I am blown by the amount of research the BJPs speechwriters have put in. They have gone way back in time to dig out and wilfully misquote something Manmohan Singh said in 2006 at a meeting of the National Development Council (NDC), which is Our collective priorities are clear. Agriculture, irrigation and water resources, health, education along with programmes for the upliftment of SC/STs, other backward classes, minorities and women and children We will have to devise innovative plans to ensure

As Indians battle it out in our nations 18th general election, it is again time for voters to reflect on the Idea of Indiaor rather, on two duelling ideas of India that are now before us and between which the nation must choose at the ballot box.They both date back to before independence, when our nationalist movement was divided between two sets of ideas, one held by those who saw religious identity as the determinant of their nationhood and the other by those who believed in an inclusive India

Would we like to get Katchatheevu back? Ill bet half the fish in the Gulf of Mannar that every leader who wants a vote in Tamil Nadu would say yes. Narendra Modi, who is seeking a seat or two in the Tamil country for his BJP, says the Congress callously gave away the islet to Sri Lanka in 1974. In 2022, M.K. Stalin advised Modi, who was visiting Lanka, that this is the right time to retrieve Katchatheevu. The AIADMK moved the Supreme Court in 2008 seeking to get the 1974 treaty nullified. Natur

From Mother Earth, she asked, How does India appear from up there? From the heavens, he replied, Saare jahan se achha. Several million Indian hearts went into seventh heaven watching the chat between prime minister Indira Gandhi and Squadron Leader Rakesh Sharma who was orbiting the earth in a Russian space vehicle in 1984. For all you know, the dialogue had been scripted beforehand. No harm. It was played to perfection, and India had its moment of pride. Narendra Modis Gaganyaan moment at Thi

Amid a diplomatic standoff between the two countries, China warned India that deploying more troops at the border is not conducive to safeguarding peace and tranquility of the border areas. The statement comes amid reports that India has pulled around 10,000 personnel from the western border and deployed them at the border with China. Adressing a press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said, India's move of strengthening military deployment along the border with China

Speculations around a possible alliance between the BJP and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Odisha for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, have ended for now, after state president of the saffron party confirmed it will go alone in the polls. When asked about the possibilities of a pre-poll alliance between the two parties, Manmohan Samal, who along with other senior leaders of the party returned to Bhubaneswar from Delhi on Friday evening, said, There was no talk on alliance and we (BJP) will go to

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the elephant and jeep safari inside Assam's Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve on Saturday morning, an official said. Modi, on his maiden visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, first took the elephant safari in Mihimukh area of the Central Kohora Range of the park followed by the jeep safari inside the same range. He was accompanied by park director Sonali Ghosh and other senior forest officials. The prime minister had arrived at Kaziranga on Friday