'When I met the prime minister, he asked me, "Dr Ganguly, what do you do with people in your company who lie to you?"' 'I said, "Prime Minister, we counsel them and give them a gentle warning. If they lie again, they are sacked".' '"This is my problem,'" Rajiv responded. "I can't sack people in government".' A revealing excerpt from former Hindustan Lever Chairman Dr Ashok S Ganguly's We Are Our Future: Reflections On Life.
As Prabhakaran was leaving his house, Rajiv Gandhi called his son Rahul and asked him to fetch his (Gandhi's) bulletproof jacket. He put the jacket on Prabhakaran's back and remarked with his usual charming smile: "Take care of yourself."
A new book by former West Bengal governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi claims that former chief election commissioner T N Seshan proposed an immediate halt to the general election process after Rajiv Gandhi's assassination in 1991 and even offered to become home minister. Gandhi, who was joint secretary to then president R Venkatraman, writes that Seshan was the one who broke the news of the assassination to the president and arrived at the Rashtrapati Bhawan "super-fast" that night. According to Gandhi's account, Seshan told Venkatraman that he felt the election process needed to be stopped and that he was ready to take on the role of home minister if necessary. However, Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar and Cabinet Secretary Naresh Chandra assured the president that the situation was under control and that there was no need to pause the election process. Seshan's suggestions were ultimately ignored, but he did manage to postpone the second and third phases of polling.
Santhan alias T Suthendiraraja (55) is a Sri Lankan national and was one of the seven persons set free by the Supreme Court in 2022 after they served over 20 years of jail term in connection with the killing of the former prime minister near here in 1991.
An upcoming book by investigative journalist Chitra Subramaniam claims that senior Indian bureaucrats "tutored" Bofors officials in a secret meeting in 1987 on how to absolve then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi of all blame in the infamous bribery scandal. The book, "Boforsgate," details how the meeting was held to cover up the alleged Rs 64 crore bribe in a Rs 1,437 crore deal for Howitzer guns, and how Indian officials provided advice on concealing information from investigators. Subramaniam's revelations are based on documents provided to her by the Swedish head of police investigating the Bofors case.
'This was a decision taken and executed by Prabhakaran and his intelligence chief Pottu Amman. Both were convinced that the assassination would not be linked to them.'
A revealing excerpt from Mani Shankar Aiyar's fascinating new book, The Rajiv I Knew.
'Some of his decisions were not so good, but his intentions were always guided by a deep national interest.'
A Sudanese national with fever was admitted to the state-run Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad, taking the total number of Ebola-related admissions at the facility to two, officials said on Friday, while a 19-year-old woman from Uganda has been admitted to a government hospital in Jaipur after showing symptoms similar to Ebola virus infection.
Gianiji had crafted his moves with the meticulous planning of a chess grandmaster. He did not know whether a checkmate was feasible, as his time was running out, but he wanted Rajiv Gandhi to smell the fear of loss. A fascinating excerpt from K C Singh's The Indian President: An Insider's Account of the Zail Singh Years.
A gas leak at a seafood processing facility in Tamil Nadu's Tiruvallur district has resulted in the deaths of nine women, with 69 others hospitalised. The victims, primarily from Odisha and Assam, suffered severe ammonia inhalation symptoms. Authorities are investigating the cause and monitoring the health of those affected.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay expanded his Cabinet, inducting 23 more legislators as ministers, including two from the Congress party, marking their return to governance in the state after nearly 60 years.
Sharad Pawar objected to comparing PM Modi with Jawaharlal Nehru, highlighting Nehru's sacrifices and nation-building contributions.
The Supreme Court on Friday directed the premature release of six convicts, including Nalini Sriharan and R P Ravichandran, serving life term in the assassination case of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, noting that the Tamil Nadu government has recommended remission of their sentence.
Rediff.com brings you a chronology of the more than two decade-long Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, which finally seems to be getting some closure
'People don't like leaders who just crib and complain without offering a clear objective.' 'Theoretically and pragmatically, Rahul has to show an agenda beyond bad-mouthing Mr Modi on economic policies, foreign policy...'
'Congress needs a positive agenda rather than primarily picking up on two business houses.'
The idea of weaponization got a fillip from an unexpected quarter. In the last week of October 1985, Rajiv met US President Ronald Reagan. Reagan told Rajiv, 'Pakistan has already made a bomb.' When Rajiv started talking about disarmament, the US president cut him short, 'Don't talk theory, think of your own protection.'
Murugan, along with Santhan, both Sri Lankan nationals, were taken in a police vehicle following their release to the special refugee camp in Tiruchirappalli in the state.
I Ramamohan Rao was working as the principal information officer of the government of India on the fateful night of May 21, 1991 when Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in Sriperumbudur. Rao was entrusted with the crucial task of announcing the news of Gandhi's death to the entire world in the absence of then prime minister Chandrashekhar from New Delhi. Rao recollects the happenings of that tense night.
The Trust has been running a vocational training centre on state land allegedly without proper authorisation.
A G Perarivalan with his mother Arputham Ammal and others at a tea stall in Vellore, Tuesday, March 15, 2022, before heading home following his release on bail from the Puzhal jail after more than 30 years.
'She was not a yes person. She would tell the truth and her feelings to Indira Gandhi, and Indira Gandhi would value her opinion. The same was the case with Rajiv Gandhi who would value her opinion.'
As Vijay prepares for his next innings as chief minister of Tamil Nadu, he would do well to learn from the life lessons of NTR.
Ideology is dead; long live the numbers game that is being played with the sole intention of securing a two-third majority in the Lok Sabha for the NDA, observes Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay.
The President in his book,The Turbulent Years:1980-9, has written about the conversation he had with Rajiv Gandhi in a bathroom about prime ministership.
Recent BJP organisational moves and Rajya Sabha nominations have sparked speculation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi may soon undertake a ministerial reshuffle.
Nalini Sriharan, one of the convicts who was serving life imprisonment in connection with the assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, on Thursday approached the Supreme Court seeking release from prison -- like fellow convict AG Perarivalan.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the release of A G Perarivalan, who has served over 30 years of life term in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted bail to A G Perarivalan, serving life sentence in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.
Intense lobbying is underway in Kerala as V D Satheesan, K C Venugopal, and Ramesh Chennithala vie for the chief minister's post, with their camps citing popularity, MLA support, and experience as key factors for the Congress high command's decision.
The Rajasthan government's decision to discontinue four school textbooks has ignited a political controversy, with the Education Minister defending the move and the Congress party accusing the government of attempting to erase history.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is set to hold a crucial meeting to celebrate Prime Minister Narendra Modi becoming India's longest continuously serving elected prime minister, surpassing Jawaharlal Nehru's record of 4,399 days.
TVK's chances of forming a government in Tamil Nadu are uncertain as it seeks support from Left parties and VCK after winning its maiden Assembly election. The Left parties are deliberating, while VCK will announce its decision on Saturday, adding suspense to the political situation.
Lodged in prison for over 27 years, she had originally sought a six-month leave to make arrangements for her daughter's marriage.
The govt decided to recommend to the governor, the release of Murugan, Santhan, Perarivalan, Jayakumar, Ravichandran, Robert Payas and Nalini, serving life imprisonment.
The Centre said the remission of sentence will have "international ramifications".
A woman claiming to be an author has alleged she was attacked by a mob in Indore while researching the Shah Bano case, but police deny the mob assault, stating the dispute was over a book contract.
An author claims she was attacked in Indore after being mistaken for a 'child lifter' while researching a book on the Shah Bano case. Police deny the mob assault, citing a dispute over the book contract.
This tweet came following Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's remark on July 15, when without naming Pilot, he said leaders from new generation have become Union ministers and state chiefs without much toil.
