'I have faced 18 hours of darkness daily all my life.'
The prime minister was accompanied by three Union ministers C P Thakur, Bijoya Chakraborty and Ashok Pradhan.
'Good sense will prevail even on those who are opposing it and together we will fulfil Paramhans's dream,'
In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Lal Kishenchand Advani has requested the government to honour former Prime Minister and senior BJP leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee with the Bharat Ratna, the country's higest civilian honour.
Before leaving for a six-day visit to China, the prime minister said India accorded 'top priority' to ties with China.
'Narendra Modi is one person who came up fighting many injustices. So, he is a fighter all the time, and that makes all the difference.'
Mohite is expected to replace Heavy Industries Minister Balasaheb Vikhe Patil, who has resigned on the directive of his party chief Bal Thackeray.
The National Security Adviser during his visit to the US had an unscheduled substantive meeting with US President George W Bush.
Rehman had suggested that the Simla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration could be the basis for normalisation of Indo-Pak ties.
'We will discuss it with an open mind,' the former PM said.
According to insiders, their lack of enthusiasm is showing on the ground. There is nothing to suggest that their enthusiasm will return in the final four phases of polling, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
'We want our military tanks in Lahore, missiles in Rawalpindi and the saffron flag in Karachi,' Togadia said at a trishul diksha programme in Delhi.
The prime minister gave this assurance to an all-party delegation from Manipur led by Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh. Singh also wanted a constitutional amendment in this regard.
The team won the ODI series against Pakistan.
The Indian prime minister described his Israeli counterpart's visit as an important landmark in bilateral relations.
"In the NDA's meeting, it was decided to authorise Vajpayeeji to nominate a person of his choice by holding talks," NDA convenor George Fernandes told newsmen outside the residence of the former PM.
His observations came as news reports spoke of Modi, the Hindutva icon, being angry with Singh's decision.
Expressing serious concern over "two distinct voices" that have emerged "louder" after the Gujarat election, the prime minister said Hindutva was being projected by "some people in a narrow, rigid and extremist manner."
The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said he was betrayed by the BJP-RSS leadership.
Former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, who turned 88 on Sunday, was greeted by a host of senior leaders including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Books and films were the bonding factors for his friendship with former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Lal Kishenchand Advani said.
The prime minister will be in the state for four days.
"Indian sports persons had done well in the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games and now we are ready to enter the Olympics," the Indian prime minister said.
One hopes the new Lok Sabha will mark a break from a dismal tradition -- lack of interest in defence and security policies, argues Colonel Anil A Athale.
Known to be close and loyal to Bharatiya Janata Party veteran and former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, senior BJP leader and four time MP Lal Muni Choubey on Monday announced that he would contest as an independent from Buxar.
He said since the prime minister does not have the parliamentary majority to bring in a law to construct the Ram Temple at Ayodhya, he should resign and seek a fresh mandate.
The prime minister had a puja at his residence followed by breakfast with his deputy Advani and his family.
'Just because the NDA has a majority and the BJP is the single largest party does not mean that this Modi government enjoys a majority in the Lok Sabha.' 'It is always possible that some members (of the NDA and even the BJP) may defect, some members may not want him to be the prime minister and they might vote differently (against Modi) in the confidence vote.'
'The lack of a majority isn't the issue. He has enough in 240, especially as none of his allies can pull down his coalition.' 'That's why he's started as if this were just another, normal term. That pretence is vital for him.' 'The change for Modi 3.0 comes not from numbers, but from the new environment of contestation,' points out Shekhar Gupta.
Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad Yadav on Tuesday said he was in favour of extending reservation benefits to Muslims but emphasised that it should be based on social backwardness and 'not on the basis of religion'.
'The BJP is racing against its opponents by putting a chain on their legs.'
Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's niece Karuna Shukla on Thursday joined the Congress and slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, saying his promise of serving the country is nothing but "plain dishonesty".
