Expressing his concerns about India under Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party, India-born author Salman Rushdie said that the attacks on freedom of expression could worsen if the Bharatiya Janata Party comes to power.
'I don't think the state administration has shown the resolve to enter Muslim neighbourhoods and arrest offenders in the last decade.'
'...because we are truer to the spirit of the Hindu faith.' 'There is absolutely no question that the Hinduism of the mob lynchers, the people who have killed others because of what they are eating or how they are worshipping or the faith they belong to or what they're doing professionally, those are, to my mind, not Hindus at all.'
Hurling petrol bombs and stones, Gorkhaland supporters on Thursday fought pitched battles with police, who broke up protests, bursting teargas shells and baton-charging violent crowds, plunging Darjeeling hills into deeper turmoil.
NSUI's Rocky Tusheed won the president's post by a margin of 1,590 votes while ABVP's Mahamedha Nagar defeated NSUI's Minakshi Meena by 2,624 votes to win the post of secretary.
'Jaffrey played all his roles with a characteristic elan and amiability: He looked like a clever, all-knowing, winking Super Mario, gloriously grey around the edges. Irresistible, really.'
'Biplab Deb said it was unfortunate.' 'If he continues to respond this way, then further damage will not happen.' 'But if under pressure from his party members he does not take action, then the future is dangerous.'
Raking up the December 16 gang rape case and the infamous Tandoor murder case, Narendra Modi on Friday attacked Sonia Gandhi over the issue of security of women and said women are not even safe in the Congress.
On Friday, he clarified that he was referring to Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh where no such incident had taken place. "We do not justify anarchy and hooliganism," he said, adding that the incident in Alwar did take place and an FIR has been registered against six persons.
"The ruling establishment seems to have lost all sense of balance, and of proportion. It appears determined to undermine all democratic norms. It seems hell-bent to destroy the spirit of inquiry, the spirit of questioning, the spirit of debate and dissent, said the Congress president.
River Plate could face a Monumental Stadium ban after a fan threw a piece of wood and hit Godoy Cruz defender Leandro Grimi as he celebrated scoring the equaliser in his team's 2-1 upset win on Wednesday.
Modi, who has stepped up his attack on Akhilesh in recent days, also said that the chief minister is to be blamed if people of the state which he ruled for five years do not see 'achche din'.
The French envoy was notified about "discrimination" towards Russian citizens, it said, adding that "further fanning of anti-Russian sentiments" could damage relations between France and Russia.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday "strongly disapproved" incidents of vandalism of statues in certain parts of the country and spoke to Home Minister Rajnath Singh on the matter.
Citing documents, AAP leader and an advocate fighting for the victims of the 1984 riots, H S Phoolka, claimed that Nath was a part of the mob that attacked the Rakab Ganj Sahib Gurdwara in Delhi on November 1, 1984. Two Sikhs were also burnt to death in the attack.
'A pact was made between the government and 12 producers that I would be restrained from speaking on the Babri Masjid issue.' 'After Meryl spoke out she got the wholehearted support of the entire Hollywood fraternity.' 'In India no one will speak up in support of a celebrity's political stand for the fear of a backlash.'
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Members of the all-women protest group Pussy Riot released a new music video on Thursday criticising Russia's staging of the Winter Olympics and its human rights record, in a rare show of dissent during the Games.
Pussy Riot protest band members Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova said they were detained on suspicion of theft in the Winter Olympics host city of Sochi on Tuesday, less than two months after their release from prison under an amnesty.
Members of all parties condemned the killings in the name of cow.
'What the BJP will have to ensure in order to score an ideological victory is to demonstrate not only its commitment to the rule of law -- which is the first prerequisite -- but to introduce a sense of compassion,' says Amulya Ganguli.
Sujatha Gidla's scathing observations about Mahatma Gandhi and other highlights from Jaipur Literature Festival 2018.
...But a comedy about Class Wars. Sreehari Nair tells us why.
President Pranab Mukherjee has greeted the nation on the occasion of Holi and said that the festival of colours promotes oneness and harmony as well as bring happiness and prosperity to all.
No country has grown without educating its people. India's shameful lag in primary and secondary education has persisted for several decades, and the crisis in higher education is now threatening a social and political calamity, says Ashoka Mody.
The police claimed that the group of bikers turned violent when they were asked to stop their stunts and started pelting stones between 2 and 2.15 am near WindsorPalace in New Delhi district, injuring some policemen, following which the cops fired warning shots but the bikers did not relent
Normal life has been paralysed due to curfew-like restrictions and separatists-sponsored strike since Saturday.
Sisodia said although the AAP MLAs were detained, he and his party colleagues were 'ready to go to Tihar Jail'.
In her complaint to the DCW, the student has said she has received 'rape' threats on social media allegedly from members of the ABVP after she condemned 'violence in name of nationalism' in the backdrop of Ramjas incident.
Delhi Police on Monday drew flak as a video emerged in which male police constables can be seen purportedly assaulting protesters, including women, demonstrating over the suicide of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula near the RSS head office in New Delhi.
Rediff readers share their experience about taxis and autorickshaws in India.
The Nepal earthquake has driven home the importance of home insurance. What are the factors you need to keep in mind before insuring your property? Indrani Roy offers a checklist.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
Rediff reader Ramesh Menon shares his experience of eating on Indian Railways.
Tiger Shroff could not have asked for a shoddier launch with Heropanti. Yet, somehow beneath the pin-up torso, the soulful eyes and an awkward smile -- a genuine, graceful, likeable boy comes through, writes Sukanya Verma.
Keeping it short and so sweet at the 90th Annual Academy Awards.
Opposition parties ask the government to listen to the concern of the intellectuals returning awards.
A third accused in the brutal gang rape of a 23-year-old photojournalist was arrested on Saturday from south Mumbai even as police launched a manhunt for two others in the case, which sparked a wave of protests.
'Not just the cow, nowadays any issue can be problematic.' 'All animals are related in some way or other to some God, so what kind of image do we create now?' Artist Chintan Upadhyay, who was detained by the police in Jaipur for an art installation featuring a cow, mourns the decline of India's free-thinking culture.
'In essence, while I appreciate your earnest care for the nation's welfare, your eagerness in returning the awards seems not be driven by data. The data is at worst favouring the present disposition or it provides an inconclusive result. It seems to be directed at Narendra Damordas Modi and nothing else,' says Sriram Balasubramanian in an open letter.
