No Confidence Motion against the Indian government, which was moved by the Opposition, has been accepted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday (July 26) on the ongoing Manipur issue.&nbsp;

Gaurav Gogoi, the Congress's deputy leader in Lok Sabha submitted a notice for the No Confidence Motion and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) floor leader Nageshwar Rao submitted a separate notice to the Speaker.&nbsp;

The speaker of the lower house of parliament said, "I will discuss with the leaders of all parties and inform of you of an appropriate time to take this up for discussion."&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/watch-pm-modis-2018-prophecy-of-opposition-bringing-no-confidence-motion-goes-viral-619497">PM Modi's 2018 prophecy of opposition bringing no-confidence motion goes viral</a>&nbsp;

Lok Sabha was also adjourned till 2:00pm (IST) amid sloganeering by the Opposition MPs who were demanding PM Narendra Modi's presence in the House for discussion on Manipur violence. Rajya Sabha was also adjourned briefly.&nbsp;

While speaking to reporters, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said, "The Prime Minister should make a statement on this (Manipur issue). Whatever is happening in Manipur, the opposition is unitedly raising this issue..."&nbsp;

<h2>What happened in No Confidence Motion?&nbsp;</h2>

No Confidence Motion allows the opposition to challenge the government's majority on the House floor. If the government fails to do so, the administration must resign.&nbsp;

Watch this report:&nbsp;

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The opposition alliance has been cornering the ruling government on the Manipur ethnic violence. Ever since the monsoon session of parliament began on July 20, the Mampir situation has dominated it.&nbsp;

Congress MP K Suresh said, "I.N.D.I.A partners unanimously decide to move a no-confidence motion against the NDA government. The government, Home Minister and Defence Minister are saying that we're ready for the discussion in the House, but they are not making the atmosphere in the House for discussion."&nbsp;

Suresh also claimed that "we have enough numbers to move a no-confidence motion against the government" as he said PM Modi is not coming to the House and sitting every day in his chamber, meeting media and having BJP parliamentary party meetings.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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No Confidence Motion against the Indian government, which was moved by the Opposition, has been accepted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday (July 26) on the ongoing Manipur issue.

No Confidence Motion against the Indian government, which was moved by the Opposition, has been accepted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday (July 26) on the ongoing Manipur issue. Gaurav Gogoi, the Congress's deputy leader in Lok Sabha submitted a notice for the No Confidence Motion and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) floor leader Nageshwar Rao submitted a separate notice to the Speaker. The speaker of the lower house of parliament said, "I will discuss with the leaders of all parties and inform of you of an appropriate time to take this up for discussion." Also read: PM Modi's 2018 prophecy of opposition bringing no-confidence motion goes viral Lok Sabha was also adjourned till 2:00pm (IST) amid sloganeering by the Opposition MPs who were demanding PM Narendra Modi's presence in the House for discussion on Manipur violence. Rajya Sabha was also adjourned briefly. While speaking to reporters, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said, "The Prime Minister should make a statement on this (Manipur issue). Whatever is happening in Manipur, the opposition is unitedly raising this issue..." What happened in No Confidence Motion? No Confidence Motion allows the opposition to challenge the government's majority on the House floor. If the government fails to do so, the administration must resign. Watch this report: × The opposition alliance has been cornering the ruling government on the Manipur ethnic violence. Ever since the monsoon session of parliament began on July 20, the Mampir situation has dominated it. Congress MP K Suresh said, "I.N.D.I.A partners unanimously decide to move a no-confidence motion against the NDA government. The government, Home Minister and Defence Minister are saying that we're ready for the discussion in the House, but they are not making the atmosphere in the House for discussion." Suresh also claimed that "we have enough numbers to move a no-confidence motion against the government" as he said PM Modi is not coming to the House and sitting every day in his chamber, meeting media and having BJP parliamentary party meetings. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

India: Trust vote against Modi govt accepted by Lok Sabha speaker

The joint meeting of the opposition parties in India will be held on July 17-18 in the state of Karnataka’s Bengaluru ahead of Parliament’s monsoon session, announced the Congress Party, on Monday (July 3). This comes a day after Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar’s nephew Ajit Pawar crossed party lines in the Indian state of Maharashtra and joined the NDA government.&nbsp;

<h2>About the upcoming meeting</h2>

The announcement was made by Indian National Congress (INC) General Secretary KC Venugopal in a tweet which said, “After a hugely successful All-Opposition meeting in Patna, we will be holding the next meeting in Bengaluru on 17 and 18 July, 2023.”

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/ncp-chief-sharad-pawar-reacts-to-nephew-ajits-rebellion-says-some-fell-pray-to-bjps-tactics-611430">NCP chief Sharad Pawar reacts to nephew Ajit's rebellion, says 'some fell pray to BJP's tactics'</a>

He added, “We are steadfast in our unwavering resolve to defeat the fascist and undemocratic forces and present a bold vision to take the country forward.” The meeting was earlier scheduled to take place on July 13-14 in Bengaluru but it was postponed.&nbsp;

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After a hugely successful All-Opposition meeting in Patna, we will be holding the next meeting in Bengaluru on 17 and 18 July, 2023. 
 
We are steadfast in our unwavering resolve to defeat the fascist and undemocratic forces and present a bold vision to take the country forward.
— K C Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) <a href="https://twitter.com/kcvenugopalmp/status/1675776442398035968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Prior to this, the opposition meeting was supposed to take place in Shimla but the venue was changed to Bengaluru, said Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, last week. This also comes after Venugopal told ANI that Ajit Pawar’s rebellion is “not going to affect opposition unity,” and it is “NCP’s issue.”

<h2>Ajit Pawar’s move in Maharashtra</h2>

The announcement of the opposition meeting comes a day after NCP senior leader Ajit Pawar crossed party lines and joined the incumbent Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led state government and was sworn in as the new deputy CM of the state, a post he will share with the current Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-ncps-ajit-pawar-joins-nda-government-takes-oath-as-deputy-chief-minister-of-maharashtra-611044">India: NCP's Ajit Pawar joins NDA government, takes oath as deputy chief minister of Maharashtra</a>

Addressing the NCP workers and supporters at the Yashwant Chavan Samadhi in the Indian city of Karad in Maharashtra, party chief Sharad Pawar, on Monday, said, “We were serving Maharashtra under Uddhav Thackeray but our government was toppled by some people. The same happened in some other parts of the country too in Delhi, Punjab and West Bengal where the governments are working democratically, are being attacked.”&nbsp;

However, he did not mention Ajit Pawar who caused the split in the NCP. The NCP chief earlier also said he would sit with Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Uddhav Thackeray to “assess the situation. Our main strength is the common people, they have elected us. We will work to strengthen the party again.” 
 
 
&nbsp;

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The joint meeting of the opposition parties in India will be held on July 17-18 in the state of Karnataka’s Bengaluru ahead of Parliament’s monsoon session, announced the Congress Party, on Monday (July 3).

The joint meeting of the opposition parties in India will be held on July 17-18 in the state of Karnataka’s Bengaluru ahead of Parliament’s monsoon session, announced the Congress Party, on Monday (July 3). This comes a day after Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar’s nephew Ajit Pawar crossed party lines in the Indian state of Maharashtra and joined the NDA government. About the upcoming meeting The announcement was made by Indian National Congress (INC) General Secretary KC Venugopal in a tweet which said, “After a hugely successful All-Opposition meeting in Patna, we will be holding the next meeting in Bengaluru on 17 and 18 July, 2023.” ALSO READ | NCP chief Sharad Pawar reacts to nephew Ajit's rebellion, says 'some fell pray to BJP's tactics' He added, “We are steadfast in our unwavering resolve to defeat the fascist and undemocratic forces and present a bold vision to take the country forward.” The meeting was earlier scheduled to take place on July 13-14 in Bengaluru but it was postponed. After a hugely successful All-Opposition meeting in Patna, we will be holding the next meeting in Bengaluru on 17 and 18 July, 2023. We are steadfast in our unwavering resolve to defeat the fascist and undemocratic forces and present a bold vision to take the country forward. — K C Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) July 3, 2023 × Prior to this, the opposition meeting was supposed to take place in Shimla but the venue was changed to Bengaluru, said Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, last week. This also comes after Venugopal told ANI that Ajit Pawar’s rebellion is “not going to affect opposition unity,” and it is “NCP’s issue.” Ajit Pawar’s move in Maharashtra The announcement of the opposition meeting comes a day after NCP senior leader Ajit Pawar crossed party lines and joined the incumbent Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led state government and was sworn in as the new deputy CM of the state, a post he will share with the current Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis. ALSO READ | India: NCP's Ajit Pawar joins NDA government, takes oath as deputy chief minister of Maharashtra Addressing the NCP workers and supporters at the Yashwant Chavan Samadhi in the Indian city of Karad in Maharashtra, party chief Sharad Pawar, on Monday, said, “We were serving Maharashtra under Uddhav Thackeray but our government was toppled by some people. The same happened in some other parts of the country too in Delhi, Punjab and West Bengal where the governments are working democratically, are being attacked.” However, he did not mention Ajit Pawar who caused the split in the NCP. The NCP chief earlier also said he would sit with Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Uddhav Thackeray to “assess the situation. Our main strength is the common people, they have elected us. We will work to strengthen the party again.” WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Indian opposition parties to meet on July 17-18 in Bengaluru, says Congress party

Drawing the battle lines, opposition parties on Friday resolved to take on the BJP unitedly in 2024 Lok Sabha elections at a crucial meeting in Patna, the capital of&nbsp;the eastern Indian state of Bihar, even as fissures emerged with the AAP asserting that it would be difficult for it to be part of any such gathering in future till the Congress publicly supports it on the ordinance issue.

At a joint press meeting, opposition parties said they would fight the polls on a common agenda and state-wise strategy, setting aside their differences with a flexible approach.

The plan of action is expected to be formulated at the second meeting to be chaired by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, tentatively on July 10 or 12, in Shimla.

"We will have to evolve separate plans for every state and will work together to dethrone the BJP at the Centre," Kharge said.

Launching a blistering attack on the BJP, West Bengal chief minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee claimed that if the "dictatorial government" at the Centre returns to power this time, there will be no elections in the future.

Over 32 leaders of more than a dozen political parties attended the meeting hosted by Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar at his 1, Aney Marg residence.

While Mayawati (BSP), Naveen Patnaik (BJD), K Chandrashekar Rao (BRS)&nbsp; and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy (YSRCP) were not invited, RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary did not attend the meeting due to a "predetermined family programme".

There was lack of clarity on the exact number of parties that pledged to take on the BJP unitedly with leaders such as Nitish Kumar and Banerjee putting the number at 17 and some others like Yechury stating that 15 parties were there.

The BJP reacted strongly to the Opposition meeting, calling it a "multi-headed selfish alliance" and compared it with wolves hunting in packs.&nbsp;

Home Minister Amit Shah described the opposition unity meeting as a mere "photo session".

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Despite repeated assertions by the opposition parties that they were united, fissures in their ranks became apparent when AAP issued a statement after the meeting, claiming that the Congress has "refused" to publicly denounce the Centre's ordinance on Delhi's administrative services.&nbsp;

Also watch |&nbsp;'Adipurush' film ban lifted in Nepal | backlash continues

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The Arvind Kejriwal-led outfit said that until the Congress publicly denounces the Centre's ordinance on Delhi's administrative services and declares that all 31 of its RS MPs will oppose the ordinance in the Rajya Sabha, it will be difficult for AAP to participate in future meetings of like-minded parties where the Congress is a participant.

The Congress' silence raises suspicions about its real intentions, the AAP said.

West Bengal CM asked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal to sort out their issues on the Delhi Ordinance over a cup of tea at a later date, reminding them that the Patna meeting was not the ideal forum for the discussion, sources said.

According to sources, Congress chief Kharge gave in-principle support on the issue, saying his party doesn't support anything unconstitutional. The Congress has a set mechanism for taking up issues and an announcement on it will be done at a later date, he said.

Earlier, the Congress chief had said the party will take a decision before monsoon session of Parliament.

Sources said at no point Kejriwal threatened to walk out of the meeting.

In fact, all the opposition party members in attendance sided with the Congress and maintained that the Congress' line on the issue was a "reasonable one".&nbsp;

During the meeting, Rahul Gandhi said that he was attending the meeting with a clean slate "without any memory of past likes or dislikes with any of the parties in attendance", according to sources.&nbsp;

He also said he and his party would do anything to keep the opposition parties together.&nbsp;

"We may have some differences but have decided to work together with flexibility and will work to protect our ideology," Gandhi said and alleged that India's foundations and institutions were being attacked.

The Congress leader also suggested that the Opposition would have to break the financial, institutional and constitutional monopoly of the BJP to defeat it.&nbsp;

Banerjee during her address said it was important for all parties to ensure support for the Congress wherever the party was the strongest.&nbsp;

During the meeting, RJD chief Lalu Prasad was given a rousing welcome by the opposition party leaders as he started his speech as the second speaker.&nbsp;

Yadav suggested that for the 2024 general election, the opposition fight should be led by the biggest party in each state and requested&nbsp;the Congress to be generous in sharing seats.

Bihar CM, who was the first to speak, said that while 15 opposition parties were in attendance, at least 10 more will be joining the ranks soon.&nbsp;

Kejriwal said for the 2024 election, the motto should be "nation first, party second."&nbsp; He said when parties give up seats for their partners, their victory should be a victory for the united front.

Jharkhand's Hemant Soren (JMM), Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav, Maharashtra's former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray (Shiv Sena-UBT), National Conference Leader Omar Abdullah and NCP president Sharad Pawar were also among the leaders who attended the nearly four-hours-long meeting.

Kumar (JD(U) and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav (RJD), who hosted the meeting, as well as Peoples Democratic Party leader Mehbooba Mufti, CPI general secretary D Raja, CPI (ML) leader Dipankar Bhattacharya and CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury were also present at the meeting and the joint presser.

However, Kejriwal and his Tamil Nadu counterpart MK Stalin did not participate in the press briefing. Stalin had to catch a flight for prior commitments.&nbsp;

Kumar, however, said both had to leave as they had to take their plane back home.&nbsp;

Speaking with reporters after reaching Chennai, Stalin said the meeting did not decide on fielding a common prime ministerial candidate but resolved to consolidate all democratic forces to defeat the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.

There have also been tensions between the Congress and TMC over the Panchayat polls violence in West Bengal but they seemed to have taken a backseat Friday with Banerjee asserting that the Opposition has resolved to fight the BJP unitedly.

Banerjee said she had urged Kumar to organise the first meeting in Patna as "whatever starts from Patna, takes the shape of a people's movement".

She said there are three key takeaways from the meeting in Patna -- the opposition is united, it will fight together and the fight is against the BJP's "tyrannical rule and vendetta politics." "The BJP wants to change history but we'll ensure that history is saved," she said.

NCP supremo Sharad Pawar said just like the JP movement, "our united front will get the blessings of the public".

"The message from the Patna meeting is clear for all of us that we need to work together to save the country," said Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav.

Jharkhand Chief Minister and JMM leader Soren said today's beginning will prove to be a milestone for the country and all leaders will move together with positive thinking.

At the press conference, Uddhav Thackeray said, "we will stand against the tyrants", referring to the BJP.

He said parties can have different ideologies and differences but they belong to one country and will work together to save the people from those in power currently.

On his part NC leader Omar Abdullah said parties from Kashmir to Kanyakumari have come together "not for power, but for principles and to save the Constitution".

CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury said the main issue is to protect the character of our secular democratic country which the "BJP wants to change".

CPI leader D Raja alleged that BJP's nine-year rule has become "disastrous and detrimental" to the constitution of our country.

"We can't let Gandhi's India become Godse's country," PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti said after the meeting.

In the current Lok Sabha, the combined strength of these parties accounts for less than 200 of the 543 seats, though their leaders are hopeful of together turning the tables on the saffron party which enjoys a brute majority with a 300-plus tally.

The Congress, which is seen as the principal rival of&nbsp; BJP, had won 52 seats in 2019, a slight improvement over its 2014 performance when it won only 44 - an all-time low.&nbsp;

Drawing the battle lines, opposition parties on Friday resolved to take on the BJP unitedly in 2024 Lok Sabha elections at a crucial meeting in Patna, the capital of the eastern Indian state of Bihar, even as fissures emerged with the AAP asserting that it would be difficult for it to be part of any such gathering in future till the Congress publicly supports it on the ordinance issue.

Drawing the battle lines, opposition parties on Friday resolved to take on the BJP unitedly in 2024 Lok Sabha elections at a crucial meeting in Patna, the capital of the eastern Indian state of Bihar, even as fissures emerged with the AAP asserting that it would be difficult for it to be part of any such gathering in future till the Congress publicly supports it on the ordinance issue. At a joint press meeting, opposition parties said they would fight the polls on a common agenda and state-wise strategy, setting aside their differences with a flexible approach. The plan of action is expected to be formulated at the second meeting to be chaired by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, tentatively on July 10 or 12, in Shimla. "We will have to evolve separate plans for every state and will work together to dethrone the BJP at the Centre," Kharge said. Launching a blistering attack on the BJP, West Bengal chief minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee claimed that if the "dictatorial government" at the Centre returns to power this time, there will be no elections in the future. Over 32 leaders of more than a dozen political parties attended the meeting hosted by Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar at his 1, Aney Marg residence. While Mayawati (BSP), Naveen Patnaik (BJD), K Chandrashekar Rao (BRS) and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy (YSRCP) were not invited, RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary did not attend the meeting due to a "predetermined family programme". There was lack of clarity on the exact number of parties that pledged to take on the BJP unitedly with leaders such as Nitish Kumar and Banerjee putting the number at 17 and some others like Yechury stating that 15 parties were there. The BJP reacted strongly to the Opposition meeting, calling it a "multi-headed selfish alliance" and compared it with wolves hunting in packs. Home Minister Amit Shah described the opposition unity meeting as a mere "photo session". Also read | Indian education agent arrested in Canada in connection with fake college admission letters scandal Despite repeated assertions by the opposition parties that they were united, fissures in their ranks became apparent when AAP issued a statement after the meeting, claiming that the Congress has "refused" to publicly denounce the Centre's ordinance on Delhi's administrative services. Also watch | 'Adipurush' film ban lifted in Nepal | backlash continues The Arvind Kejriwal-led outfit said that until the Congress publicly denounces the Centre's ordinance on Delhi's administrative services and declares that all 31 of its RS MPs will oppose the ordinance in the Rajya Sabha, it will be difficult for AAP to participate in future meetings of like-minded parties where the Congress is a participant. The Congress' silence raises suspicions about its real intentions, the AAP said. West Bengal CM asked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal to sort out their issues on the Delhi Ordinance over a cup of tea at a later date, reminding them that the Patna meeting was not the ideal forum for the discussion, sources said. According to sources, Congress chief Kharge gave in-principle support on the issue, saying his party doesn't support anything unconstitutional. The Congress has a set mechanism for taking up issues and an announcement on it will be done at a later date, he said. Earlier, the Congress chief had said the party will take a decision before monsoon session of Parliament. Sources said at no point Kejriwal threatened to walk out of the meeting. In fact, all the opposition party members in attendance sided with the Congress and maintained that the Congress' line on the issue was a "reasonable one". During the meeting, Rahul Gandhi said that he was attending the meeting with a clean slate "without any memory of past likes or dislikes with any of the parties in attendance", according to sources. He also said he and his party would do anything to keep the opposition parties together. "We may have some differences but have decided to work together with flexibility and will work to protect our ideology," Gandhi said and alleged that India's foundations and institutions were being attacked. The Congress leader also suggested that the Opposition would have to break the financial, institutional and constitutional monopoly of the BJP to defeat it. Banerjee during her address said it was important for all parties to ensure support for the Congress wherever the party was the strongest. During the meeting, RJD chief Lalu Prasad was given a rousing welcome by the opposition party leaders as he started his speech as the second speaker. Yadav suggested that for the 2024 general election, the opposition fight should be led by the biggest party in each state and requested the Congress to be generous in sharing seats. Bihar CM, who was the first to speak, said that while 15 opposition parties were in attendance, at least 10 more will be joining the ranks soon. Kejriwal said for the 2024 election, the motto should be "nation first, party second." He said when parties give up seats for their partners, their victory should be a victory for the united front. Jharkhand's Hemant Soren (JMM), Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav, Maharashtra's former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray (Shiv Sena-UBT), National Conference Leader Omar Abdullah and NCP president Sharad Pawar were also among the leaders who attended the nearly four-hours-long meeting. Kumar (JD(U) and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav (RJD), who hosted the meeting, as well as Peoples Democratic Party leader Mehbooba Mufti, CPI general secretary D Raja, CPI (ML) leader Dipankar Bhattacharya and CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury were also present at the meeting and the joint presser. However, Kejriwal and his Tamil Nadu counterpart MK Stalin did not participate in the press briefing. Stalin had to catch a flight for prior commitments. Kumar, however, said both had to leave as they had to take their plane back home. Speaking with reporters after reaching Chennai, Stalin said the meeting did not decide on fielding a common prime ministerial candidate but resolved to consolidate all democratic forces to defeat the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. There have also been tensions between the Congress and TMC over the Panchayat polls violence in West Bengal but they seemed to have taken a backseat Friday with Banerjee asserting that the Opposition has resolved to fight the BJP unitedly. Banerjee said she had urged Kumar to organise the first meeting in Patna as "whatever starts from Patna, takes the shape of a people's movement". She said there are three key takeaways from the meeting in Patna -- the opposition is united, it will fight together and the fight is against the BJP's "tyrannical rule and vendetta politics." "The BJP wants to change history but we'll ensure that history is saved," she said. NCP supremo Sharad Pawar said just like the JP movement, "our united front will get the blessings of the public". "The message from the Patna meeting is clear for all of us that we need to work together to save the country," said Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav. Jharkhand Chief Minister and JMM leader Soren said today's beginning will prove to be a milestone for the country and all leaders will move together with positive thinking. At the press conference, Uddhav Thackeray said, "we will stand against the tyrants", referring to the BJP. He said parties can have different ideologies and differences but they belong to one country and will work together to save the people from those in power currently. On his part NC leader Omar Abdullah said parties from Kashmir to Kanyakumari have come together "not for power, but for principles and to save the Constitution". CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury said the main issue is to protect the character of our secular democratic country which the "BJP wants to change". CPI leader D Raja alleged that BJP's nine-year rule has become "disastrous and detrimental" to the constitution of our country. "We can't let Gandhi's India become Godse's country," PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti said after the meeting. In the current Lok Sabha, the combined strength of these parties accounts for less than 200 of the 543 seats, though their leaders are hopeful of together turning the tables on the saffron party which enjoys a brute majority with a 300-plus tally. The Congress, which is seen as the principal rival of BJP, had won 52 seats in 2019, a slight improvement over its 2014 performance when it won only 44 - an all-time low.

India: Opposition unites, sets sights on winning 2024 polls, next conclave in Shimla to forge agenda

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla Monday said all Covid-related protocols will be followed during the Monsoon Session of parliament scheduled to begin from July 19.

He said those who have not been vaccinated against coronavirus will be requested to undergo an RT-PCR test before entering the parliament premises during the session.

Addressing a press conference in the parliament complex, Birla said 323 MPs have been fully vaccinated against the virus, while 23 have not been able to take their first jab due to some medical reasons.

Birla said both the Houses will sit simultaneously and proceedings will start from 11 am.

The Monsoon Session of parliament will begin from July 19 and conclude on August 13.

Since the pandemic began, three sessions of Parliament were curtailed while the winter session last year had to be cancelled.

The Monsoon Session, which usually starts in July, had begun in September last year owing to the pandemic situation.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla Monday said all Covid-related protocols will be followed during the Monsoon Session of parliament scheduled to begin from July 19. He said those who have not been vaccinated against coronavirus will be requested to undergo an RT-PCR test before entering the parliament premises during the session.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla Monday said all Covid-related protocols will be followed during the Monsoon Session of parliament scheduled to begin from July 19. He said those who have not been vaccinated against coronavirus will be requested to undergo an RT-PCR test before entering the parliament premises during the session. Addressing a press conference in the parliament complex, Birla said 323 MPs have been fully vaccinated against the virus, while 23 have not been able to take their first jab due to some medical reasons. Birla said both the Houses will sit simultaneously and proceedings will start from 11 am. The Monsoon Session of parliament will begin from July 19 and conclude on August 13. Since the pandemic began, three sessions of Parliament were curtailed while the winter session last year had to be cancelled. The Monsoon Session, which usually starts in July, had begun in September last year owing to the pandemic situation.

Monsoon Session of Parliament from July 19, will have 19 business days 

Women are not immune to misogyny in public life. In politics, the open targeting just makes it clear the deep patriarchal bias that runs in our society despite laws in place.

Why successful women politicians are called temperamental | Opinion | WION

We discuss the role of standing committees in Indian Parliament and how its related to on going disruptions in the parliament.

Role of Standing Committees in Indian Parliament

Condemning the statement of Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/lok-sabha-refers-personal-data-protection-bill-to-joint-parliamentary-committee-267725">Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury</a> on the arrest of Jammu and Kashmir cop Davinder Singh, BJP leader <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/priyanka-gandhi-ji-visit-kota-and-ask-for-cm-ashok-gehlots-resignation-sambit-patra-273407">Sambit Patra</a> on Tuesday said that Congress' behaviour deserves a 'democratic surgical strike'. 
 
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/nia-to-take-over-jk-police-officers-arrest-case-as-investigation-reveals-new-findings-274013">Davindar Singh</a> was arrested along with two wanted Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists from Shopian in Jammu and Kashmir on January 11. 
 
"We all know that a DSP of Jammu and Kashmir has been arrested for involvement in terrorist activity. But Congress has done what it is best at and that is to attack India and try to protect Pakistan," said Patra while addressing a press conference in New Delhi". 
 
"The kind of behaviour the Congress party has shown today deserves a democratic surgical strike. They're appeasing Pakistan every day. The BJP condemns the statement of Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, LOP of Congress and Randeep Surjewala, the head of media," he added. 
 
Patra further added that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/aimim-chief-asaduddin-owaisi-take-money-from-congress-but-vote-for-me-274140">Congress</a> attacks India, Indian Army, Intelligent Forces, Indian Jawans and Government of India on a regular basis. 
 
"Congress has time and again found religion in terror. They coined the terms Saffron Terror and Hindu terrorism. At the behest of Sonia Gandhi, they had coined the term 'Saffron Terror'," said Patra.

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This is the same Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury who had stood up in the Parliament during the abrogation of Article 370 and had said, "Did you ask Pakistan? Did you ask UN? This is a bilateral issue." 
 
Why are they singing the tune of Pakistan: Dr. <a href="https://twitter.com/sambitswaraj?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sambitswaraj</a>
— BJP (@BJP4India) <a href="https://twitter.com/BJP4India/status/1216992072957231104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Patra further asserted that Congress leader <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/opposition-parties-rue-passage-of-citizenship-amendment-bill-in-lower-house-267327">Tarun Gogoi</a> had recently called Prime Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/p-chidambaram-wants-pm-modi-to-have-televised-qa-session-over-caa-with-critics-273880">Narendra Modi</a>, a 'Hindu Jinnah'. 
 
"The Congress attacked Modi Ji and called him Hindu Jinnah. Using words like Hindu Jinnah, Hindu terrorism is to prove Hindus as terrorists somewhere. Rahul Gandhi also said that, we are not afraid of SIMI or Islamic terrorism, we are afraid of Hindus," said Patra. 
 
Patra said after Chowdhury stated that the "troll regiment of RSS" would have been more strident and vociferous had arrested Jammu and Kashmir cop Davindar Singh been "Davindar Khan" and raised a question on who the "real culprits" behind the Pulwama attack were. 
 
Citing the incident, Chowdhury demanded a "fresh look" in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/amit-shah-attacks-congress-over-inaction-against-terrorism-says-pm-modi-ensured-india-is-safe-258293">Pulwama attack</a> in 40 CRPF personnel were killed in February last year.

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Had <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DavindarSingh?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DavindarSingh</a> by default been Davindar khan ,the reaction of troll regiment of RSS would have been more strident and vociferous. Enemies of our country ought to be condemned irrespective of Colour, Creed, and Religion. 
(1/3)
— Adhir Chowdhury (@adhirrcinc) <a href="https://twitter.com/adhirrcinc/status/1216955844178243584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2020</a></blockquote>
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"Had #DavindarSingh by default been Davindar khan, the reaction of troll regiment of RSS would have been more strident and vociferous. Enemies of our country ought to be condemned irrespective of Colour, Creed, and Religion," the Congress leader said in a series of tweets. 
 
"The chink in the armour is exposed in the valley much to the consternation of us, we can not afford ourselves to be penny wise and pound foolish," he tweeted. 
 
"Now the question will certainly be arisen as to who were real culprits behind the gruesome Pulwama incident, need a fresh look on it," he said in another tweet. 
Singh and the terrorists were arrested while they were travelling together in a vehicle on the National Highway in J-K.

Condemning the statement of Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on the arrest of Jammu and Kashmir cop Davinder Singh, BJP leader Sambit Patra on Tuesday said that Congress' behaviour deserves a 'democratic surgical strike'.

Condemning the statement of Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on the arrest of Jammu and Kashmir cop Davinder Singh, BJP leader Sambit Patra on Tuesday said that Congress' behaviour deserves a 'democratic surgical strike'. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Davindar Singh was arrested along with two wanted Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists from Shopian in Jammu and Kashmir on January 11. "We all know that a DSP of Jammu and Kashmir has been arrested for involvement in terrorist activity. But Congress has done what it is best at and that is to attack India and try to protect Pakistan," said Patra while addressing a press conference in New Delhi". "The kind of behaviour the Congress party has shown today deserves a democratic surgical strike. They're appeasing Pakistan every day. The BJP condemns the statement of Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, LOP of Congress and Randeep Surjewala, the head of media," he added. Patra further added that Congress attacks India, Indian Army, Intelligent Forces, Indian Jawans and Government of India on a regular basis. "Congress has time and again found religion in terror. They coined the terms Saffron Terror and Hindu terrorism. At the behest of Sonia Gandhi, they had coined the term 'Saffron Terror'," said Patra. This is the same Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury who had stood up in the Parliament during the abrogation of Article 370 and had said, "Did you ask Pakistan? Did you ask UN? This is a bilateral issue." Why are they singing the tune of Pakistan: Dr. @sambitswaraj — BJP (@BJP4India) January 14, 2020 × Patra further asserted that Congress leader Tarun Gogoi had recently called Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a 'Hindu Jinnah'. "The Congress attacked Modi Ji and called him Hindu Jinnah. Using words like Hindu Jinnah, Hindu terrorism is to prove Hindus as terrorists somewhere. Rahul Gandhi also said that, we are not afraid of SIMI or Islamic terrorism, we are afraid of Hindus," said Patra. Patra said after Chowdhury stated that the "troll regiment of RSS" would have been more strident and vociferous had arrested Jammu and Kashmir cop Davindar Singh been "Davindar Khan" and raised a question on who the "real culprits" behind the Pulwama attack were. Citing the incident, Chowdhury demanded a "fresh look" in the Pulwama attack in 40 CRPF personnel were killed in February last year. Had #DavindarSingh by default been Davindar khan ,the reaction of troll regiment of RSS would have been more strident and vociferous. Enemies of our country ought to be condemned irrespective of Colour, Creed, and Religion. (1/3) — Adhir Chowdhury (@adhirrcinc) January 14, 2020 × "Had #DavindarSingh by default been Davindar khan, the reaction of troll regiment of RSS would have been more strident and vociferous. Enemies of our country ought to be condemned irrespective of Colour, Creed, and Religion," the Congress leader said in a series of tweets. "The chink in the armour is exposed in the valley much to the consternation of us, we can not afford ourselves to be penny wise and pound foolish," he tweeted. "Now the question will certainly be arisen as to who were real culprits behind the gruesome Pulwama incident, need a fresh look on it," he said in another tweet. Singh and the terrorists were arrested while they were travelling together in a vehicle on the National Highway in J-K.

Congress deserves a 'democratic surgical strike': Sambit Patra

Congress, on Monday, called for&nbsp;the opposition parties for a&nbsp;meeting&nbsp;to discuss the political dynamics and current situation of the country which <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/just-look-up-you-will-find-cctvs-on-every-lane-sisodia-to-shah-272797">Aam Aadmi Party</a>, Bahujan Samaj Party and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/trinamool-congress-supremo-mamata-banerjee-to-boycott-opposition-meet-in-delhi-273257">Trinamool Congress</a> are not likely to attend.&nbsp;

Discussions will be held on several issues including the amended <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/opposition-playing-political-games-over-citizenship-amendment-act-says-prime-minister-narendra-modi-273683">Citizenship Amendment Act</a> (CAA), National Population Register (NPR), National Register of Citizens (NRC), and the violence in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/jnu-jamia-students-need-our-support-says-cong-leader-shashi-tharoor-273821">Jawaharlal Nehru University</a> (JNU) during the meeting scheduled to be held in Parliament annexe at 2 pm. 
 
Trinamool Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party and Aam Aadmi Party will not be taking part in the meeting.

Citing "betrayal" by Congress in Rajasthan, BSP chief <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/priyanka-gandhi-to-mayawati-she-must-visit-rajasthan-to-meet-kota-victimss-families-272134">Mayawati</a> on Monday said that her party will not attend the meeting of opposition parties, scheduled to take place later in the day.

"As is known, despite BSP supporting Congress government in Rajasthan from outside, they broke our MLAs for a second time and inducted them in their own party, which is a complete betrayal," Mayawati said in a tweet.

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3. वैसे भी बीएसपी CAA/NRC आदि के विरोध में है। केन्द्र सरकार से पुनः अपील है कि वह इस विभाजनकारी व असंवैधानिक कानून को वापिस ले। साथ ही, JNU व अन्य शिक्षण संस्थानों में भी छात्रों का राजनीतिकरण करना यह अति-दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण। 3/3
— Mayawati (@Mayawati) <a href="https://twitter.com/Mayawati/status/1216558471656529920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2020</a></blockquote>
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"Under such circumstances, BSP attending today's Opposition meeting called by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/hemant-soren-in-delhi-to-discuss-cabinet-expansion-with-congress-leaders-273822">Congress</a> will be demoralising for people of the party in Rajasthan. So, BSP will not take part in this meeting," she added.

Stressing that her party opposes the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), she said, "Once again, I appeal to the Central government to take back this divisive and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-priyanka-instigated-riots-by-supporting-anti-caa-drive-home-minister-amit-shah-272323">unconstitutional law</a>." 
 
In December last year, Opposition leaders had met President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/declaration-of-amaravathi-as-capital-was-unconstitutional-ysrcp-mla-to-president-kovind-272733">Ram Nath Kovind</a> and lodged their protest over police action against students over the Citizenship Amendment Bill.

Congress, on Monday, called for the opposition parties for a meeting to discuss the political dynamics and current situation of the country which Aam Aadmi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and Trinamool Congress are not likely to attend.

Congress, on Monday, called for the opposition parties for a meeting to discuss the political dynamics and current situation of the country which Aam Aadmi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and Trinamool Congress are not likely to attend. Discussions will be held on several issues including the amended Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Population Register (NPR), National Register of Citizens (NRC), and the violence in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) during the meeting scheduled to be held in Parliament annexe at 2 pm. Trinamool Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party and Aam Aadmi Party will not be taking part in the meeting. Citing "betrayal" by Congress in Rajasthan, BSP chief Mayawati on Monday said that her party will not attend the meeting of opposition parties, scheduled to take place later in the day. "As is known, despite BSP supporting Congress government in Rajasthan from outside, they broke our MLAs for a second time and inducted them in their own party, which is a complete betrayal," Mayawati said in a tweet. 3. वैसे भी बीएसपी CAA/NRC आदि के विरोध में है। केन्द्र सरकार से पुनः अपील है कि वह इस विभाजनकारी व असंवैधानिक कानून को वापिस ले। साथ ही, JNU व अन्य शिक्षण संस्थानों में भी छात्रों का राजनीतिकरण करना यह अति-दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण। 3/3 — Mayawati (@Mayawati) January 13, 2020 × "Under such circumstances, BSP attending today's Opposition meeting called by Congress will be demoralising for people of the party in Rajasthan. So, BSP will not take part in this meeting," she added. Stressing that her party opposes the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), she said, "Once again, I appeal to the Central government to take back this divisive and unconstitutional law." In December last year, Opposition leaders had met President Ram Nath Kovind and lodged their protest over police action against students over the Citizenship Amendment Bill.

Citizenship Act Protest: AAP, BSP not to attend today's opposition meeting called by Congress

While everyone has been talking of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the nation on August 8, it would be quite remiss if we did not pay tribute to his trusted deputy, India’s second most powerful man, Amit Anilchandra Shah.&nbsp;

A decisive, competent, and some would say, ruthless leader, Shah has come a long way from being forcibly evicted and exiled from his native Gujarat on October 30, 2010. Justice Aftab Alam had admitted a weekend petition at his official residence on a Saturday to kick out Shah. This even after the Gujarat High Court had granted Shah bail the previous day in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh murder case. Resigning as Gujarat’s Home Minister, it must have been terribly humiliating for Shah and his wife to shift to one room in Gujarat Bhavan, New Delhi.&nbsp;

In 2002, after winning from Sarkhej in the Gujarat Assembly elections, Shah had not only become one of the youngest ministers in the then Gujarat Chief Minister Modi’s Cabinet, but held several portfolios, in addition to Home. His meteoric rise in national politics, winning election after election for Modi and the BJP, was perhaps the unexpected fallout of this unsavoury and forced ejection from Gujarat. Needless to say, Shah has never looked back. Is it poetic justice or sweet revenge that today he commands India’s Home Ministry after once being evicted from the same ministry in his native state?

Just over two months into his tenure, Shah has dealt one of the greatest and boldest political blows to separatism and turmoil in Jammu and Kashmir. Of course, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Home Minister Amit Shah are working in tandem with perfect coordination and understanding. However, while we have seen Narendra Modi’s leadership and genius at work on numerous occasions, Shah has operated mostly behind the scenes as an organization builder, leader of the party rank and file, master strategist, and election-winning machine.&nbsp;

Now, Shah has proved that he can excel in his new role as Member of Parliament and Home Minister too. From being &nbsp;BJP party president and Modi’s right-hand man, Shah has now emerged as a leader in his own right. The manner in which he introduced and ensured the passage of the amendment to Article 370 in the Parliament through a presidential ordinance was extraordinary. This was a no less than a constitutional and legislative than a political coup, the credit for which should go in large measure to Shah.

Both before and after the abrogation of the special provisions given to Jammu and Kashmir in Article 370, there has been a tremendous build-up of negative propaganda in India and abroad. It almost seemed that a coordinated effort by the Valley politicians was supported by lobbies of journalists, intellectuals and government critics. Yet hardly any of those following the developments would have had a clue of the swift, sudden, and definitive manner with which history was going to be rewritten in India, the shape of Jammu &amp; Kashmir altered, the state bifurcated into two Union Territories.

Shah pulled this off practically overnight in a manner so deft and legally astute that it took even the government’s severest opponents by surprise. First, Amit Shah displayed his political acumen and resolve in Parliament, then followed this with an unprecedented alteration in both the history and geography of India through a Presidential order. The troops build-up, preventive detentions, cancellation of Amarnath yatra, elimination of intruders on the border, and several similar measures, not only took the enemies of India by surprise but also local naysayers and teeth-gnashers.&nbsp;

Making Jammu &amp; Kashmir a Union Territory rather than a state is Amit Shah’s masterstroke. Now it comes directly in the orbit of the central government i.e. his own Home Ministry rather than the widely regarded as corruptible J&amp;K police and already corrupted local political leadership. At long last, with Amit Shah as our Home Minister, we can expect radical changes on the ground, not just pious talk.

Of course, this is only the beginning. The success of the move must be ensured by careful monitoring of the border as well as measures taken in the two new Union Territories to prevent a recurrence of separatism and violence in the state. This is no doubt a great challenge but not one that is not impossible to overcome for the determined, in addition to resourceful, leadership of Modi and Shah.

After his remarkable intervention in Jammu and Kashmir, the next challenge for Shah is the Ram Janmabhumi-Babri Masjid imbroglio. But, by now there should be no doubt in anybody’s mind that the only Loh Purush (iron man) that India has produced after Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is Amitbhai Anilchandra Shah.

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-the-rise-of-amit-shah-as-india-s-new-loh-purush-2780451">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp;

While everyone has been talking of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the nation on August 8, it would be quite remiss if we did not pay tribute to his trusted deputy, India’s second most powerful man, Amit Anilchandra Shah.

While everyone has been talking of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the nation on August 8, it would be quite remiss if we did not pay tribute to his trusted deputy, India’s second most powerful man, Amit Anilchandra Shah. A decisive, competent, and some would say, ruthless leader, Shah has come a long way from being forcibly evicted and exiled from his native Gujarat on October 30, 2010. Justice Aftab Alam had admitted a weekend petition at his official residence on a Saturday to kick out Shah. This even after the Gujarat High Court had granted Shah bail the previous day in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh murder case. Resigning as Gujarat’s Home Minister, it must have been terribly humiliating for Shah and his wife to shift to one room in Gujarat Bhavan, New Delhi. In 2002, after winning from Sarkhej in the Gujarat Assembly elections, Shah had not only become one of the youngest ministers in the then Gujarat Chief Minister Modi’s Cabinet, but held several portfolios, in addition to Home. His meteoric rise in national politics, winning election after election for Modi and the BJP, was perhaps the unexpected fallout of this unsavoury and forced ejection from Gujarat. Needless to say, Shah has never looked back. Is it poetic justice or sweet revenge that today he commands India’s Home Ministry after once being evicted from the same ministry in his native state? Just over two months into his tenure, Shah has dealt one of the greatest and boldest political blows to separatism and turmoil in Jammu and Kashmir. Of course, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Home Minister Amit Shah are working in tandem with perfect coordination and understanding. However, while we have seen Narendra Modi’s leadership and genius at work on numerous occasions, Shah has operated mostly behind the scenes as an organization builder, leader of the party rank and file, master strategist, and election-winning machine. Now, Shah has proved that he can excel in his new role as Member of Parliament and Home Minister too. From being BJP party president and Modi’s right-hand man, Shah has now emerged as a leader in his own right. The manner in which he introduced and ensured the passage of the amendment to Article 370 in the Parliament through a presidential ordinance was extraordinary. This was a no less than a constitutional and legislative than a political coup, the credit for which should go in large measure to Shah. Both before and after the abrogation of the special provisions given to Jammu and Kashmir in Article 370, there has been a tremendous build-up of negative propaganda in India and abroad. It almost seemed that a coordinated effort by the Valley politicians was supported by lobbies of journalists, intellectuals and government critics. Yet hardly any of those following the developments would have had a clue of the swift, sudden, and definitive manner with which history was going to be rewritten in India, the shape of Jammu & Kashmir altered, the state bifurcated into two Union Territories. Shah pulled this off practically overnight in a manner so deft and legally astute that it took even the government’s severest opponents by surprise. First, Amit Shah displayed his political acumen and resolve in Parliament, then followed this with an unprecedented alteration in both the history and geography of India through a Presidential order. The troops build-up, preventive detentions, cancellation of Amarnath yatra, elimination of intruders on the border, and several similar measures, not only took the enemies of India by surprise but also local naysayers and teeth-gnashers. Making Jammu & Kashmir a Union Territory rather than a state is Amit Shah’s masterstroke. Now it comes directly in the orbit of the central government i.e. his own Home Ministry rather than the widely regarded as corruptible J&K police and already corrupted local political leadership. At long last, with Amit Shah as our Home Minister, we can expect radical changes on the ground, not just pious talk. Of course, this is only the beginning. The success of the move must be ensured by careful monitoring of the border as well as measures taken in the two new Union Territories to prevent a recurrence of separatism and violence in the state. This is no doubt a great challenge but not one that is not impossible to overcome for the determined, in addition to resourceful, leadership of Modi and Shah. After his remarkable intervention in Jammu and Kashmir, the next challenge for Shah is the Ram Janmabhumi-Babri Masjid imbroglio. But, by now there should be no doubt in anybody’s mind that the only Loh Purush (iron man) that India has produced after Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is Amitbhai Anilchandra Shah. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

The rise of Amit Shah as India's new 'Loh Purush'

Former President Pranab Mukherjee receives 'Bharat Ratna' from President Ram Nath Kovind for his role in Indian politics. Watch full video to know more.

Former President Pranab Mukherjee receives 'Bharat Ratna' for his role in Indian politics

Leaders from Bimstec countries as well as Kyrgyz President Sooronbay Jeenbekov and Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth have confirmed their participation at the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 30. Watch this video to know more.

Bimstec leaders confirm attendance for PM Modi's swearing-in

Watch 'India Watch.' This is the show that brings you the latest & tracks India's big events, We bring you verified updates & unbiased analysis on that.

India Watch; 28th May 2019

In this segment of India Watch, Have a look at guests list for Modi's Swearing-in Ceremony. We also discuss the importance of these guests of Modi's Swearing-in Ceremony with our Guests or Experts Mr. Gurjit Singh, India former ambassador to Germany & with Mr. Harsh V. Pant, Distinguished fellow and observer research foundation.

India Watch: Guests List For Modi's Swearing-In Ceremony

In this segment of India Watch, Have a look at the major political headlines of the day.

India Watch: Major Political headlines of the day

In a major blow to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, 50-60 councillors and some Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) of her party, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the latter’s headquarters in New Delhi on Tuesday.

More than 50 TMC councillors join BJP, Vijayvargiya says it's the beginning

Just when we are nearing the close of this gruelling election season, Time magazine Asia’s cover story for May 20 has been receiving wide publicity. It shows a grim-looking Narendra Modi, in an Indian style black bandgala jacket, now popularly known as a Modi jacket, and a saffron shawl draped around his neck. So far so good. Why shouldn’t an Indian serving Prime Minister and most visible candidate, besides most likely to be re-elected incumbent, not grace the cover of an international newsmagazine, especially towards the end of the world’s largest and greatest parliamentary elections? Nearly a billion voters are eligible to cast their secret ballots in the mother of all election battles. Surely, this deserves the attention of the world.&nbsp;

But, wait a minute. What’s the caption next to the photo? “India’s Divider in Chief.” The cover story so titled is by gifted writer and novelist, Aatish Taseer. As if to offer a slightly balancing backup, also blazoned on the cover, is “Modi the Reformer” by Ian Bremmer. After reading both, one cannot but be disappointed. Bremmer makes an attempt to paint Modi in contradictory more than contrasting colours as both economic reformer and failure. There is little approbation for the huge slew of reforms and improvements carried out by the government. Hardly a word in favour of the palpable reduction in corruption, swacch bharat, ujjwala, infrastructure development, reduction in inflation, and blistering growth rate, many of which are seen as incomplete or inadequate. Bremmer’s scathing scepticism may be dismissed as typical of the fading vestiges of the white man’s burden, now more evident in envious disbelief of India’s economic miracle than in any mandate to rule the world.&nbsp;

But it is Taseer’s spleen-driven surliness, almost childishly querulous at times, that is galling. How can the cover-story on Indian elections be such a malevolent diatribe against a single man? There is not the least semblance of neutrality or objectivity here, nor attempt to present a sensible or balanced appraisal. It is an out-and-out hatchet job, full of selectively vicious quotes and incidents, often taken out of context and strung together to amount to a damning indictment. Repeatedly highlighting the plight of the frightened and disenfranchised minorities, mostly Muslims, under assault from the Hindu majority that Taseer portrays as invariably callous, even murderous, his article is nothing short of a doomsday dismissal of both Modi and India.&nbsp;

How to understand Taseer’s fustian fulminations? A good word for his kind of discourse would be re-Orientalism. Coined some ten years back by Lisa Lau, re-Orientalism refers to the continuation of narrative colonialism in post-colonial times. The major difference, however, is that its purveyors and perpetrators are no longer (mostly) white men, but “Orientals” such as ourselves. Mostly diasporic and highly privileged, these re-Orientalists, distort “the representation of the Orient, seizing voice and platform, and once again consigning the Oriental within the Orient to a position of ‘The Other.’” Taseer, with his last book on — what else but Varanasi — surely fits the bill. There is little room for the common Indian or the “real” India in his works, most of which are manufactured and intended for a Western audience.&nbsp;

There are ironies and contradictions galore in Taseer’s piece. “The Great Divider” was a moniker invented for none other than Barack Hussain Obama, the darling of Left Liberals the world over. If Donald Trump inherited it, it was by its sheer currency as an established political descriptor. The big contradiction, when it comes to Modi, is that Modi is actually India’s great Unifier-in-Chief. Modi has not only united Hindus as never before, but also integrated the great Indian middle class into a powerful political formation. He has given them a voice in addition to a vote. He has also unified the opposition, as Taseer acknowledges, “with no agenda other than to defeat him.”&nbsp;

Luckily, there is a silver lining to Taseer’s febrile lamentations. The more Modi is berated in the Western—or for that matter the Indian — media, the more popular he becomes with the Indian masses. Time Asia’s cover story, negative though it certainly is, will strengthen the resolve of the educated classes to vote for him. Especially given of the contempt poured out on their choice of him his their PM, they will take such denunciations as an additional reason make good on the promise, phir ek baar Modi Sarkar (one more time, Modi in power). In the end, of course, what Time says, or does not, matters little to us. We have moved on. To that extent, Taseer’s cover story may end up, if not as a last minute free fillip to campaign Modi, then little more than a blip, a momentary flicker or irritated swipe on a smartphone screen.&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-prime-minister-narendra-modi-great-unifier-or-divider-2748002">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp;

Just when we are nearing the close of this gruelling election season, Time magazine Asia’s cover story for May 20 has been receiving wide publicity. It shows a grim-looking Narendra Modi, in an Indian style black bandgala jacket, now popularly known as a Modi jacket, and a saffron shawl draped around his neck.

Just when we are nearing the close of this gruelling election season, Time magazine Asia’s cover story for May 20 has been receiving wide publicity. It shows a grim-looking Narendra Modi, in an Indian style black bandgala jacket, now popularly known as a Modi jacket, and a saffron shawl draped around his neck. So far so good. Why shouldn’t an Indian serving Prime Minister and most visible candidate, besides most likely to be re-elected incumbent, not grace the cover of an international newsmagazine, especially towards the end of the world’s largest and greatest parliamentary elections? Nearly a billion voters are eligible to cast their secret ballots in the mother of all election battles. Surely, this deserves the attention of the world. But, wait a minute. What’s the caption next to the photo? “India’s Divider in Chief.” The cover story so titled is by gifted writer and novelist, Aatish Taseer. As if to offer a slightly balancing backup, also blazoned on the cover, is “Modi the Reformer” by Ian Bremmer. After reading both, one cannot but be disappointed. Bremmer makes an attempt to paint Modi in contradictory more than contrasting colours as both economic reformer and failure. There is little approbation for the huge slew of reforms and improvements carried out by the government. Hardly a word in favour of the palpable reduction in corruption, swacch bharat, ujjwala, infrastructure development, reduction in inflation, and blistering growth rate, many of which are seen as incomplete or inadequate. Bremmer’s scathing scepticism may be dismissed as typical of the fading vestiges of the white man’s burden, now more evident in envious disbelief of India’s economic miracle than in any mandate to rule the world. But it is Taseer’s spleen-driven surliness, almost childishly querulous at times, that is galling. How can the cover-story on Indian elections be such a malevolent diatribe against a single man? There is not the least semblance of neutrality or objectivity here, nor attempt to present a sensible or balanced appraisal. It is an out-and-out hatchet job, full of selectively vicious quotes and incidents, often taken out of context and strung together to amount to a damning indictment. Repeatedly highlighting the plight of the frightened and disenfranchised minorities, mostly Muslims, under assault from the Hindu majority that Taseer portrays as invariably callous, even murderous, his article is nothing short of a doomsday dismissal of both Modi and India. How to understand Taseer’s fustian fulminations? A good word for his kind of discourse would be re-Orientalism. Coined some ten years back by Lisa Lau, re-Orientalism refers to the continuation of narrative colonialism in post-colonial times. The major difference, however, is that its purveyors and perpetrators are no longer (mostly) white men, but “Orientals” such as ourselves. Mostly diasporic and highly privileged, these re-Orientalists, distort “the representation of the Orient, seizing voice and platform, and once again consigning the Oriental within the Orient to a position of ‘The Other.’” Taseer, with his last book on — what else but Varanasi — surely fits the bill. There is little room for the common Indian or the “real” India in his works, most of which are manufactured and intended for a Western audience. There are ironies and contradictions galore in Taseer’s piece. “The Great Divider” was a moniker invented for none other than Barack Hussain Obama, the darling of Left Liberals the world over. If Donald Trump inherited it, it was by its sheer currency as an established political descriptor. The big contradiction, when it comes to Modi, is that Modi is actually India’s great Unifier-in-Chief. Modi has not only united Hindus as never before, but also integrated the great Indian middle class into a powerful political formation. He has given them a voice in addition to a vote. He has also unified the opposition, as Taseer acknowledges, “with no agenda other than to defeat him.” Luckily, there is a silver lining to Taseer’s febrile lamentations. The more Modi is berated in the Western—or for that matter the Indian — media, the more popular he becomes with the Indian masses. Time Asia’s cover story, negative though it certainly is, will strengthen the resolve of the educated classes to vote for him. Especially given of the contempt poured out on their choice of him his their PM, they will take such denunciations as an additional reason make good on the promise, phir ek baar Modi Sarkar (one more time, Modi in power). In the end, of course, what Time says, or does not, matters little to us. We have moved on. To that extent, Taseer’s cover story may end up, if not as a last minute free fillip to campaign Modi, then little more than a blip, a momentary flicker or irritated swipe on a smartphone screen. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Narendra Modi has integrated the middle class into a powerful political formation

In this segment of WION, we ask: Is Western-Media agenda driven? Watch the full video to know more.

Is Western-Media agenda driven?

India ka DNA 2019: ''In 2014, Problem was in DNA of some people, not all,'' says Nirmala Sitharaman

American Walter K Andersen, the author of the book on the RSS "The Brotherhood in Saffron" has been a keen South Asia watcher for decades. He has worked extensively for the US government at various levels from the days Henry Kissinger. He is in India once again witnessing the state elections and the big general elections in 2019.

He spoke exclusively to WION on the rise of the BJP &amp; RSS, PM Modi and his relations with President Trump and other big issues connected with the ruling party.

WION: How do you view PM Modi's tenure now that his government is set to face the electorate again next year?

Walter K Andersen: That is a complicated question because there are layers of success. India is now the fastest growing economy in the world today and that has been the status for the last four and a half years. The country has also received the largest foreign direct investment (FDI), I think it was $61 billion last year, which more than China. Also, infrastructure work has been going on but that has a delayed reaction, infrastructure work and FDI results do not show immediately.

The failure has been on the issue of jobs which has had a political impact but then no one could really do it because the number is quite high, in millions. He came into office with the expectation that he will be able to create a lot of jobs for many young people, but he has been able to help the poor... there are a large number of poor people. The health scheme is the perfect example, the gas cylinder scheme too.

WION: Also, the BJP is now in 19 states across India which seems to have fueled it.

Walter K Andersen: Yes, the Opposition wasn't able to put up candidates which captured the imagination of the people. There has been a blowback in the three states which have gone to the polls in which the BJP seems to be running neck-and-neck but they have been in power for quite a few years.

Rajasthan is an example which tends to go back and forth, so if they lose Rajasthan it won't be unusual. They have dominated Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh for quite some time, so it remains to be seen how much the anti-incumbency factor works against the BJP.

WION: As far as PM Modi the statesman is concerned, how does the West view him?

Walter K Andersen: Don't forget he could not visit the US for over a dozen years due to the Godhra riots but once it was clear he was going to be prime minister in 2014, the US ambassador at the time Nancy Powell went to visit him with flowers and there was a sense that maybe he wouldn't get a good reception but in fact he has. PM Modi has been able to turnaround his preception.

PM Modi invited Obama and they seemed to get along beautifully with each other. I understand he invited President Trump for the Republic Day celebrations but for some reason, it didn't work out but I won't be surprised if President Trump is not invited for the big event later.

WION: How do you view PM Modi's relations with President Trump?

Walter K Andersen: PM Modi worked at getting along, he did his homework on what President Trump was like, the prime minister is a very good politician. He is also a good actor, he has done it from when he was a child. If you watch him on the stage, he has a stage presence, he seems to be someone who was born for the stage.

He is also very good at private conversation, I have met him and he looks at you as if you are the most important person, unlike other prominent people who look over your shoulder. He remembers who you are and the circumstances in which you met him earlier which is very effective.

WION: And about your book "The Brotherhood In Saffron", how has that been viewed in India?

Walter K Andersen: Actually, PM Modi read it and said it is outdated, he didn't say write another one (laughs). It was of course written in 1988, at that time Congress was still the dominant party, the BJP was relatively a small party, but some things haven't changed.

The things that have changed is India's largest labour union, India's largest student group and India's largest party - the ruling party - and you can just go down the list and you can see how the RSS has penetrated in all parts of society.

WION: The rise of the RSS has been quite meteoric in the last few years.

Walter K Andersen: Yes, the growth was driven by the economic reforms of the 90s and as the Indian economy grew, urbanisation began to take place and that seems to have worked to the benefit of the Sangh including the BJP.

WION: How do you view the effect of the RSS on the party and then the country?

Walter K Andersen: Obviously, it has some influence. During the elections their cadre worked for the party. In the recent state elections, the RSS cadres went all out in Rajasthan and they used their polling network and the grassroots connect to find out how was the party faring and they got word that they have problems, so in the last few weeks they activated the cadre to attend the local meetings. In fact, the RSS is the best polling agency in India. They really go to the local level - the shakhas and they collect local information and pass it to the party.

WION: How do you think that affects the party?

Walter K Andersen: There is a common feeling that the BJP and the RSS sit down together but that is incorrect. Both are separate organizations and they have differences. Right now the big issue is the Ram Temple at Ayodhya.

WION: The view of the party and RSS it seems differs...

Walter K Andersen: Yes, the RSS and some of the affiliates like the VHP want the construction of the Ram Temple to start tomorrow but within the party, they think we need legislation and there are other views. The other big issue is on development.

The RSS has a much more older, protective view on the Indian economy. It is much less enthusiastic about FDI. The affiliates too the Mazdoor Sangh, the Swadeshi Jagran Manch were organised in the late 90s to oppose FDI and it still does.

WION: Is that good for the country?

Walter K Andersen: It certainly hasn't harmed the country, it has generated debate which one does not often see in political parties. It allows them to think. PM Modi sides with globalisation because he thinks it creates more jobs. He comes from a small enterprise background, his father ran a tea shop, so he understands you have to keep a ledger of inputs and outputs... so he understands as a young person the frustrations involved in moving up the ranks.

WION: In foreign affairs, what do you think has been PM Modi's greatest achievement?

Walter K Andersen: Ironically, I think it is getting India more involved in the international community and in relations with China. It now wants to improve its relations with India. PM Modi too wants to improve relations with China, he has been there several times. He has said some very complimentary things about China but he is a nationalist and the Chinese recognise it.

The RSS wants him to protect India's security and PM Modi has done it at Doklam, he has been able to do it and both sides declared victory which is the best thing - a win-win situation.

WION: And finally, how do you see Amit Shah and PM Modi working together?

Walter K Andersen: It is a remarkable pair. I haven't seen anything like it in Indian politics. There is an example of this in the late 19th century in Germany with Bismark who would organise things and the Emperor who was the public figure. A man like Amit Shah is all organization, he works the ground... he has no doubt built the most effective political organisation which is the BJP.

Amit Shah has worked at the booth level and has people who give feedback and analysis, so planning and execution helps the party and PM Modi and Amit Shah get along well too. They are two very self-possessed individuals, not insulted easily, a lot of people feel insulted, in that sense he is much like our President but then if you feel insulted, you should never be in politics.

I would like to have either one of them on my side in a battle, they are tough guys.

WION: But for the BJP the question is what next?

Walter K Andersen: Yes that is true, there does not seem to be a successor. It is true for Amit Shah as well. He has deputies but none that I know who is waiting to step in... the party needs both PM Modi and Amit Shah.

American Walter K Andersen, the author of the book on the RSS "The Brotherhood in Saffron" has been a keen South Asia watcher for decades. He has worked extensively for the US government at various levels from the days Henry Kissinger.

American Walter K Andersen, the author of the book on the RSS "The Brotherhood in Saffron" has been a keen South Asia watcher for decades. He has worked extensively for the US government at various levels from the days Henry Kissinger. He is in India once again witnessing the state elections and the big general elections in 2019. He spoke exclusively to WION on the rise of the BJP & RSS, PM Modi and his relations with President Trump and other big issues connected with the ruling party. WION: How do you view PM Modi's tenure now that his government is set to face the electorate again next year? Walter K Andersen: That is a complicated question because there are layers of success. India is now the fastest growing economy in the world today and that has been the status for the last four and a half years. The country has also received the largest foreign direct investment (FDI), I think it was $61 billion last year, which more than China. Also, infrastructure work has been going on but that has a delayed reaction, infrastructure work and FDI results do not show immediately. The failure has been on the issue of jobs which has had a political impact but then no one could really do it because the number is quite high, in millions. He came into office with the expectation that he will be able to create a lot of jobs for many young people, but he has been able to help the poor... there are a large number of poor people. The health scheme is the perfect example, the gas cylinder scheme too. WION: Also, the BJP is now in 19 states across India which seems to have fueled it. Walter K Andersen: Yes, the Opposition wasn't able to put up candidates which captured the imagination of the people. There has been a blowback in the three states which have gone to the polls in which the BJP seems to be running neck-and-neck but they have been in power for quite a few years. Rajasthan is an example which tends to go back and forth, so if they lose Rajasthan it won't be unusual. They have dominated Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh for quite some time, so it remains to be seen how much the anti-incumbency factor works against the BJP. WION: As far as PM Modi the statesman is concerned, how does the West view him? Walter K Andersen: Don't forget he could not visit the US for over a dozen years due to the Godhra riots but once it was clear he was going to be prime minister in 2014, the US ambassador at the time Nancy Powell went to visit him with flowers and there was a sense that maybe he wouldn't get a good reception but in fact he has. PM Modi has been able to turnaround his preception. PM Modi invited Obama and they seemed to get along beautifully with each other. I understand he invited President Trump for the Republic Day celebrations but for some reason, it didn't work out but I won't be surprised if President Trump is not invited for the big event later. WION: How do you view PM Modi's relations with President Trump? Walter K Andersen: PM Modi worked at getting along, he did his homework on what President Trump was like, the prime minister is a very good politician. He is also a good actor, he has done it from when he was a child. If you watch him on the stage, he has a stage presence, he seems to be someone who was born for the stage. He is also very good at private conversation, I have met him and he looks at you as if you are the most important person, unlike other prominent people who look over your shoulder. He remembers who you are and the circumstances in which you met him earlier which is very effective. WION: And about your book "The Brotherhood In Saffron", how has that been viewed in India? Walter K Andersen: Actually, PM Modi read it and said it is outdated, he didn't say write another one (laughs). It was of course written in 1988, at that time Congress was still the dominant party, the BJP was relatively a small party, but some things haven't changed. The things that have changed is India's largest labour union, India's largest student group and India's largest party - the ruling party - and you can just go down the list and you can see how the RSS has penetrated in all parts of society. WION: The rise of the RSS has been quite meteoric in the last few years. Walter K Andersen: Yes, the growth was driven by the economic reforms of the 90s and as the Indian economy grew, urbanisation began to take place and that seems to have worked to the benefit of the Sangh including the BJP. WION: How do you view the effect of the RSS on the party and then the country? Walter K Andersen: Obviously, it has some influence. During the elections their cadre worked for the party. In the recent state elections, the RSS cadres went all out in Rajasthan and they used their polling network and the grassroots connect to find out how was the party faring and they got word that they have problems, so in the last few weeks they activated the cadre to attend the local meetings. In fact, the RSS is the best polling agency in India. They really go to the local level - the shakhas and they collect local information and pass it to the party. WION: How do you think that affects the party? Walter K Andersen: There is a common feeling that the BJP and the RSS sit down together but that is incorrect. Both are separate organizations and they have differences. Right now the big issue is the Ram Temple at Ayodhya. WION: The view of the party and RSS it seems differs... Walter K Andersen: Yes, the RSS and some of the affiliates like the VHP want the construction of the Ram Temple to start tomorrow but within the party, they think we need legislation and there are other views. The other big issue is on development. The RSS has a much more older, protective view on the Indian economy. It is much less enthusiastic about FDI. The affiliates too the Mazdoor Sangh, the Swadeshi Jagran Manch were organised in the late 90s to oppose FDI and it still does. WION: Is that good for the country? Walter K Andersen: It certainly hasn't harmed the country, it has generated debate which one does not often see in political parties. It allows them to think. PM Modi sides with globalisation because he thinks it creates more jobs. He comes from a small enterprise background, his father ran a tea shop, so he understands you have to keep a ledger of inputs and outputs... so he understands as a young person the frustrations involved in moving up the ranks. WION: In foreign affairs, what do you think has been PM Modi's greatest achievement? Walter K Andersen: Ironically, I think it is getting India more involved in the international community and in relations with China. It now wants to improve its relations with India. PM Modi too wants to improve relations with China, he has been there several times. He has said some very complimentary things about China but he is a nationalist and the Chinese recognise it. The RSS wants him to protect India's security and PM Modi has done it at Doklam, he has been able to do it and both sides declared victory which is the best thing - a win-win situation. WION: And finally, how do you see Amit Shah and PM Modi working together? Walter K Andersen: It is a remarkable pair. I haven't seen anything like it in Indian politics. There is an example of this in the late 19th century in Germany with Bismark who would organise things and the Emperor who was the public figure. A man like Amit Shah is all organization, he works the ground... he has no doubt built the most effective political organisation which is the BJP. Amit Shah has worked at the booth level and has people who give feedback and analysis, so planning and execution helps the party and PM Modi and Amit Shah get along well too. They are two very self-possessed individuals, not insulted easily, a lot of people feel insulted, in that sense he is much like our President but then if you feel insulted, you should never be in politics. I would like to have either one of them on my side in a battle, they are tough guys. WION: But for the BJP the question is what next? Walter K Andersen: Yes that is true, there does not seem to be a successor. It is true for Amit Shah as well. He has deputies but none that I know who is waiting to step in... the party needs both PM Modi and Amit Shah.

Watch: PM Modi, Amit Shah a remarkable pair in Indian politics, says India watcher Andersen

The BJP accused Congress President Rahul Gandhi of practising the "lowest form of politics" after he accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of humiliating former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and senior BJP leader LK Advani.&nbsp

News reports quoted Gandhi as having said at a rally in Mumbai that the Congress had accorded more respect to Advani than Modi.&nbsp

The reports quoted Gandhi as saying Advani had been Modi's guru but that he (Gandhi) had noticed "in events" that Modi does not even respect his guru. And that he (Gandhi) feels "very sad" for Advani.&nbsp

Gandhi later tweeted that "Ekalavya cut off his right thumb because his Guru demanded it" but "In the BJP, they cut down their own Gurus. Humiliating Vajpayeeji, Advaniji, Jaswant Singhji and their families is the Prime Minister’s way of protecting Indian culture."&nbsp

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Ekalavya cut off his right thumb because his Guru demanded it. 
 
In the BJP, they cut down their own Gurus. Humiliating Vajpayeeji, Advaniji, Jaswant Singhji and their families is the Prime Minister’s way of protecting Indian culture. <a href="https://t.co/lqUtBtj0t8">pic.twitter.com/lqUtBtj0t8</a>
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/1006553306083180544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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Gandhi also said Tuesday that the Congress party had fought against Vajpayee but when he was hospitalised on Monday, it was " it was we who first visited him".&nbsp

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Congress party fought against Vajpayee's govt, but when he was sick it was we who first visited him. This is the ideology of Congress party, we respect our opponents: Congress President <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RahulGandhi</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RahulGandhiInMumbai?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RahulGandhiInMumbai</a> <a href="https://t.co/5J7oVjpXlG">pic.twitter.com/5J7oVjpXlG</a>
— Congress (@INCIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/INCIndia/status/1006509591809572866?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The pushback from the BJP was fast and furious.&nbsp

News reports quoted BJP spokespeson Anil Baluni as saying it was "bizarre" to see Gandhi "stoop to such a low".&nbsp

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Rahul Gandhi has been trying to advise BJP on how to respect senior leaders, he should first of all answer on his ill-treatment to their own senior leaders, like PV Narasimha Rao & Pranab Mukherjee: Anil Baluni, BJP (file pic) <a href="https://t.co/9S1o8snEBO">pic.twitter.com/9S1o8snEBO</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1006564268328669185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Baluni added that "Rahul Gandhi has been trying to advise BJP on how to respect senior leaders, he should first of all answer on his ill-treatment to their own senior leaders, like PV Narasimha Rao & Pranab Mukherjee".&nbsp

Congress President Rahul Gandhi said Advani had been Modi's guru but that he (Gandhi) had noticed 'in events' that Modi does not even respect his guru. And that he (Gandhi) feels 'very sad' for Advani

The BJP accused Congress President Rahul Gandhi of practising the "lowest form of politics" after he accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of humiliating former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and senior BJP leader LK Advani. News reports quoted Gandhi as having said at a rally in Mumbai that the Congress had accorded more respect to Advani than Modi. The reports quoted Gandhi as saying Advani had been Modi's guru but that he (Gandhi) had noticed "in events" that Modi does not even respect his guru. And that he (Gandhi) feels "very sad" for Advani. Gandhi later tweeted that "Ekalavya cut off his right thumb because his Guru demanded it" but "In the BJP, they cut down their own Gurus. Humiliating Vajpayeeji, Advaniji, Jaswant Singhji and their families is the Prime Minister’s way of protecting Indian culture." Ekalavya cut off his right thumb because his Guru demanded it. In the BJP, they cut down their own Gurus. Humiliating Vajpayeeji, Advaniji, Jaswant Singhji and their families is the Prime Minister’s way of protecting Indian culture. pic.twitter.com/lqUtBtj0t8 — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 12, 2018 × Gandhi also said Tuesday that the Congress party had fought against Vajpayee but when he was hospitalised on Monday, it was " it was we who first visited him". Congress party fought against Vajpayee's govt, but when he was sick it was we who first visited him. This is the ideology of Congress party, we respect our opponents: Congress President @RahulGandhi #RahulGandhiInMumbai pic.twitter.com/5J7oVjpXlG — Congress (@INCIndia) June 12, 2018 × The pushback from the BJP was fast and furious. News reports quoted BJP spokespeson Anil Baluni as saying it was "bizarre" to see Gandhi "stoop to such a low". Rahul Gandhi has been trying to advise BJP on how to respect senior leaders, he should first of all answer on his ill-treatment to their own senior leaders, like PV Narasimha Rao & Pranab Mukherjee: Anil Baluni, BJP (file pic) pic.twitter.com/9S1o8snEBO — ANI (@ANI) June 12, 2018 × Baluni added that "Rahul Gandhi has been trying to advise BJP on how to respect senior leaders, he should first of all answer on his ill-treatment to their own senior leaders, like PV Narasimha Rao & Pranab Mukherjee".

'Lowest form of politics,' says BJP after Rahul alleges Modi humiliated Vajpayee, Advani

India has seen an active participation of women in the country&rsquo;s struggle for independence against the colonial power.&nbsp;This participation was recognised after independence when the universal suffrage was introduced in the very first elections held in independent India.&nbsp;However, in over seventy decades of independence, the country could see only a handful of prominent female politicians, including the first and the only woman prime minister to date, Indira Gandhi.

Pratibha Patil the former President of the country, J Jayalalithaa, Vasundhara Raje, Mamata Banerjee, Sushma Swaraj are few other politicians who managed to penetrate through the male dominance spectrum.

With just 11 per cent representation in the lower house of the Parliament and 10.6 per cent in the Upper House, there is an urgent need for implementing measures to improve female participation in the politics of the country.

While the plan to improve women&#39;s role in politics is in the process for a long time, the bill which was introduced for the same has lapsed in the dissolution of the 15th Lok Sabha.&nbsp;The Women Reservation Bill, also known as The Constitution (108th Amendment) Bill, 2008 was passed in the Rajya Sabha in 2010 but could not get through the Lok Sabha.&nbsp;It was stuck in the Lower house for long and was finally lapsed after the dissolution of the 15th Lok Sabha headed by the members elected during the 2009 general elections.

The Bill was introduced with a proposal to amend the Constitution of India and to reserve 33 per cent of all seats for women in the Lower-house of the Parliament and the State Legislative Assemblies.&nbsp;These seats were to be reserved on the rotational basis in a way that a seat would be reserved only once in three consecutive general elections.

The foundation of the proposal was laid in a constitutional amendment that was passed in 1993, aiming at reserving one-third positions for women in Gram Panchayat.&nbsp;Since then, the Panchayat and the Municipal have witnessed an increased representation of women. Though most of these women are mere faces to the elections with their husband&rsquo;s or son&rsquo;s leading the political battle.&nbsp;The proposal was also extended for reserving the same 33 percent seats for women in Parliament and Legislative Assemblies.&nbsp;However several people opposed the bill saying that it will be discrimination against the others.

The female participation in Indian politics is lower than the global average representation of women. Our country ranks below Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Zimbabwe and many more.

Unless and until women&rsquo;s participation in the governing body of the country increases, serious grievances like acid attacks, rape, dowry, molestation, killings will not be addressed with grievous concern.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;

The female participation in Indian politics is lower than the global average representation of women. Unless and until women’s participation in the governing body of the country increases, serious grievances will not be addressed with grievous concern

India has seen an active participation of women in the country’s struggle for independence against the colonial power. This participation was recognised after independence when the universal suffrage was introduced in the very first elections held in independent India. However, in over seventy decades of independence, the country could see only a handful of prominent female politicians, including the first and the only woman prime minister to date, Indira Gandhi. Pratibha Patil the former President of the country, J Jayalalithaa, Vasundhara Raje, Mamata Banerjee, Sushma Swaraj are few other politicians who managed to penetrate through the male dominance spectrum. With just 11 per cent representation in the lower house of the Parliament and 10.6 per cent in the Upper House, there is an urgent need for implementing measures to improve female participation in the politics of the country. While the plan to improve women's role in politics is in the process for a long time, the bill which was introduced for the same has lapsed in the dissolution of the 15th Lok Sabha. The Women Reservation Bill, also known as The Constitution (108th Amendment) Bill, 2008 was passed in the Rajya Sabha in 2010 but could not get through the Lok Sabha. It was stuck in the Lower house for long and was finally lapsed after the dissolution of the 15th Lok Sabha headed by the members elected during the 2009 general elections. The Bill was introduced with a proposal to amend the Constitution of India and to reserve 33 per cent of all seats for women in the Lower-house of the Parliament and the State Legislative Assemblies. These seats were to be reserved on the rotational basis in a way that a seat would be reserved only once in three consecutive general elections. The foundation of the proposal was laid in a constitutional amendment that was passed in 1993, aiming at reserving one-third positions for women in Gram Panchayat. Since then, the Panchayat and the Municipal have witnessed an increased representation of women. Though most of these women are mere faces to the elections with their husband’s or son’s leading the political battle. The proposal was also extended for reserving the same 33 percent seats for women in Parliament and Legislative Assemblies. However several people opposed the bill saying that it will be discrimination against the others. The female participation in Indian politics is lower than the global average representation of women. Our country ranks below Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Zimbabwe and many more. Unless and until women’s participation in the governing body of the country increases, serious grievances like acid attacks, rape, dowry, molestation, killings will not be addressed with grievous concern. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: How long will India's women wait for Women's Reservation Bill?

Statues are symbols of politics in many parts of the world. They are associated with cult politics, subversive politics, authoritarian regime, religion and change both from above and below. Statues stand as symbols of power, as an embodiment of certain philosophy.&nbsp;

With the imposition of colonial rule in the subcontinent, the metropolises, such as Chennai and Mumbai and, particularly, Kolkata, witnessed a plethora of statutes being set up at crucial public places. Maidan, the largest green space of Kolkata which separated the British part of the city from the native quarters, boasted statutes of British governor generals and other eminent personalities of the British Raj, including Lord Curzon, Kitchener, Roberts, Minto, Northbrook and Canning.

While men are mortal, statues are there to stay. For the colonialists, this was the best way to ingrain in the public memory of its subjects the face of its rulers. These statues inspired awe and reverence for the British rule beyond the clutch of draconian laws of the colonial masters.&nbsp;

When eventually the colony struck back at the heart of the empire, a role reversal happened. Not only were some of these vestiges of colonial rule removed but many new statues came up after independence, commemorating the &#39;makers of modern India&#39;. Gandhi, Subhash Chandra Bose, Nehru and statues of women freedom fighters, such as Matangini Hazra was there for us to see and celebrate.&nbsp;

The independent nation-state used these nationalist icons to assert an ideological continuity in the imagination of its citizens.&nbsp;

Thus, while the putting up and taking down of statutes were very much part of the political landscape of modern India, what was absent was the violence and the compulsion of electoral politics. That is something that emerged in more recent times as communities and political groups jostled to remake and redefine, through statutory politics, the political narrative of the country.&nbsp;

We, and the statues that we have built, have come a long way from representing the Indian &#39;us&#39; from British &#39;them&#39;. It has fragmented and splintered into multiple variants of regional political assertion. Consequently, new statues are not simply being built to take the place of the old but political aggression is finding expression in the form of defacement of statues of people who do not fall within our preferred political ambit.&nbsp;

In India, it is not the first time statues have been defaced. Statues of Ambedkar routinely got defaced in Uttar Pradesh. Upper caste saw these as the ugly assertion of Dalit politics. Some saw them as a land grab exercise but statues did not go away. Mayawati went even a step further. She got her statues erected under her supervision only.

More recently, similar incidents of defacing and disfiguring of statues have happened in Tripura, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. In all these cases, there have been forms of physical acts of removal, violence and indecency. The similarity, however, ends here. The violence associated with Lenin, Shyama Prasad Mukherji and Periyar is related to coming of the RSS-BJP combine as the sole national party and their civilizational worldview. It is the same distinction which RSS draws between Gandhi family and the Congress Party. Indian philosophy and western influences. Though the organisation of RSS itself has been modern, the state of Tripura has put on the table the ideological frontier of the RSS-BJP.

&nbsp;It is not about Lenin only. It is about communism&rsquo;s take on religion, internationalism which put the Left in a dock when China invaded India and about a value system which with pro-labour ideas also threatened the cultural vision of India which RSS has. It is for this reason that BJP&rsquo;s engagement with protests in JNU acquired an ideological angle which was pinned to nationalism, commitment to India&rsquo;s border and sense of being &lsquo;true&rsquo; Indian.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Periyar, on the other hand, is the father of Dravidian politics in India. His rationalist thoughts challenged the idea of religion and its hierarchies. It made Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s politics very different from the rest of India. Despite, places of high Hinduism&nbsp;associated with Tamil Nadu, it was Periyar&rsquo;s politics which reshaped the cultural map. He did not believe in God but his supporters made him a God like icon of him.

Though BJP is trying to give Tripura incident a spin of upsurge, we should not forget that Left was not a dictatorship and won elections. Tripura was neither Iraq nor USSR where democracy had a chequered history.

Statues in India, as well as outside, are, primarily, an expression of power and preservation of memories. Most political parties have their leaders enshrined in the form of statues in the Parliament. Every nook and corner of Parliament is littered with them. The present controversy is an expression of the contested idea of India which includes the debate on inclusiveness, nationalism, modernity, tolerance and individual expression.&nbsp;

The violence that has come to surround politics of statues in India can create problems for BJP. Tamil Nadu is one area where BJP wants to have a regional partner. What may benefit them in the North East may hurt them in some other parts of India. The only problem is for Congress which will have to pick sides. The Congress is in no position to argue against the politics of statuary because it has done the same when in power. It ensured that country was littered with statues of Indira and Rajiv. Congress does not belong to the Left but cannot be seen not taking a position against violence.&nbsp;

The statues of politicians or ideologues are here to say. These statues are just like idols; one may not understand the ambiguous philosophical aspect of religion but will bow down in respect to a &#39;murti&#39; of god and goddess. Similarly, in lieu of proper political education, political parties will continue using larger and grandiose statues of their leaders to impress the electorates. Statues, any day, will work more effectively, than political leaflet, particularly in a country like India where the literacy rate is low. But while we accept statutory politics, it is imperative that in a democratic polity, instead of vandalising opposing political insignia, it will serve the interests of the citizens better if we can accommodate statues representing different positions of a political spectrum.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;

New statues are not simply being built to take the place of the old but political aggression is finding expression in the form of defacement of statues of people who do not fall within our preferred political ambit.

Statues are symbols of politics in many parts of the world. They are associated with cult politics, subversive politics, authoritarian regime, religion and change both from above and below. Statues stand as symbols of power, as an embodiment of certain philosophy. With the imposition of colonial rule in the subcontinent, the metropolises, such as Chennai and Mumbai and, particularly, Kolkata, witnessed a plethora of statutes being set up at crucial public places. Maidan, the largest green space of Kolkata which separated the British part of the city from the native quarters, boasted statutes of British governor generals and other eminent personalities of the British Raj, including Lord Curzon, Kitchener, Roberts, Minto, Northbrook and Canning. While men are mortal, statues are there to stay. For the colonialists, this was the best way to ingrain in the public memory of its subjects the face of its rulers. These statues inspired awe and reverence for the British rule beyond the clutch of draconian laws of the colonial masters. When eventually the colony struck back at the heart of the empire, a role reversal happened. Not only were some of these vestiges of colonial rule removed but many new statues came up after independence, commemorating the 'makers of modern India'. Gandhi, Subhash Chandra Bose, Nehru and statues of women freedom fighters, such as Matangini Hazra was there for us to see and celebrate. The independent nation-state used these nationalist icons to assert an ideological continuity in the imagination of its citizens. Thus, while the putting up and taking down of statutes were very much part of the political landscape of modern India, what was absent was the violence and the compulsion of electoral politics. That is something that emerged in more recent times as communities and political groups jostled to remake and redefine, through statutory politics, the political narrative of the country. We, and the statues that we have built, have come a long way from representing the Indian 'us' from British 'them'. It has fragmented and splintered into multiple variants of regional political assertion. Consequently, new statues are not simply being built to take the place of the old but political aggression is finding expression in the form of defacement of statues of people who do not fall within our preferred political ambit. In India, it is not the first time statues have been defaced. Statues of Ambedkar routinely got defaced in Uttar Pradesh. Upper caste saw these as the ugly assertion of Dalit politics. Some saw them as a land grab exercise but statues did not go away. Mayawati went even a step further. She got her statues erected under her supervision only. More recently, similar incidents of defacing and disfiguring of statues have happened in Tripura, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. In all these cases, there have been forms of physical acts of removal, violence and indecency. The similarity, however, ends here. The violence associated with Lenin, Shyama Prasad Mukherji and Periyar is related to coming of the RSS-BJP combine as the sole national party and their civilizational worldview. It is the same distinction which RSS draws between Gandhi family and the Congress Party. Indian philosophy and western influences. Though the organisation of RSS itself has been modern, the state of Tripura has put on the table the ideological frontier of the RSS-BJP. It is not about Lenin only. It is about communism’s take on religion, internationalism which put the Left in a dock when China invaded India and about a value system which with pro-labour ideas also threatened the cultural vision of India which RSS has. It is for this reason that BJP’s engagement with protests in JNU acquired an ideological angle which was pinned to nationalism, commitment to India’s border and sense of being ‘true’ Indian. Periyar, on the other hand, is the father of Dravidian politics in India. His rationalist thoughts challenged the idea of religion and its hierarchies. It made Tamil Nadu’s politics very different from the rest of India. Despite, places of high Hinduism associated with Tamil Nadu, it was Periyar’s politics which reshaped the cultural map. He did not believe in God but his supporters made him a God like icon of him. Though BJP is trying to give Tripura incident a spin of upsurge, we should not forget that Left was not a dictatorship and won elections. Tripura was neither Iraq nor USSR where democracy had a chequered history. Statues in India, as well as outside, are, primarily, an expression of power and preservation of memories. Most political parties have their leaders enshrined in the form of statues in the Parliament. Every nook and corner of Parliament is littered with them. The present controversy is an expression of the contested idea of India which includes the debate on inclusiveness, nationalism, modernity, tolerance and individual expression. The violence that has come to surround politics of statues in India can create problems for BJP. Tamil Nadu is one area where BJP wants to have a regional partner. What may benefit them in the North East may hurt them in some other parts of India. The only problem is for Congress which will have to pick sides. The Congress is in no position to argue against the politics of statuary because it has done the same when in power. It ensured that country was littered with statues of Indira and Rajiv. Congress does not belong to the Left but cannot be seen not taking a position against violence. The statues of politicians or ideologues are here to say. These statues are just like idols; one may not understand the ambiguous philosophical aspect of religion but will bow down in respect to a 'murti' of god and goddess. Similarly, in lieu of proper political education, political parties will continue using larger and grandiose statues of their leaders to impress the electorates. Statues, any day, will work more effectively, than political leaflet, particularly in a country like India where the literacy rate is low. But while we accept statutory politics, it is imperative that in a democratic polity, instead of vandalising opposing political insignia, it will serve the interests of the citizens better if we can accommodate statues representing different positions of a political spectrum. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Why Indians are waging war over statues of Lenin, Periyar, Syama Prasad

After a long wait and keeping people guessing, Rahul Gandhi became Congress president in December, ostensibly via an internal election process.

Congress was founded by A.O. Hume on 28th December 1985, so it has completed 132 years few days after the coronation of Rahul. Congress celebrated the day at their office at Akbar Road. As such it is a sort of farce that present day&rsquo;s Congress claims the legacy of the party which was founded in 1885; neither the people are same nor the ideology. Moreover, Indira Gandhi brought tectonic changes in the core ideology of the party for all times to come during the late seventies.

Now, come to the events during the first three days of March 2018. First, the Gandhi scion flew to Italy, supposedly to surprise his Nani (Grand Mother) on the Holi weekend. It was anybody&rsquo;s guess that he was out on a vacation under the garb of meeting his Nani.

While Rahul was vacationing, the poll results were out for three north-eastern states. The left had a serious drubbing in Tripura as they lost out its old bastion of Tripura to BJP but there was a serious setback to Congress overall. End of the day it&rsquo;s not CPI/CPM but it is Congress who is relevant in the discussions as Congress is the alternative at the national level and not Left Parties. Congress lost heavily in all three states. The major sign of worry for Congress is that they simply allowed BJP to take full advantage of anti-incumbency in Tripura.

It was another reality check for an old grand party, who has been gloating as such after success in Rajasthan by-polls.

The Ostrich Syndrome is pervasive in Congress and with little success, Rahul and his coterie of sycophants start telling themselves &ldquo;hey, we are recovering&rdquo; and then realty would bite them hard and they fall prey to the real challenge. It has been happening for years.

Two months back Rahul and company were telling the whole world that they almost defeated Modi in Gujarat. However, on the bit of analysis, it becomes clear that even in Gujarat, it has been a significant victory for Modi and BJP. Consider all these factors: 22 years of incumbency, disgruntled business class due to demonetization and GST glitches, alienated Patidars, a strong bid by Congress to consolidate anti-BJP factions, no Modi in Gujarat. But still, BJP managed to float with the reasonable level of comfort.

Vote share difference between Congress and BJP in 2012 was 9%, whereas in 2017 it is 7.7%. So even with above-mentioned reasons and Congress&rsquo;s brazen attempt to polarise on the caste basis, only 1.3% of the gap could be bridged. True that Congress made some positive dent in BJP&rsquo;s vote bank but as a political analyst puts it clearly that the dent made by BJP in Congress vote bank in Gujarat-2017 is far more sustainable than what Congress made to BJP&rsquo;s vote bank.

So now with the huge and seminal setback in North-East, what is the way forward to Gandhi scion? Actually more than electoral drubbing, the worrisome fact is that there has been no improvement in the functioning of the party.

I veer my narrative to different direction now. There is a narrative, which we tell in management classes to our salespeople.&nbsp;A few years back a Hindi movie with the title &ldquo;Rocket Singh &ndash; Salesman of the year&rdquo; was released. It was directed by Shimit Amin, the man who directed the iconic &ldquo;Chak De India&rdquo; with Shahrukh.&nbsp;Rocket Singh was a simple guy who acts on his instinct, against general stereotypes of a salesman and makes an outstanding connect with his customers.

The core message of the movie was outstanding and touched the chord. It said &ldquo;If you want to be a successful sales guy then don&rsquo;t chase the sales figures. You rather be passionate and make connections with your customer, understand their pain points, be emphatic and transparent and give them a fair deal. If you are able to do so then you don&rsquo;t have to chase sales figures but sales figure would chase you&rdquo;.

The crux of the message was that one needs to put basics in place and everything else will fall in line. In other words, focus on curing the core infection and don&rsquo;t waste your bandwidth in managing symptoms. If the infection is cured, symptoms would fizzle. &nbsp;&nbsp;

This is quite spot on and applicable in all fields. &nbsp;Achieving success is no petty game; and as Rocket Singh preached, you just need to correct the basics.

Politics is salesmanship only. Politician chases vote counts the way a salesman chases sales figure. This remains the root cause of failure and prevents the revival.

Rahul Gandhi and Congress are suffering from this core problem. Year after year, election after election, Rahul Gandhi is repeating the same mistake; not putting the basics correct across the old grand party and blindly chasing the vote count as last-minute attempt under desperation and on behest of his sycophant advisors. &nbsp;

What are those basics?&nbsp;

Here is the list: first, a strong and compelling narrative to tell the voters; the presence of motivated and strong cadre right up to bottom level. Congress can take a cue from BJP as to how its cadre pulled things in Tripura. Second, the presence of established, strong and vote puller local leaders. Third, relentless efforts to maintain a connection with people &ndash; and lastly, a clear and convincing blueprint of governance if voted to power.

Politics is a funny game and plain arithmetic often fails here. For Rahul, Uttar Pradesh was the glaring example, before he drew his Gujarat plans. His mindless alliance with Samajwadi Party fell flat. Moreover, it demoralised and marginalised whatever little cadre Congress had in UP.

The only way Rahul Gandhi can resurrect the organisation is to by simply putting basics correct without any fear of electoral drubbing. In the process of course correction, if he loses few more election, it won&rsquo;t make a difference. He need not blindly chase vote counts. Like Rocket Singh proved in the movie, if Rahul Gandhi can put the basics of electoral politics right, then vote count will chase him.

Time is running thick and fast. General Election is just 14 months away and if Congress does not recover in 2019, the process of decline will become irreversible. &nbsp;

And yes, politics is 24x7 occupation, Rahul. Your party comes first before anything else so stop flying abroad every now and then. It is so demoralising for the cadre that news of drubbing is coming in and leader is vacationing abroad.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;

Like Rocket Singh proved in the movie, if Rahul Gandhi can put the basics of electoral politics right, then vote count will chase him.

After a long wait and keeping people guessing, Rahul Gandhi became Congress president in December, ostensibly via an internal election process. Congress was founded by A.O. Hume on 28th December 1985, so it has completed 132 years few days after the coronation of Rahul. Congress celebrated the day at their office at Akbar Road. As such it is a sort of farce that present day’s Congress claims the legacy of the party which was founded in 1885; neither the people are same nor the ideology. Moreover, Indira Gandhi brought tectonic changes in the core ideology of the party for all times to come during the late seventies. Now, come to the events during the first three days of March 2018. First, the Gandhi scion flew to Italy, supposedly to surprise his Nani (Grand Mother) on the Holi weekend. It was anybody’s guess that he was out on a vacation under the garb of meeting his Nani. While Rahul was vacationing, the poll results were out for three north-eastern states. The left had a serious drubbing in Tripura as they lost out its old bastion of Tripura to BJP but there was a serious setback to Congress overall. End of the day it’s not CPI/CPM but it is Congress who is relevant in the discussions as Congress is the alternative at the national level and not Left Parties. Congress lost heavily in all three states. The major sign of worry for Congress is that they simply allowed BJP to take full advantage of anti-incumbency in Tripura. It was another reality check for an old grand party, who has been gloating as such after success in Rajasthan by-polls. The Ostrich Syndrome is pervasive in Congress and with little success, Rahul and his coterie of sycophants start telling themselves “hey, we are recovering” and then realty would bite them hard and they fall prey to the real challenge. It has been happening for years. Two months back Rahul and company were telling the whole world that they almost defeated Modi in Gujarat. However, on the bit of analysis, it becomes clear that even in Gujarat, it has been a significant victory for Modi and BJP. Consider all these factors: 22 years of incumbency, disgruntled business class due to demonetization and GST glitches, alienated Patidars, a strong bid by Congress to consolidate anti-BJP factions, no Modi in Gujarat. But still, BJP managed to float with the reasonable level of comfort. Vote share difference between Congress and BJP in 2012 was 9%, whereas in 2017 it is 7.7%. So even with above-mentioned reasons and Congress’s brazen attempt to polarise on the caste basis, only 1.3% of the gap could be bridged. True that Congress made some positive dent in BJP’s vote bank but as a political analyst puts it clearly that the dent made by BJP in Congress vote bank in Gujarat-2017 is far more sustainable than what Congress made to BJP’s vote bank. So now with the huge and seminal setback in North-East, what is the way forward to Gandhi scion? Actually more than electoral drubbing, the worrisome fact is that there has been no improvement in the functioning of the party. I veer my narrative to different direction now. There is a narrative, which we tell in management classes to our salespeople. A few years back a Hindi movie with the title “Rocket Singh – Salesman of the year” was released. It was directed by Shimit Amin, the man who directed the iconic “Chak De India” with Shahrukh. Rocket Singh was a simple guy who acts on his instinct, against general stereotypes of a salesman and makes an outstanding connect with his customers. The core message of the movie was outstanding and touched the chord. It said “If you want to be a successful sales guy then don’t chase the sales figures. You rather be passionate and make connections with your customer, understand their pain points, be emphatic and transparent and give them a fair deal. If you are able to do so then you don’t have to chase sales figures but sales figure would chase you”. The crux of the message was that one needs to put basics in place and everything else will fall in line. In other words, focus on curing the core infection and don’t waste your bandwidth in managing symptoms. If the infection is cured, symptoms would fizzle. This is quite spot on and applicable in all fields. Achieving success is no petty game; and as Rocket Singh preached, you just need to correct the basics. Politics is salesmanship only. Politician chases vote counts the way a salesman chases sales figure. This remains the root cause of failure and prevents the revival. Rahul Gandhi and Congress are suffering from this core problem. Year after year, election after election, Rahul Gandhi is repeating the same mistake; not putting the basics correct across the old grand party and blindly chasing the vote count as last-minute attempt under desperation and on behest of his sycophant advisors. What are those basics? Here is the list: first, a strong and compelling narrative to tell the voters; the presence of motivated and strong cadre right up to bottom level. Congress can take a cue from BJP as to how its cadre pulled things in Tripura. Second, the presence of established, strong and vote puller local leaders. Third, relentless efforts to maintain a connection with people – and lastly, a clear and convincing blueprint of governance if voted to power. Politics is a funny game and plain arithmetic often fails here. For Rahul, Uttar Pradesh was the glaring example, before he drew his Gujarat plans. His mindless alliance with Samajwadi Party fell flat. Moreover, it demoralised and marginalised whatever little cadre Congress had in UP. The only way Rahul Gandhi can resurrect the organisation is to by simply putting basics correct without any fear of electoral drubbing. In the process of course correction, if he loses few more election, it won’t make a difference. He need not blindly chase vote counts. Like Rocket Singh proved in the movie, if Rahul Gandhi can put the basics of electoral politics right, then vote count will chase him. Time is running thick and fast. General Election is just 14 months away and if Congress does not recover in 2019, the process of decline will become irreversible. And yes, politics is 24x7 occupation, Rahul. Your party comes first before anything else so stop flying abroad every now and then. It is so demoralising for the cadre that news of drubbing is coming in and leader is vacationing abroad. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: What Rahul Gandhi can learn from 'Rocket Singh' about elections?

After the poll planks of Shiv Bhakt and Janeu Dhari Hindu, it is quite evident that Congress has been slightly leaning towards a mild Hindutva platform. It will be historic for a party whose poll equation starts from Dalit-OBCs and ends up wooing the Muslims. Congress never tried to take Hindus as whole in their account. BJP was never shy to carry Hindutva tag but Congress distanced itself whenever they were caught doing minority appeasement. And during this high potential elections, the newly-elected president of the Grand Old Party is playing a mild Hindu card beyond Dalits and OBCs and started taking intrest in upper castes like Patidars in Gujarat and Brahmin-Thakurs in Himachal Pradesh.

HEADS:

As an old saying goes &quot;Diamond cuts diamond&quot;, perhaps this political technique of Rahul Gandhi may stand against the Hindutva mindset of RSS-BJP. Lots of political analysts and Congress leaning journalists who are acknowledging a sudden maturity in Rahul Gandhi think that this poll plank may add a feather in Rahul&#39;s hat. General people on the ground in Gujarat and especially the Patidars exclusively believe in Hindutva. So this electoral tool of Hinduism might woo Hindutva. In fact they would receive vote chunk from every caste instead of a particular one. The self-styled godmans and other religious yogis who have infuence in Indian political mandate won&#39;t neglect Congress because they are Muslim-only appeasers. The Hindus from states other than Gujarat might get good impression from this gesture of Rahul Gandhi. So called secular ideologues had once appreciated Dr Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan for contributing in works of Hinduism (not Hindutva) so they might praise Mr Gandhi in the same fashion. Muslim appeasement was once the medium of Congress to show that they are secular. It is very astonishing that finally Congress realised that Muslim appeasement and this secularism won&#39;t be a lifeboat for them. Muslims Tribals-Dalits hate Hindutva put forth by BJP-RSS, but they may be comfortable with this mild Hindu card played by the Grand Old Party. The best or worst part in Indian politics is, that Indian voter doesn&#39;t care about a political trend of a party in other state i.e. a voter in Karnataka won&#39;t carry what Rahul Gandhi says in Gujarat. Moreover, the public memory is very short and weak. So that is why the people in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Chhattisgarh, where elections are coming, voters wouldn&#39;t mind this mild Hindu card. Well the best thing which I see is that Congress party till recent years used to think that going to temples and talking on behalf of upper classes is a part of communal agenda. Now the eyes of Congress seem to have opened and leaned towards realism rather than cloud of just rationalism. Overall, this move of Congress would not only help the Grand Old Party to remove its Muslim-only tag but also would help to improve realistic upbringing in Indian politics.

TAILS:

In today&#39;s political phase, India needs a strong opposition having a centrist ideology which identifies state and religion as different entities. So the opposition needs to be far secular i.e. &#39;Empowerment of all and Appeasement of none&#39;. But the current move of 132-year-old party has an opposite ideology i.e. &#39;Empowerment of none but appeasement of all&#39;. This poll plank would definitely hurt our current politics. It&#39;s a matter of great debate whether the political parties should amend their ideologies in time now. I won&#39;t say what Indian political ideologies should generally do, but on this right leaned political pitch, the original centre-left Congress is the only party competent to do proper bowling. The original Congress of Gandhian ideology would propose &#39;Religion neutral, Caste neutral, only Indianity&#39; concept which is needed right now, but unfortunately Congress seems to have forgot Congress! I urge Sashi Tharoor Sir to remind their newly elected (nominated) president, about what original Congress stand for.

Rahul Gandhi needs to be reminded that Hindutva is the last thing that a BJP voter wants. The thing which elevated Chief Minister Narendra Modi to Prime Minister of world&#39;s largest democracy isn&#39;t actually his Hindutva background. Moreover, if there would be any shameful and genuine incident of threat on minorities then it would be impossible for the Grand old Party to present its stance before the nation. Even if a voter wants to vote for rhetoric of Hindutva then Congress is less likely to be first option for him. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley also ridiculed this move of Congress and said that people would vote for original rather than a clone. Congress is questioning the incumbent government very properly, but at the same time, they need to put forth a socio-economic model before the people which have capability to stand before the economic pitches of PM Narendra Modi. Congress still has a chance, but they need to work too hard to achieve even 30 per cent of what those guys hope and quote.

(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity)

This move of Congress would not only help the grand old party to remove its Muslim-only tag but also help to improve realistic upbringing in Indian politics.

After the poll planks of Shiv Bhakt and Janeu Dhari Hindu, it is quite evident that Congress has been slightly leaning towards a mild Hindutva platform. It will be historic for a party whose poll equation starts from Dalit-OBCs and ends up wooing the Muslims. Congress never tried to take Hindus as whole in their account. BJP was never shy to carry Hindutva tag but Congress distanced itself whenever they were caught doing minority appeasement. And during this high potential elections, the newly-elected president of the Grand Old Party is playing a mild Hindu card beyond Dalits and OBCs and started taking intrest in upper castes like Patidars in Gujarat and Brahmin-Thakurs in Himachal Pradesh. HEADS: As an old saying goes "Diamond cuts diamond", perhaps this political technique of Rahul Gandhi may stand against the Hindutva mindset of RSS-BJP. Lots of political analysts and Congress leaning journalists who are acknowledging a sudden maturity in Rahul Gandhi think that this poll plank may add a feather in Rahul's hat. General people on the ground in Gujarat and especially the Patidars exclusively believe in Hindutva. So this electoral tool of Hinduism might woo Hindutva. In fact they would receive vote chunk from every caste instead of a particular one. The self-styled godmans and other religious yogis who have infuence in Indian political mandate won't neglect Congress because they are Muslim-only appeasers. The Hindus from states other than Gujarat might get good impression from this gesture of Rahul Gandhi. So called secular ideologues had once appreciated Dr Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan for contributing in works of Hinduism (not Hindutva) so they might praise Mr Gandhi in the same fashion. Muslim appeasement was once the medium of Congress to show that they are secular. It is very astonishing that finally Congress realised that Muslim appeasement and this secularism won't be a lifeboat for them. Muslims Tribals-Dalits hate Hindutva put forth by BJP-RSS, but they may be comfortable with this mild Hindu card played by the Grand Old Party. The best or worst part in Indian politics is, that Indian voter doesn't care about a political trend of a party in other state i.e. a voter in Karnataka won't carry what Rahul Gandhi says in Gujarat. Moreover, the public memory is very short and weak. So that is why the people in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Chhattisgarh, where elections are coming, voters wouldn't mind this mild Hindu card. Well the best thing which I see is that Congress party till recent years used to think that going to temples and talking on behalf of upper classes is a part of communal agenda. Now the eyes of Congress seem to have opened and leaned towards realism rather than cloud of just rationalism. Overall, this move of Congress would not only help the Grand Old Party to remove its Muslim-only tag but also would help to improve realistic upbringing in Indian politics. TAILS: In today's political phase, India needs a strong opposition having a centrist ideology which identifies state and religion as different entities. So the opposition needs to be far secular i.e. 'Empowerment of all and Appeasement of none'. But the current move of 132-year-old party has an opposite ideology i.e. 'Empowerment of none but appeasement of all'. This poll plank would definitely hurt our current politics. It's a matter of great debate whether the political parties should amend their ideologies in time now. I won't say what Indian political ideologies should generally do, but on this right leaned political pitch, the original centre-left Congress is the only party competent to do proper bowling. The original Congress of Gandhian ideology would propose 'Religion neutral, Caste neutral, only Indianity' concept which is needed right now, but unfortunately Congress seems to have forgot Congress! I urge Sashi Tharoor Sir to remind their newly elected (nominated) president, about what original Congress stand for. Rahul Gandhi needs to be reminded that Hindutva is the last thing that a BJP voter wants. The thing which elevated Chief Minister Narendra Modi to Prime Minister of world's largest democracy isn't actually his Hindutva background. Moreover, if there would be any shameful and genuine incident of threat on minorities then it would be impossible for the Grand old Party to present its stance before the nation. Even if a voter wants to vote for rhetoric of Hindutva then Congress is less likely to be first option for him. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley also ridiculed this move of Congress and said that people would vote for original rather than a clone. Congress is questioning the incumbent government very properly, but at the same time, they need to put forth a socio-economic model before the people which have capability to stand before the economic pitches of PM Narendra Modi. Congress still has a chance, but they need to work too hard to achieve even 30 per cent of what those guys hope and quote. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity)

Opinion: Rahul Gandhi leaning towards mild Hindutva platform. And it might help Congress

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