Nirmala Sitharaman is the first woman finance minister though Indira Gandhi held the finance portfolio when she was the prime minister in 1970-71. Watch this video to know more.

Breaking: Nirmala Sitharaman takes charge as new Finance & Corporate Minister

<p>Beating the anti-incumbency of his first five years in power, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/lok-sabha-election-result-2019-foreign-media-reacts-as-vote-count-shows-an-outright-majority-for-bjp-220859">Prime Minister Modi </a>on Thursday secured an even greater mandate for the second straight term.</p>

<p>Marking another historic victory, PM Modi led BJP crossed over 300 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. The party had won 282 seats in the 2014 general election.</p>

<p>The BJP, which registered a historic win in 2014 by emerging as the first party in three decades to secure a majority on its own, again scripted its name in history after the results threw a stronger number for its existing&nbsp;government.</p>

<p>After this win, PM Modi has become the first non-<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-elections-2019-rash-of-resignations-in-congress-after-election-result-disaster-221242">Congress</a> full majority prime minister to get re-elected with a stronger majority.</p>

<p>The Congress in the 1971 general election had secured a huge victory for the ruling government. Winning 362 out of 520 seats, the party under Indira Gandhi came back to power with a huge mandate.</p>

<p>Jawaharlal Nehru ruled for nearly two decades in the country. Congress under his leadership won three consecutive general elections.</p>

<p><strong>Watch: PM Modi may take oath of office on May 30</strong></p>

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<p>In the first general election held in 1951-52, Nehru won a massive mandate of 364 out of 489 seats. In the second general elections held in 1957, the Congress won 371 seats out of the 494. Securing another landslide victory in his third and final election campaign, the Indian National Congress in 1962 won 361 out of the 494 seats.</p>

<p>The BJP under Atal Bihari Vajpayee had registered another historic victory in 1999 general election when it became the first ever non-Congress government to complete its full tenure in power.&nbsp;</p>


Beating the anti-incumbency of his first five years in power, Prime Minister Modi on Thursday secured an even greater mandate for the second straight term. Marking another historic victory, PM Modi led BJP crossed over 300 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

Beating the anti-incumbency of his first five years in power, Prime Minister Modi on Thursday secured an even greater mandate for the second straight term. Marking another historic victory, PM Modi led BJP crossed over 300 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. The party had won 282 seats in the 2014 general election. The BJP, which registered a historic win in 2014 by emerging as the first party in three decades to secure a majority on its own, again scripted its name in history after the results threw a stronger number for its existing government. After this win, PM Modi has become the first non-Congress full majority prime minister to get re-elected with a stronger majority. The Congress in the 1971 general election had secured a huge victory for the ruling government. Winning 362 out of 520 seats, the party under Indira Gandhi came back to power with a huge mandate. Jawaharlal Nehru ruled for nearly two decades in the country. Congress under his leadership won three consecutive general elections. Watch: PM Modi may take oath of office on May 30 × In the first general election held in 1951-52, Nehru won a massive mandate of 364 out of 489 seats. In the second general elections held in 1957, the Congress won 371 seats out of the 494. Securing another landslide victory in his third and final election campaign, the Indian National Congress in 1962 won 361 out of the 494 seats. The BJP under Atal Bihari Vajpayee had registered another historic victory in 1999 general election when it became the first ever non-Congress government to complete its full tenure in power.

Modi becomes first non-Congress prime minister to return to power after huge mandate

<p>Finance Minister Arun Jaitley hit out at Indian Overseas Congress chief Sam Pitroda on Friday over his remarks on 1984 anti-Sikh riots.</p>

<p>On being asked to respond on the BJP's claim citing the Nanavati commission report that the instructions for the violence had come from late Rajiv Gandhi who had taken up the post of Prime Minister after his mother Indira Gandhi was assassinated, Pitroda had said, "it happened in 1984, so what?"</p>

<p>"I don't think so, this is also another lie, and what about 1984? You speak about what you have done in five years. It happened in 1984, so what? (1984 hua toh hua). What have you done? (Ab kya hai 84 ka? Aapne kya kiya 5 saal mein, uski baat kariye. 84 mein hua to hua. Aapne kya kiya?)"</p>

<p>Taking Twitter to slam Pitroda, Jaitley said, "It is a matter of disgrace that the Congress Party has no remorse over the Sikh killings of 1984."</p>

<p>"Sam Pitroda's 'Hua to Hua' reaction to the 1984 Sikh killings is reflective of the lack of remorse on the part of Congress Party with respect to the 1984 genocide," he continued in another tweet.</p>

<p>"Will the Congress President oust his 'Guru', who rubbishes the genocide of India's most patriotic community in 1984?" Jaitley asked in another tweet.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Will the Congress President oust his 'Guru', who rubbishes the genocide of India's most patriotic community in 1984?</p>
— Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) <a href="https://twitter.com/arunjaitley/status/1126710704390541312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 10, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>Yesterday, BJP party president Amit Shah slammed Pitroda saying that India will never forgive "murderer" Congress for its sins."</p>

<p>"Agony of the entire Sikh community. Suffering of all those Sikh families killed by Congress leaders in 1984. Attack on Delhi’s secular ethos. All Summed up in these three words by Sam Pitroda - Hua To Hua. &nbsp;India will never forgive #MurdererCongress for its sins," Shah's tweet read.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Agony of the entire Sikh community.<br />
<br />
Suffering of all those Sikh families killed by Congress leaders in 1984.<br />
<br />
Attack on Delhi’s secular ethos.<br />
<br />
All Summed up in these three words by Sam Pitroda - Hua To Hua.<br />
<br />
India will never forgive <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MurdererCongress?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MurdererCongress</a> for its sins. <a href="https://t.co/ouYXeHJHlf">pic.twitter.com/ouYXeHJHlf</a></p>
— Chowkidar Amit Shah (@AmitShah) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmitShah/status/1126497512280313862?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>The anti-Sikh riots took place after the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.</p>

<p>According to official records, about 2,800 Sikhs were killed across India, including 2,100 in Delhi, during the pogrom that broke out after then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Finance Minister Arun Jaitley hit out at Indian Overseas Congress chief Sam Pitroda on Friday over his remarks on 1984 anti-Sikh riots. On being asked to respond on the BJP's claim citing the Nanavati commission report that the instructions for the violence had come from late Rajiv Gandhi who had taken up the post of Prime Minister after his mother Indira Gandhi was assassinated, Pitroda had said, "it happened in 1984, so what?

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley hit out at Indian Overseas Congress chief Sam Pitroda on Friday over his remarks on 1984 anti-Sikh riots. On being asked to respond on the BJP's claim citing the Nanavati commission report that the instructions for the violence had come from late Rajiv Gandhi who had taken up the post of Prime Minister after his mother Indira Gandhi was assassinated, Pitroda had said, "it happened in 1984, so what?" "I don't think so, this is also another lie, and what about 1984? You speak about what you have done in five years. It happened in 1984, so what? (1984 hua toh hua). What have you done? (Ab kya hai 84 ka? Aapne kya kiya 5 saal mein, uski baat kariye. 84 mein hua to hua. Aapne kya kiya?)" Taking Twitter to slam Pitroda, Jaitley said, "It is a matter of disgrace that the Congress Party has no remorse over the Sikh killings of 1984." "Sam Pitroda's 'Hua to Hua' reaction to the 1984 Sikh killings is reflective of the lack of remorse on the part of Congress Party with respect to the 1984 genocide," he continued in another tweet. "Will the Congress President oust his 'Guru', who rubbishes the genocide of India's most patriotic community in 1984?" Jaitley asked in another tweet. Will the Congress President oust his 'Guru', who rubbishes the genocide of India's most patriotic community in 1984? — Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) May 10, 2019 × Yesterday, BJP party president Amit Shah slammed Pitroda saying that India will never forgive "murderer" Congress for its sins." "Agony of the entire Sikh community. Suffering of all those Sikh families killed by Congress leaders in 1984. Attack on Delhi’s secular ethos. All Summed up in these three words by Sam Pitroda - Hua To Hua. India will never forgive #MurdererCongress for its sins," Shah's tweet read. Agony of the entire Sikh community. Suffering of all those Sikh families killed by Congress leaders in 1984. Attack on Delhi’s secular ethos. All Summed up in these three words by Sam Pitroda - Hua To Hua. India will never forgive #MurdererCongress for its sins. pic.twitter.com/ouYXeHJHlf — Chowkidar Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 9, 2019 × The anti-Sikh riots took place after the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. According to official records, about 2,800 Sikhs were killed across India, including 2,100 in Delhi, during the pogrom that broke out after then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards. (With inputs from agencies)

Arun Jaitley, Amit Shah slams Sam Pitroda over his remark on 1984 anti-Sikh riots

Iconic pictures of Indian General Elections

<p>Priyanka Gandhi Vadra became the latest member of India's storied Nehru-Gandhi dynasty to enter politics in January, but the boost she brings the opposition campaign may not turn the tide against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, polls show.</p>

<p>After years of speculation, the charismatic Vadra joined Congress to help its leader, her brother Rahul, in general elections that begin next week, pitching the party and regional groups against Modi.</p>

<p>Congress hopes the fourth-generation siblings of a dynasty that ruled India for decades after independence from Britain in 1947 and is still revered by many will help energise its ranks and counter Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).</p>

<p>In the run-up to the election that starts on Thursday, the 47-year-old Vadra has spent hours campaigning in cars, trucks and even a boat, to woo voters in Uttar Pradesh, which sends more lawmakers to parliament than any other Indian state.</p>

<p>Reuters followed her at two roadshows where she smiled, waved, and shook hands, occasionally wading into crowds as her security detail scrambled along. Her father and grandmother, both former prime ministers, were assassinated.</p>

<p>Thousands of people lined the streets for several kilometres, waving Congress flags and chanting her name.</p>

<p>"There is support for Congress because of Priyanka," said Mahesh Gupta, a shopkeeper in the temple town of Ayodhya, where she visited a shrine in late March.</p>

<p>Gupta, who referred to Vadra by her first name, as many Indians do, voted for Modi in the last election, but said he was considering Congress after seeing her campaign.</p>

<p>Vadra, a marquee campaigner for Congress, chose Ayodhya as one of her first tours to take on the BJP in its own bastion.</p>

<p>Even so, in the face of the formidable political machine of the BJP which also rules the state, Congress may be unable to capitalise on her appeal, pollsters and some party leaders said.</p>

<p>Vadra's campaigning was getting attention for Congress it would not have got otherwise, but it did not look like the party was making gains, said Milan Vaishnav, an analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.</p>

<p>"Many in Congress say the Priyanka play is more about building up the party for 2022 assembly elections and beyond," he said, referring to state elections in Uttar Pradesh.</p>

<p>Last month, polling agencies CVoter and CNX separately estimated Congress would win just 4 of the 80 seats up for grabs in the state, doubling its tally since the last general election in 2014.</p>

<p>That year's sweep of 71 seats for the BJP paved the way for Modi's clear majority in India’s 545-member Lok Sabha.</p>

<p>A broader poll published by a newspaper on Friday showed Modi's approval ratings across India were higher even than in 2014 when he was making a bid for power.</p>

<p>The poll, by the newspaper CSDS-Lokniti, showed 43 per cent of respondents wanted Modi as the next prime minister, with 24 per cent for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.</p>

<p><strong>Vote wisely</strong></p>

<p>For years, Vadra helped manage elections for her brother and mother, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, in their own constituencies, but was reluctant to get into politics herself.</p>

<p>A mother of two, she is married to businessman Robert Vadra and has long been seen as a natural politician with strong speaking skills and an ability to easily connect with people.</p>

<p>One afternoon last week, her 12-car convoy sped past lush fields and small settlements, kicking up a cloud of dust before stopping at the village of Atka in the Ayodhya district.</p>

<p>The saree-clad Vadra jumped out of her car and settled down on the ground surrounded by a group of women, many veiled and others smiling.</p>

<p>"If someone doesn’t work for you, how will you teach them a lesson?" she asked, imploring them to vote wisely. "Vote for those who want to work for you."</p>

<p>CVoter, which has run a daily opinion poll since January, said Congress support in Uttar Pradesh has dropped off after jumping 10 percentage points in the days following the news that Vadra had taken a party post.</p>

<p>Late in March, about 8.9 per cent of state voters backed Congress, a far cry from the 43.4 per cent supporting the BJP and the 44 per cent behind an alliance of two major regional parties.</p>

<p>However, even with Vadra's hectic campaigning, Congress is struggling to get its message of welfare to voters, party officials said.</p>

<p>Six voters in Uttar Pradesh said they had not heard of a Congress election promise for a programme to give India's poorest families monthly handouts of 6,000 rupees.</p>

<p>"They brought her in at a very wrong time," said one Congress official, who declined to be identified because he was not authorised to speak formally to media.</p>

<p>A better time would have been December, just days after Congress won power in three key states, giving her more time to prepare, he added. Others in the party have said it should have been years earlier.</p>

<p>The BJP has dismissed Vadra's formal entry into politics as inconsequential and Modi said it only showed that for some "the family is the party".</p>

<p>Vadra's office did not respond to a request from Reuters for an interview.</p>

<p>But Congress will seize on momentum building against the BJP, said Kamal Nath, a top Congress leader and chief minister of Madhya Pradesh.</p>

<p>"You have to time everything," he told Reuters. "You don't want to peak out too fast."</p>


Priyanka Gandhi Vadra became the latest member of India's storied Nehru-Gandhi dynasty to enter politics in January, but the boost she brings the opposition campaign may not turn the tide against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, polls show.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra became the latest member of India's storied Nehru-Gandhi dynasty to enter politics in January, but the boost she brings the opposition campaign may not turn the tide against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, polls show. After years of speculation, the charismatic Vadra joined Congress to help its leader, her brother Rahul, in general elections that begin next week, pitching the party and regional groups against Modi. Congress hopes the fourth-generation siblings of a dynasty that ruled India for decades after independence from Britain in 1947 and is still revered by many will help energise its ranks and counter Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In the run-up to the election that starts on Thursday, the 47-year-old Vadra has spent hours campaigning in cars, trucks and even a boat, to woo voters in Uttar Pradesh, which sends more lawmakers to parliament than any other Indian state. Reuters followed her at two roadshows where she smiled, waved, and shook hands, occasionally wading into crowds as her security detail scrambled along. Her father and grandmother, both former prime ministers, were assassinated. Thousands of people lined the streets for several kilometres, waving Congress flags and chanting her name. "There is support for Congress because of Priyanka," said Mahesh Gupta, a shopkeeper in the temple town of Ayodhya, where she visited a shrine in late March. Gupta, who referred to Vadra by her first name, as many Indians do, voted for Modi in the last election, but said he was considering Congress after seeing her campaign. Vadra, a marquee campaigner for Congress, chose Ayodhya as one of her first tours to take on the BJP in its own bastion. Even so, in the face of the formidable political machine of the BJP which also rules the state, Congress may be unable to capitalise on her appeal, pollsters and some party leaders said. Vadra's campaigning was getting attention for Congress it would not have got otherwise, but it did not look like the party was making gains, said Milan Vaishnav, an analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "Many in Congress say the Priyanka play is more about building up the party for 2022 assembly elections and beyond," he said, referring to state elections in Uttar Pradesh. Last month, polling agencies CVoter and CNX separately estimated Congress would win just 4 of the 80 seats up for grabs in the state, doubling its tally since the last general election in 2014. That year's sweep of 71 seats for the BJP paved the way for Modi's clear majority in India’s 545-member Lok Sabha. A broader poll published by a newspaper on Friday showed Modi's approval ratings across India were higher even than in 2014 when he was making a bid for power. The poll, by the newspaper CSDS-Lokniti, showed 43 per cent of respondents wanted Modi as the next prime minister, with 24 per cent for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Vote wisely For years, Vadra helped manage elections for her brother and mother, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, in their own constituencies, but was reluctant to get into politics herself. A mother of two, she is married to businessman Robert Vadra and has long been seen as a natural politician with strong speaking skills and an ability to easily connect with people. One afternoon last week, her 12-car convoy sped past lush fields and small settlements, kicking up a cloud of dust before stopping at the village of Atka in the Ayodhya district. The saree-clad Vadra jumped out of her car and settled down on the ground surrounded by a group of women, many veiled and others smiling. "If someone doesn’t work for you, how will you teach them a lesson?" she asked, imploring them to vote wisely. "Vote for those who want to work for you." CVoter, which has run a daily opinion poll since January, said Congress support in Uttar Pradesh has dropped off after jumping 10 percentage points in the days following the news that Vadra had taken a party post. Late in March, about 8.9 per cent of state voters backed Congress, a far cry from the 43.4 per cent supporting the BJP and the 44 per cent behind an alliance of two major regional parties. However, even with Vadra's hectic campaigning, Congress is struggling to get its message of welfare to voters, party officials said. Six voters in Uttar Pradesh said they had not heard of a Congress election promise for a programme to give India's poorest families monthly handouts of 6,000 rupees. "They brought her in at a very wrong time," said one Congress official, who declined to be identified because he was not authorised to speak formally to media. A better time would have been December, just days after Congress won power in three key states, giving her more time to prepare, he added. Others in the party have said it should have been years earlier. The BJP has dismissed Vadra's formal entry into politics as inconsequential and Modi said it only showed that for some "the family is the party". Vadra's office did not respond to a request from Reuters for an interview. But Congress will seize on momentum building against the BJP, said Kamal Nath, a top Congress leader and chief minister of Madhya Pradesh. "You have to time everything," he told Reuters. "You don't want to peak out too fast."

Priyanka Gandhi in uphill battle against BJP in eastern Uttar Pradesh

Lok Sabha polls: From Indira's era to rise of NDA, a look at India's electoral history

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Priyanka Gandhi: Post-Rajiv & Sonia era, the daughter rises

<p>In a court hearing on former Congress leader <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sikh-inmates-to-be-kept-away-from-sajjan-kumars-ward-in-delhis-mandoli-jail-187613">Sajjan Kumar's plea</a> against his conviction in 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, the Supreme court on Monday issued a notice to the CBI seeking its reply in the matter.</p>

<p>A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Ashok Bhushan and S K Kaul also issued notice on Kumar's bail plea.</p>

<p>The next hearing in the case is scheduled after six weeks.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Supreme Court seeks CBI reply on an appeal filed by Sajjan Kumar challenging Delhi HC verdict convicting &amp; sentencing him to life imprisonment in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, and posts the matter for hearing after six weeks. <a href="https://t.co/xSvbNc9cIS">pic.twitter.com/xSvbNc9cIS</a></p>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1084686455987990528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>Kumar, 73, surrendered before a trial court in Delhi on December 31, 2018, to serve his sentence in accordance with the High Court's December 17 judgement, which sentenced him to prison for the "remainder of his natural life".&nbsp;</p>

<p>The case in which <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/1984-anti-sikh-riots-no-ground-for-granting-relief-to-sajjan-kumar-says-high-court-185604">Kumar</a> was convicted and sentenced relates to the killing of five Sikhs in Delhi Cantonment's Raj Nagar Part-I area of southwest Delhi on November 1-2, 1984 and the burning down of a gurudwara.</p>

<p>The riots broke out after the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984, by her two Sikh bodyguards.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


In a court hearing on former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar's plea against his conviction in 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, the Supreme court on Monday issued a notice to the CBI seeking its reply in the matter.

In a court hearing on former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar's plea against his conviction in 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, the Supreme court on Monday issued a notice to the CBI seeking its reply in the matter. A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Ashok Bhushan and S K Kaul also issued notice on Kumar's bail plea. The next hearing in the case is scheduled after six weeks. Supreme Court seeks CBI reply on an appeal filed by Sajjan Kumar challenging Delhi HC verdict convicting & sentencing him to life imprisonment in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, and posts the matter for hearing after six weeks. pic.twitter.com/xSvbNc9cIS — ANI (@ANI) January 14, 2019 × Kumar, 73, surrendered before a trial court in Delhi on December 31, 2018, to serve his sentence in accordance with the High Court's December 17 judgement, which sentenced him to prison for the "remainder of his natural life". The case in which Kumar was convicted and sentenced relates to the killing of five Sikhs in Delhi Cantonment's Raj Nagar Part-I area of southwest Delhi on November 1-2, 1984 and the burning down of a gurudwara. The riots broke out after the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984, by her two Sikh bodyguards. (With inputs from agencies)

1984 anti-Sikh riots: Supreme Court issues notice to CBI on Sajjan Kumar's appeal

<p>The nation remembered former prime minister Indira Gandhi on her 34th death anniversary Wednesday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his predecessor Manmohan Singh, former president Pranab Mukherjee and several other leaders paying tributes to her.</p>

<p>"Tributes to our former Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi on her death anniversary," Modi said in a tweet.</p>

<p>Senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, party president Rahul Gandhi and Manmohan Singh were the first to pay floral tributes to the late prime minister at her memorial, Shakti Sthal.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Later, Sonia, Rahul, Singh along with Mukherjee and former vice president Hamid Ansari attended a prayer meeting at the Indira Gandhi Memorial at 1 Akbar Road here.</p>

<p>Many former Union ministers, senior Congress leaders and Members of Parliament were also present.</p>

<p>"Remembering Dadi (Grandmother) today with a deep sense of happiness. She taught me so much and gave me unending love. She gave so much of herself to her people. I am very proud of her," Rahul said on Twitter.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Indira Gandhi was assassinated this day in 1984 by two of her security guards.&nbsp;</p>


The nation remembered former prime minister Indira Gandhi on her 34th death anniversary Wednesday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his predecessor Manmohan Singh, former president Pranab Mukherjee and several other leaders paying tributes to her.

The nation remembered former prime minister Indira Gandhi on her 34th death anniversary Wednesday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his predecessor Manmohan Singh, former president Pranab Mukherjee and several other leaders paying tributes to her. "Tributes to our former Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi on her death anniversary," Modi said in a tweet. Senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, party president Rahul Gandhi and Manmohan Singh were the first to pay floral tributes to the late prime minister at her memorial, Shakti Sthal. Later, Sonia, Rahul, Singh along with Mukherjee and former vice president Hamid Ansari attended a prayer meeting at the Indira Gandhi Memorial at 1 Akbar Road here. Many former Union ministers, senior Congress leaders and Members of Parliament were also present. "Remembering Dadi (Grandmother) today with a deep sense of happiness. She taught me so much and gave me unending love. She gave so much of herself to her people. I am very proud of her," Rahul said on Twitter. Indira Gandhi was assassinated this day in 1984 by two of her security guards.

Tribute paid to Indira Gandhi on her 34th death anniversary

<p>India has handed over to Bangladesh a Mi-4 helicopter and two PT-76 tanks as part of the 1971 Liberation War memorabilia, officials said on Thursday in Dhaka.</p>

<p>"The gifts are to be showcased at the Bangladesh army and air force museums," a defence ministry spokesman said.</p>

<p>He said the helicopter and the tanks were part of gifts given by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj during her Bangladesh visit last year.</p>

<p>The memorabilia included 25 weapons like pistol, rifles, machine guns and mortars alongside a large number of artefact, historical photographs, archival audio and video clipping, maps and battle records related to the 1971 Liberation War.</p>

<p>"While most items of memorabilia have been handed over to the Bangladesh National Museum the larger items ie PT-76 Tanks and Mi 4 Helicopter are now being handed over to the Bangladesh Army and Air Force," Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Harsh Vardhan Shringla said.</p>

<p>The light amphibious PT-76 tanks were used by the Indian Army's armoured regiments in 1971 which played a crucial role in crossing rivers and water bodies during the war.</p>

<p>Analysts said these tanks often outclassed a much larger force and technically superior M34 Chafee tanks, used by the Pakistani Army in the war.</p>

<p>The Mi-4 transport helicopter was extensively utilised for heliborne operations by the India-Bangladesh joint forces in the eastern sector confirming early defeat of Pakistani troops in 1971.</p>

<p>Indian air force earlier gifted Bangladesh one Hunter jet fighter, one Dakota transport air craft ahead of this helicopter while India's navy previously gifted memorabilia of its INS Vikrant, models of ships that took part in the war and archival photographs and its army gifts included six 3.7 Howitzer Guns.&nbsp</p>

<p>India backed Bangladesh's Liberation War, which began after the sudden crackdown at midnight past on March 25, 1971 in the erstwhile East Pakistan by Pakistani troops.</p>

<p>On December 16, the same year as Pakistan conceded defeat and its troops unconditionally surrendered in Dhaka to the allied forces comprising the freedom fighters and the Indian Army.&nbsp</p>


'The gifts are to be showcased at the Bangladesh army and air force museums' a defence ministry spokesman said

India has handed over to Bangladesh a Mi-4 helicopter and two PT-76 tanks as part of the 1971 Liberation War memorabilia, officials said on Thursday in Dhaka. "The gifts are to be showcased at the Bangladesh army and air force museums," a defence ministry spokesman said. He said the helicopter and the tanks were part of gifts given by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj during her Bangladesh visit last year. The memorabilia included 25 weapons like pistol, rifles, machine guns and mortars alongside a large number of artefact, historical photographs, archival audio and video clipping, maps and battle records related to the 1971 Liberation War. "While most items of memorabilia have been handed over to the Bangladesh National Museum the larger items ie PT-76 Tanks and Mi 4 Helicopter are now being handed over to the Bangladesh Army and Air Force," Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Harsh Vardhan Shringla said. The light amphibious PT-76 tanks were used by the Indian Army's armoured regiments in 1971 which played a crucial role in crossing rivers and water bodies during the war. Analysts said these tanks often outclassed a much larger force and technically superior M34 Chafee tanks, used by the Pakistani Army in the war. The Mi-4 transport helicopter was extensively utilised for heliborne operations by the India-Bangladesh joint forces in the eastern sector confirming early defeat of Pakistani troops in 1971. Indian air force earlier gifted Bangladesh one Hunter jet fighter, one Dakota transport air craft ahead of this helicopter while India's navy previously gifted memorabilia of its INS Vikrant, models of ships that took part in the war and archival photographs and its army gifts included six 3.7 Howitzer Guns. India backed Bangladesh's Liberation War, which began after the sudden crackdown at midnight past on March 25, 1971 in the erstwhile East Pakistan by Pakistani troops. On December 16, the same year as Pakistan conceded defeat and its troops unconditionally surrendered in Dhaka to the allied forces comprising the freedom fighters and the Indian Army.

India hands over helicopter, tanks to Bangladesh as 1971 memorabilia

<p>Former Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi inaugurated a photo exhibition of the former prime minister late Indira Gandhi in Moscow earlier today.&nbsp;</p>

<p>At the exhibition, Sonia Gandhi expressed her happiness over visiting the Russian capital after thirteen years. "I have fond memories of my many visits here and to St. Petersburg and the gracious hospitality of President Putin in 2005," she added.</p>

<p>The exhibition was organised and inaugurated to commemorate the centenary anniversary of late Indira Gandhi. The event exhibited the expanse of her life and times as a remarkable political personality.</p>

<p>"This exhibition tells the story of a courageous, compelling and charismatic leader who left an indelible imprint not only on her own country, not only on the India-USSR relationship but on the world stage as well," said Sonia Gandhi. &nbsp;</p>

<p>"It is only appropriate that Moscow is the first place where this photo exhibition is on display outside India," she added</p>

<p>Indira Gandhi was India’s only woman prime minister, incidentally, many mothers in the Soviet Union named their daughters after her.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In her speech at the exhibition, Sonia Gandhi fondly traced her family's ties with Russia.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The ties of my family with your country date back to 1927 when Indira Gandhi’s grandfather Motilal Nehru, father Jawaharlal Nehru and mother Kamala first visited Moscow. It was this journey that inspired Jawaharlal Nehru to write his very first book, ‘Soviet Russia: Some Random Sketches and Impressions’. Indira Gandhi herself made her first trip to Russia in 1953," Gandhi expressed.</p>

<p>She shared that her mother-in-law's (Indira Gandhi) letters to her father Jawahar Lal Nehru expressed how excited and deeply moved she was by Moscow and its people.</p>

<p>"From St. Petersburg, then Leningrad - she wrote, and I quote: Leningrad is truly a beautiful city… It is still the city of Peter the Great… The Hermitage Museum has a wonderful collection of European paintings—the collection of arts from China, Ancient Egypt and a small one consisting of mainly armour from India," Gandhi read out from one of Indira Gandhi's letters.</p>

<p>"The USSR—and especially Russia—held a special place, both in her head and her heart. After all, she had grown-up in the shadow of not only her father but of two other remarkable men: the Father of our Nation, Mahatma Gandhi who derived inspiration from Leo Tolstoy, and India’s first Nobel Laureate, the poet Rabindranath Tagore, who often expressed his admiration for Alexander Pushkin," Gandhi further added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>At the exhibition, Sonia Gandhi went on to talk about the exuberance and the strength with which late Indira Gandhi lived her life and led the nation. Sonia Gandhi recalled Indira Gandhi's passion for Russian literature, her diplomacy skills and her ability to emerge as one of the most powerful leaders in the history of Indian polity.</p>

<p>"During the 16 years of her Prime Ministership, India and the Soviet Union shared a special partnership. There were a genuine warmth and a rare chemistry between Indira Gandhi and the Russian leaders. She was an influential and tireless global voice for peace and disarmament. Within India, she shared a rare rapport with the poor and disadvantaged sections of society. They saw in her the protector of their rights and the champion of their hopes and aspirations," Sonia Gandhi added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Sonia Gandhi reflected on the "excellent relationship" enjoyed by India and Russia and credited the same to Indira Gandhi's legacy -- "a legacy that has been consolidated by President Putin and successive Indian prime ministers," Gandhi concluded.&nbsp;</p>


In her speech at the exhibition, Sonia Gandhi fondly traced her family's ties with Russia

Former Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi inaugurated a photo exhibition of the former prime minister late Indira Gandhi in Moscow earlier today. At the exhibition, Sonia Gandhi expressed her happiness over visiting the Russian capital after thirteen years. "I have fond memories of my many visits here and to St. Petersburg and the gracious hospitality of President Putin in 2005," she added. The exhibition was organised and inaugurated to commemorate the centenary anniversary of late Indira Gandhi. The event exhibited the expanse of her life and times as a remarkable political personality. "This exhibition tells the story of a courageous, compelling and charismatic leader who left an indelible imprint not only on her own country, not only on the India-USSR relationship but on the world stage as well," said Sonia Gandhi. "It is only appropriate that Moscow is the first place where this photo exhibition is on display outside India," she added Indira Gandhi was India’s only woman prime minister, incidentally, many mothers in the Soviet Union named their daughters after her. In her speech at the exhibition, Sonia Gandhi fondly traced her family's ties with Russia. "The ties of my family with your country date back to 1927 when Indira Gandhi’s grandfather Motilal Nehru, father Jawaharlal Nehru and mother Kamala first visited Moscow. It was this journey that inspired Jawaharlal Nehru to write his very first book, ‘Soviet Russia: Some Random Sketches and Impressions’. Indira Gandhi herself made her first trip to Russia in 1953," Gandhi expressed. She shared that her mother-in-law's (Indira Gandhi) letters to her father Jawahar Lal Nehru expressed how excited and deeply moved she was by Moscow and its people. "From St. Petersburg, then Leningrad - she wrote, and I quote: Leningrad is truly a beautiful city… It is still the city of Peter the Great… The Hermitage Museum has a wonderful collection of European paintings—the collection of arts from China, Ancient Egypt and a small one consisting of mainly armour from India," Gandhi read out from one of Indira Gandhi's letters. "The USSR—and especially Russia—held a special place, both in her head and her heart. After all, she had grown-up in the shadow of not only her father but of two other remarkable men: the Father of our Nation, Mahatma Gandhi who derived inspiration from Leo Tolstoy, and India’s first Nobel Laureate, the poet Rabindranath Tagore, who often expressed his admiration for Alexander Pushkin," Gandhi further added. At the exhibition, Sonia Gandhi went on to talk about the exuberance and the strength with which late Indira Gandhi lived her life and led the nation. Sonia Gandhi recalled Indira Gandhi's passion for Russian literature, her diplomacy skills and her ability to emerge as one of the most powerful leaders in the history of Indian polity. "During the 16 years of her Prime Ministership, India and the Soviet Union shared a special partnership. There were a genuine warmth and a rare chemistry between Indira Gandhi and the Russian leaders. She was an influential and tireless global voice for peace and disarmament. Within India, she shared a rare rapport with the poor and disadvantaged sections of society. They saw in her the protector of their rights and the champion of their hopes and aspirations," Sonia Gandhi added. Sonia Gandhi reflected on the "excellent relationship" enjoyed by India and Russia and credited the same to Indira Gandhi's legacy -- "a legacy that has been consolidated by President Putin and successive Indian prime ministers," Gandhi concluded.

Indira Gandhi exhibition in Moscow: She was deeply moved by city, its people, says Sonia

<p>Haksar Haveli, the centuries-old heritage building in old Delhi where India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru got married to Kamala Nehru, is on verge of being destroyed by builders for their “financial lust”, the Delhi High Court was today told.</p>

<p>The issue was brought before the court by advocate M Qayam Ud Din, representing petitioner Kusum Sehgal, who submitted that unauthorised construction was being carried out in the famous heritage property and placed certain photographs of the ongoing construction before the court.</p>

<p>This prompted a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar to order an inspection of the property today itself by authorities including the commissioner of North Delhi Municipal Corporation and police officials.</p>

<p>The court, while terming it as an “extremely serious” matter, said “stringent and immediate action is called for” and directed the Delhi Police to ensure that no construction is carried out in the building in violation of the law.</p>

<p>The bench sought a report from the corporation to explain how such illegal construction was being done in properties, including two heritage buildings, without any permission and action taken against the officers who have permitted the same and directed the municipal body’s commissioner to examine the matter.</p>

<p>Nehru had gone to the Haksar Haveli, situated in the walled city, to marry Kamala, who was residing with her family there, on February 8, 1916.</p>

<p>The beauty of Haksar Haveli, which used to host a lot of ‘mushairas’ and musical programmes till a few years ago in Old Delhi’s Sitaram Bazar, is being taken away with illegal and unauthorised construction being carried out at the premises, the court was informed.</p>

<p>“One property which is being destroyed is of Indira Gandhi’s mother who used to stay here. Even Jawaharlal Nehru had come here to marry Kamala. Builders are destroying this heritage building for their financial lust,” the petition said.</p>

<p>Sehgal claimed the property was sold in 1966 to one Khandelwal family which thereafter sold it to some builder who is now carrying out the construction.</p>

<p>The counsel said despite a complaint to the corporation, no action has been taken to prevent the destruction of the heritage building. Besides this property, the petitioner has also alleged illegal construction is being carried out in several other properties.</p>

<p>Advocate Anil Aggarwal, who has been appointed amicus curiae in the matter, said such illegal constructions are being completed in a quick but dangerous manner.</p>

<p>The court issued a notice to the corporation on the plea, which alleged that no sanction has been taken from NDMC before construction, and listed the matter for further hearing on April 13.</p>


"One property which is being destroyed is of Indira Gandhi's mother who used to stay here. Even Jawaharlal Nehru had come here to marry Kamala. Builders are destroying this heritage building for their financial lust," the petition said.

Haksar Haveli, the centuries-old heritage building in old Delhi where India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru got married to Kamala Nehru, is on verge of being destroyed by builders for their “financial lust”, the Delhi High Court was today told. The issue was brought before the court by advocate M Qayam Ud Din, representing petitioner Kusum Sehgal, who submitted that unauthorised construction was being carried out in the famous heritage property and placed certain photographs of the ongoing construction before the court. This prompted a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar to order an inspection of the property today itself by authorities including the commissioner of North Delhi Municipal Corporation and police officials. The court, while terming it as an “extremely serious” matter, said “stringent and immediate action is called for” and directed the Delhi Police to ensure that no construction is carried out in the building in violation of the law. The bench sought a report from the corporation to explain how such illegal construction was being done in properties, including two heritage buildings, without any permission and action taken against the officers who have permitted the same and directed the municipal body’s commissioner to examine the matter. Nehru had gone to the Haksar Haveli, situated in the walled city, to marry Kamala, who was residing with her family there, on February 8, 1916. The beauty of Haksar Haveli, which used to host a lot of ‘mushairas’ and musical programmes till a few years ago in Old Delhi’s Sitaram Bazar, is being taken away with illegal and unauthorised construction being carried out at the premises, the court was informed. “One property which is being destroyed is of Indira Gandhi’s mother who used to stay here. Even Jawaharlal Nehru had come here to marry Kamala. Builders are destroying this heritage building for their financial lust,” the petition said. Sehgal claimed the property was sold in 1966 to one Khandelwal family which thereafter sold it to some builder who is now carrying out the construction. The counsel said despite a complaint to the corporation, no action has been taken to prevent the destruction of the heritage building. Besides this property, the petitioner has also alleged illegal construction is being carried out in several other properties. Advocate Anil Aggarwal, who has been appointed amicus curiae in the matter, said such illegal constructions are being completed in a quick but dangerous manner. The court issued a notice to the corporation on the plea, which alleged that no sanction has been taken from NDMC before construction, and listed the matter for further hearing on April 13.

Heritage building where Jawaharlal Nehru got married being destroyed

<p>In the annals of India's political history, twice it has happened that all non-ruling parties came under one umbrella for the sole objective of dethroning the ruling dispensation and usurp the power. Both the times the ruling party was Congress. It was in the decade of seventy against Indira Gandhi and during the late eighties against Rajiv Gandhi.</p>

<p>The coincidence is that during both occasions, coalescing of parties was preceded by a very strong hegemonic run of Congress. Indira became a very strong and undisputed leader in seventies, particularly after India's thumping victory in the 1971 Indo-Pak war and liberation of Bangladesh. Congress under Rajiv Gandhi won more than 80 per cent seats in the 1984 general elections (highest ever) and swept state polls as well across the nation, barring just a handful number of states.</p>

<p>In 1977, all non-Congress parties coalesced behind Jai Prakash Narayan (JP) and Indira lost. Twelve years later, it was VP Singh who became the symbol of the anti-establishment crusade. In 1989, VP Singh could even bring BJP and Left parties on the same platform as both supported VP Singh's government post-1989 general elections.</p>

<p>The current situation is somewhat reminiscent of 1975-77 and 1987-89, in a sense that ruling party is enjoying the unparalleled power and unending electoral run. Opposition parties are wondering that how will they survive in days to come.</p>

<p>Mamata Banerjee is toiling hard. A few days back, she was in Delhi to meet all the opposition leaders. She even met BJP rebels like Yashwant Sinha, Shatrughan Sinha and Arun Shourie. She is trying hard to create a mega anti-Modi alliance and in the process, she believes that she will become the epitome of anti-establishment crusaders like JP and VP Singh and her political career would be elevated to an upper level.</p>

<p>But make no mistake. Mamata's efforts are only only saddled with her own personal political ambitions but also with her personal disliking for Narendra Modi and BJP. Her endeavour is bound to be nothing but a damp squib in the days to come because barring the only similarity from the past the one party (BJP) is in strong command, the situation is entirely different than 1977 and 1989.</p>

<p>First of all, let's see that what happened in 1977 and 1989 after the ruling party was toppled. Janta government under Morarji Desai in 1977 and VP Singh's government in 1989 were disasters, right from the word go. The root cause was common. All those leaders who were vouching for unity before coming to power, turned in to the different lot once they were in power. Ego clashes started and everybody started pursuing his own interests and agenda. None of those governments survived beyond a period of two years.</p>

<p>But in the first place, can Mamata and united opposition pull it off this time like JP or VP Singh did? The answer would a resounding and firm 'NO'. In 1977 and 1989, Indira and Rajiv themselves gave loose points to opposition, on which JP and VP Singh built the massive narrative. But now Modi is sitting firmly with tight control on the overall proceedings. He is giving any loose balls to the opposition.</p>

<p>Moreover, JP and VP Singh were mass leaders, vastly experienced with proven probity in public life and had that natural knack for connecting with voters. Currently, there is only one politician in that class and it is Narendra Modi himself. So Modi can only be rattled if there is someone as big in stature among opposition leaders as Modi is, which actually not the case.</p>

<p>The third thing is media's stand. I remember that how media, particularly Indian Express group of Ramnath Goenka, played a massive role in building an anti-Congress atmosphere. On the contrary, in an extremely unparalleled situation, despite being in power for 46 months, Modi has the support of a larger section of media and rightly so. This fact will play a pivotal role in days to come.</p>

<p>Ultimately everything boils down to the narrative. Unless united opposition has a story to sell among voters, they can't achieve anything.</p>

<p>So what united opposition is trying to achieve is far from achievable in the first place. However if they can do it, it would only be counter-productive for the nation, as history suggests us.</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the authors and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)</em></p>


The current situation is somewhat reminiscent of 1975-77 and 1987-89, in a sense that ruling party is enjoying the unparalleled power and unending electoral run.

In the annals of India's political history, twice it has happened that all non-ruling parties came under one umbrella for the sole objective of dethroning the ruling dispensation and usurp the power. Both the times the ruling party was Congress. It was in the decade of seventy against Indira Gandhi and during the late eighties against Rajiv Gandhi. The coincidence is that during both occasions, coalescing of parties was preceded by a very strong hegemonic run of Congress. Indira became a very strong and undisputed leader in seventies, particularly after India's thumping victory in the 1971 Indo-Pak war and liberation of Bangladesh. Congress under Rajiv Gandhi won more than 80 per cent seats in the 1984 general elections (highest ever) and swept state polls as well across the nation, barring just a handful number of states. In 1977, all non-Congress parties coalesced behind Jai Prakash Narayan (JP) and Indira lost. Twelve years later, it was VP Singh who became the symbol of the anti-establishment crusade. In 1989, VP Singh could even bring BJP and Left parties on the same platform as both supported VP Singh's government post-1989 general elections. The current situation is somewhat reminiscent of 1975-77 and 1987-89, in a sense that ruling party is enjoying the unparalleled power and unending electoral run. Opposition parties are wondering that how will they survive in days to come. Mamata Banerjee is toiling hard. A few days back, she was in Delhi to meet all the opposition leaders. She even met BJP rebels like Yashwant Sinha, Shatrughan Sinha and Arun Shourie. She is trying hard to create a mega anti-Modi alliance and in the process, she believes that she will become the epitome of anti-establishment crusaders like JP and VP Singh and her political career would be elevated to an upper level. But make no mistake. Mamata's efforts are only only saddled with her own personal political ambitions but also with her personal disliking for Narendra Modi and BJP. Her endeavour is bound to be nothing but a damp squib in the days to come because barring the only similarity from the past the one party (BJP) is in strong command, the situation is entirely different than 1977 and 1989. First of all, let's see that what happened in 1977 and 1989 after the ruling party was toppled. Janta government under Morarji Desai in 1977 and VP Singh's government in 1989 were disasters, right from the word go. The root cause was common. All those leaders who were vouching for unity before coming to power, turned in to the different lot once they were in power. Ego clashes started and everybody started pursuing his own interests and agenda. None of those governments survived beyond a period of two years. But in the first place, can Mamata and united opposition pull it off this time like JP or VP Singh did? The answer would a resounding and firm 'NO'. In 1977 and 1989, Indira and Rajiv themselves gave loose points to opposition, on which JP and VP Singh built the massive narrative. But now Modi is sitting firmly with tight control on the overall proceedings. He is giving any loose balls to the opposition. Moreover, JP and VP Singh were mass leaders, vastly experienced with proven probity in public life and had that natural knack for connecting with voters. Currently, there is only one politician in that class and it is Narendra Modi himself. So Modi can only be rattled if there is someone as big in stature among opposition leaders as Modi is, which actually not the case. The third thing is media's stand. I remember that how media, particularly Indian Express group of Ramnath Goenka, played a massive role in building an anti-Congress atmosphere. On the contrary, in an extremely unparalleled situation, despite being in power for 46 months, Modi has the support of a larger section of media and rightly so. This fact will play a pivotal role in days to come. Ultimately everything boils down to the narrative. Unless united opposition has a story to sell among voters, they can't achieve anything. So what united opposition is trying to achieve is far from achievable in the first place. However if they can do it, it would only be counter-productive for the nation, as history suggests us. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the authors and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Why Mamata's bid is not only unwarranted but also futile

<p>Political obituaries are easy to write but political events are far more difficult to predict.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Political parties rebound from losses and state elections are not the key to understanding the prevalent mood in the country. The BJP misunderstood the verdict of the assembly elections and called early national elections, only to lose them to the UPA in 2004. Similarly,&nbsp; the AAP misunderstood its resurgence and failed terribly in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.</p>

<p>But that does not mean that verdicts have no meaning at all.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Byelections indicate a trend and if capitalised on, can turn into tsunamis. Whether it was the re-election of Indira Gandhi from Medak in 1980 or of VP Singh from Allahabad in 1987, those byelections demonstrated the mood of the nation and the complacency of a party in a particular area.</p>

<p>In one case, it foretold the return of Indira and in the other, showcased the unity of the Opposition and the undoing of the Congress. The former ended Indira&rsquo;s political isolation while the latter led to Rajiv Gandhi&rsquo;s isolation the numbers being with him.</p>

<p>The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/uttar-pradesh-bypolls-up-shocker-sp-wins-both-yogi-bastion-of-gorakhpur-and-phulpur-seat-35824" target="_blank">Gorakhpur byelection</a> points in this direction.</p>

<p>The incumbent government is getting politically isolated. Political isolation is often a prelude to intense electoral Opposition directed against an individual.</p>

<p>The first time such phenomena was witnessed in India was while Indira Gandhi was Prime Minister.</p>

<p>Already rattled by the call of total revolution and an adverse court judgement, Indira imposed the Emergency. It united the Opposition and from Congress vs the rest, the battle turned into Indira vs the rest. Similarly, Rajiv Gandhi too faced an onslaught from his former colleagues on the charge of corruption and the entire Opposition fell in line, turning that tussle into Rajiv Gandhi vs the rest.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The same phenomenon is being witnessed today.</p>

<p>In both cases, before the loss at the hustings, Indira and Rajiv were politically isolated and bereft of any sympathy or support outside their own parties. Both times, senior leaders of the Congress jumped ship and joined the Opposition. Despite having the numbers and their achievements, those governments became lame-duck ones. And Indira and Rajiv became the target&nbsp;of ridicule and caustic campaigns which eroded their gravitas in public life. The results&nbsp;were mandates which ousted them from power.</p>

<p>The incumbent government also faces the spectre of political isolation from not only the Opposition but also its own allies.</p>

<p>The problem stems from its strength and not its weakness. Its allies are worried the BJP has not participated in the&nbsp;give-and-take that is part of a coalition government. For the Opposition meanwhile, it is matter of survival. And in all of this, Prime Minister Modi stands alone.</p>

<p>The general election is still a year away and the ideological contradictions of regional parties that band together may repel the electorate. The electorate may even stay with the BJP because of the lack of an Opposition prime ministerial candidate matching Modi&rsquo;s stature but that does not belie the fact that the BJP stands alone today.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The BJP stands alone today, isolated not only from the Opposition but also its own allies

Political obituaries are easy to write but political events are far more difficult to predict. Political parties rebound from losses and state elections are not the key to understanding the prevalent mood in the country. The BJP misunderstood the verdict of the assembly elections and called early national elections, only to lose them to the UPA in 2004. Similarly, the AAP misunderstood its resurgence and failed terribly in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. But that does not mean that verdicts have no meaning at all. Byelections indicate a trend and if capitalised on, can turn into tsunamis. Whether it was the re-election of Indira Gandhi from Medak in 1980 or of VP Singh from Allahabad in 1987, those byelections demonstrated the mood of the nation and the complacency of a party in a particular area. In one case, it foretold the return of Indira and in the other, showcased the unity of the Opposition and the undoing of the Congress. The former ended Indira’s political isolation while the latter led to Rajiv Gandhi’s isolation the numbers being with him. The Gorakhpur byelection points in this direction. The incumbent government is getting politically isolated. Political isolation is often a prelude to intense electoral Opposition directed against an individual. The first time such phenomena was witnessed in India was while Indira Gandhi was Prime Minister. Already rattled by the call of total revolution and an adverse court judgement, Indira imposed the Emergency. It united the Opposition and from Congress vs the rest, the battle turned into Indira vs the rest. Similarly, Rajiv Gandhi too faced an onslaught from his former colleagues on the charge of corruption and the entire Opposition fell in line, turning that tussle into Rajiv Gandhi vs the rest. The same phenomenon is being witnessed today. In both cases, before the loss at the hustings, Indira and Rajiv were politically isolated and bereft of any sympathy or support outside their own parties. Both times, senior leaders of the Congress jumped ship and joined the Opposition. Despite having the numbers and their achievements, those governments became lame-duck ones. And Indira and Rajiv became the target of ridicule and caustic campaigns which eroded their gravitas in public life. The results were mandates which ousted them from power. The incumbent government also faces the spectre of political isolation from not only the Opposition but also its own allies. The problem stems from its strength and not its weakness. Its allies are worried the BJP has not participated in the give-and-take that is part of a coalition government. For the Opposition meanwhile, it is matter of survival. And in all of this, Prime Minister Modi stands alone. The general election is still a year away and the ideological contradictions of regional parties that band together may repel the electorate. The electorate may even stay with the BJP because of the lack of an Opposition prime ministerial candidate matching Modi’s stature but that does not belie the fact that the BJP stands alone today.

Will Modi be able to beat what seems like impending political isolation?

<p>Union Budget, also known as the annual financial statement, is a comprehensive display of the Government&#39;s financial outlays and planning -- an event of great economic significance.</p>

<p>Every year the Union Budget is presented by the Finance Minister of the country and is required to be passed by both the Houses to come into effect.</p>

<p>As this year&rsquo;s Budget presentation nears, we take a look at some of the top facts associated with the event.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Change in time of presenting budget</strong></p>

<p>During the colonial era, the finance minister would present the budget on the last working day of February at noon and India would follow the same at 11:00 pm. The practice continued until it was scrapped by former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha in the year 2001. That year the budget was tabled at 11:00 am.</p>

<p>Even the date of presenting the budget was moved to February 1 by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in 2016 with an aim to bring the new budget into effect by the start of the financial year.</p>

<p><strong>The coming together of rail and union budget</strong></p>

<p>The year 2016 was a landmark one in a sense that another practice was modified to merge the presentation of the union budget with the rail budget. Previously, the railway budget was tabled separately, a practice that followed right from the colonial era.</p>

<p>Leaving another colonial-era practice behind in September 2016, the cabinet decided to merge the rail budget with the union budget, as suggested by then Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu.</p>

<p><strong>The post-independence budget</strong></p>

<p>The first budget of an independent India was presented by India&rsquo;s first finance minister RK Shanmukham Chetty on November 26, 1947. It is believed that RK Shanmukham was chosen as the finance minister by Mahatma Gandhi because of his expertise in the finance.</p>

<p><strong>The first colonial budget</strong></p>

<p>The first budget of colonial India was presented by James Wilson on February 18, 1869.</p>

<p>Wilson was designated as the Finance Member of the India Council that advised the Indian Viceroy.</p>

<p><strong>Maximum number of budget presentations by a finance minister</strong></p>

<p>Morarji Desai, the 4th Prime Minister of India, is known to have tabled the budget 10 times -- the most by any Indian finance minister.</p>

<p>Desai was the only finance minister to have presented the budget on his birthday, February 29.</p>

<p><strong>The first woman finance minister</strong></p>

<p>After Morarji Desai&rsquo;s resignation as the finance minister, Indira Gandhi took over on July 19, 1969 to become the first and the only woman to hold office&nbsp;as finance minister till date.</p>

<p><strong>Halwa ceremony</strong></p>

<p>The printing of the budget starts roughly a week ahead of its presentation in the parliament. The &quot;Halwa ceremony&quot; is a tradition that marks the beginning of the exercises associated with the presentation of the budget.</p>

<p>In the customary tradition, Halwa is made in large quantity and offered to the officers and staff involved in the budget presentation.</p>

<p>The ceremony symbolises the age-old Indian tradition of consuming something sweet right before commencing a new venture or project.</p>

<p><strong>The change in financial year</strong></p>

<p>The government is also considering changing the term of the financial year to bring it in sync with the calendar year. This would enable aligning India with most countries besides institutions like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.</p>

<p>The change would bring about significant changes in the union budget presentation as well.</p>

<p>However, the government is yet to take a final call on the same.</p>

<p>This year&rsquo;s budget is slated to be presented by the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on February 1. PM Modi has already hinted at the possibility that this year&rsquo;s budget will be non-populist in nature.</p>


Every year the Union Budget is presented by the Finance Minister of the country and is required to be passed by both the Houses to come into effect

Union Budget, also known as the annual financial statement, is a comprehensive display of the Government's financial outlays and planning -- an event of great economic significance. Every year the Union Budget is presented by the Finance Minister of the country and is required to be passed by both the Houses to come into effect. As this year’s Budget presentation nears, we take a look at some of the top facts associated with the event. Change in time of presenting budget During the colonial era, the finance minister would present the budget on the last working day of February at noon and India would follow the same at 11:00 pm. The practice continued until it was scrapped by former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha in the year 2001. That year the budget was tabled at 11:00 am. Even the date of presenting the budget was moved to February 1 by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in 2016 with an aim to bring the new budget into effect by the start of the financial year. The coming together of rail and union budget The year 2016 was a landmark one in a sense that another practice was modified to merge the presentation of the union budget with the rail budget. Previously, the railway budget was tabled separately, a practice that followed right from the colonial era. Leaving another colonial-era practice behind in September 2016, the cabinet decided to merge the rail budget with the union budget, as suggested by then Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu. The post-independence budget The first budget of an independent India was presented by India’s first finance minister RK Shanmukham Chetty on November 26, 1947. It is believed that RK Shanmukham was chosen as the finance minister by Mahatma Gandhi because of his expertise in the finance. The first colonial budget The first budget of colonial India was presented by James Wilson on February 18, 1869. Wilson was designated as the Finance Member of the India Council that advised the Indian Viceroy. Maximum number of budget presentations by a finance minister Morarji Desai, the 4th Prime Minister of India, is known to have tabled the budget 10 times -- the most by any Indian finance minister. Desai was the only finance minister to have presented the budget on his birthday, February 29. The first woman finance minister After Morarji Desai’s resignation as the finance minister, Indira Gandhi took over on July 19, 1969 to become the first and the only woman to hold office as finance minister till date. Halwa ceremony The printing of the budget starts roughly a week ahead of its presentation in the parliament. The "Halwa ceremony" is a tradition that marks the beginning of the exercises associated with the presentation of the budget. In the customary tradition, Halwa is made in large quantity and offered to the officers and staff involved in the budget presentation. The ceremony symbolises the age-old Indian tradition of consuming something sweet right before commencing a new venture or project. The change in financial year The government is also considering changing the term of the financial year to bring it in sync with the calendar year. This would enable aligning India with most countries besides institutions like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The change would bring about significant changes in the union budget presentation as well. However, the government is yet to take a final call on the same. This year’s budget is slated to be presented by the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on February 1. PM Modi has already hinted at the possibility that this year’s budget will be non-populist in nature.

Interesting facts about the Union budget

<p>Narendra Modi is a unique politician in a sense that he invokes extreme feelings. There is a legion of people who relentlessly fire a salvo at Modi, and that too in a brazen and unequivocal manner. Leave behind his usual political opponents, Modi even draws severe flakes from BJP&rsquo;s allies like Shiv Sena and his own disgruntled party colleagues, such as Yashwant Sinha and Shatrughan Sinha. But then Modi remains unperturbed and unchanged. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Political commentators evaluate Modi vis-&agrave;-vis BJP&rsquo;s other prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. During the course of his political career and en route his voyage to the summit, Modi has made more foes than friends. Vajpayee on other hand commanded all-round respect, even from his opponents. While Vajpayee maintained almost impeccable conduct in public/political life, Modi on the other hand never shies away from making unrestrained jibes on his political opponents. He has mastered the art of sarcasm and knows how to use it optimally to lure the voters as we witnessed in the recent Gujarat election.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

<p>This debate prompts a very interesting point for discussion. While on a crusade, one cannot keep everybody pleased, although it should always be tried to keep as many people happy as possible. But what if you these two paths cross each other? Will you forego your agenda if you realise that it may antagonise few or tamper your public image or give ammunition to your detractors to bait you?</p>

<p>It reminds me of a narrative from&nbsp;Mahabharat, which actually gives unequivocal direction. During the war of Mahabharata, when&nbsp;Karna&nbsp;was unarmed,&nbsp;Krishna&nbsp;incited&nbsp;Arjun&nbsp;to attack&nbsp;Karna&nbsp;and kill him.&nbsp;Arjun&nbsp;hesitantly replied &ldquo;Lord, that would be unfair, immoral and against the protocol as Karna is not having his weapons with him and moreover he is not on his chariot. My reputation of great warrior would be disregarded and forthcoming generations would loathe me for this cowardly act&rdquo;.</p>

<p>Krishna&nbsp;replied&nbsp;&ldquo;I agree that it would surely be a deplorable act. However, the future of&nbsp;humanity&nbsp;is only secured if Pandavas win this war. Pandavas can never win if Karna is not reined in and this is the only chance you&nbsp;have&nbsp;to kill him. So future of whole&nbsp;humanity, or your personal glorification. You think over it and make choice&rdquo;.&nbsp;&nbsp;Arjun&nbsp;did not argue further and killed&nbsp;Karna.</p>

<p>It also reminds me of one famous statement of Douglas&nbsp;Jardine.&nbsp;Jardine&nbsp;was skipper of England Cricket side during infamous&nbsp;Bodyline&nbsp;Test series (Ashes) during 1932-33. He asked his bowlers to bowl intimidating deliveries targeting Australian batsmen.&nbsp;Jardine&nbsp;used this tactic to tame powerful batting line-up of Australia, which included&nbsp;legendary&nbsp;Don Bradman.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Jardine&nbsp;was widely criticised for this. During a gathering, one reporter asked&nbsp;Jardine&nbsp;that this way, he may not win many friends in Australia.&nbsp;Jardine&nbsp;promptly replied, which remains iconic to date, &ldquo;I am not here to win friends. I am here to win the Ashes&rdquo;.</p>

<p>Though in this story the reply only is memorable not what&nbsp;Jardine&nbsp;did; through the Test series, Jardine was actually highly disgraceful, acting deplorably and against the spirit of the game. The key, however, is that when you are on a crusade, the&nbsp;end result&nbsp;matters the most.</p>

<p>The moot question remains whether is it really possible to keep everybody happy, and to have nil criticism. My answer would be an emphatic: NO.&nbsp; Once someone told me&nbsp;&ldquo;remember, if everybody is happy with you then the something is wrong with the way you function&rdquo;.&nbsp;This probably is a hyperbole but strikes a clear point.</p>

<p>Indira Gandhi is the starkest epitome of this. She was steadfast and really blunt in her actions. Indira rarely cared about other&rsquo;s opinion on her actions. Abolition of Privy Purse was one such action. She faced a huge backlash from princes and till date they curse her, which they believe was an act of backstabbing. But she did what she felt was right for the nation.&nbsp;She went on, snubbed the US and world community with a great display of audacity and tactics during Bangladesh liberation war in 1971.</p>

<p>KPS&nbsp;Gill is the man who decimated militancy in Punjab. His motto was clear; take criticism in your stride if you are seriously pursuing a goal and you are confident that you are on the right path. He brutally crushed terrorism amidst a relentless tirade of human right violations against him and remained absolutely unperturbed during the course.</p>

<p>Cricketer Sourav Ganguly maintained his on-field aggression despite all the criticism he faced from the fraternity. Andrew Flintoff flaunted his shirt in India after winning a match and Ganguly gave it back by flaunting his from the Balcony of Lords a year later when India defeated England in the&nbsp;final&nbsp;of triangular series. People nailed him for his ill-manners but Ganguly had the temerity to make Steve Waugh wait at the toss, which was his way to deal with arrogant Aussies. He always pursued an agenda without considering that how people will weigh him.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Today not even his detractor would deny that Ganguly is the man who gave Indian Cricket a much-needed lease of life in the new millennium. On the other hand, a decision influenced by the&nbsp;desire of self-glorification can be catastrophic. Rajiv&nbsp;Gandhi in his bid to become a proponent of peace at the world stage, sent&nbsp;IPKF&nbsp;(Indian Peace Keeping Force) to Sri Lanka, a decision which severely backfired. It ultimately became the reason behind his assassination. VP Singh wanted to rewrite history by opening floodgates of reservation in 1990. His political career came to an end in a flash.</p>

<p>You need to pursue, what you feel is correct without considering the reaction of people and without considering what public image will you carry. &nbsp;</p>

<p>There is always a counter-argument.&nbsp;You can be tipped of as a dictator, over-confident, undemocratic etc. Of course, you need to work with conviction but at the same time, you shouldn&rsquo;t simply shut your eyes or ears to the criticism. It is little tricky as the line of differentiation between two situations is very thin and one has to take his own call where to stand and strike a balance. Indira Gandhi went overboard and breached that thin line when she imposed emergency in 1975. Voters immediately taught her a lesson in 1977.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

<p>Modi takes tough stand and then sticks to it. In the 2014 Maharashtra election, Modi refused to bow down in front of the tantrums on Shiv Sena. The whole alliance was put on stake but Modi gave a clear message that time has come now for BJP to dictate terms. Till date, Modi is calling the shots in the alliance. He would move ahead with steps like demonetization and GST, snubbing all kind of criticism. He knew his party needs to win Gujarat, he went all out to achieve the same. The idea is simple &ndash; this is my agenda and targets, and I will bulldoze obstacles to achieve them.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

<p>As amply clear from the above examples, if you are a doer and implementer you just have to be oblivious to flaks and Modi is from this class only.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As they say, every good thing in life comes with few riders. Modi is a doer, a driver, has an agenda and he relentlessly works on it. He knows how to pin down his opponents. In the process, the intense criticism which he earns is the side effect of his actions. Modi also knows this very well and as long as voters are with him he won&rsquo;t really care. Only thing is that he should not cross the line, the way Indira did in 1975. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Eminent columnist Aakar Patel once explained it beautifully: in Gujarat, the shopkeeper community of small retailers, they don&rsquo;t negotiate and you need to buy things at the rates they quote.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Narendra Modi is like this only &ndash; unapologetically yours &ndash; no bargains, you take me or leave me.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)</em>&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Modi knows how to pin down his opponents. In the process, the intense criticism which he earns is the side effect of his actions.

Narendra Modi is a unique politician in a sense that he invokes extreme feelings. There is a legion of people who relentlessly fire a salvo at Modi, and that too in a brazen and unequivocal manner. Leave behind his usual political opponents, Modi even draws severe flakes from BJP’s allies like Shiv Sena and his own disgruntled party colleagues, such as Yashwant Sinha and Shatrughan Sinha. But then Modi remains unperturbed and unchanged. Political commentators evaluate Modi vis-à-vis BJP’s other prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. During the course of his political career and en route his voyage to the summit, Modi has made more foes than friends. Vajpayee on other hand commanded all-round respect, even from his opponents. While Vajpayee maintained almost impeccable conduct in public/political life, Modi on the other hand never shies away from making unrestrained jibes on his political opponents. He has mastered the art of sarcasm and knows how to use it optimally to lure the voters as we witnessed in the recent Gujarat election. This debate prompts a very interesting point for discussion. While on a crusade, one cannot keep everybody pleased, although it should always be tried to keep as many people happy as possible. But what if you these two paths cross each other? Will you forego your agenda if you realise that it may antagonise few or tamper your public image or give ammunition to your detractors to bait you? It reminds me of a narrative from Mahabharat, which actually gives unequivocal direction. During the war of Mahabharata, when Karna was unarmed, Krishna incited Arjun to attack Karna and kill him. Arjun hesitantly replied “Lord, that would be unfair, immoral and against the protocol as Karna is not having his weapons with him and moreover he is not on his chariot. My reputation of great warrior would be disregarded and forthcoming generations would loathe me for this cowardly act”. Krishna replied “I agree that it would surely be a deplorable act. However, the future of humanity is only secured if Pandavas win this war. Pandavas can never win if Karna is not reined in and this is the only chance you have to kill him. So future of whole humanity, or your personal glorification. You think over it and make choice”. Arjun did not argue further and killed Karna. It also reminds me of one famous statement of Douglas Jardine. Jardine was skipper of England Cricket side during infamous Bodyline Test series (Ashes) during 1932-33. He asked his bowlers to bowl intimidating deliveries targeting Australian batsmen. Jardine used this tactic to tame powerful batting line-up of Australia, which included legendary Don Bradman. Jardine was widely criticised for this. During a gathering, one reporter asked Jardine that this way, he may not win many friends in Australia. Jardine promptly replied, which remains iconic to date, “I am not here to win friends. I am here to win the Ashes”. Though in this story the reply only is memorable not what Jardine did; through the Test series, Jardine was actually highly disgraceful, acting deplorably and against the spirit of the game. The key, however, is that when you are on a crusade, the end result matters the most. The moot question remains whether is it really possible to keep everybody happy, and to have nil criticism. My answer would be an emphatic: NO. Once someone told me “remember, if everybody is happy with you then the something is wrong with the way you function”. This probably is a hyperbole but strikes a clear point. Indira Gandhi is the starkest epitome of this. She was steadfast and really blunt in her actions. Indira rarely cared about other’s opinion on her actions. Abolition of Privy Purse was one such action. She faced a huge backlash from princes and till date they curse her, which they believe was an act of backstabbing. But she did what she felt was right for the nation. She went on, snubbed the US and world community with a great display of audacity and tactics during Bangladesh liberation war in 1971. KPS Gill is the man who decimated militancy in Punjab. His motto was clear; take criticism in your stride if you are seriously pursuing a goal and you are confident that you are on the right path. He brutally crushed terrorism amidst a relentless tirade of human right violations against him and remained absolutely unperturbed during the course. Cricketer Sourav Ganguly maintained his on-field aggression despite all the criticism he faced from the fraternity. Andrew Flintoff flaunted his shirt in India after winning a match and Ganguly gave it back by flaunting his from the Balcony of Lords a year later when India defeated England in the final of triangular series. People nailed him for his ill-manners but Ganguly had the temerity to make Steve Waugh wait at the toss, which was his way to deal with arrogant Aussies. He always pursued an agenda without considering that how people will weigh him. Today not even his detractor would deny that Ganguly is the man who gave Indian Cricket a much-needed lease of life in the new millennium. On the other hand, a decision influenced by the desire of self-glorification can be catastrophic. Rajiv Gandhi in his bid to become a proponent of peace at the world stage, sent IPKF (Indian Peace Keeping Force) to Sri Lanka, a decision which severely backfired. It ultimately became the reason behind his assassination. VP Singh wanted to rewrite history by opening floodgates of reservation in 1990. His political career came to an end in a flash. You need to pursue, what you feel is correct without considering the reaction of people and without considering what public image will you carry. There is always a counter-argument. You can be tipped of as a dictator, over-confident, undemocratic etc. Of course, you need to work with conviction but at the same time, you shouldn’t simply shut your eyes or ears to the criticism. It is little tricky as the line of differentiation between two situations is very thin and one has to take his own call where to stand and strike a balance. Indira Gandhi went overboard and breached that thin line when she imposed emergency in 1975. Voters immediately taught her a lesson in 1977. Modi takes tough stand and then sticks to it. In the 2014 Maharashtra election, Modi refused to bow down in front of the tantrums on Shiv Sena. The whole alliance was put on stake but Modi gave a clear message that time has come now for BJP to dictate terms. Till date, Modi is calling the shots in the alliance. He would move ahead with steps like demonetization and GST, snubbing all kind of criticism. He knew his party needs to win Gujarat, he went all out to achieve the same. The idea is simple – this is my agenda and targets, and I will bulldoze obstacles to achieve them. As amply clear from the above examples, if you are a doer and implementer you just have to be oblivious to flaks and Modi is from this class only. As they say, every good thing in life comes with few riders. Modi is a doer, a driver, has an agenda and he relentlessly works on it. He knows how to pin down his opponents. In the process, the intense criticism which he earns is the side effect of his actions. Modi also knows this very well and as long as voters are with him he won’t really care. Only thing is that he should not cross the line, the way Indira did in 1975. Eminent columnist Aakar Patel once explained it beautifully: in Gujarat, the shopkeeper community of small retailers, they don’t negotiate and you need to buy things at the rates they quote. Narendra Modi is like this only – unapologetically yours – no bargains, you take me or leave me. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Why Narendra Modi is not deterred by criticism

<p>President Donald Trump has given it back: this time to members of the media. The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/president-trump-unveils-fake-news-award-takes-dig-at-nyt-cnn-abc-29900" target="_blank">Fake News &ldquo;awards&rdquo;</a> announced by the unstoppable US President have now gone viral. The shoe is on the other foot. But were things between the media and mighty leaders always hunky-dory? Who messed with the press?</p>

<p>From 1933 onwards and right up to the end of World War II, criminal Adolf Hitler succeeded in ending one-party democracy and turning Germany into a one-man dictatorship. And dictators and editors are not exactly a match made in heaven. Hitler&rsquo;s Nazi propaganda ministry took control of all newspapers, magazines, art exhibits, music, movies and radio stations. No public rally or meeting could be held without permission. Disagreeing with Nazi beliefs was verboten. &nbsp;</p>

<p>There is no greater irony that before he turned a fascist, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini was a journalist himself. Yet, Mussolini imposed censorship and ruled with an iron fist.</p>

<p>It has happened even in India. &nbsp;In light of her growing unpopularity due to inflation, unemployment and corruption in her government, former prime minister Indira Gandhi pushed the then president to impose an Emergency. Mrs Gandhi assumed draconian powers. The opposition was arrested, civil liberties suspended, the constitution almost tampered with and &ndash; the media gagged. Newspapers left editorial spaces blank in protests, foreign correspondents were thrown out of the country. Many others were detained for organising protests and 7,000 persons were arrested for distributing print matter opposing the emergency. &nbsp;It was lifted in 1977 &ndash; upon Mrs Gandhi&rsquo;s astrologer&rsquo;s advice. There were fresh elections which Mrs Gandhi lost. The Emergency was one of the darkest periods in the history of independent India.</p>

<p>So which are the world&rsquo;s most repressive nations as far as the media is concerned?</p>

<p>According to the 2015 list compiled by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the 10 countries where the media continues to be censored by the political leadership are Eritrea, North Korea, China, Ethiopia, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Vietnam, Iran and Myanmar.</p>

<p>Leaders and the lead, rajas and reporters: most rulers cannot resign themselves to the fact that the minute they become public figures and act in the name of those whom they govern, they can and will be attacked. But the media, too, has to learn that without solid research, no story ought to ever make it to the headlines. There&rsquo;s a term for that tendency: yellow journalism.</p>


It's happened in Germany, in Italy, and in India too

President Donald Trump has given it back: this time to members of the media. The Fake News “awards” announced by the unstoppable US President have now gone viral. The shoe is on the other foot. But were things between the media and mighty leaders always hunky-dory? Who messed with the press? From 1933 onwards and right up to the end of World War II, criminal Adolf Hitler succeeded in ending one-party democracy and turning Germany into a one-man dictatorship. And dictators and editors are not exactly a match made in heaven. Hitler’s Nazi propaganda ministry took control of all newspapers, magazines, art exhibits, music, movies and radio stations. No public rally or meeting could be held without permission. Disagreeing with Nazi beliefs was verboten. There is no greater irony that before he turned a fascist, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini was a journalist himself. Yet, Mussolini imposed censorship and ruled with an iron fist. It has happened even in India. In light of her growing unpopularity due to inflation, unemployment and corruption in her government, former prime minister Indira Gandhi pushed the then president to impose an Emergency. Mrs Gandhi assumed draconian powers. The opposition was arrested, civil liberties suspended, the constitution almost tampered with and – the media gagged. Newspapers left editorial spaces blank in protests, foreign correspondents were thrown out of the country. Many others were detained for organising protests and 7,000 persons were arrested for distributing print matter opposing the emergency. It was lifted in 1977 – upon Mrs Gandhi’s astrologer’s advice. There were fresh elections which Mrs Gandhi lost. The Emergency was one of the darkest periods in the history of independent India. So which are the world’s most repressive nations as far as the media is concerned? According to the 2015 list compiled by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the 10 countries where the media continues to be censored by the political leadership are Eritrea, North Korea, China, Ethiopia, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Vietnam, Iran and Myanmar. Leaders and the lead, rajas and reporters: most rulers cannot resign themselves to the fact that the minute they become public figures and act in the name of those whom they govern, they can and will be attacked. But the media, too, has to learn that without solid research, no story ought to ever make it to the headlines. There’s a term for that tendency: yellow journalism.

Trump's fake news awards: He's not the first to mess with the press

<p>A battle-hardened veteran, who was in the midst of heavy action in Dacca (now, Dhaka) during the 1971 Indo-Pak war, Colonel (retired) Ashok Kumar Tara, is no stranger to limelight.</p>

<p>During the war, Colonel Tara was told to rescue Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman&#39;s wife and family, which included his 24-year-old daughter Sheikh Hasina (current prime minister of Bangladesh) and her child.</p>

<p>The family was held hostage by a dozen trigger-happy, heavily armed Pakistani troops at a fortified house in the Dhanmondi area in East Pakistan (now, Bangladesh).</p>

<p>Tara, then a 29-year-old Major, managed to rescue the Bangabandhu family, in a do-or-die situation as he himself puts.</p>

<p>&quot;During this operation I had to face trigger-happy, heavily-armed Pakistani forces, who just killed a media person who had tried to reach to them. I was alone. And unarmed. I took this bold decision to win over them psychologically because asking an extra force would have taken a lot of time. I knew chances were very bleak, but I went ahead, in what can be known as &#39;The Battle of Guts and Wits&#39;,&quot; says Colonel Tara.</p>

<p>He added, &quot;Reaching the house where Sheikh Mujibur Rehman&#39;s family was under house arrest, they threatened to kill me. Their commander even ordered his men to load the weapon and was ready to shoot, but I stood my ground and repeatedly told them to surrender. However, I gave them an assurance of safe passage, so that they could go to their HQ. And from there to Pakistan to meet their families waiting for them. I finally got them surrendered and rescued the family. This was a do-or-die situation.&quot;</p>

<p>Colonel Tara, who retired in 1994, had already been awarded the Vir Chakra in the Battle of Gangasagar a few days ago.</p>

<p>Elaborating on the above-mentioned battle, he said, &quot;It was a railway station in East Pakistan (now, Bangladesh) opposite Agartala (in Tripura). It was an attack in file formation along the railway lines and was &#39;Hand To Hand&#39;, &#39;Bunker to Bunker&#39;. The battle went for about two hours. During the attack, I had to use maltove cocktail (patrol bomb), threw a hand grenade and pulled enemy medium machine gun from a bunker to destroy the enemy. For this, I was awarded the Vir Chakra.&quot;</p>

<p>Colonel Tara got recognition for his valour in 2012, when Dhaka announced it was conferring the &#39;Friend of Bangladesh&#39; Award to him.</p>

<p>Indira Gandhi, India&#39;s Prime Minister in 1971, was conferred the award in her time.</p>

<p>Earlier this year, Colonel Tara featured with Hasina and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the &quot;Sommanona Ceremony&quot; in New Delhi to honour the 1971 war martyrs.</p>


The family was held hostage by a dozen trigger-happy, heavily armed Pakistani troops at a fortified house in the Dhanmondi area in East Pakistan (now, Bangladesh)

A battle-hardened veteran, who was in the midst of heavy action in Dacca (now, Dhaka) during the 1971 Indo-Pak war, Colonel (retired) Ashok Kumar Tara, is no stranger to limelight. During the war, Colonel Tara was told to rescue Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's wife and family, which included his 24-year-old daughter Sheikh Hasina (current prime minister of Bangladesh) and her child. The family was held hostage by a dozen trigger-happy, heavily armed Pakistani troops at a fortified house in the Dhanmondi area in East Pakistan (now, Bangladesh). Tara, then a 29-year-old Major, managed to rescue the Bangabandhu family, in a do-or-die situation as he himself puts. "During this operation I had to face trigger-happy, heavily-armed Pakistani forces, who just killed a media person who had tried to reach to them. I was alone. And unarmed. I took this bold decision to win over them psychologically because asking an extra force would have taken a lot of time. I knew chances were very bleak, but I went ahead, in what can be known as 'The Battle of Guts and Wits'," says Colonel Tara. He added, "Reaching the house where Sheikh Mujibur Rehman's family was under house arrest, they threatened to kill me. Their commander even ordered his men to load the weapon and was ready to shoot, but I stood my ground and repeatedly told them to surrender. However, I gave them an assurance of safe passage, so that they could go to their HQ. And from there to Pakistan to meet their families waiting for them. I finally got them surrendered and rescued the family. This was a do-or-die situation." Colonel Tara, who retired in 1994, had already been awarded the Vir Chakra in the Battle of Gangasagar a few days ago. Elaborating on the above-mentioned battle, he said, "It was a railway station in East Pakistan (now, Bangladesh) opposite Agartala (in Tripura). It was an attack in file formation along the railway lines and was 'Hand To Hand', 'Bunker to Bunker'. The battle went for about two hours. During the attack, I had to use maltove cocktail (patrol bomb), threw a hand grenade and pulled enemy medium machine gun from a bunker to destroy the enemy. For this, I was awarded the Vir Chakra." Colonel Tara got recognition for his valour in 2012, when Dhaka announced it was conferring the 'Friend of Bangladesh' Award to him. Indira Gandhi, India's Prime Minister in 1971, was conferred the award in her time. Earlier this year, Colonel Tara featured with Hasina and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the "Sommanona Ceremony" in New Delhi to honour the 1971 war martyrs.

Indian soldier, who saved a future PM, recounts Bangladesh liberation war

<p>A state uses violence against another only as the last resort after all political and diplomatic means have failed &ndash; this is what Sun Tzu meant when he said that &lsquo;To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill.&rsquo; War is a catastrophic event, which puts back development in a country, especially if its economy has not stabilised.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>India, unfortunately, has had four wars inflicted on it by Pakistan and one by China. So, while the 1948 aggression in Jammu and Kashmir was a precursor of things to come from Pakistan, it was the 1962 debacle with China that shook Indian leadership out of its idealist leanings and belief; the harsh nature of geo-politics and the imperative requirement of having a strong military deterrent were driven home. This resulted in an upswing in military preparedness that showed partial results in the 1965 Indo-Pak war but was evident in full measure in the 1971 conflict, where India came out with flying colours and resulted in the birth of Bangladesh.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The most representative visual of the victory is the iconic photograph of the surrender ceremony at Dacca (as Dhaka was then spelled) on 16 December 1971 &ndash; which India celebrates as Vijay Diwas.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>After the influx of ten million refugees from erstwhile East Pakistan, India could not afford to be a bystander to the violence unleashed by the Pakistani Army. So, even as a diplomatic offensive was undertaken by Mrs Indira Gandhi to bring home the horrors of the unfolding genocide, the military was given the quiet go-ahead to prepare for war.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The famous April 1971 cabinet meeting in which the Army Chief General Sam Manekshaw is reported to have told the PM that he needed time to prepare and that if he was pushed to war before the monsoons he could only guarantee a defeat, is the stuff of military folklore.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Another masterstroke, that brought to fore the strategic long-term thinking of the political establishment and their understanding of the intimate link between diplomacy and military affairs, was the signing of the treaty of friendship with the Soviet Union in August &lsquo;71, even as the countdown to resort to military action was underway; the Indo-Soviet treaty ensured that US and China could not intervene on behalf of Pakistan in case of a shooting war.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Thus, with the political, bureaucratic and military leadership gelling together as one cohesive unit it was up to our warriors - the jawan on land, the airman in a cockpit and a naval sailor on board a naval vessel &ndash; to deliver the results. And, did they deliver!</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>While the surreptitious support to the Mukti Bahini has now been documented, the real shooting war commenced in November itself. It came into the open when the IAF shot down three Pakistani Sabres on 22 November who were strafing the Indian Army troops on the ground over Boyra in East Pakistan. And it became a full-fledged war on 03 December when Pakistan Air Force (PAF) attempted an Israeli style pre-emptive strike on IAF bases in the West; it failed miserably.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Indian strategy was clear &ndash; holding action on the Western front and a full offensive in the East. While there is some controversy, in the absence of a written government directive to the Armed Forces, about the initial aim in the East (some writers say that capture of Dhaka was not the initial aim), the fact is that as the war progressed, the tactical brilliance of our Army&rsquo;s middle and junior level leadership came to the fore.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Towns and heavy fortifications were bypassed and the drive to Dacca speeded up before international pressure could call a halt to operations. IAF fighters gave close air support to Army formations while the Navy blockaded the ports of East Pakistan. All this while, the Mukti Bahini was a great help in terms of the accurate intelligence that only they could have provided. As Pakistani forces retreated, and their morale depleted, an airstrike by MIG-21s of the IAF on the Governor&rsquo;s house on 14 December (where a meeting called by the Governor was underway) hastened the decision of the Pakistanis to surrender. The rest, as they say, is history. The victory epitomised the decisive leadership exercised by the political, diplomatic and military establishments and the valour of the Indian armed forces.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>I was a Class XI kid, preparing for the entrance exam to the National Defence Academy during the &rsquo;71 war. While there are a multitude of memories of living through black outs and grabbing the morning paper to read reports of the Indian Army&rsquo;s advance and stories of heroism of our jawans, one particular remembrance is of the address of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi beamed live by All India Radio from Parliament; she announced to the world that, &ldquo;Dacca is now the free capital of a free country.&rdquo; It still brings a lump in my throat, as it did that day, 16 December 1971 &ndash; a day we celebrate as Vijay Diwas. Jai Hind!</p>


As the Indian Army raced towards Dacca, the Mukti Bahini was a great help in terms of the accurate intelligence that only they could have provided.

A state uses violence against another only as the last resort after all political and diplomatic means have failed – this is what Sun Tzu meant when he said that ‘To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill.’ War is a catastrophic event, which puts back development in a country, especially if its economy has not stabilised. India, unfortunately, has had four wars inflicted on it by Pakistan and one by China. So, while the 1948 aggression in Jammu and Kashmir was a precursor of things to come from Pakistan, it was the 1962 debacle with China that shook Indian leadership out of its idealist leanings and belief; the harsh nature of geo-politics and the imperative requirement of having a strong military deterrent were driven home. This resulted in an upswing in military preparedness that showed partial results in the 1965 Indo-Pak war but was evident in full measure in the 1971 conflict, where India came out with flying colours and resulted in the birth of Bangladesh. The most representative visual of the victory is the iconic photograph of the surrender ceremony at Dacca (as Dhaka was then spelled) on 16 December 1971 – which India celebrates as Vijay Diwas. After the influx of ten million refugees from erstwhile East Pakistan, India could not afford to be a bystander to the violence unleashed by the Pakistani Army. So, even as a diplomatic offensive was undertaken by Mrs Indira Gandhi to bring home the horrors of the unfolding genocide, the military was given the quiet go-ahead to prepare for war. The famous April 1971 cabinet meeting in which the Army Chief General Sam Manekshaw is reported to have told the PM that he needed time to prepare and that if he was pushed to war before the monsoons he could only guarantee a defeat, is the stuff of military folklore. Another masterstroke, that brought to fore the strategic long-term thinking of the political establishment and their understanding of the intimate link between diplomacy and military affairs, was the signing of the treaty of friendship with the Soviet Union in August ‘71, even as the countdown to resort to military action was underway; the Indo-Soviet treaty ensured that US and China could not intervene on behalf of Pakistan in case of a shooting war. Thus, with the political, bureaucratic and military leadership gelling together as one cohesive unit it was up to our warriors - the jawan on land, the airman in a cockpit and a naval sailor on board a naval vessel – to deliver the results. And, did they deliver! While the surreptitious support to the Mukti Bahini has now been documented, the real shooting war commenced in November itself. It came into the open when the IAF shot down three Pakistani Sabres on 22 November who were strafing the Indian Army troops on the ground over Boyra in East Pakistan. And it became a full-fledged war on 03 December when Pakistan Air Force (PAF) attempted an Israeli style pre-emptive strike on IAF bases in the West; it failed miserably. The Indian strategy was clear – holding action on the Western front and a full offensive in the East. While there is some controversy, in the absence of a written government directive to the Armed Forces, about the initial aim in the East (some writers say that capture of Dhaka was not the initial aim), the fact is that as the war progressed, the tactical brilliance of our Army’s middle and junior level leadership came to the fore. Towns and heavy fortifications were bypassed and the drive to Dacca speeded up before international pressure could call a halt to operations. IAF fighters gave close air support to Army formations while the Navy blockaded the ports of East Pakistan. All this while, the Mukti Bahini was a great help in terms of the accurate intelligence that only they could have provided. As Pakistani forces retreated, and their morale depleted, an airstrike by MIG-21s of the IAF on the Governor’s house on 14 December (where a meeting called by the Governor was underway) hastened the decision of the Pakistanis to surrender. The rest, as they say, is history. The victory epitomised the decisive leadership exercised by the political, diplomatic and military establishments and the valour of the Indian armed forces. I was a Class XI kid, preparing for the entrance exam to the National Defence Academy during the ’71 war. While there are a multitude of memories of living through black outs and grabbing the morning paper to read reports of the Indian Army’s advance and stories of heroism of our jawans, one particular remembrance is of the address of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi beamed live by All India Radio from Parliament; she announced to the world that, “Dacca is now the free capital of a free country.” It still brings a lump in my throat, as it did that day, 16 December 1971 – a day we celebrate as Vijay Diwas. Jai Hind!

Opinion: Vijay Diwas is glorious saga of Indian Army and Mukti Bahini

<p>Rahul Gandhi is likely to assume the reins of the Congress on December 16, marking a generational shift in the grand old party when his mother and its longest-serving president would formally hand over the baton to him.</p>

<p>While pageantry would herald the dawn of a new era in the party which has ruled the country for over half-a-century since independence, the 47-year-old scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family will face the daunting task of restoring lost glory to the party whose fortunes have been dwindling in the recent past.</p>

<p>Today, the party, which once controlled almost the entire country, has its governments in just five states and the Union Territory of Puducherry.</p>

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<h5>A sure-footed Rahul Gandhi powered a spirited campaign for the Congress in Gujarat, and a win in the election, which many analysts say could be a&nbsp;dead heat between the two parties, would come as a massive boost for him</h5>
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<p>The announcement of Rahul Gandhi&#39;s elevation, however, is likely to be made tomorrow, the last date of withdrawal of nomination for the election of the Congress president which is a one horse race.</p>

<p>Altogether 89 nominations received in his favour were found to be valid during scrutiny.</p>

<p>The Congress&#39;s Central Election Authority chairman Mullapally Ramachandran, and CEA members Madhusudan Mistry and Bhubaneswar Kalita will announce that Gandhi&#39;s was the only nomination for the top job tomorrow.</p>

<p>Rahul Gandhi would, however, be handed over the certificate appointing him the party president on December 16 in the presence of Sonia Gandhi and other senior leaders, Ramachandran said.</p>

<p>Sonia Gandhi will officially hand over the mantle of the 132-year-old party to her son around 11am after which Rahul Gandhi will meet leaders from across the country at the Congress&#39;s headquarters, party sources said.</p>

<p>The Congress has been losing state after state since the 2014 Lok Sabha election with the exception of Punjab.</p>

<p>Rahul Gandhi&#39;s elevation would come just two days ahead of the counting of votes for the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly poll.</p>

<p>A sure-footed Rahul Gandhi powered a spirited campaign for the Congress in Gujarat, and a win in the election, which many analysts say could be a&nbsp;dead heat between the two parties, would come as a massive boost for him.</p>

<p>&quot;Delivering in Gujarat will be important as it is the immediate test facing Rahul Gandhi, who has mounted a strong anti-BJP campaign in the state and led personally from the front. We are looking at victory in Gujarat,&quot; said a Congress leader and former chief minister.</p>

<p>Mahila Congress chief and party spokesperson Sushmita Dev said reorganising the party would be another major task for him.</p>

<p>&quot;Every post comes with a challenge. He has to rebuild the party at the grassroots and strengthen the ideological base. His undisputed election as party president is a sign of his strength. He will have to take everyone along from the AICC level right up to the states,&quot; she told PTI.</p>

<p>Striking a balance between the old guard and the young leaders would be a key to running the organisation which has many seasoned politicians whose wisdom he could use as he steers the party.</p>

<p>Gandhi had said in the past that he would draw upon a blend of experience of the old and the energy of the young.</p>

<p>&quot;Initial signs are encouraging since he put veterans like Ashok Gehlot and Sushil Kumar Shinde in charge of elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh respectively and was willing to bank on them,&quot; said a leader. He also got appointed young leaders as secretaries.</p>

<p>Clarity on the party&#39;s ideological stand on the issue of Hindutva would also be important as he is being seen as projecting the Congress&#39;s soft Hindutva with his visit to temples in Gujarat. He has also proclaimed himself a &quot;Shiv bhakt&quot;.</p>

<p>These visits are also being seen as an attempt to blunt the BJP&#39;s accusation against the party of Muslim appeasement.</p>

<p>&quot;This is to course-correct after it was felt that an overtly pro-minority image of the Congress undermined its electoral prospects on the eve of 2014 Lok Sabha elections,&quot; a party veteran noted, adding cobbling together electoral alliances will also be key to the future growth of the party.</p>

<p>Another former union minister said every state had its own set of challenges and Gandhi would be expected to take informed decisions in each by taking everyone along.</p>

<p>Gandhi has already been taking all major decisions in the party even though his formal elevation was delayed due to a long-drawn internal election process.</p>

<p>The deadline set by the Election Commission for conclusion of the organisational elections in the Congress expires on December 31.</p>

<p>Organisational elections in the Congress were due in 2015. The party constitution provides for elections to be held every five years. The last such polls were held in 2010.</p>

<p>Rahul Gandhi, who was initially hesitant about taking over the reins from Sonia Gandhi, who held the party&#39;s top post for 19 years, will be the sixth member and fifth generation leader of the Nehru-Gandhi clan to occupy the post. These include Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and now Rahul Gandhi.</p>

<p>Some eminent leaders who held the post in the pre- independence era included Mahatma Gandhi, Subhas Chandra Bose, Abul Kalam Azad, Vallabhai Patel and Rajendra Prasad.</p>

<p>Eminent people like Madan Mohan Malviya, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Dadabhai Naoroji, Annie Besant and Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee, the first party president, also led the party in the pre-independence era.</p>


The announcement though is expected to be made tomorrow

Rahul Gandhi is likely to assume the reins of the Congress on December 16, marking a generational shift in the grand old party when his mother and its longest-serving president would formally hand over the baton to him. While pageantry would herald the dawn of a new era in the party which has ruled the country for over half-a-century since independence, the 47-year-old scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family will face the daunting task of restoring lost glory to the party whose fortunes have been dwindling in the recent past. Today, the party, which once controlled almost the entire country, has its governments in just five states and the Union Territory of Puducherry. A sure-footed Rahul Gandhi powered a spirited campaign for the Congress in Gujarat, and a win in the election, which many analysts say could be a dead heat between the two parties, would come as a massive boost for him × The announcement of Rahul Gandhi's elevation, however, is likely to be made tomorrow, the last date of withdrawal of nomination for the election of the Congress president which is a one horse race. Altogether 89 nominations received in his favour were found to be valid during scrutiny. The Congress's Central Election Authority chairman Mullapally Ramachandran, and CEA members Madhusudan Mistry and Bhubaneswar Kalita will announce that Gandhi's was the only nomination for the top job tomorrow. Rahul Gandhi would, however, be handed over the certificate appointing him the party president on December 16 in the presence of Sonia Gandhi and other senior leaders, Ramachandran said. Sonia Gandhi will officially hand over the mantle of the 132-year-old party to her son around 11am after which Rahul Gandhi will meet leaders from across the country at the Congress's headquarters, party sources said. The Congress has been losing state after state since the 2014 Lok Sabha election with the exception of Punjab. Rahul Gandhi's elevation would come just two days ahead of the counting of votes for the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly poll. A sure-footed Rahul Gandhi powered a spirited campaign for the Congress in Gujarat, and a win in the election, which many analysts say could be a dead heat between the two parties, would come as a massive boost for him. "Delivering in Gujarat will be important as it is the immediate test facing Rahul Gandhi, who has mounted a strong anti-BJP campaign in the state and led personally from the front. We are looking at victory in Gujarat," said a Congress leader and former chief minister. Mahila Congress chief and party spokesperson Sushmita Dev said reorganising the party would be another major task for him. "Every post comes with a challenge. He has to rebuild the party at the grassroots and strengthen the ideological base. His undisputed election as party president is a sign of his strength. He will have to take everyone along from the AICC level right up to the states," she told PTI. Striking a balance between the old guard and the young leaders would be a key to running the organisation which has many seasoned politicians whose wisdom he could use as he steers the party. Gandhi had said in the past that he would draw upon a blend of experience of the old and the energy of the young. "Initial signs are encouraging since he put veterans like Ashok Gehlot and Sushil Kumar Shinde in charge of elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh respectively and was willing to bank on them," said a leader. He also got appointed young leaders as secretaries. Clarity on the party's ideological stand on the issue of Hindutva would also be important as he is being seen as projecting the Congress's soft Hindutva with his visit to temples in Gujarat. He has also proclaimed himself a "Shiv bhakt". These visits are also being seen as an attempt to blunt the BJP's accusation against the party of Muslim appeasement. "This is to course-correct after it was felt that an overtly pro-minority image of the Congress undermined its electoral prospects on the eve of 2014 Lok Sabha elections," a party veteran noted, adding cobbling together electoral alliances will also be key to the future growth of the party. Another former union minister said every state had its own set of challenges and Gandhi would be expected to take informed decisions in each by taking everyone along. Gandhi has already been taking all major decisions in the party even though his formal elevation was delayed due to a long-drawn internal election process. The deadline set by the Election Commission for conclusion of the organisational elections in the Congress expires on December 31. Organisational elections in the Congress were due in 2015. The party constitution provides for elections to be held every five years. The last such polls were held in 2010. Rahul Gandhi, who was initially hesitant about taking over the reins from Sonia Gandhi, who held the party's top post for 19 years, will be the sixth member and fifth generation leader of the Nehru-Gandhi clan to occupy the post. These include Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and now Rahul Gandhi. Some eminent leaders who held the post in the pre- independence era included Mahatma Gandhi, Subhas Chandra Bose, Abul Kalam Azad, Vallabhai Patel and Rajendra Prasad. Eminent people like Madan Mohan Malviya, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Dadabhai Naoroji, Annie Besant and Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee, the first party president, also led the party in the pre-independence era.

Rahul Gandhi likely to take over as Congress president on December 16

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing the Constitution Day celebration, emphasised the need for the government and judiciary to be on the same page for realising the dream of a &#39;New India&#39;, and doubted whether they are working in unison. Though Modi spoke in a placid manner, his Minister of Law and Justice Mr Ravi Shankar Prasad was harsher while reminding the judiciary that law-making must be left in the realm of those elected to make the law and judiciary should not behave like a super-legislature.</p>

<p>He also mockingly reminded that independence of the judiciary is &lsquo;important&rsquo; but judicial accountability probity and propriety are too indispensable. The message was a patent that this government like any other authoritative government wants a committed judiciary i.e. a judiciary committed to the policies of the government.</p>

<p>The idea and substance of a committed judiciary were practised in the United States. It is well known that Chief Justice John Marshall imposed upon his colleagues the practice of delivering only unanimous opinions in order to secure the fledgling authority of the Supreme Court.</p>

<p>President Thomas Jefferson&rsquo;s objections to this development and his initiatives against this practice, including the appointments of justices of his own choice are equally well documented. Jefferson&rsquo;s appointment of William Johnson as Associate Justice and his subsequent stream of advice to him on breaking Chief Justice Marshall&rsquo;s hold on the court displays his aspiration of having committed judges.</p>

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<h5>When the nation&rsquo;s senior-most judges questioned the government in the name of constitution and justice, they were superseded.</h5>
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<p>The Indian Supreme Court could not remain aloof to this idea of the committed judiciary. Since inception, the government attempted to confine the role of judges. Once Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru while discussing the role of judges expressed his view in following words: &ldquo;If we go wrong here and there, it can be pointed out but in the ultimate analysis no judiciary can stand in judgement over the sovereign will of the entire community. A judge can correct the wrong here and there; they cannot arrogate to themselves the position of the super house of a parliament.&rdquo;</p>

<p>The craving of having a committed judiciary got more prominence with Indira Gandhi when her election was set aside by the Allahabad High Court and some of her political decisions were challenged in cases like Privy Purse case and Bank Nationalisation Case.</p>

<p>When the nation&rsquo;s senior-most judges questioned the government in the name of Constitution and justice, they were superseded. Many judges of the High Court who did not toe the line with the government were transferred. Attempts were made to install &lsquo;committed&rsquo; judges in the Supreme Court.</p>

<p>These installed committed judges tried to protect the interest of the government and when they could not, they penned down dissenting opinions to prove his loyalty. An attempt was also made by the committed Chief Justice of India to overrule the &lsquo;basic structure doctrine&rsquo; by creating a bunch of committed and like-minded judges but fortunately could not succeed.</p>

<p>Mrs Gandhi vindicated her claim for &lsquo;commitment&rsquo; by referring President Roosevelt of the United States of America has appointed judges who were committed to his programmes.</p>

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<h5>The judges must function without fear and favour otherwise the question of their being impartial or independent will be rendered nugatory.</h5>
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<p>The behaviour of the Judge is the fortress for the people to reap the fruits of the democracy, liberty and justice and the antithesis rocks the bottom of the rule of law. The judges must function without fear and favour otherwise the question of their being impartial or independent will be rendered nugatory.</p>

<p>They are required to &lsquo;uphold the constitution and the laws&rsquo;, &lsquo;without fear&rsquo; and favour. If Judiciary is committed to the policies of the government, the &lsquo;independence of judiciary&rsquo; and the &lsquo;system of checks and balances&rsquo; which are essential features of the constitution will be in peril and constitutional democracy will be reduced to the dictatorship of the majority.</p>

<p>It will also destroy the federal fabric, another basic structure of the constitution. It will create distrust among the federal Union. There are so many disputes between the States and they would not have trust in the Central Government because they might sense that the Centre would favour those States where their own political party is in power.</p>

<p>But they would have faith in the judiciary which is equipped with jurisdiction to solve these disputes and preserve the federal identity of the constitution. The idea of the committed judiciary will spoil this federal trust and confidence.</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).</em></p>


The idea of the committed judiciary will spoil this federal trust and confidence

Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing the Constitution Day celebration, emphasised the need for the government and judiciary to be on the same page for realising the dream of a 'New India', and doubted whether they are working in unison. Though Modi spoke in a placid manner, his Minister of Law and Justice Mr Ravi Shankar Prasad was harsher while reminding the judiciary that law-making must be left in the realm of those elected to make the law and judiciary should not behave like a super-legislature. He also mockingly reminded that independence of the judiciary is ‘important’ but judicial accountability probity and propriety are too indispensable. The message was a patent that this government like any other authoritative government wants a committed judiciary i.e. a judiciary committed to the policies of the government. The idea and substance of a committed judiciary were practised in the United States. It is well known that Chief Justice John Marshall imposed upon his colleagues the practice of delivering only unanimous opinions in order to secure the fledgling authority of the Supreme Court. President Thomas Jefferson’s objections to this development and his initiatives against this practice, including the appointments of justices of his own choice are equally well documented. Jefferson’s appointment of William Johnson as Associate Justice and his subsequent stream of advice to him on breaking Chief Justice Marshall’s hold on the court displays his aspiration of having committed judges. When the nation’s senior-most judges questioned the government in the name of constitution and justice, they were superseded. × The Indian Supreme Court could not remain aloof to this idea of the committed judiciary. Since inception, the government attempted to confine the role of judges. Once Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru while discussing the role of judges expressed his view in following words: “If we go wrong here and there, it can be pointed out but in the ultimate analysis no judiciary can stand in judgement over the sovereign will of the entire community. A judge can correct the wrong here and there; they cannot arrogate to themselves the position of the super house of a parliament.” The craving of having a committed judiciary got more prominence with Indira Gandhi when her election was set aside by the Allahabad High Court and some of her political decisions were challenged in cases like Privy Purse case and Bank Nationalisation Case. When the nation’s senior-most judges questioned the government in the name of Constitution and justice, they were superseded. Many judges of the High Court who did not toe the line with the government were transferred. Attempts were made to install ‘committed’ judges in the Supreme Court. These installed committed judges tried to protect the interest of the government and when they could not, they penned down dissenting opinions to prove his loyalty. An attempt was also made by the committed Chief Justice of India to overrule the ‘basic structure doctrine’ by creating a bunch of committed and like-minded judges but fortunately could not succeed. Mrs Gandhi vindicated her claim for ‘commitment’ by referring President Roosevelt of the United States of America has appointed judges who were committed to his programmes. The judges must function without fear and favour otherwise the question of their being impartial or independent will be rendered nugatory. × The behaviour of the Judge is the fortress for the people to reap the fruits of the democracy, liberty and justice and the antithesis rocks the bottom of the rule of law. The judges must function without fear and favour otherwise the question of their being impartial or independent will be rendered nugatory. They are required to ‘uphold the constitution and the laws’, ‘without fear’ and favour. If Judiciary is committed to the policies of the government, the ‘independence of judiciary’ and the ‘system of checks and balances’ which are essential features of the constitution will be in peril and constitutional democracy will be reduced to the dictatorship of the majority. It will also destroy the federal fabric, another basic structure of the constitution. It will create distrust among the federal Union. There are so many disputes between the States and they would not have trust in the Central Government because they might sense that the Centre would favour those States where their own political party is in power. But they would have faith in the judiciary which is equipped with jurisdiction to solve these disputes and preserve the federal identity of the constitution. The idea of the committed judiciary will spoil this federal trust and confidence. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: Why judiciary can't be committed to the government

<p>&quot;Those who have looted the country can only think of dacoits,&quot; Prime MInister Narendra said Wednesday in Morbi, Gujarat.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Modi was referring to Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi who had dubbed the GST (Goods and Services Tax) a &quot;Gabbar Singh Tax&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Modi also took a dig at Rahul&#39;s grandmother, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, saying that when she visited Morbi, he remembered a photograph of her holding a handkerchief over her nose because of the foul smell.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">When Indira Ben came to Morbi,I remember there was a photo of her in Chitralekha Magazine with a hanky over her nose due to the foul smells, but for Jansangh/RSS the streets of Morbi are fragrant,its the fragrance of humanity: PM Modi <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GujaratElections2017?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GujaratElections2017</a> <a href="https://t.co/YJasuCNfMS">pic.twitter.com/YJasuCNfMS</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/935756110442778624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&quot;But for (the) Jansangh/ RSS, the streets of Morbi are fragrant,&quot; he said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;Adding that &quot;it is the fragrance of humanity.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Modi also talked about development, while continuing to attack the Congress.&nbsp;</p>

<p>For the Congress, Modi said, development meant the handing out of water pumps.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;For BJP it is the SAUNI scheme (the Narmada water project for Saurashtra region), where we will fill dams of Saurashtra through huge pipelines,&quot; he added.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">For Congress, &#39;development&#39; was giving hand pumps. For BJP, it is SAUNI Yojana and large pipelines that carry Narmada waters: PM Modi in Morbi <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GujaratElections2017?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GujaratElections2017</a> <a href="https://t.co/jmeqFmTByL">pic.twitter.com/jmeqFmTByL</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/935758280995074048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&quot;Development for us is not about winning polls,&quot; Modi said. &nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;It is about serving every citizen,&quot; he added.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">In Gujarat we initiated a mass movement to conserve every drop of water. This is because we understand the adverse impact of lack of water. Development for us is not about winning polls, it is about serving every citizen: PM Modi in Morbi <a href="https://t.co/tAUvYIwvgr">pic.twitter.com/tAUvYIwvgr</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/935755246470615043?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


Modi, who was campaigning in Morbi, Gujarat, also attacked former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi

"Those who have looted the country can only think of dacoits," Prime MInister Narendra said Wednesday in Morbi, Gujarat. Modi was referring to Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi who had dubbed the GST (Goods and Services Tax) a "Gabbar Singh Tax". Modi also took a dig at Rahul's grandmother, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, saying that when she visited Morbi, he remembered a photograph of her holding a handkerchief over her nose because of the foul smell. When Indira Ben came to Morbi,I remember there was a photo of her in Chitralekha Magazine with a hanky over her nose due to the foul smells, but for Jansangh/RSS the streets of Morbi are fragrant,its the fragrance of humanity: PM Modi #GujaratElections2017 pic.twitter.com/YJasuCNfMS — ANI (@ANI) November 29, 2017 × "But for (the) Jansangh/ RSS, the streets of Morbi are fragrant," he said. Adding that "it is the fragrance of humanity." Modi also talked about development, while continuing to attack the Congress. For the Congress, Modi said, development meant the handing out of water pumps. "For BJP it is the SAUNI scheme (the Narmada water project for Saurashtra region), where we will fill dams of Saurashtra through huge pipelines," he added. For Congress, 'development' was giving hand pumps. For BJP, it is SAUNI Yojana and large pipelines that carry Narmada waters: PM Modi in Morbi #GujaratElections2017 pic.twitter.com/jmeqFmTByL — ANI (@ANI) November 29, 2017 × "Development for us is not about winning polls," Modi said. "It is about serving every citizen," he added. In Gujarat we initiated a mass movement to conserve every drop of water. This is because we understand the adverse impact of lack of water. Development for us is not about winning polls, it is about serving every citizen: PM Modi in Morbi pic.twitter.com/tAUvYIwvgr — ANI (@ANI) November 29, 2017 ×

Gabbar Singh Tax: Modi attacks Rahul Gandhi, says those who looted country can only think of dacoits

<p>As India&#39;s first and only female Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi&nbsp;fought for her vision against &#39;vested interests&#39;, said Congress president Sonia Gandhi.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Inauguration of a photo exhibition on Indira Gandhi on the occasion of her 100th birth anniversary, the Congress president said,&nbsp;&quot;Indira Ji was the iron lady of India.&quot;.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Indira ji was the iron lady of India.She fought for her vision against vested interests: Sonia Gandhi <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiraGandhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiraGandhi</a> <a href="https://t.co/JJdQM041OH">pic.twitter.com/JJdQM041OH</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/932121467478614016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;&#39;&#39;Indira Gandhi fought for secularism, against those who wanted to divide society on religion and caste,&#39;&#39; she added.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">She fought for secularism and against those who wanted to divide society on religion and caste lines: Sonia Gandhi <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiraGandhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiraGandhi</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ik9GW1ah2b">pic.twitter.com/Ik9GW1ah2b</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/932134665850273792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Speaking on the occasion, former president Pranab Mukherjee said that Indira can never be erased from the pages of history.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">She can never be erased from the pages of history: Former President Pranab Mukherjee on Indira Gandhi&#39;s birth anniversary <a href="https://t.co/9AWyaAUXtB">pic.twitter.com/9AWyaAUXtB</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/932128367591034880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Over 200 archived images from&nbsp;Indira Gandhi&#39;s life will be available for public viewing at the&nbsp;Indira Gandhi&nbsp;Memorial Trust from November 21.&nbsp;Titled &#39;Indira: A Life of Courage&#39;, the exclusive photographic exhibition was inaugurated to commemorate the birth centenary of former the former prime minister.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Delhi: Congress VP Rahul Gandhi greets senior party leaders Sheila Dikshit and Dr. Karan Singh at inauguration of a photo exhibition on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiraGandhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiraGandhi</a> <a href="https://t.co/0M6YAdr7sd">pic.twitter.com/0M6YAdr7sd</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/932126656407334914?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Earlier in the day, several leaders including Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi,&nbsp;former prime minister Manmohan Singh and Prime Minister Narendra Modi <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/100-years-of-indira-gandhi-24551" target="_blank">paid their respects to Indira Gandhi</a>.</p>


Former president Pranab Mukherjee also spoke on the birth anniversary of Indira Gandhi.He said that Indira can never be erased from the pages of history

As India's first and only female Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi fought for her vision against 'vested interests', said Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Inauguration of a photo exhibition on Indira Gandhi on the occasion of her 100th birth anniversary, the Congress president said, "Indira Ji was the iron lady of India.". Indira ji was the iron lady of India.She fought for her vision against vested interests: Sonia Gandhi #IndiraGandhi pic.twitter.com/JJdQM041OH — ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2017 × ''Indira Gandhi fought for secularism, against those who wanted to divide society on religion and caste,'' she added. She fought for secularism and against those who wanted to divide society on religion and caste lines: Sonia Gandhi #IndiraGandhi pic.twitter.com/Ik9GW1ah2b — ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2017 × Speaking on the occasion, former president Pranab Mukherjee said that Indira can never be erased from the pages of history. She can never be erased from the pages of history: Former President Pranab Mukherjee on Indira Gandhi's birth anniversary pic.twitter.com/9AWyaAUXtB — ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2017 × Over 200 archived images from Indira Gandhi's life will be available for public viewing at the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust from November 21. Titled 'Indira: A Life of Courage', the exclusive photographic exhibition was inaugurated to commemorate the birth centenary of former the former prime minister. Delhi: Congress VP Rahul Gandhi greets senior party leaders Sheila Dikshit and Dr. Karan Singh at inauguration of a photo exhibition on #IndiraGandhi pic.twitter.com/0M6YAdr7sd — ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2017 × Earlier in the day, several leaders including Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh and Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid their respects to Indira Gandhi.

Indira Gandhi fought for secularism: Sonia Gandhi

<p>Several leaders including Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi,&nbsp;former prime minister Manmohan Singh and Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to India&#39;s first and only female Prime Minister&nbsp;Indira Gandhi on her 100th birth anniversary on Sunday.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Tributes to former PM Mrs. Indira Gandhi on her birth anniversary.</p>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/932059203132411905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Indira Gandhi, who was born on&nbsp;November 19, 1917, was assassinated by her own bodyguard&nbsp;in October 1984.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I remember you Dadi with so much love and happiness. You are my mentor and guide. You give me strength. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Indira100?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Indira100</a></p>
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/932101627510534145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Known as the &#39;Iron Lady&#39;, Gandhi was&nbsp;India&rsquo;s most powerful prime minister.</p>

<p>Over 200 archived images from&nbsp;Indira Gandhi&#39;s life will be available for public viewing at the&nbsp;Indira Gandhi&nbsp;Memorial Trust from November 21.&nbsp;Titled &#39;Indira: A Life of Courage&#39;, the exclusive photographic exhibition will be inaugurated on November 19 to commemorate the birth centenary of former the former prime minister.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Delhi: Former PM Manmohan Singh and Congress VP Rahul Gandhi pay tribute to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiraGandhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiraGandhi</a> on her birth anniversary <a href="https://t.co/Gncpb2CJoa">pic.twitter.com/Gncpb2CJoa</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/932084170951606272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">&quot;I don&#39;t mind if my life goes in the service of the nation - If I die..every drop of my blood will invigorate the nation&quot; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Indira100?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Indira100</a> <a href="https://t.co/hYqEI22aUU">pic.twitter.com/hYqEI22aUU</a></p>
&mdash; Office of RG (@0ffice0ffRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/0ffice0ffRG/status/932085858454212608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Indira Gandhi, who was born on?November 19, 1917, was assassinated by her own bodyguard?in October 1984

Several leaders including Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh and Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to India's first and only female Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her 100th birth anniversary on Sunday. Tributes to former PM Mrs. Indira Gandhi on her birth anniversary. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 19, 2017 × Indira Gandhi, who was born on November 19, 1917, was assassinated by her own bodyguard in October 1984. I remember you Dadi with so much love and happiness. You are my mentor and guide. You give me strength. #Indira100 — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) November 19, 2017 × Known as the 'Iron Lady', Gandhi was India’s most powerful prime minister. Over 200 archived images from Indira Gandhi's life will be available for public viewing at the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust from November 21. Titled 'Indira: A Life of Courage', the exclusive photographic exhibition will be inaugurated on November 19 to commemorate the birth centenary of former the former prime minister. Delhi: Former PM Manmohan Singh and Congress VP Rahul Gandhi pay tribute to #IndiraGandhi on her birth anniversary pic.twitter.com/Gncpb2CJoa — ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2017 × "I don't mind if my life goes in the service of the nation - If I die..every drop of my blood will invigorate the nation" #Indira100 pic.twitter.com/hYqEI22aUU — Office of RG (@0ffice0ffRG) November 19, 2017 ×

Indira Gandhi remembered on her 100th birth anniversary

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/party-set-to-sack-mugabe-zimbabweans-celebrate-expected-downfall-24539" target="_blank">Party set to sack Mugabe, Zimbabweans celebrate expected downfall</a></p>

<p>Zimbabwe&#39;s ruling party will dismiss President Robert Mugabe on Sunday and reinstate Emmerson Mnangagwa, the vice-president he fired, two party sources told Reuters on Saturday, as ecstatic crowds celebrated the expected downfall. Mugabe&#39;s 37-year rule has been effectively at an end since the army seized control on Wednesday, confining him to his residence, saying it wanted to target the &quot;criminals&quot; around him.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/your-boss-silencing-you-rahul-gandhi-asks-nirmala-sitharaman-24541" target="_blank">Your boss silencing you is &#39;shameful&#39;: Rahul Gandhi to Nirmala Sitharaman</a></p>

<p>Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday&nbsp;hit back at Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman over the multi-crore Rafale deal, claiming it was &quot;shameful&quot; that her boss was &quot;silencing&quot; her. Mr Gandhi&#39;s retort comes a day after Ms Sitharaman alleged that it was shameful on part of the Congress to raise objections on the fighter aircraft deal. He also asked her whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi had taken permission from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) before announcing the purchase of the Rafale fighter aircraft in Paris.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/former-pm-manmohan-singh-to-get-indira-gandhi-peace-prize-24545" target="_blank">Former prime minister Manmohan Singh to get Indira Gandhi peace prize</a></p>

<p>&quot;The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development is awarded to Manmohan Singh for his leadership of the country and his achievements during the momentous 10 years from 2004 to 2014, for his contributions to the cause of economic and social development, for improving India&#39;s stature in the world and its relationship with the neighbours and the leading nations of the world, and for his dedication to the security and well being of ordinary citizens regardless of their faith, caste, region or language,&quot; a statement from the Trust&#39;s secretary Suman Dubey said.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-to-be-made-congress-president-before-december-5-sources-to-wion-24527" target="_blank">Rahul Gandhi to be made Congress President before December 5: Sources to WION</a></p>

<p>Sources also said that the elevation is not going to be delayed any further. The CWC is expected to adopt the resolution to make Rahul Gandhi Congress president on Monday which would subsequently be ratified by the All India Congress Committee. As per the rules of the Congress constitution,&nbsp;the final ratification has to be done by the All India Congress Committee (AICC).</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/padmavati-row-vasundhara-raje-asks-smriti-irani-for-changes-in-film-24535" target="_blank">&#39;Padmavati&#39; row: Vasundhara Raje asks Smriti Irani for changes in film</a></p>

<p>Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje has written to Information and Broadcasting minister Smriti Irani requesting her that the film &quot;Padmavati&quot; should not be released until some changes are made to it so that it &quot;does not hurt the sentiments of any community&quot;. In her letter, the Rajasthan chief minister has suggested that a committee should be formed to discuss the film and its plot and should suggest amendments.&nbsp;</p>


Party set to sack Mugabe, Zimbabweans celebrate expected downfall Zimbabwe's ruling party will dismiss President Robert Mugabe on Sunday and reinstate Emmerson Mnangagwa, the vice-president he fired, two party sources told Reuters on Saturday, as ecstatic crowds celebrated the expected downfall. Mugabe's 37-year rule has been effectively at an end since the army seized control on Wednesday, confining him to his residence, saying it wanted to target the "criminals" around him. Your boss silencing you is 'shameful': Rahul Gandhi to Nirmala Sitharaman Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday hit back at Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman over the multi-crore Rafale deal, claiming it was "shameful" that her boss was "silencing" her. Mr Gandhi's retort comes a day after Ms Sitharaman alleged that it was shameful on part of the Congress to raise objections on the fighter aircraft deal. He also asked her whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi had taken permission from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) before announcing the purchase of the Rafale fighter aircraft in Paris. Former prime minister Manmohan Singh to get Indira Gandhi peace prize "The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development is awarded to Manmohan Singh for his leadership of the country and his achievements during the momentous 10 years from 2004 to 2014, for his contributions to the cause of economic and social development, for improving India's stature in the world and its relationship with the neighbours and the leading nations of the world, and for his dedication to the security and well being of ordinary citizens regardless of their faith, caste, region or language," a statement from the Trust's secretary Suman Dubey said. Rahul Gandhi to be made Congress President before December 5: Sources to WION Sources also said that the elevation is not going to be delayed any further. The CWC is expected to adopt the resolution to make Rahul Gandhi Congress president on Monday which would subsequently be ratified by the All India Congress Committee. As per the rules of the Congress constitution, the final ratification has to be done by the All India Congress Committee (AICC). 'Padmavati' row: Vasundhara Raje asks Smriti Irani for changes in film Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje has written to Information and Broadcasting minister Smriti Irani requesting her that the film "Padmavati" should not be released until some changes are made to it so that it "does not hurt the sentiments of any community". In her letter, the Rajasthan chief minister has suggested that a committee should be formed to discuss the film and its plot and should suggest amendments.

WION Morning News Brief, November 19, 2017

<p>Former prime minister Manmohan Singh will receive the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development this year for his leadership of the country between 2004 and 2014 and for enhancing India&#39;s stature globally.</p>

<p>According to a statement from the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust, Singh was unanimously chosen for the award by an international jury chaired by ex-president Pranab Mukherjee.</p>

<p>&quot;The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development is awarded to Manmohan Singh for his leadership of the country and his achievements during the momentous 10 years from 2004 to 2014, for his contributions to the cause of economic and social development, for improving India&#39;s stature in the world and its relationship with the neighbours and the leading nations of the world, and for his dedication to the security and well being of ordinary citizens regardless of their faith, caste, region or language,&quot; a statement from the Trust&#39;s secretary Suman Dubey said.</p>

<p>The Trust said Singh is only the third Indian prime minister to complete two full terms as the PM between 2004 and 2014. His tenure witnessed the path-breaking nuclear agreement with the US and the Copenhagen Climate Change agreement, the statement said.</p>

<p>Singh, who as the governor of the Reserve Bank of India and the finance minister in the government headed by P V Narasimha Rao, played a pivotal role in ushering economic reforms, it said adding that as prime minister he led India in achieving the highest sustained rate of economic growth since Independence.</p>

<p>The Trust said Singh has been responsible for making India&#39;s voice heard more effectively at international forums.</p>

<p>&quot;The 10 years of his premiership were not only a period of rapid economic and social changes, they witnessed the lowest terrorist violence, prolonged period of communal harmony, peace on the country&#39;s borders and a globally acknowledged rise in India&#39;s standing in the global community of nations,&quot; the statement said.</p>

<p>The international award named after former prime minister Indira Gandhi was instituted in 1986. The award has been announced on the eve of Gandhi&#39;s birth anniversary.</p>

<p>The last two recipients have been the Indian Space Research Organisation and the UN High Commission for Refugees.&nbsp;</p>


Singh was unanimously chosen for the award by an international jury chaired by ex-president Pranab Mukherjee

Former prime minister Manmohan Singh will receive the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development this year for his leadership of the country between 2004 and 2014 and for enhancing India's stature globally. According to a statement from the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust, Singh was unanimously chosen for the award by an international jury chaired by ex-president Pranab Mukherjee. "The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development is awarded to Manmohan Singh for his leadership of the country and his achievements during the momentous 10 years from 2004 to 2014, for his contributions to the cause of economic and social development, for improving India's stature in the world and its relationship with the neighbours and the leading nations of the world, and for his dedication to the security and well being of ordinary citizens regardless of their faith, caste, region or language," a statement from the Trust's secretary Suman Dubey said. The Trust said Singh is only the third Indian prime minister to complete two full terms as the PM between 2004 and 2014. His tenure witnessed the path-breaking nuclear agreement with the US and the Copenhagen Climate Change agreement, the statement said. Singh, who as the governor of the Reserve Bank of India and the finance minister in the government headed by P V Narasimha Rao, played a pivotal role in ushering economic reforms, it said adding that as prime minister he led India in achieving the highest sustained rate of economic growth since Independence. The Trust said Singh has been responsible for making India's voice heard more effectively at international forums. "The 10 years of his premiership were not only a period of rapid economic and social changes, they witnessed the lowest terrorist violence, prolonged period of communal harmony, peace on the country's borders and a globally acknowledged rise in India's standing in the global community of nations," the statement said. The international award named after former prime minister Indira Gandhi was instituted in 1986. The award has been announced on the eve of Gandhi's birth anniversary. The last two recipients have been the Indian Space Research Organisation and the UN High Commission for Refugees.

Former prime minister Manmohan Singh to get Indira Gandhi peace prize

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi lashed out at Congress for not taking effective measures to curb black money in the country. &quot;We needed to do it in 1971. We have caused huge losses by not doing this since 1971,&quot; Modi told BJP MPs.</p>

<p>Narendra Modi also quoted former bureaucrat Madhav Godbole&#39;s book in which he has recorded how then Home Minister YB Chavan had recommended demonetisation to curb ill-gotten and hidden wealth.</p>

<p>&quot;Godbole says in the book that Gandhi replied saying &#39;are no more elections to be fought by the Congress&#39;? Chavan got the message and the recommendation was (dropped),&quot; Modi said.</p>

<p>&quot;This was in 1971 when everybody recommended this. Had it (demonetisation) been done in 1971, the nation wouldn&#39;t have been in this situation today.&quot;</p>

<p>Modi&#39;s remarks came during a BJP parliamentary party meeting on the last day of the winter session.</p>

<p>&nbsp;Modi further targeted Congress by saying that Congress has always put its interest over that of the country while for the BJP the nation&#39;s interests are supreme.</p>

<p>To remove corruption and black money from the society Modi again pitched for the digital economy as he made an appeal to the masses to adopt digital economy as a &#39;way of life.&#39;</p>

<p>While criticizing Congress Modi also attacked former Prime minister Manmohan Singh saying that he advocated strong measures against corruption and black money but did nothing during his rule of 10 years.</p>

<p>&nbsp;Manmohan Singh has been openly criticizing demonetisation from the start; he said that&nbsp; &quot;I don&#39;t think demonetisation was at all required, I don&#39;t think it was technically, economically necessary to launch this adventure,&quot; in 2016</p>


Prime Minister Narendra Modi lashed out at Congress for not taking effective measures to curb black money in the country. "We needed to do it in 1971. We have caused huge losses by not doing this since 1971," Modi told BJP MPs.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi lashed out at Congress for not taking effective measures to curb black money in the country. "We needed to do it in 1971. We have caused huge losses by not doing this since 1971," Modi told BJP MPs. Narendra Modi also quoted former bureaucrat Madhav Godbole's book in which he has recorded how then Home Minister YB Chavan had recommended demonetisation to curb ill-gotten and hidden wealth. "Godbole says in the book that Gandhi replied saying 'are no more elections to be fought by the Congress'? Chavan got the message and the recommendation was (dropped)," Modi said. "This was in 1971 when everybody recommended this. Had it (demonetisation) been done in 1971, the nation wouldn't have been in this situation today." Modi's remarks came during a BJP parliamentary party meeting on the last day of the winter session. Modi further targeted Congress by saying that Congress has always put its interest over that of the country while for the BJP the nation's interests are supreme. To remove corruption and black money from the society Modi again pitched for the digital economy as he made an appeal to the masses to adopt digital economy as a 'way of life.' While criticizing Congress Modi also attacked former Prime minister Manmohan Singh saying that he advocated strong measures against corruption and black money but did nothing during his rule of 10 years. Manmohan Singh has been openly criticizing demonetisation from the start; he said that "I don't think demonetisation was at all required, I don't think it was technically, economically necessary to launch this adventure," in 2016

'Note ban should have done in 1971' says Narendra Modi while slamming Congress

<p>Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday attacked the Narendra Modi government&nbsp;saying the country was getting increasingly divided in the name of &quot;narrow nationalism&quot;.</p>

<p>&quot;The liberal, tolerant Indian ethos that former prime minister late Indira Gandhi embodied is being rejected and repudiated,&quot; she said in a&nbsp;speech at a function in which the 30th Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration was conferred on Carnatic musician T M Krishna.</p>

<p>She also said that the idea of India that Indira Gandhi fought for has been thrown fundamentally into question by the &quot;rising intolerance&quot; that one witnessed today. &quot;The country&#39;s heritage is now in the hands of those who are bent upon rewriting history, imposing falsehood and unscientific ideas on our people and stifling independent thinking,&quot; Gandhi said without naming any party or individual.</p>

<p>&quot;We must be undaunted, unafraid, and uncompromising against the forces of darkness that seek to engulf our land,&quot; she added.</p>

<p>Indira Gandhi, she said, led India through major transformations and in her 16-year long battle against poverty and social injustice, she gave her all to make the country self-reliant in agriculture, industry and technology.</p>

<p>Sonia Gandhi said that after Operation Bluestar, when she was advised to transfer some bodyguards out of her service, she refused, saying that she would not judge anyone on the basis of religion.</p>


Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday attacked the Narendra Modi government saying the country was getting increasingly divided in the name of "narrow nationalism".

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday attacked the Narendra Modi government saying the country was getting increasingly divided in the name of "narrow nationalism". "The liberal, tolerant Indian ethos that former prime minister late Indira Gandhi embodied is being rejected and repudiated," she said in a speech at a function in which the 30th Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration was conferred on Carnatic musician T M Krishna. She also said that the idea of India that Indira Gandhi fought for has been thrown fundamentally into question by the "rising intolerance" that one witnessed today. "The country's heritage is now in the hands of those who are bent upon rewriting history, imposing falsehood and unscientific ideas on our people and stifling independent thinking," Gandhi said without naming any party or individual. "We must be undaunted, unafraid, and uncompromising against the forces of darkness that seek to engulf our land," she added. Indira Gandhi, she said, led India through major transformations and in her 16-year long battle against poverty and social injustice, she gave her all to make the country self-reliant in agriculture, industry and technology. Sonia Gandhi said that after Operation Bluestar, when she was advised to transfer some bodyguards out of her service, she refused, saying that she would not judge anyone on the basis of religion.

Sonia Gandhi attacks Modi government, says country getting divided in the name of narrow nationalism

<p>How do you remember a person who passed away when you were nine-year-old? How do you evaluate a person of contemporary importance when all the relevant material has not been declassified? Lastly, how do you evaluate a former prime minister when you have never been friends with the friends of friends of Indira Gandhi?</p>

<p>The tool I will adopt will be that of an impression. The impressions which have stayed with me for the past 32 years or so. 30th October 1984 was my 9th birthday; the very next day Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was killed. My childhood memory is marred by the grotesque images of deadly riots that followed her death. For one whole year, post her assassination, Delhi turned into a volatile city.</p>

<p>Impression, for the sake of clarity, is a collective body of knowledge formed out of whatever has been read, heard and compared. A good majority of Indians would recall Indira by comparing the present with what they think Indira did. Even people who never met her or read her, however, have an impression of her. I have read her and met people who worked with her but I would restrict myself to the impression which you get by talking to a large number of people who have neither read her nor met anybody who worked with Indira Gandhi.</p>

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<p>This article is neither an appraisal or evaluation of her tenure. It is about keywords used for remembering Indira Gandhi.</p>

<p>The crux of my impression, borne out of multiple conversations on Indira Gandhi as a child, student, journalist and as a reader, is that she was unapologetic about her politics. She was decisive and couldn&#39;t care less if a decision had to be taken.</p>

<p>Indira was powerful, enigmatic, secretive, strong decision-maker, nationalist, dictatorial, patriarchal and also a mother blinded by her love for sons. All these words never escaped any conversation on Indira.</p>

<p>&nbsp;A leader who dismembered Pakistan but blundered by sending tanks to the Golden temple. A person who robbed Indians of democracy but, despite pressure from her party, still went on to rescind the decision of Emergency. She decided to fight the election to be wiped out by the anti-Congress wave.</p>

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<p>If Indira&rsquo;s legacy, on one hand, is burdened by Operation Bluestar, dynastic politics and imposition of the Emergency, it is also counterbalanced by wiping away of the privy purses of the maharajas who were colonial remnants in modern India.</p>

<p>Though abolishment of the privy purse of India&#39;s royal families is not remembered as much as India&rsquo;s victory over Pakistan, the act helped to alter the political map of India. A plethora of former rulers turned against her.</p>

<p>If Indira&#39;s Opposition was tough then she was tougher. If the political enemy was vindictive then she was wicked. If her adversary was wicked and viscerally hated her, Indira responded by being dictatorial with them. We have to remember, Indira was a woman who survived entrenched patriarchy. She was the man in the Cabinet of men.</p>

<p>She didn&rsquo;t care for the consequence. Indira only cared for the result of her action. She did neither desire nor wanted to recreate altruistic element of her father&rsquo;s politics. Probably, she had seen him being cheated and then publically humiliated in Parliament. She wanted to make sure that she is never cheated and if cheated, consequences must follow.</p>

<p>Indira enjoyed real politics. She wrote letters and confided to her friends but never wrote for the public. She was not Jawaharlal Nehru. She turned her loneliness into her weapon. She was feared for her remoteness and she was appreciated for the same quality. She was appreciated for her strength and decisiveness but loathed when it became dictatorial. She was appreciated for her sartorial sense but rebuked when looked frigid in a beautiful saree. Indira&rsquo;s appraisal or evaluation is an exercise of involving minute details.</p>

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<p>The importance lies in the memories she evokes today and here lies a lesson for future leaders and parties. It is not without reason that her residence is still one of the most visited memorials in India. It is not without reason that battered Congress remembers her fondly for subsuming Hindu symbols rendering RSS politics facile. Indira unified and divided India at the same time. India loved and hated her at the same time. She was considered Durga and a demon at the same time. She was a woman who was used to doing her own things. She didn&rsquo;t give a damn. That&rsquo;s how people remembered her today. She was effective both when she was right or wrong.</p>

<p>I think all these exist today because she must have been unapologetic about her politics. It is for this reason India remembers Indira Gandhi. Great leaders are remembered for the decision they take. Indira Gandhi for good or bad took decisions. She forced decisions. She bullied people and in turn also got paranoid and harassed by opponents. She often crossed the line of political and personal.</p>

<p>I didn&rsquo;t know Indira personally nor can claim to have read every word written by her or on her. I know her decisions and impact it made on the Indian politics and economy. I know the impressions. I share her memories, true or false. This is how I remember. This how rest of unconnected India remember Indira. Unapologetic and gutsy.</p>


Indira Gandhi will be remembered for her decisions and impact of her decisions on the Indian politics and economy

How do you remember a person who passed away when you were nine-year-old? How do you evaluate a person of contemporary importance when all the relevant material has not been declassified? Lastly, how do you evaluate a former prime minister when you have never been friends with the friends of friends of Indira Gandhi? The tool I will adopt will be that of an impression. The impressions which have stayed with me for the past 32 years or so. 30th October 1984 was my 9th birthday; the very next day Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was killed. My childhood memory is marred by the grotesque images of deadly riots that followed her death. For one whole year, post her assassination, Delhi turned into a volatile city. Impression, for the sake of clarity, is a collective body of knowledge formed out of whatever has been read, heard and compared. A good majority of Indians would recall Indira by comparing the present with what they think Indira did. Even people who never met her or read her, however, have an impression of her. I have read her and met people who worked with her but I would restrict myself to the impression which you get by talking to a large number of people who have neither read her nor met anybody who worked with Indira Gandhi. Indira was powerful, enigmatic, secretive, strong decision maker, nationalist, dictatorial, patriarchal and also a mother blinded by her love for sons. × This article is neither an appraisal or evaluation of her tenure. It is about keywords used for remembering Indira Gandhi. The crux of my impression, borne out of multiple conversations on Indira Gandhi as a child, student, journalist and as a reader, is that she was unapologetic about her politics. She was decisive and couldn't care less if a decision had to be taken. Indira was powerful, enigmatic, secretive, strong decision-maker, nationalist, dictatorial, patriarchal and also a mother blinded by her love for sons. All these words never escaped any conversation on Indira. A leader who dismembered Pakistan but blundered by sending tanks to the Golden temple. A person who robbed Indians of democracy but, despite pressure from her party, still went on to rescind the decision of Emergency. She decided to fight the election to be wiped out by the anti-Congress wave. Indira’s legacy, on one hand, is burdened by Operation Bluestar, dynastic politics and imposition of the Emergency. × If Indira’s legacy, on one hand, is burdened by Operation Bluestar, dynastic politics and imposition of the Emergency, it is also counterbalanced by wiping away of the privy purses of the maharajas who were colonial remnants in modern India. Though abolishment of the privy purse of India's royal families is not remembered as much as India’s victory over Pakistan, the act helped to alter the political map of India. A plethora of former rulers turned against her. If Indira's Opposition was tough then she was tougher. If the political enemy was vindictive then she was wicked. If her adversary was wicked and viscerally hated her, Indira responded by being dictatorial with them. We have to remember, Indira was a woman who survived entrenched patriarchy. She was the man in the Cabinet of men. She didn’t care for the consequence. Indira only cared for the result of her action. She did neither desire nor wanted to recreate altruistic element of her father’s politics. Probably, she had seen him being cheated and then publically humiliated in Parliament. She wanted to make sure that she is never cheated and if cheated, consequences must follow. Indira enjoyed real politics. She wrote letters and confided to her friends but never wrote for the public. She was not Jawaharlal Nehru. She turned her loneliness into her weapon. She was feared for her remoteness and she was appreciated for the same quality. She was appreciated for her strength and decisiveness but loathed when it became dictatorial. She was appreciated for her sartorial sense but rebuked when looked frigid in a beautiful saree. Indira’s appraisal or evaluation is an exercise of involving minute details. She bullied people and in turn also got paranoid and harassed by Opponents. She often crossed the line of political and personal. × The importance lies in the memories she evokes today and here lies a lesson for future leaders and parties. It is not without reason that her residence is still one of the most visited memorials in India. It is not without reason that battered Congress remembers her fondly for subsuming Hindu symbols rendering RSS politics facile. Indira unified and divided India at the same time. India loved and hated her at the same time. She was considered Durga and a demon at the same time. She was a woman who was used to doing her own things. She didn’t give a damn. That’s how people remembered her today. She was effective both when she was right or wrong. I think all these exist today because she must have been unapologetic about her politics. It is for this reason India remembers Indira Gandhi. Great leaders are remembered for the decision they take. Indira Gandhi for good or bad took decisions. She forced decisions. She bullied people and in turn also got paranoid and harassed by opponents. She often crossed the line of political and personal. I didn’t know Indira personally nor can claim to have read every word written by her or on her. I know her decisions and impact it made on the Indian politics and economy. I know the impressions. I share her memories, true or false. This is how I remember. This how rest of unconnected India remember Indira. Unapologetic and gutsy.

Remembering Indira: Unapologetic and gutsy

<p>Several Congress leaders paid homage to former prime minister Indira Gandhi.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Indira Gandhi, the first and to date the only woman prime minister of India was assassinated on October 31, 1984, by her own bodyguards.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Former President Pranab Mukherjee, former Prime minister Manmohan Singh and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi paid floral tribute to Indira Gandhi&#39;s memorial site &quot;Shakti Sthal&quot;.</p>

<p>The day marks the 33rd death anniversary of Ms.Gandhi.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The then PM&#39;s assassination was the result of an outrage over &quot;Operation Blue Star&quot; where she had ordered the storming of troops at Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar.</p>

<p>Over a thousand&nbsp;people died in the anti-Sikh riots aftermath of Gandhi&#39;s death.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">&quot;Every drop of my blood will contribute to the growth of this nation and to make it strong and dynamic&quot; - <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiraGandhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiraGandhi</a> <a href="https://t.co/eDzlLtZCN5">pic.twitter.com/eDzlLtZCN5</a></p>
&mdash; Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShashiTharoor/status/925189791502581760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I pay my humble tributes to former PM Smt <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiraGandhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiraGandhi</a> on her Punyatithi. She contributed immensely towards national unity and<br />
integrity.. <a href="https://t.co/bt6NHULOak">pic.twitter.com/bt6NHULOak</a></p>
&mdash; Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) <a href="https://twitter.com/ashokgehlot51/status/925207459484065792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">My tribute to Iron Lady <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiraGandhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiraGandhi</a> ji, the most powerful, respected and charismatic Prime Minister ever, on her 33rd death anniversary?? <a href="https://t.co/WBx7HR7TUQ">pic.twitter.com/WBx7HR7TUQ</a></p>
&mdash; Kuldeep Bishnoi (@bishnoikuldeep) <a href="https://twitter.com/bishnoikuldeep/status/925190864325951488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">What a pic! (Raghu Rai) <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiraGandhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiraGandhi</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Indira100?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Indira100</a> <a href="https://t.co/JKXYuJObhl">pic.twitter.com/JKXYuJObhl</a></p>
&mdash; Rachit Seth (@rachitseth) <a href="https://twitter.com/rachitseth/status/925060794907213825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Proud Nation remembers 2 great patriots today<br />
Sardar Patel &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiraGandhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiraGandhi</a><br />
<br />
Common thread was<br />
a)Congress Party<br />
b)Both fought communal forces <a href="https://t.co/LzmYxOmgM9">pic.twitter.com/LzmYxOmgM9</a></p>
&mdash; Ajay Maken (@ajaymaken) <a href="https://twitter.com/ajaymaken/status/925208867633446913?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/runforunity-people-tried-to-ensure-that-sardar-vallabhbhais-contribution-is-ignored-pm-modi-23176" target="_blank">People tried to ensure contribution of Sardar Patel is forgotten: PM Modi</a></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Indira Gandhi, the first and to date the only woman prime minister of India was assassinated on October 31, 1984, by her own bodyguards

Several Congress leaders paid homage to former prime minister Indira Gandhi. Indira Gandhi, the first and to date the only woman prime minister of India was assassinated on October 31, 1984, by her own bodyguards. Former President Pranab Mukherjee, former Prime minister Manmohan Singh and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi paid floral tribute to Indira Gandhi's memorial site "Shakti Sthal". The day marks the 33rd death anniversary of Ms.Gandhi. The then PM's assassination was the result of an outrage over "Operation Blue Star" where she had ordered the storming of troops at Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar. Over a thousand people died in the anti-Sikh riots aftermath of Gandhi's death. "Every drop of my blood will contribute to the growth of this nation and to make it strong and dynamic" - #IndiraGandhi pic.twitter.com/eDzlLtZCN5 — Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) October 31, 2017 × I pay my humble tributes to former PM Smt #IndiraGandhi on her Punyatithi. She contributed immensely towards national unity and integrity.. pic.twitter.com/bt6NHULOak — Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) October 31, 2017 × My tribute to Iron Lady #IndiraGandhi ji, the most powerful, respected and charismatic Prime Minister ever, on her 33rd death anniversary?? pic.twitter.com/WBx7HR7TUQ — Kuldeep Bishnoi (@bishnoikuldeep) October 31, 2017 × What a pic! (Raghu Rai) #IndiraGandhi #Indira100 pic.twitter.com/JKXYuJObhl — Rachit Seth (@rachitseth) October 30, 2017 × Proud Nation remembers 2 great patriots today Sardar Patel & #IndiraGandhi Common thread was a)Congress Party b)Both fought communal forces pic.twitter.com/LzmYxOmgM9 — Ajay Maken (@ajaymaken) October 31, 2017 × Also read: People tried to ensure contribution of Sardar Patel is forgotten: PM Modi

Congress leaders pay homage to Indira Gandhi on her death anniversary

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