Pravin Gordhan, the finance minister of South Africa, says that in spite of several crucial issues still under debate, the BRICS bank was born today.
'My son and my father were pulled out of the hiding place on second floor, beaten badly and were thrown down from the roof'
The murky politics of the BCCI is likely take a new turn, reports Sheela Bhatt
Italian marines Massimiliano Lattore and Salvatore Girone have got a deal similar to that of the gangster Abu Salem, which ensures that they won't get the death penalty. Sheela Bhatt reports on how a diplomatic stand-off was averted.
The current crisis has forced the government to announce measures to ensure that India becomes self-sustaining for any kind of bulk drug. The government says India will not depend on any other country for vital key ingredients for drugs within six years, reports Sheela Bhatt.
If the DMK sticks to its position and withdraws from the UPA, one thing is certain: this government will be crisis-ridden and crisis-driven till the next election. The Congress party will run a paralytic government at the dictates of the parties supporting it from outside, says Sheela Bhatt.
Three IT professionals from Tamil Nadu are camping in New Delhi, trying to knock on the corridors of power to impress upon the government to stop playing second fiddle on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue and vote in favour of the US-sponsored United Nations Human Rights Council resolution. Sheela Bhatt reports
While the country's dismal food situation tops the list, India's crumbling infrastructure, too, requires prompt action, says Subir Gokarn.
The real effect of the so-called 'weak-allegations' against Robert Vadra is that the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty is shaken to its core, even if temporarily, says Sheela Bhatt.
The Delhi high court on Friday reserved its order on a plea of senior Congress leader Sajjan Kumar against a trial court order framing charges against him in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case related to the killings of six persons.
A 125 plus verdict would have given Narendra Modi automatic advantage to move to New Delhi. But now he will maneuver his way because the third consecutive victory makes him more impatient than ever, says Sheela Bhatt.
Ahmed Patel, the most powerful man in the Congress party after the Gandhis, speaks to Rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt in a rare and exclusive interview.
Amit Shah, the prodigal leader of Gujarat and the man who knows Modi like no one else, shares some interesting insights with Rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt.
Neither Swami Vivekananda nor his guru Ramakrishna Paramhans is Modi's "monopoly", is the message that Sonia Gandhi sent out on Wednesday, reports Sheela Bhatt
For the first time since the riots of 2002, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi finds himself on uncertain territory in Saurashtra, where the intense caste politics of Patels is now intertwined with the water problems of all the farmers of the region, reports Sheela Bhatt.
Rahul Gandhi attended thee public speeches in Jamnagar, Amreli and Sanand on Tuesday, but his careful attitude made them bland, says Sheela Bhatt.
Congress Party may agree to form a coalition government in Gujarat, a senior leader tells Sheela Bhatt
The arrest of Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal's nephew accepting a bribe of Rs 90 lakh has just added to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's woes. Sheela Bhatt profiles the bribe-giver
While speaking to Sheela Bhatt about Narendra Modi and the Congress's media strategy, Jaitley deliberately and subtly downplays Modi's projection as a prime ministerial candidate and the BJP leaders' endorsements of Modi for the top job as if it is a routine affair
'Anyone of them could have been the girl. So in a way it had what I call the 'rakhi effect'. Everyone felt the rape victim could have been my sister and everyone felt that could have been myself.' Professor Shiv Visvanathan speaks to Rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt on the recent demonstrations by India's youth, and on current political and social trends.
A senior government officer, who was dealing with Pakistan on sensitive and strategic issues, tells Sheela Bhatt that Pakistan never wanted Sarabit Singh to return to India and share all that he knew. He says the the killing of the Indian convict in a Lahore jail was a planned murder.
These decisions were unavoidable because India was at real risk of 'downgrading of its sovereign ratings.' That would have meant more stringent terms and conditions of borrowings, investments and international bargains in projects and trade.
Vahanvati's clear stand in court on Tuesday that he has not seen the draft copy of the CBI status report on the coal scam investigation means that there is some design behind his stand? The next stage of the drama will unfold CBI to file its version before the apex court on May 6. Sheela Bhatt reports.
Will the dithering government buckle under pressure from Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee to save itself from sinking into oblivion? Sheela Bhatt examines
Sheela Bhatt analyzes how Sonia Gandhi's leadership has failed her party, and how India has suffered
'The biggest damage is inflicted not during the riots, but after the riots. The curfews and inactivity brings misery to survivors of the riots. In every riot, some 3,000 Muslim families slip below the poverty line. Nobody talks about them.' Zafar Yunus Sareshwala, who speaks in Narendra Modi's favour and has initiated the dialogue between Modi and Gujarati Muslims, tells Rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt.
The Congress has done a disservice to its party leaders and workers by fielding a non-entity like Shweta Bhatt to take on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, feels Sheela Bhatt.
The Congress has done a disservice to its party leaders and workers by fielding a non-entity like Shweta Bhatt to take on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, feels Sheela Bhatt.
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Samjawadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party will have to change, modify or amend their stand on Foreign Direct Investment in retail to break the deadlock in Parliament, says Sheela Bhatt
'The BJP is the most progressive force within Hinduism today.'
Once the tremors of Mamata Banerjee and Mulayam Singh Yadav's political shock dies down, they will return for fresh negotiations with the Congress, notes Sheela Bhatt.
'They may malign the Congress, but I don't think the BJP will ever form the government on its own.' Ahmed Patel, the most powerful man in the Congress party after the Gandhis, speaks to Rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt in a rare and exclusive interview.
By asking Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to move the resolution authorising the Congress president to select the party's presidential nominee, Sonia Gandhi has strengthened her political position. Sheela Bhatt analyses
The Kumbhkarna has woken up and the prime minister can now rest easy. Sheela Bhatt presents the ten new trends set by the Uttar Pradesh elections
On such a historic day in the 127-year-old Congress party's history, Rahul Gandhi presented himself as a dreamy-eyed idealist who is trying to be a visionary instead of an Indian leader keen to be a man of steel to take on the hard realities of India. Sheela Bhatt assesses Rahul Gandhi's emotional first speech as Congress vice-president.
"One has to follow one's self-conscious. I resigned because Bharatiya Janata Party president Nitin Gadkari had appointed me in the party's national executive. It was the favour done by him to me. I am not satisfied with his actions now, so I resigned." says advocate Mahesh Jethamalani while talking exclusively to rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt.
Sheela Bhatt offers her take on Congress President Sonia Gandhi's speech that kicked off the the party's Chintan Shivir.
If Narendra Modi's forward march to Delhi is to be permitted then the president of BJP will be someone who is completely loyal to the RSS. That will improve Gadkari's chances though there is a serious lack on enthusiasm in the RSS on giving him a second term. Sheela Bhatt reports
Activist Arvind Kejriwal, in the second part of his interview with Sheela Bhatt, discusses how democracy has been replaced by oligarchy, the commonality of interests between the Congress and BJP, and how his political party will be different.
Sheela Bhatt, who traveled with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the BRICS Summit in Durban, gauges the buzz ahead of the event that begins Tuesday.
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