From the drones show to projection mapping show, this year's ceremony also presented quite a few firsts.
In a first, a grand drone show will dazzle the sky above the national capital during the Beating the Retreat ceremony to be held at Vijay Chowk on Saturday as part of the country's 73rd Republic Day celebrations.
'It wasn't as if the senior police inspectors in charge of the police stations were not aware of the communal tension that was being created in their areas before and during the riots.' 'Yet they chose not to act,' recalls Jyoti Punwani.
'Sepoy K Ashuli displayed nerves of steel, exemplary courage, fearlessness under enemy fire, unparalleled devotion to duty and camaraderie of the highest order in keeping with the finest traditions of the Indian Army.'
The inexperienced Uddhav is forced to match up against 24x7 political pros Amit Shah and Narendra Modi who have the added advantage of wielding power at the Centre, asserts Virendra Kapoor.
Former India cricketer and Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister Chetan Chauhan tested positive for COVID-19.
'We don't feel that the law and order situation will turn bad because of our agitation.'
While Indian Air Force ace pilot Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman was accorded the Vir Chakra, Army Major Vibhuti Shankar Dhoundiyal, who was killed in the 2019 Pulwama terrorist attack, was accorded the Shaurya Chakra (posthumously) by President Ram Nath Kovind in an investiture ceremony on Monday.
'There is no future for the Shiv Sena under Uddhavji's leadership.'
Status quo to be maintained till further order..., the court said.
Speaking in the legislative assembly on the condolence motion, Thackeray, without taking any names, said, "Some people have gratitude towards the city where they live and earn their livelihood, but some don't."
BSF's role has become more important now as we are the first line of Indian defence, said DG Rakesh Asthana.
The Centre decided to drop one of Mahatma Gandhi's favourite hymns Abide with me from this year's Beating Retreat ceremony as playing more Indian tunes would be appropriate in view of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, which celebrates the 75th year of India's Independence, government sources said on Sunday.
'Hindutva doesn't teach you to stab someone in the back.'
Seeking to strike an emotional note at the first annual Dussehra rally of Shiv Sena after the death of its founder Bal Thackeray, party president Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said he was ready to quit if the cadre had no faith in him.
The 15 ministers were sworn in on Sunday for the expanded Gehlot cabinet, fulfilling a key demand of former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot whose rebellion last year shook the state's Congress government.
Shiv Sena spokesman Sanjay Raut justified the police action against the two girls from Palghar for their Facebook comments against the shutdown for Shiv Sena Chief Bal Thackeray's funeral.
Rediff.com's Uttam Ghosh captured some candid moments on his camera.
Normal life was on Thursday disrupted in Kashmir Valley due to a strike called by separatist groups to protest against the "proposed plans" to establish Sainik Colony, settlements for migrant Kashmiri Pandits and induction of new industrial policy in the state.
'Wherever in the world there is political instability, those countries are beset with severe crises today. But India is in a much better position than the rest of the world due to the decisions taken by my government in the national interest,' President Droupadi Murmu said in her address to both Houses of Parliament.
"What happens to the exam which is now to be scheduled as we have permitted women candidates to compete for NDA. That being the position we would require the ASG to file an affidavit within two weeks," the SC bench comprising Justice S K Kaul and Justice B R Gavai said in its order.
Raut's remarks came in the wake of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray being recently targeted by the opposition for not moving out of his house during the pandemic. Talking to reporters in Mumbai, Raut said Thackeray has given directives to ensure that Fadnavis, who is leader of opposition in the state Assembly, gets the best treatment.
Chief Minister Thackeray will definitely go for the 'bhoomi pujan' ceremony, because the Shiv Sena shares sentimental, religious and national ties with this issue," Raut said.
'As long as Rane is the point-person, the Sena will never revive its partnership with the BJP.'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced a number of welfare measures for children who lost their parents to COVID-19, including ensuring a corpus of Rs 10 lakh when they turn 18 and providing for their education.
Mitra was the editor of The Pioneer newspaper and was considered a respected voice on a variety of issues, ranging from politics to popular music, before poor health kept him out of the public eye for some time.
'It was a reaffirmation of his party's unrelenting defiance of its erstwhile ally, the BJP; an attempt to forge a new relationship with the community the Shiv Sena had always targeted; and a pointer towards the political imperative of taking everyone along if the fight against the ruling party had to succeed,' notes Jyoti Punwani.
Bal Thackeray became a cult in his lifetime. Does Thackeray show this picture of him? Yes, it does, feels Utkarsh Mishra.
Can Nawazuddin Siddiqui bring Bal Thackeray's powerful personality to life? Syed Firdaus Ashraf watches the Thackeray trailer to find out.
"Our armed forces represent India's diversity and the collective spirit of 130 crore Indians. Our forces are not only known for their utmost professionalism but also they are at the forefront helping people in times of crisis. Our forces are synonymous with trust," Modi said.
Fifty years ago, India and Pakistan fought a short but bloody war. The author finds out how Sainik Samachar, the defence ministry's journal, reported it.
Addressing the nation on the 70th Independence Day from the Red Fort, the prime minister had announced a 20 per cent hike in the pension for freedom fighters.
'By their actions, the Sena MPs diverted attention from the original issue that sub-standard food and services are offered at Maharashtra Sadan. It is disconcerting that the state's official guest house in the national capital has such poor standards,' says N Suresh.
Scores of Shiv Sainiks on Wednesday intensified their stir against Samajwadi Party legislator Abu Asim Azmi by courting arrest outside the Maharashtra legislative assembly.
The office of actor Shah Rukh Khan's production house in suburban Bandra was attacked on Friday by Shiv Sainiks as part of their protest against the release of his latest film My Name is Khan. "A group of Shiv Sainiks gathered outside the office of Red Chillies Entertainment (the production house owned by Khan), protesting against the actor and the movie," a senior police official said. One of the protesters threw a bottle in the direction of the building, he said.
20 defence ministry reforms 'is a reflection of the resolve of the government to make the defence sector stronger and more efficient.'
Members of the Shiv Sena on Monday burnt a truck and blocked the Western Express Highway in Mumbai to protest the recent increase in electricity charges by Anil Ambani's Reliance Infrastructure. The protests brought the traffic on the arterial highway to a standstill and caused massive jams. Many people were reportedly injured in the protests.
In his address to the nation on the eve of 73rd Republic Day, President Kovind noted that democracy, justice, liberty, equality and fraternity form the bedrock of India and stressed that the observance of Fundamental Duties mentioned in the Constitution creates the proper environment for the enjoyment of Fundamental Rights.
A sessions court , on Wednesday, rejected the bail of Sunil Raut, brother of Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, arrested in connection with the attack on the office of a Marathi news channel. Raut and 14 other Shiv Sainiks were arrested on November 25 for vandalising the office of IBN-Lokmat and for assaulting its staff.
'They are running the Shiv Sena on Facebook and Twitter.' 'So who will be scared of the Shiv Sena on the roads?'
