Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticized the Congress party, alleging that the dropping of important stanzas from the national song 'Vande Mataram' in 1937 sowed the seeds of partition. He made these remarks during the inauguration of the year-long commemoration of 'Vande Mataram'.
TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee accuses the BJP of being 'Bangla-Birodhi' (anti-Bengal) and alleges they want to send Bengalis to detention camps. He vowed to electorally wipe out the BJP in the 2026 Bengal Assembly polls.
'Modi's charisma may have weakened as last year's Lok Sabha poll results showed but in the eyes of the Sangh Parivar, it has not waned.' 'Minus a strong BJP government at the Centre for another decade and more, there is apprehension that an anti-Hindutva government could reverse many of the ideological gains that the Modi dispensation has achieved through its three terms,' points out N Sathiya Moorthy.
The nine-day festival begins this year on October 3. Each day is devoted to one of Ma Durga's nine avatars -- Goddess Shailputri, Goddess Brahmacharini, Goddess Chandraghanta, Goddess Kushmanda, Goddess Skandamata, Goddess Katyayani, Goddess Kalaratri, Goddess Mahagauri and Goddess Siddhidatri.
As a child, Sufal Das used to dream of becoming a dhaki. But a life full of adversities, and dwindling popularity of the dhak, has made him regret his dream.
Ma Durga might be the city's most celebrated annual visitor, but Kali is the resident Goddess, notes Sandip Roy.
Union Minister Pranab Mukherjee worshipped Goddess Durga on Thursday at his ancestral home in Mirati village on 'Mahasaptami', the first day of the four-day long puja.
An encyclopedia to the best Durga Pujo eating.
'Put on that goddamn dress, pick up your crown, and strut like the queen you are'.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday flew a sortie in a Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) after a fleet of the highly agile choppers was inducted into the Indian Air Force.
Kolkata has, yet again, outdone itself when it comes to establishment-defying social commentary through Puja pandals.
Mahalaya, though essentially about the goddess, wasn't religious for us. And it isn't for most Bengalis. Mahalaya is an emotion. It's gooseflesh for a memory. A welling up of happy tears. A celebration of what is to come.
'He has divine power... For our future, safety is in the hands of Modi.'
Kolkata has turned into the proverbial City of Blinding Lights for Durga Pujo
Locals in Congress party's pocket borough Rae Bareli, including Congress members, may be fond of Sonia Gandhi and son Rahul but feel it is Priyanka Vadra who has the mettle and charisma of her late grandmother Indira Gandhi and is more capable of bringing about a sea change in the country's politics.
Bringing Indian festivals home for the second generation
Locals in Congress party's pocket borough Rae Bareli, including Congress members, may be fond of Sonia Gandhi and son Rahul but feel it is Priyanka Vadra who has the mettle and charisma of her late grandmother Indira Gandhi and is more capable of bringing about a sea change in the country's politics.
With two more bodies fished out of the Hooghly river, the toll in the trawler capsize mishap rose to 83 on Thursday.Meanwhile, fishermen spotted a piece of wood floating in the middle of the river on Wednesday evening near Chakfuldubi village bearing the trawler's name 'Ma Durga'. They pulled it to Majarchar village and informed the authorities. The police on Thursday morning reached the spot with a launch and divers to determine if it was indeed the elusive trawler.
It is time to welcome back Ma Durga, who is on her annual five-day visit to her father Himalaya's home, with her sons Ganesh and Kartik and daughters Saraswati and Lakshmi.
The sound of the dhak is an essential part of Pujo celebrations, says Indrayanee Mukherjee.
Towering effigies of 10-headed demon king Ravana, his son Meghnad and brother Kumbhakaran crackled in fiery splendour marking the triumph of good over evil as gusto and fervour marked Dussehra festivities across the country.
From the dusty lanes of Mirati, life took the scholar politician to the imposing Rashtrapati Bhavan through a warren of powerful offices he held, but the village stuck, the bond only grew stronger.
'Goddess Laxmi doesn't come just by praying to her.' 'You have to make yourself attractive to Laxmi for her to come to you.'
Tarun Vijay visits 20 Durga Puja pandals in five towns in Bangladesh and comes back impressed.
Here's a look at the top 10 tweets from your favourite Bollywood celebrities.
'Had Sam Bahadur not dictated the timing of India's military intervention, Bangladesh would not have been created without a prolonged battle.' 'Manekshaw's strategy won the war for India in just 13 days,' says Sudhir Bisht.
The charm of Kolkata is still alive says Sumit Ganguli.
Kolkata need not feel inferior as it has its own "alive only at weekends" Lavasa, says Subir Roy.
Could the Haji Ali dargah verdict be the beginning of the end of all social discrimination -- against women, against Dalits, the low castes and the caste-less, asks Durba Dhyani.
'She was once asked what the secret to political leadership was and she said it was the ability to like all kinds of people.' 'I don't think Rahul fundamentally likes people -- that's probably why he can't deal with them and it shows.' 'Sonia is a more talented political mobiliser than her son, but I think the decline of the Congress set in in 1969...'
Seeing Indrani in court with her perpetually sunny demeanour and beaming face is sometimes as unreal an experience as making sense of court delays.
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