2019 was the Bharatiya Janata Party's breakout year, when it stretched the boundaries of what was thought possible and ended up with 303 seats on its own steam. Now it is forced to play defence, on a pitch queered by too many variables, asserts Prem Panicker.
This was Parrikar's first visit after the Indian Army conducted surgical strikes on terrorist camps across the Line of Control
The 54-year-old real estate developer, who joined Congress two years ago, after quitting the saffron party, played a key role in engineering the downfall of the Manohar Parikkar-led BJP government in 2005.
United States Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel has resigned under pressure, the first cabinet-level casualty coming close on the heels of Democratic Party loosing majority in the Senate and the Obama administration's struggle in dealing with the Islamic State.
India on Saturday successfully test-fired its interceptor missile off the Odisha coast, achieving a significant milestone in the direction of developing a two-layered Ballistic Missile Defence system.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi involves junior ministers in the decision-making process and holds a meeting of the Council of Ministers every last Saturday of the month, but there is a group of ministers that he reaches out to more often.
The Bharatiya Janata Party's unit in West Bengal on Friday shot off a letter to activist Anna Hazare, questioning his support for Mamata Banerjee, and contested the 'clean' image of her government.
Sharif 'assured Prime Minister Modi that his government would take prompt and decisive action against the terrorists,' the PMO said.
There have been several complaints about the bookings.
50 terrorists had been killed this year while 12 security forces personnel lost their lives.
'With the new DPP, there will be greater transparency and faster clearances.'
'It needed political courage on the part of the prime minister to make such an intervention at the present juncture when the hawkish opinion rules the roost in the Indian foreign-policy discourses in our media, and, unfortunately, the sane voices have largely fallen silent,' says Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
While Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Kalam had left an irreplaceable void, Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said the Centre has decided to include Rameswaram in AMRUT by relaxing norms as a tribute to the former president.
'A month after assuming charge, Parrikar promised a policy within six months to "end or at least reduce" terrorist infiltration across the Line of Control.' 'However, infiltration continued apace, leading to high-profile terrorist attacks in Gurdaspur, Pathankot, and Uri.' 'During this phase, he made the controversial suggestion that India should fight terror with terror, hinting at supporting terror groups to strike in Pakistan,' observes Ajai Shukla.
T S Sudhir, who was present at the occasion, reports
'The days are gone when we only deal with India as the other side of the Pakistan coin or Pakistan as the other side of the India coin.'
'We don't want hardcores like Pramod Muthalik in Goa. We vehemently oppose people who share Muthalik's tendencies. We don't need cultural watchdogs in Goa.' BJP MLA Vishnu Wagh lashes out at Goa's anti-bikini minister Sudin Dhavalikar in this exclusive interview to Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com
'Pakistan has to take responsibility and start cracking down on terrorists.'
'So what if the enemies take us as prisoners of war? So what of they kill us? I would feel proud that I could sacrifice my life for the country,' say these proud lady officers of the Indian Navy.
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