BJP candidate, a certain Rajnath Singh. Some locals wonder, 'Rajnathji is not coming to campaign in Lucknow. How will he take care of this city after he wins?' Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com reports from Lucknow.
'The Indian government spent Rs 506 crore on security of the separatists in the last five years.' 'These separatist leaders must know how ordinary people live. Have you ever seen Geelani's son throwing stones?' 'The separatists have encouraged people into this stone throwing business. They have destroyed Kashmir.' Jammu BJP MLA Rajesh Gupta on why separatists must not be given security.
It is a waste of time to speak up in today's India, believes Syed Firdaus Ashraf.
'There are other prisoners too who are behaving in a good manner, but they are not being released sooner.'
'There was a revolt. They were fighting for their rights.' 'They lost their rights after colonial forest policies came into place.' 'These freedom fighters were trying to reassert those rights.'
'He was a nobody then.' 'And whatever little his contribution was there, it was restricted to Gujarat.'
'Change was very much needed for the Congress to win the 2022 assembly elections.'
'I have great friends in film industry but professionalism and friendship are two different cups of tea. When it comes to producing a movie, every producer thinks of saleable actors,' says Dino Morea.
She could not believe how much India had changed since the last time she experienced it first hand.
'The BJP will be wiped out from all over India.'
'The Scindias betrayed Jhansi ki Rani and now the Congress party.' 'So this is nothing new as he is repeating the history of his family.'
'I have learnt from Guru Nanakji that we all must live in harmony and brotherhood and have concern for others.'
If you thought Vajubhai Vala's invitation to BSY was a one-off, think again :))
'Gaumutra kills all bacteria,' says the Congress corporator from Mumbai, who wants cow urine to clean the city's hospitals.
'I should not have lifted my hand, but whoever eats the meat of a cow, whom we Hindus consider our mother, these things will happen.'
'Mamata's numbers will reduce this time compared to 2016.'
Why 'anti-Romeo'? Why not 'anti-loafer' squad? Or 'anti-Majnu' squad?' wonders Syed Firdaus Ashraf.
'Look at the aggressive way in which a campaign against Friday namaz is going on in North Indian cities.' 'Even the Union home minister is part of this vicious campaign.'
Mumbai top cop Rakesh Maria's trusted man Dinesh Kadam also helped crack the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts' case, sent Abu Salem to jail and helped bust the Indian Mujahideen terror network in Mumbai.
'I am only asking about his travel bills and expenditure.'
'This issue is related to national security because they were compromising the entire capital markets's core infrastructure by leaking confidential information.' 'What would have happened if the servers had come down?' 'Or some confidential information leaked to terrorists who could have knocked out our capital market?'
'In 2021, assembly elections are going to be held in Assam. The BJP, sitting in Delhi, is thinking everything is hunky-dory in Assam. But that is not the case.' 'People of Assam are no longer with the BJP.'
With Union Minister Kiren Rijiju stoking a controversy by saying that the Hindu population was falling while minorities are flourishing, Rediff.com's Syed Firdaus Ashraf studied the 2001 and 2011 census data to track the demographic changes in the northeast.
'When you sow a small plant, then you keep watch on it so that wild cattle should not eat that sapling.'
'When the Congress tied up with Chandrababu Naidu, they helped trigger Telangana pride.'
'This is a fascinating side to Sonia Gandhi, the way she disarms her opponents.'
'The Rajputs feel they are being left behind.'
From the kind of food to the art which will be displayed at the museum, historian Pushpesh Pant shares his vision.
Reserve Bank of India Deputy Governor Viral Acharya is the eighth economist to quit since the Modi government took office.
'There was already a cash crunch and this (lockdown) has created more trouble.'
'This government will end after five years, but farmers will not end after five years.' 'This is the source of our confidence.'
'The mindset of people needs to change.' 'We still believe in accepting cash when we can do business with digital money as well.'
