"Every child must feel safe, every community must feel included" ::::: Centre Committed to restoring Peace in Manipur: President Droupadi Murmu :::: President's first visit to Manipur since Meitei-Kuki conflict

 “I am aware of the pain and hardships that the people of Manipur have endured following the unfortunate violence,” President Droupadi Murmu said speaking at a civic reception held at the City Convention Centre, Palace Compound, Imphal East. 

This is President's first visit to Manipur since the Meitei-Kuki conflict erupted in May 2023. 

The President urged the people of Manipur to continue supporting measures for harmony and development. 

She said that we should together strengthen Manipur as a state where every child feels safe, every woman feels empowered, every community feels included. 

“Taking care of the concerns of Manipur’s people is the highest priority for the Government of India. The Union Government remains fully committed to strengthening harmony, ensuring security, and supporting the state’s journey toward stability and prosperity," she said.

The Kukis demand a "separate administration" for lasting peace; while Meiteis want a National Register of Citizens (NRC) be implemented in Manipur to detect "illegal Chin-Kuki migrants" from neighbouring Myanmar.

The President said that the Centre would continue to promote equitable development across the state, ensuring that the “fruits of progress reach every corner of Manipur.”

During the programme, the President inaugurated 12 completed projects worth  Rs 206.97 crore, covering sectors such as agriculture, tribal development, power, drinking water, education, sports, health, and entrepreneurship.

She also laid the foundation stones for 14 new projects worth Rs 1,180.21 crore, which include initiatives in handloom and handicrafts, health, power, general administration, road and bridge infrastructure, tourism, drainage, and sports development.

“These projects will generate employment, accelerate economic activities, and improve the quality of life of the people. They will also reflect a more modern and inclusive Manipur,” the President said.  

Before attending the civic reception, she visited the historic Mapal Kangjeibung (Imphal Polo Ground), one of the world’s oldest polo fields, where she witnessed a match. The ground had recently hosted the 15th Manipur International Polo Tournament.

On Friday morning, the President is scheduled to attend the Nupi Lal Day commemoration at the Nupi Lal Memorial Complex in Imphal, before proceeding to Senapati district, where she will address a public gathering and launch new development initiatives.

Nupi Lal, observed every year on December 12, marks two women-led uprisings in 1904 and 1939 against British colonial rule.  

Manipur has remained under the President's Rule since February this year. 

More than 260 people belonging to both Meitei and Kuki communities have died and over 60,000 others have been displaced due to the conflict.

Meitei MLAs especially from the BJP have also been demanding restoration of the government in the state citing improvement in law and order in the past few months.

Meiteis also demand that a National Register of Citizens be implemented in Manipur to detect "illegal Chin-Kuki migrants" from neighbouring Myanmar.

The Kukis demand a "separate administration" for lasting peace. 

ends 

PM Modi and Prez Trump hold 'warm' tele conversation as trade talks progress ::: India's goods exports to US rose for the first time in five months in October -- jumping 14.5 %

PM Narendra Modi’s short statement assumes greater significance as it followed a perceived breakthrough in the bilateral talks that have been on a roller coaster ride for months. 

Even as the US team was in India, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told the Congress that his country received an offer from India that was “the best we’ve ever received as a country,” and that the Indian side had been “quite forward leaning.” 

This was also first call between the two leaders since Modi hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin for a bilateral Summit.   

US president Donald Trump spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, even as negotiators from both countries wrapped up two-day talks here to finalise the contours of the initial tranche of an elusive bilateral trade agreement (BTA).

Modi described the conversation with Trump as “warm and engaging.” 

He said he and the US President “reviewed the progress in our bilateral relations and discussed regional and international developments,” without an explicit reference to the BTA or the punitive US tariff being levied on Indian exports. “India and the US will continue to work together for global peace, stability and prosperity,” the prime minister posted on X.  

Earlier in the day, Chief Economic Adviser V Anantha Nageswaran told Bloomberg in an interview that he would be surprised if the trade deal with the US isn’t signed by March.

Most trade-related issues have been resolved, he suggested. 

“I was hoping something would be done by the end of November, but it has turned out to be elusive,” Nageswaran said. “That’s why it is difficult to give a timeline on this. 

However, I would be surprised if we don’t have it sealed by the end of the financial year.”

The US team to New Delhi was led by Deputy USTR Rick Switzer and included Assistant USTR for South and Central Asia and chief negotiator for the BTA from the US side. It is strategically a vital development that Trump and PM Modi spoke over phone within days of Russian president Vladimir Putin's visit to India.  

This was Putin’s 10th visit to India since he assumed power 25 years ago, and his 20th meeting with Modi since the latter became prime minister in 2014.

The visit had 'symbolism' and some substance of  the Indo-Russia  relationship. 

Putin pledged “uninterrupted fuel supplies” to India, the country’a companies are buying less Russian oil in the face of US tariffs and sanctions. 

Russia and India concluded a string of memorandums of understanding in areas from migration and mobility to health and food security, maritime cooperation, fertilisers, customs, and academic and media collaboration. 

But the anticipated announcements on major defence deals did not happen. India has not concluded any major defence deals with Russia since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. 

This has been fuelled by delays in the delivery of several platforms and spare parts as Moscow has prioritised its own defence needs. 

New Delhi has sought to diversify its defence imports and strengthen its domestic production.

This all suggests that the India-Russia relationship does not hold the same geopolitical heft it once did. During the cold war, India maintained preferential barter arrangements and market access to the Soviet Union and its satellite states, says an article in 'The Guardian'. 

India's goods exports to the US rose for the first time in five months in October, jumping 14.5% from September, even as Donald Trump's steep tariffs remain in place.

Exports to India's largest foreign market had dropped sharply last month after 50% US tariffs on India - including a 25% penalty for buying Russian oil - kicked in on 27 August.

The improved data came as Indian state-run oil firms agreed to import more annual liquified petroleum gas (LPG) from the US and Trump exempted many farm goods from reciprocal tariffs that could benefit India.

Pakistan's military sentences its former spy chief Faiz Hameed to 14 years in jail ::: First time that an ISI chief is court martialled.

The ISI chief is seen as the second most powerful position in Pakistan's military.

It is the first time that an ISI chief in Pakistan has been court martialled. His lawyer said he plans to appeal against the verdict.

The former spy chief was known to be a staunch supporter of Imran Khan, and took early retirement shortly after ex-cricketer-turned-neta was ousted in a no-confidence vote in 2022.

He has been sentenced to 14 years in prison by a military court, on charges including violation of state secrets and interfering in politics. Faiz Hameed led Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency from 2019 to 2021, during the tenure of now-jailed former prime minister Imran Khan.

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi reaches Parliament driving a car, powered by Hydrogen

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi reaches Parliament driving a car, powered by Hydrogen. 

He says, "This car is a hydrogen car. Under the leadership of PM Modi, National Green Hydrogen Mission was launched in India... 

An MoU has been signed today between Toyota Kirloskar and our National Insitutute of Solar Energy. This car Mirai, has been developed by Toyata. 

The word Mirai means 'Future'... 

This vehicle is a zero emission vehicle and is noise free. This car is powered by Hydrogen and only emits water vapour..."

Illegal Muslim infiltration is only one problem ::::: NIA and other agencies "tried to keep an eye on funds flow" and also monitored all propaganda being put out by terror groups

On Nov 18th, 2025, BJP West Bengal posted on X an image captioned 'The Difference is Clear'.

Two scenes were labelled as “Then” and “Now”. In the “Then” frame, Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister and TMC supremo, is depicted welcoming individuals in 'Muslim attire'  — men donning a skullcap and a woman in a burqa.

The “Now” frame, captioned “SIR started in West Bengal”, depicts the same figures returning to Bangladesh. 

The debate in Lok Sabha on electoral reforms of course showed a battle between Rahul Gandhi-led Congress and the treasury bench. The BJP fielded among others three eminent orators Amit Shah himself and two MPs from eastern India Nishikant Dubey and Ravi Shankar Prasad. There are many facets in the entire issue. 

One is construction of Babri Masjid - courtesy Humayun Kabir. Otherwise a political turncoat; he has worked with the BJP and also with the Trinamool Congress; hence it is not clear whom he intends to help. But the analysts believe now chances are that he will harm Mamata Banerjee-led party by taking away a sizable chunk of Muslim votes.

Of course, the Trinamool Congress is nervous. 

We may soon move to the next stage.

There are indications that the central agencies and perhaps even the NIA will turn pro-active and will work "quietly to identify" those radical Muslim youths including female sections who would be sympathetic to hardliner Islamic State or so.  

Parliament also debated 150 years of Vande Mataram. This also remained largely the battle of wits between the Congress and the BJP.

On the game were Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Rajnath Singh and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Prime Minister - as expected - traced the origin of Vande Mataram, which later became National Song and the completion of 150 years.

He elaborated on how the Congress under Jawaharlal Nehru allegedly truncated its lyrics for the purpose of “appeasement" politics. It is true the TMC is in come kind of predicament.

It cannot concede even an inch to the BJP in this  battle for West Bengal. 

In the past, Trinamool and  Mamata Banerjee herself have already faced the BJP’s ‘Jai Shri Ram’ onslaught and been accused of minority appeasement.

Sources say government agencies have received alerts that some violence may be triggered in localities with large gatherings. Delhi blast recently was one such element and that would need closer scrutiny. However, there is no reason to be panicky. 

There are  indications that the government and various agencies will seek the support of the Muslim clerics if necessary to counter 'radicalisation' efforts so that the Muslim youths do not fall prey to any sinister design. 

In fact, a few years back, the central government had received inputs that the IS could be active in vulnerable states such as West Bengal and Assam via numerous organisations. 

The NIA and other central agencies such as ED, IB and even RAW have over the last decade played a big role in the early detection of nefarious activities. These agencies have tried to keep an eye on funds flow and also monitored all propaganda being put out by the terror groups.

According to strategies drawn out as long-term measures; the agencies have tried to limit the number of arrests -- hoping serious cautioning and especially forewarning to parents and clerics in specific areas will work as deterrent.

Ends 

"PM Modi does not hack EVMs, he has hacked people’s hearts” - BJP MP Kangana :::: Vote Chori ... "redefined" for Rahul Gandhi and ecosystem - "Sardar Patel got 28 votes and Nehru got 2 votes. But Jawaharlal Nehru became Prime Minister" - courtesy Amit Shah

Tiger may be Zinda.

But is it a case of wounded tiger?  

"Sardar Patel got 28 votes and Jawaharlal Nehru got 2 votes. But Jawaharlal Nehru became the Prime Minister...," --- Amit Shah in Lok Sabha during debate on electoral reforms.

Taking the battle further deep into the enemy camp; the Home Minister cited another 'vote chori'. 

"Sonia Gandhi became a voter first and became Indian citizen later ... This dispute is in court now".  

The Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Dec 10th, 2025 witnessed an intense showdown between Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Amit Shah over electoral reforms, with the latter accusing Rahul’s great-grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru of engaging in vote-chori to become the first Prime Minister of the country.

The Home Minister hit back at the Congress during the discussion on electoral reforms, saying that there is nothing wrong with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), as its members have sacrificed their lives for the country, and that both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and he himself are followers of the organisation.  

"I would like to tell you about 3 incidents of voter chori. First, after independence, the PM of the country was to be elected...Sardar Patel got 28 votes and Jawaharlal Nehru got 2 votes. But Jawaharlal Nehru became the Prime Minister...," he said.

It was also a proven fact that Indira Gandhi had won elections by rigging them and then granted herself immunity, he said in reference to Rae Bareily case. 

Amit Shah said that he had levelled numerous allegations against Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, and Sonia Gandhi in the past, and that a walkout at that time would have been logical.

Instead, he pointed out that the Opposition chose to walk out over the issue of infiltrators. He asserted that the government’s policy is to “detect, delete and deport”. 

The second 'vote chori' was by Indira Gandhi, when she granted herself immunity after a court set aside her election, Shah said.

In 1975, the Allahabad High Court held then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi guilty of electoral malpractices and invalidated her win from Raebareli. She was also disqualified from holding public office for 6 years.  

The Supreme Court eventually reversed the High Court's decision after the election laws were amended retrospectively during the Emergency period.

Continuing his tirade against the Congress, Shah further said, "The dispute of the third vote chori has just reached civil courts on how Sonia Gandhi became a voter before becoming a citizen of India."

On Tuesday, a Delhi court issued a notice to veteran Congress leader Sonia Gandhi over irregularities in the manner her name was included in the electoral rolls in 1980-81 before she became an Indian citizen. 

The Congress, however, argued that Sonia never voted despite being named in the electoral rolls. 

 “Let me tell the Congress people that the Prime Minister does not hack EVMs, he has hacked the people’s hearts,” Kangana told the Lok Sabha during a debate on electoral reforms that featured one of the pet issues of India’s leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, “vote theft”.  

Kangana told the fellow MPs in the Lok Sabha she had expected a “grand revelation” from the leader of Opposition, but it came as a grand thud. The Gandhi siblings, Rahul and Priyanka, and their mother Sonia, the first-time MP said, have always been “steeped in entitlement”.

Speaking at the debate on Tuesday, Rahul had referred to a Brazilian model whose photographs under different names had appeared 22 times in the electoral rolls in Haryana.

“A Brazilian woman appeared 22 times in the Haryana voter list. Another woman’s name appeared 200 times. The Haryana election was stolen. I have said this again and again and again. But the Election Commission hasn’t answered my questions,” Rahul Gandhi has said. 

As Rahul mentioned the name of the Brazilian woman, a hair-stylist from a little known town in Brazil, Congress MPs seated behind the leader of Opposition had flashed her photograph inside the Parliament.

Kangana apologised to Larissa Nery. 

“As a woman, I want to say every woman is entitled to her dignity,” she said. “Yet they flashed her image without any evidence. 

That is a violation of personal rights. On behalf of this House, I apologise to her.”

Kangana also explained, without mentioning the name Larissa Nery, that she had clarified many times that she had never visited India.

Diwali ... or Deepavali now in 'new inscription' on the Intangible Heritage list of UNESCO

"New inscription on the #IntangibleHeritage List: Deepavali, #India🇮🇳.
Congratulations!," -- UNESCO tweeted.

Deepavali

India

Deepavali, also known as Diwali, is a light festival celebrated annually by diverse individuals and communities across India, that marks the last harvest of the year and the start of a new year and new season. 

Based on the lunar calendar, it falls on the new moon in October or November and lasts several days. It is a joyous occasion that symbolizes the victory of light over darkness and good over evil. During this time, people clean and decorate their homes and public spaces, light lamps and candles, set off fireworks, and offer prayers for prosperity and new beginnings.

-UNESCO statement 

(Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity) 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the announcement.

"People in India and around the world are thrilled. For us, Deepavali is very closely linked to our culture and ethos," he tweeted. 

He further wrote:

"It is the soul of our civilisation. It personifies illumination and righteousness. The addition of Deepavali to the UNESCO Intangible Heritage List will contribute to the festival’s global popularity even further.

May the ideals of Prabhu Shri Ram keep guiding us for eternity."

In January 2026 -- it would be 16 years ... of West Bengal "without Jyoti Basu" ::: Till he was in chair ... Bengalis had taken a long pause from voting him out ::: Left was ousted in 2011; Basu did not live to see the day

As politics of West Bengal is in fierce debate; it may be worthwhile to reflect upon the politics of Jyoti Basu (1914–2010). 

In 2021 - the communists could not even open account in the state assembly polls. 

Basu was a stalwart of the 'much-fractured communist movement'. He was devout Marxist but his politics of so-called socialism was well tempered by pragmatism.

People called it Jyotism. He was chief minister of West Bengal state for more than 23 continuous years – a record.  

Basu came to power as chief minister first in 1977 elections. That year it was simultaneous polls in the state - both for the state legislature and Parliament. The issue before the voters in West Bengal was not whether to chose a Marxist CM or otherwise. It was whether to get rid of Congress that imposed Emergency. 

About Basu's success, there were many reasons. One of them was 'scientific rigging'. The new terminology for Rahul Gandhi is Vote-chori. 

The scientific rigging was well known and well believed too. But Vote Chori allegation does not convince even Rahul's soldiers in Bihar nor his allies such as RJD or even Omar Abdullah of National Conference in Jammu and Kashmir. 

But there was one major reason for Basu's long success story. The grand old party since B C Roy (who had expired in 1963) never produced a good mass-based leader. 

What about Pranab Mukherjee ?

He was High Command' 'yes-man' and always a Rajya Sabha man. He first won Lok Sabha election only in 2004 - the year he would long remember for missing prime ministership.  

But Basu had one unique quality. He was the 'last link' for Bengalis with a by-gone era. People out of sentiment saw him the legacies of Deshbandhu C R Das and perhaps even Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.  Basu was one of the last Indian politicians whose careers started before the end of British rule. 

He studied law in England. 

Jyoti Kiran Basu was born into a well-to-do Hindu family. His father, a respectable medico, was horrified by Jyoti's choice of a political career, and even more by his choice of the Marxist party. 

He graduated from Presidency College, Kolkata, before sailing to Britain in 1935 to study law.  

Blogger : Durgapur CPI-M office 

Over the following 23 years, Basu achieved much but he also failed.

He symbolised urban stagnation and anti-industry phenomenon. His rural reform was paralleled by goondalism and 'dada-gri'. Kolkata remains the most lovable of cities probably, but Basu-stamp has denied it the new prosperity visible in other metro centres. Big tycoons like IBM were shunted out. Bengal's loss was Bengaluru's gain.  

But he deserves credit for bringing reform to a largely feudal landscape, and his redistribution of land-wealth made him electorally invincible. 

Basu also brought stability to a chaotic state. In 2010, after his death; London-based 'The Guardian' wrote -- 

"Basu remained an idol to the working class and rural peasantry, but in the end became a symbol of the statism which is so despised by today's MBA-brandishing classes."  

  

The Politics - he created ultimately gave Bengal Mamata Banerjee -- whose stint has many chapters of non-performance. But the worst is Muslim-appeasement -- and technically that was one of the election-success stories of Basu as well. 

Mamata Banerjee carries forward the Basu legacy in several sectors. 

The Marxists' Dada-giri is now called Syndicate. The state's industry is passing through a procession of bankruptsy and closure. Foreign investors and Indian industralists hardly plan anything big in Bengal. During the Basu era and later even under his Marxist successor Buddhadeb Bhattacharya -- the left labour unions have always made matters worse by raising wage demands on firms already on stretches. 

Coochbehar palace - North Bengal 

According to a former Secretary and a retired officer in the state, the likes of Anish Majumdar, N Krishnamurthi, Rathin Sengupta and T C Dutt were made Chief Secretaries during the erstwhile Basu government because they were “either not given to taking tough stance or they were viewed as the pro-communists”.

The state also had a unique cadre of officials and 'sympathisers' called the “street cadre". 

 

ends 

Stage set for two-day Manipur visit by President Droupadi Murmu ::: Amidst 'shut down' announced by militants; KZC says the visit offers hope to many who continue to live with "scars" of the ongoing conflict

Preparations are underway in Manipur for President Droupadi Murmu’s likely two-day visit beginning December 11, with authorities stepping up security arrangements following a “total shutdown” call issued by several militant outfits opposing the tour.  

Along the 7-km route from Imphal airport to the Nupi Lal Memorial Complex, workers were seen repainting the median and putting up colourful flags. A 20-foot banner greeting the President has been installed near Keisampat Junction on the airport road.

The Coordination Committee (CorCom), a coalition of six banned underground groups in Manipur, has announced a total shutdown across the state from the afternoon of December 11 till December 12, coinciding with the two-day visit of President. 

A statement from the conglomerate condemned the President’s visit, terming it “unacceptable,” and accused the Indian government of carrying out “proxy war and repressive measures” in the state.  

The Nupi Lal movement, commemorated annually on December 12, marks two historic uprisings by Manipuri women against the British colonial administration protesting forced labour and economic exploitation, particularly the export of rice from Manipur.  

The CorCom alliance comprises six valley-based proscribed outfits – Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL), People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) and its Progressive faction (PREPAK-Pro), Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF) the political wing of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the United National Liberation Front (UNLF).

Manipur violence : 2023 

However, the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC) has warmly welcomed the President Murmu's visit. 

"Her presence in the state at this critical juncture carries deep significance and offers hope to many who continue to live with the scars of the ongoing conflict," said a statement from Ginza Vualzong, Secretary, Information & Publicity - KZC.

The President is also likely to attend an event in Senapati district. 

"While we acknowledge these engagements, the Kuki-Zo Council sincerely wishes that the President, being a tribal herself, could also visit the Kuki-Zo areas to meet fellow tribal victims who have suffered immensely since the outbreak of violence.

KZC holds President Murmu in high regard, not only as the First Citizen of the nation but also as someone who understands the struggles, dignity, and identity of the tribal communities," the KZC said.

 

"We remain hopeful that her visit will pave the way for renewed attention to the long-neglected concerns of the tribals of Manipur, particularly the Kuki-Zo people who continue to endure displacement, insecurity, and targeted violence amounting to ethnic cleansing.

We urge the Hon'ble President to take note of the humanitarian crisis faced by our people and to use her esteemed office to ensure justice, restoration, and lasting peace in the region," it said. 

ends 

Congress nexus with ex-CECs is well known ... T N Seshan, Rama Devi, M S Gill ... :::: How Nishikant Dubey exposes Congress party's double standards and falsehood on Vote Chori and electoral reforms ?

 Nishikant Dubey said in Lok Sabha during the debate on Electoral reforms: 

1. "If any party has been consistent about the need for electoral reforms in this country .. it has been BJP".

2. Only three Private member's Resolution has been passed in Parliament -- one, by L K Advani on Electoral Reforms 

and it was because of that the facets like CCTV, VPPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) were introduced. 

3. Two other resolutions were passed at my initiatives on Art 370 and Art 35 (A).

4. 

In Jammu and Kashmir the tenure of the assembly used to be for six years. This has been removed and now seats are reserved there for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. "This was an electoral reform ... and we did it; you did not".

5.  In 1972 - as part of electoral reforms, a law was passed related to internal election in political parties.

It had said there should be transparency in election of presidents and state unit chiefs of political parties. 

"In our party (BJP), presidents get two terms and each term is for three years. J P Nadda became president in 2020 and so his term factually ends only in 2026. 

"But look in your own house... ever since Mamata Banerjee became the chief of Trinamool, she is continuing in the post.  In DMK, after Karunanidhi it came down to M K Stalin .... Look at Congress, other than Gandhi family; no one else can become party president. And those who become presidents as exception; their fate ends like that of Sitaram Kesri ... who was even disrobed".

 

Sonia Gandhi and Sitaram Kesri 

"This country starting from the days of Mohammed Ali Jinnah to Salman Rushdie is locked up in its own game of vote-bank appeasement". 

Nishikant Dubey said -- "In Bihar even my father's name was deleted from the voters' list because these days he stays with me in Delhi". 

** 

"Constitution of India is not like a hunter's net ....".

"President's reference appears for 121 times in the Constitution; but Congress did one amendment in 1970s; and the President had become a rubber stamp".

"Indira Gandhi had indulged in Vote Chori and won Rae Bareli election and when the court ruling came ... they created a situation that three judges were bypassed and one chief justice of their choice was made. He continued as CJI for 8 and half years".

"Even for UPSC which selects IAS and IPS officers was once headed by one Congress worker Batuk Singh for as many as 10 years".  

"They talk about Election Commission; the country's first chief election commissioner, Sukumar Sen, was appointed as envoy to Sudan. CEC V S Ramadevi was later appointed as Himachal Pradesh  Governor. 

"T N Seshan was made a poll candidate against the BJP from Ahmedabad, M S Gill after retirement remained a cabinet minister for 10 years.

"And the Congress still talks of honesty and transparency" - he said.

"About CBI - one officer Ashwini Kumar, who was security officer for Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi was made CBI chief,

Ranjit Sinha, who was close to Congress leader Ahmed Patel, was also made CBI director."

M K Narayan was made Governor ...and sometimes made National Security Advisor". 

"Yes, I am with the RSS... we are proud that we come with the RSS background".  

Earlier poll violence was an usual thing.

In 1980 in reply to a question from Indrajit Gupta (CPI); the then Minister P Shinshankar had said that out of 324 assembly constituencies in the then Bihar; there had to be repoll in 81 assembly segments. 

In some places - ballot boxes were 'taken away' by wrong doers in more than 50 points. 

"Do you want to get back to that situation again". 

Who brought EVM ?

It was first introduced by Congress in 1987 as a pilot project. 

In 1991 - the Narasimha Rao government decided to implement a policy of using EVMs in elections. 

There were earlier reports about EVMs in 1961 Parliamentary Select Committee and also in 1971 Select Committee. "The chairman for both the panels was Jagannath Rao, a Congressman". 

Both the reports also stressed that there is need for Special Intensive Review (SIR).  

Naveen Chawla 

Dubey alleged that Naveen Chawla was made election commissioner and later CEC due to his "deep connections with the Gandhi family's ecosystem". 

He was 'directly' elevated to poll panel in a controversial decision perhaps also because he wrote a book on Mother Teresa and tried to promote Christianity. 

ends 

There's something beyond Modi-Putin bear hug !! :::: Novorossiya (New Russia) can have relations with New India -- Citizenship becomes 'Cultural & Civilisational' rather than civic

 Novorossiya (New Russia) is a term used by Aleksandr Dugin for territories he envisions as part of a greater Eurasian sphere. 

Dugin is a Russian political philosopher known for Neo-Eurasianism, an ultra-nationalist ideology envisioning Russia leading a vast "Eurasian" land empire to counter US-led Atlanticism, promoting a multipolar world with distinct civilizations. 

Of course he has sought allies in Islamic and Chinese roots. He is also pro-Hindutva. Dugin has openly praised Hindu nationalism and called for an ideological alliance of “traditional civilizations” led by Russia and India against Western modernity. 

He is just a philosopher and hence thought-influencer. His words may not lay down policies and geopolitical strategies immediately, but they echo themes now visible in both countries’ (India and Russia) rhetoric.

Seen through this lens, Putin’s warm welcome in Delhi is not just about dodging Western sanctions. It is also about the comfort of like-minded states that see themselves as guardians of besieged civilisations rather than merely modern nation-states bound by liberal norms.  

"In India, the governing ideology of Hindutva performs a parallel role. It recasts India not primarily as a constitutional republic founded in 1947 but as an ancient Hindu civilisation extending back to millennia. Citizenship becomes cultural rather than purely civic, minority protections are recoded as ‘appeasement’, and dissent is increasingly framed as betrayal of the nation’s soul." - 

'The Telegraph' (Carol Schaeffer - a journalist in Berlin, Germany, and is a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council in Washington DC)

Dugin has pushed for a Multipolar World.

His points of argument being -- Russia's role is to help organize non-Western civilizations ( Islamic world, China, India, Africa) into independent power centers, opposing a unipolar world dominated by the US.

Russia is a unique cultural entity, a "planetary historical phenomenon" destined to unify the Eurasian space.

The goal is a Eurasian empire encompassing former Soviet states, Eastern Europe, Iran, India, and more, to counter Western influence.

A rejection of Western liberalism, individualism, and globalism in favor of traditional values and power. Thus, the goal is shape not just India–Russia ties or RIC but the kind of global order the world’s largest democracy helps to build.  

In India, the governing ideology of Hindutva performs a parallel role. It recasts India not primarily as a constitutional republic founded in 1947 but as an ancient Hindu civilisation extending back to millennia. Citizenship becomes cultural rather than purely civic, minority protections are recoded as ‘appeasement’, and dissent is increasingly framed as betrayal of the nation’s soul, says Carol in his article.  

Born in 1962 in a high-ranking military family, Dugin spent his early years as an anti-communist dissident. He joined various eccentric avant-garde collectives that sprung up during the last two decades of the Soviet Union, where he was known for his flirtation with the politics of Nazi Germany.

He came to national attention in the 1990s as a writer for the far-right newspaper Den. In a 1991 manifesto published in Den, Dugin first laid out his anti-liberal and ultranationalist vision of Russia, a country he said was destined to face off against an individualistic, materialistic west.  

“Ukraine as a state has no geopolitical meaning, no particular cultural import or universal significance, no geographic uniqueness, no ethnic exclusiveness,” he wrote around 2022.

“Its certain territorial ambitions represent an enormous danger for all of Eurasia and, without resolving the Ukrainian problem, it is in general senseless to speak about continental politics.”

Blogger :: New Ventures 

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"Vande Mataram did not receive the justice it deserved," said Rajnath Singh in Lok Sabha :::::: "Congress divided Vande Mataram and that later Partitioned India" - Amit Shah in Rajya Sabha

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said: 

"Today, as we celebrate the glorious journey of Vande Mataram for a century and a half, we must accept the truth that Vande Mataram did not receive the justice it deserved. Today, in independent India, there was talk of giving equal status to the national anthem and the national song. But one became an integral part of our national consciousness. 

"It found a place in the mainstream of society and culture. It became included in our national symbols. That song was our Jana Gana Mana. But the other song was marginalised and neglected. That song is Vande Mataram. 

It was treated like an extra. On the very soil where Vande Mataram was composed, in 1937, the Congress decided to mutilate the song. All generations should know about the political deceit and injustice done to Vande Mataram. That is why this discussion is taking place, because this injustice was not just done to a song, but to the people of independent India," said Rajnath.

"Vande Mataram is complete in itself, but attempts were made to make it incomplete. It is the demand of the time to return Vande Mataram to its glory. Vande Mataram was marginalised post-Independence. Vande Mataram did not get the justice it deserved," said Rajnath.  

"In 1906, India’s first flag was designed, and Vande Mataram was written at the centre of that flag, which was hoisted in Bengal for the first time.

 

In August 1906, a newspaper titled Vande Mataram was also launched to raise public awareness. This was the time when Vande Mataram was not just a word, it was a feeling, a source of motivation, and a poem," said Rajnath.  

"Vande Mataram is the mantra of Swaraj. We vow to give it the respect it deserves. Those who do not understand our culture - how will they understand Vande Mataram?" said Rajnath. 

"While people rightly remembered the national anthem, Vande Mataram was only projected as some modern song," the Defence Minister said. 

He said that the National Song did not get the right place in India's history like the National anthem Jana-Mana-Gana.

"Vande Mataram is connected with both history and the present. Vande Mataram has awakened the nation. It is not just associated with the elections in Bengal. Vande Mataram has made the British Empire bow down," said Rajnath.

'Had Congress not divided Vande Mataram, India wouldn't have been partitioned': Amit Shah in Rajya Sabha   

"When Vande Mataram was limited after it completed 50 years, that is when appeasement started. That appeasement led to the partition of the country. 

Had the Congress not divided Vande Mataram for appeasement, the country would not have been divided into two... When Vande Mataram completed 100 years, an Emergency was imposed. There was no scope for the glorification of the national song. 

Indira Gandhi imprisoned those who propagated and raised the slogan of Vande Mataram,” he said.  

“When discussions were held in the Lok Sabha yesterday, both members of the Gandhi family were absent from the House. Right from Jawaharlal Nehru to the current leadership, Congress continues to oppose Vande Mataram," he said. 

The Home Minister said former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru reduced Vande Mataram to two stanzas on its golden jubilee. On Opposition MPs' remark that the BJP was diverting from real issues by discussing Vande Mataram in Parliament, Shah said the government was ready to have discussion on any issue but the Opposition should first stop boycotting the discussions.

“They also need to know that avoiding discussions on Vande Mataram is not new... India was not independent when Vande Mataram completed 50 years. When the golden jubilee of Vande Mataram was due, Jawaharlal Nehru limited the national song to two stanzas," Shah said.

"Congress MPs are questioning the need for having discussions on Vande Mataram and calling it a political strategy and a way of diverting from the issues. Nobody is scared of discussions on issues. 

We are not the ones boycotting the Parliament. If they want to discuss, they need to stop boycotting, and all discussions will take place. We are not scared of or trying to hide anything. We are ready for debate on any issue,” he added.