In March, he had said that China is responsible for the spread of the novel coronavirus and called the COVID-19 as the "Chinese Virus".
'We are losing the battle of secularism, but we have not lost.'
Did you know Turmeric Latte or Haldi Doodh is trending abroad?
The message for 2024 is that the man on the street is not going to be euphoric if the G-20 crowns Modi as king-emperor for 2023, or if India sends its first man to space just ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. Even a 'temple consecration' in Ayodhya, or a Uniform Civil Code, or both of them together, may not have enough electoral purchase if fuel and commodity prices are not rolled back, and money-in-the-pocket does not fatten, points out N Sathiya Moorthy.
An encounter with movie veteran Chandrashekhar.
Though authorities and NGOs have made arrangements for their food, most of them want to go back to their native places to escape the hardship brought by the sweeping curbs.
'I want to be with the Ukrainian people and serve those I know here.'
'When the Taliban took over there was a genuine fear that they will harm me, but right now that fear is not there.'
It's jobs and not more welfare that people want, says Republican gubernatorial challenger Neel Tushar Kashkari, who posed as a homeless job seeker for 7 days. Aziz Haniffa reports
We celebrate Friendship Day by looking at the various kinds of friends in the movies.
Harnoor Channi-Tiwary visits the spanking new restaurant and returns impressed.
Banerjee, also the TMC supremo, said in a sarcastic way that personnel of security forces such as the CRPF, BSF, CISF and the Army are present at convoys of every BJP leader visiting West Bengal.
Envelopes containing white powder were received by top editors and executives of the Wall Street Journal, triggering a scare and rekindling the memories of the anthrax mailed in 2001. But after tests showed that it was apparently flour or food based, the powder was declared harmless.
'Today's cricketers are amazing, they know everything, but still you find a few cricketers, they have a talent, but their mind is not there.'
It is about prayers and piety, but also about food and festivity.
Their leaders in the provinces, which have been under the control of Taliban commanders for several months now, speak the language of the bigot. Women are known to have been abducted and enslaved. Several young girls have simply disappeared.
In this lockdown, no matter how many similarities the memory dredges up from past events and associations, there is one thing that has no precedent: The isolation that it has imposed on people, reports Arundhuti Dasgupta.
For Chef Thomas Zacharias, Chef Floyd Cardoz, was a partner, mentor. And family.
'It makes no sense at all to leave because I have my whole family with me.' 'My wife and children are citizens here.'
The BJP announced its list of 148 candidates for the last four phases of assembly election in West Bengal, rewarding around 20 turncoats and fielding party heavyweights Mukul Roy and Rahul Sinha.
'Between the quiet hallways and the empty streets, there is a misleadingly peaceful atmosphere outside, that does not reflect the stress and tragedy happening every day between hospital walls.'
A delegation of opposition parties including Rahul Gandhi, Sharad Pawar and Left leaders on Wednesday met President Ram Nath Kovind seeking repeal of the three farm laws against which thousands of farmers have been protesting on various borders of the national capital.
'I will get an opportunity to talk about my game with big stars like Ben Stokes, Steve Smith, Jos Buttler.' 'I hope to learn a few things from them and I am confident of doing well,' says the top-scorer in the Under-19 World Cup who will play for the Rajasthan Royals this IPL.
The civic authorities have moved to clear roads which have become slushy and strewn with garbage, and are also gearing up to tackle rush of patients in municipal hospitals.
Mumbai-based designer Nachiket Barve talks about his favourite things.
'Everyone has failed us. The United States ditched us.... We will be forever indebted if the Indian government help us evacuate our family'
The winners of the Natural History Museum's prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition were announced at an awards ceremony in London. American photographer Karine Aigner was announced as this year's Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
'The situation is so bad that they are now sleeping on bridges or footpaths.' 'Therefore, they want to go and die before their parents or wife in case they get infected with COVID-19.' 'Workers don't want to die a dog's death in cities.'
This was the one Budget that required radical departures on all these fronts, when it had none, asserts, Shreekant Sambrani.
1997: Sukanya Verma offers a recap of its memorable imagery.
A Ganesh Nadar/Rediff.com meets Chennai's all-girl street children football team who competed in the Street Child World Cup in Moscow.
'Congress leaders don't believe in themselves and in the potential of the party.' 'Unless they have faith in themselves, only then will the public have faith in them.'
Aseem Chhabra remembers Master Chef Floyd Cardoz who died of coronavirus in New York on Wednesday.
The US State Department and other lobbies who denied Modi a visa when he was chief minister of Gujarat, says one organiser of the Madison Square Garden event, will get a clear idea of what kind of "force" is behind Modi in America. Sheela Bhatt/Rediff.com meets the people behind the event in New York and finds out what's in store for Sunday's show.
'It is the moment where compassion and empathy must supersede our identity, politics, or our ambitions.'
While those who attended 'Livelihoods in Lockdown' learnt a lot, was anyone from the government listening?
'When you don't have food to eat, will you be worried about the virus or the next meal?'
'A hangover of the Raj, there's no one quite like the desi butler who knows the order in which a meal must be served, and will not be distracted from his watch by modern memsahibs and their slightly unusual ways or requests,' says Kishore Singh.
'If Mr Modi and Mr Shah have made a poisonous, polarising campaign their brahmastra for 2019, Mamata Banerjee is showing them its limitations,' says Shekhar Gupta.
'Why can I not access all these things -- Bhut Jolokia, Dalle, Kaachu, Bhakri, Ghari and everything else -- more easily?' asks Aakar Patel.
