In the post-Pahalgam scenario, while the entire Opposition had initially united in support behind the Narendra Modi government, Sanjay Raut turned out to be the first lone voice of dissent. Not content at just demanding Amit Shah’s resignation for his failure as home minister in preventing the Pahalgam attack, Raut also made snide remarks about state call for mock drills likening it to the call for banging of thalis during Covid. He also got his Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena to abstain from the all-party meet called on April 24. In the absence of Uddhav Thackeray, who is said to be vacationing in Europe, for which he earned some brickbats too for not cutting it short, it was left to veteran leader Sharad Pawar to tame him down. Pawar questioned his absence at the first all-party meet. Subsequently, Raut’s tune changed his tone. Not only did he turn up at the following all-party meet on May 8 chaired by defence minister Rajnath Singh and attended by Shah himself but also briefly muted his criticism of the Modi government. But this ceasefire too didn’t last long. He did a volte face on May 11; strongly demanded Shah’s resignation once again and even daring the PM to address an all-party meet. A considerably weakened Uddhav Thackeray, post the Sena split engineered by Eknath Shinde, is said to have given him a free hand. Despite being criticised, ridiculed and even despised for his daily-morning media bytes, earning him the sobriquet of “morning siren” , Raut has emerged as the lone ranger within his party, his alliance and even in the nation as the post-Pahalgam scenario revealed.

It was a PM Modi speech that the entire nation was waiting to hear. That was because everyone wanted to know why Operation Sindoor — that was going so well for India — had been called off. Today we finally heard from the horse’s mouth that Op Sindoor has only been paused. The action is not over yet. He laid bare his Pakistan policy —  he spelt out his terms of engaging with a terror sponsoring state like Pakistan post Operation Sindoor. He let it be known to the whole world that no power on earth can make him have a dialogue with Islamabad, post Pahalgam terror strike of May 7. “…If there will be talks between India and Pakistan, it will only be on terrorism and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK)…India’s stand has been clear, terror, trade and talks cannot be done together,” he said. He said “Operation Sindoor is not just a name. It is a reflection of the feelings of millions of people in the country. Operation Sindoor is an unbroken pledge of justice. Late night of May 6 and morning of May 7, the whole world has seen this pledge turning into results.”  A quotable quote from his speech was “Pakistan ki tayyari seema par vaar ki thi lekin Bharat ne Pakistan ke seene par vaar kar diya“. But by far the boldest of what he said, “…No nuclear blackmail will be tolerated anymore…” He said “Terrorist attack on India will have to face a befitting reply, and the response will be on our terms”. The best part of the speech, he made no reference to President Donald Trump or Vice President JD Vance. 

With BrahMos making the news, trust some Congress leaders like Jairam Ramesh to ignite a credit war over the missile that is associated with former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. Jairam surely doesn’t have the breadth and vision of a Shashi Tharoor to go with the flow and articulate mood of the nation. Instead as AICC media head he ferrets out info that he imagines will best please the Gandhis even in these strained times. On X, he went on to trace the origins of Brahmos — how it was named after the Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers and how it was an outstanding example of Indo-Russian collaboration. The whole point of tracing Brahmos history — which began as an inter-government project in February 1998 when IK Gujaral was PM and the first contract was signed on July 9, 1999, when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was PM — was continued by successful governments. The first successful launch took place on June 12, 2001. While all this happened when NDA was in power, Jairam mentions that the missile was inducted into the Indian Navy in 2005 and Indian Army in 2007 under the UPA regime. The air-launched variant of BrahMos appeared in 2012 when Dr Manmohan Singh was PM. Significantly, at the DGMOs briefing on May 12, the men in uniform gave a different picture. In a statement it was acknowledged that “our battle proven systems stood the test of time” said Air Marshal AK Bharti who quoted Ramcharitmanas said a highlight has been the stellar performance of the indigenous air defence system — the Akash system. “Putting together and operationalising the potent Air Defence environment has been possible only because of budgetary and policy support from the government of India in the last decade.”

There has been an outrage of sorts over the manner in which Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and his family have been trolled in the social media over India-Pak ceasefire agreement. Many bureaucrats have come in his support. Former foreign secretary Nirupama Menon called the trolling “utterly shameful” and said it “crosses every line of decency”. The IAS Association expressing “solidarity with Vikram Misri and  his family” described “unwarranted personal attacks on civil servants” performing their duties as deeply regrettable. Misri’s rise is not just personal success; it is the triumph of memory over forgetting, of dignity over hate, of perseverance over persecution. Born in Srinagar on 7 November 1964, into the serene, intellectual world of Kashmiri Hindus whose peace was shattered by a storm of militancy that swept through the valley in the late 1980s and 90s—a storm not born of the people, but of political poison fed across the border by Pakistan. Like thousands of others, the Misri family was uprooted—not because they broke the law, but because they simply existed. Because they prayed differently. He joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1989, the very year many of his own were forced to flee. He took over as Foreign Secretary on July 15, 2024. He also served in various capacities at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), worked in the PMO under three PMs (Gujaral, Dr Singh and Modi)  and in various Indian Missions abroad. He was part of the Pakistan desk of the MEA.

Cessation of the India and Pakistan war, albeit temporarily at the latter’s request, has upset India’s armed forces that were keen on consolidating, annexing tracts of Indian territory under illegal occupation of Pakistan. In a double whammy Pakistan faced a revocation of its civil aviation licenses from regulatory agencies in France in the wake of continued domestic air traffic flown over the country’s airspace while its rogue army continued launching drone, missile attacks on India after Operation Sindoor’s unprecedented success, destroyed launchpads, terrorists training grounds in Pakistan. This even while American civil aviation regulatory agencies chose to ignore the Pakistani infractions that put at risk air passengers by using them as aerial shields to ward off an intensive Indian aerial response to indiscriminate drone and missile attacks upon India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resolve to launch an all-out war against its delinquent neighbour after failed attempts to impact military installations within India was slowed down untimely after Pakistan’s request for ceasefire brokered by U.S. president Donald Trump, who prematurely started town crying about his mediation having stopped the war. “No one asked Trump to play Santa Claus and look foolish when a segment of the Pakistani armed forces (read army generals from factions opposed to Asif Munir) refused to hold fire, instead continuing aerial warfare against India,” sources revealed. The PM’s resolve to reply with a bomb for every bullet fired by Pakistan towards India is elucidated further by the source thus: “While Islamic terror threatens a thousand cuts upon the non-Muslim world, the Indian adage of sau sunar ki, ek lohar ki was ably demonstrated by India by the 10 big anti-terror strikes launched under Operation Sindoor.”

The stoppage of firing and military action between India and Pakistan has been worked out directly between the two countries. The Pak DGMO initiated the call on Saturday, May 10 at 3.30 pm after which discussions took place and understanding reached. There is no decision to hold talks on any other issue at any other place. Official sources said India agreed to the ceasefire given that the final strikes were Indian ones on Pak air bases. The Pak DGMO reportedly told India counterpart that Pakistan would not undertake any more strikes and specifically requested a ceasefire.  The U.S. duress of withholding IMF loans was specific — the $1 bn provisional release linked to immediate acceptance and balance subject to compliance. The Indus Water Treaty suspension remains unaffected. No information will be shared with Pakistan and India will commence water projects on the 3 northern rivers. The U.S. has accepted India’s change of war doctrine. Any further terror attack will be accepted as an act of war. While U.S. President Donald Trump in a X post claimed the U.S. had mediated long nights of talks between Delhi and Islamabad for the ceasefire, EAM Dr S Jaishankar’s post on X made no reference to Washington’s role. The U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, while confirming the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, praised PM Modi, Sharif for “wisdom”. The “ceasefire” however disappointed hard-nosed security experts like Brahma Chellaney that PM Modi did not take Operation Sindoor to its logical conclusion ending war against India of Pak military generals through terrorist proxies. Commodore Raghu R Nair said, “While we will be adhering to the understanding reached today, we remain fully prepared and ever-vigilant and committed to defending the sovereignty and integrity of the motherland. Every misadventure by Pakistan has been met with strength and every future escalation will invite a decisive response.”

Pakistan’s continued escalation along the western front through drone incursions and munitions is a matter of grave concern. On May 10 at 5 am, multiple armed enemy drones were detected over Khasa Cantt, Amritsar. Our air defence units responded swiftly, intercepting and neutralising all hostile UAVs. This blatant attempt to violate India’s sovereignty and endanger civilian lives is unacceptable. At a joint MoD-MEA presser, Col Sofiya Qureshi asserted how Pakistan’s spread misinformation on social media, falsely claiming it had targeted the S-400 air defence systems at Adampur, Suratgarh, and Sirsa Air Force Stations, BrahMos base and others.” Following Pakistan’s deliberate targeting of Indian air bases, the Indian Armed Forces responded swiftly with a well-coordinated and strategic operation. In retaliation, Indian armed forces targeted key military infrastructure including technical installations, command and control centres, radar stations, and arms depots. Col Sofiya said precision air-launched strikes and fighter jets were deployed to hit military bases at Rafiqui, Murid, Chaklala, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur and Chunian. Additionally, a radar site in Pasrur and the aviation base in Sialkot were precisely struck. Throughout the operation, India ensured minimal collateral damage and civilian impact. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri pointed out that Pak claims about attacking and destroying various places, various military installations and facilities, have been fact checked and are completely false. “The claim about the Air Force Station in Sirsa being destroyed is completely false, as you have seen. The claim about the Air Force Station in Surat being destroyed is completely false again”.  Details of terrorists killed in Operation Sindoor (May 7) that have come out reveal 3 Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives and 2 Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists who managed operations in J&K and Punjab were killed.

India hit out against Pakistan for making a preposterous and outrageous claim that it was the Indian Armed Forces that were targeting its own cities. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said this view was being articulated to give a communal overtone to the conflict.  He said, “…Instead of owning up to its actions, Pakistan made the preposterous and outrageous claims that it was the Indian armed forces that is targeting its own cities like Amritsar and trying to blame it on Pakistan… They are well-versed in such actions as their history would show…” Pakistan spread disinformation that India targeted the Nankama Sahib Gurdwara through a drone attack, which is yet another blatant lie… Pakistan is trying desperately to impart a communal hue to the situation with an intention to create a communal discord…” He referred to the Pak firing on a gurudwara in Poonch on May 7. Colonel Sofiya Qureshi said, “Around 300 to 400 drones were used (by Pakistan) to attempt infiltration at 36 locations…Forensic investigation of the wreckage of the drones is being done. Initial reports suggest that they are Turkish Asisguard Songar drones…” Wing Commander Vyomika Singh made an important point how ..Pakistan did not close its civil airspace despite it launching a failed unprovoked drone and missile attack on  May 7 at 8.30 pm. “Pakistan used a civil airliner as a shield, knowing fully well that its attack on India would elicit a swift air defence response. “The airspace on the Indian side is absolutely devoid of civil air traffic due to our declared closure. However, there are civil airlines flying the air route between Karachi and Lahore…IAF demonstrated considerable restraint in its response 

Ongoing hostilities with Pakistan will witness new outcomes in stark contrast to the 1971 war in so much that landed property falling into Indian hands will not be handed back to our perpetually unfriendly neighbour. As NSA Ajit Doval recently articulated, India has moved from defensive offence to offensive defence in a calibrated manner. A South block source said, “If Pakistan does not apologize within a couple of days and end its Don Quixote’s (Asif Munir’s) lame war efforts, the price to pay will sever parts of the Pakistani landscape from its army’s effective control. India won’t return captured land this time round unlike in 1971. Congress’ tenure, including AK Antony’s, when admittedly, roads, infrastructure was avoided on common borders with China, never spruced up on the Indian side as strategy to prevent Chinese incursions. During Modi’s regime the shoe is on the other foot now with massive roads, infrastructure created to facilitate quick transport of army personnel, weapons to borders at the drop of a hat. An unexpectedly positive fallout of the current war with Pakistan showcased the true calibre/capability of international weaponry systems and shortcomings exhibited by some. India not only showcased its indigenous military might but also demonstrated the potency of Rafael fighters, Israeli and Russian collaborations. Pakistan in turn was provided with American F-16s (on dole) and Chinese weaponry (price payable when able), both falling far short of international armoury benchmarks. The whole world witnessed live demonstration of war capabilities of multiple nations with Indian collaborations with France, Russia and Israel set to turn us into a big exporter of defence goods in the post war era.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has congratulated the Modi government and the armed forces for launching the military action against Pakistan, boosting the nationalistic fervour pervading the nation. “We congratulate the Central government leadership and our armed forces for decisive action Operation Sindoor taken against Pak-sponsored terrorists and their supporting ecosystem following the cowardly attack on unarmed tourists at Pahalgam. This action to serve justice to aggrieved families and the entire country in the brutal massacre of Hindu tourists has enhanced self-respect and morale of the whole country,” the RSS said in its official statement. Expressing solidarity with the government is rare for the RSS, which says “We totally agree that military action being taken against terrorists, their infrastructure and support systems in Pakistan is necessary and inevitable for the security of the country. In this hour of national crisis, the entire country stands with the government and armed forces in spirit and action.” RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had visited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official residence just a few days prior to the launching of the concerted action by the three arms of the Indian military. Such a visit has taken place after many decades. Earlier Modi had visited the RSS headquarters in Nagpur to pay respects to its founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, the first time the PM had gone there since taking over in 2014. Both visits had evoked a strong political comment. The intent of the visits is becoming visible now.

Rain or shine, the media in Maharashtra does not tire of reporting about the possible ‘reunion’ of the two powerful families – Pawar and Thackeray. Though there is a surcharged atmosphere across the country from the moment Operation Sindoor has been launched, the pen pushers in the state continue to indulge in speculation, partly fuelled by faceless sources in both factions of Uddhav and Raj Thackeray. Similarly, ever since deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar walked out of the Nationalist Congress party (NCP) set up by his uncle Sharad Pawar, there is no dearth of the news stories, predicting either their distancing or coming closer. Even the most frivolous clue like “Pawar looked at his nephew and smiled” generates a plethora of ‘exclusive’ reports, patting the channels or newspapers on the back, each claiming to be the first with the story. Thus, breaking news is becoming a matter of ridicule since stories like ‘Fadnavis reaches Mantralaya’ also come under this category. The latest revival of such stories has happened since Uddhav has returned from his vacation in Europe while Raj came back to Mumbai just a few days ago. On the other hand, elder Pawar has said that any decision regarding coming together will be taken by Ajit and daughter Supriya Sule, MP. This is a plain truth but touted as a major political revelation. Leaders like Prakash Ambedkar and Sanjay Raut are readily available day in and day out to add to the grist.

Colonel Sofiya Qureshi is proud of her association with four Indian states, which in turn are elated to be related with her. Born and brought up in Gujarat, she has a Karnataka link through her marriage with Col Tajuddin Bagewadi of Belgavi. While her father and grandfather have served in the Indian Army, Sofiya’s great grandmother was in the army of Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi. Thus, she is associated, though indirectly, with Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, too. Sofiya and Bagewadi wedded in 2015 after meeting during their army postings. Sofiya is a distinguished officer and discharged varied responsibilities in different assignments in India and abroad. In an interview given in 2017, Sofiya had stated that she was an army officer’s daughter and hence familiar with a serving officer’s life. Her mother wished that of the two sisters, one should join the army while her grandfather, too, would impress upon them that it was everybody’s sacred duty to be prepared to rise for the nation’s defense. Her father Taj Mohamed said, “We are proud of our daughter, who has done so much for India. Pakistan must be decimated.” A post graduate in biochemistry, Sofiya was commissioned in 1999. Coincidentally, Col Tajuddin has been posted at present at Jhansi, thus reviving the age-old connection with the warrior queen of India. There is one more Maharashtra connection, albeit quite remote. It was then defense minister Sharad Pawar who took the decision to induct women in active military service. Col Sofiya has added glory to the success of Operation Sindoor.

With just a year left for the West Bengal Assembly elections, the Bengal BJP is under pressure to finalise its new state president. Internal dynamics, however, have delayed the decision, pushing the central leadership to shift its approach — from finding a consensus candidate to identifying one without strong opposition. The central leadership recently met senior Bengal BJP leaders to discuss party programmes and key organizational issues. According to party sources, central observers Mangal Pandey and Amit Malviya also held one-on-one talks with leaders like Sukanta Majumdar, Suvendu Adhikari, Shantanu Thakur, five general secretaries, two organisation secretaries, Debasree Chaudhuri, Nisith Pramanik, Soumitra Khan, Manoj Tigga and Shamik Bhattacharya regarding the state leadership. Currently, the Bengal BJP suffers from multiple power centres — Majumdar, Adhikari, former president Dilip Ghosh, and two senior organizational figures — making it hard to present a unified front. Despite occasional friction, Majumdar and Adhikari have maintained a functional partnership for over three years, ensuring some organizational stability — something the central leadership values and is hesitant to disrupt. While Majumdar’s term is still ongoing, his induction into the Union Cabinet complicates matters due to the BJP’s “one person, one post” policy. Adhikari, being the Leader of the Opposition and not from the RSS, also presents a conflict. Various names have been proposed, including one from the RSS Bengal unit. Some Delhi-based leaders have preferences, but no clear consensus has emerged. Meanwhile, political survey agencies are influencing decisions, with a Karnataka firm submitting a unified leadership blueprint directly to Modi’s core team.

In the wake of Operation Sindoor, Pakistan attempted to escalate tensions by launching missile strikes at Indian military installations across J&K, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat. Every single one of those missiles was intercepted or neutralized. None reached its intended target.  India’s rapid, coordinated response showcased the strength of its air defence ecosystem built painstakingly over the past 11 years under PM Modi’s leadership. It also exposed the hollowness of the Pakistani Air defence system. The Integrated Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Grid, S-400 Triumf systems, Barak-8 missiles, Akash Surface-to-Air Missiles and DRDO’s anti drone technologies came together seamlessly to create an aerial shield that held firm. India didn’t stop at defending. It retaliated with speed and precision. Operation Sindoor saw the Indian Armed Forces strike deep into Pakistani territory, destroying a Chinese-supplied HQ-9 air defence unit in Lahore and damaging key radar infrastructure. This level of preparedness didn’t materialize overnight. It was a decade of strategic preparedness. Since 2014, the Modi government has systematically upgraded India’s air defence architecture. It was a day when everyone remembered late former defence minister Manohar Parrikar with gratitude for acquiring 5 S-400 air defence missile systems from Russia in spite of stiff opposition from the U.S.in October 2018. It was the S-400 that played a key role not only in defending but retaliating with speed and precision. Additionally, Israeli-origin Harop drones—now locally built—were deployed to target and destroy air defence assets in Karachi and Lahore. These platforms, combined with the strategic deployment of Rafale fighter jets equipped with SCALP and HAMMER missiles, demonstrated India’s capability to project power with surgical precision.  With airspace secured, the government ensured that its approach to defence has not been about flashy one-offs and that it has been about building...

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor cannot be ignored or intimidated even by his own party. But surprisingly his talents, communication and diplomatic skills are overlooked…deliberate or by accident? Tharoor’s felicity with English and his fluent communication is often dubbed intellectual arrogance. A recent interview with Al Arabia is bound to make the country look at him with awe and admiration. It is a lesson in non-partisan voice in a time of national crisis. Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on External Affairs he has hit home the fact that the current conflict with Pakistan is India’s “calibrated response” to Pakistan’s repeated terrorist incursions. “India is not escalating, merely reacting with precision and restraint by hitting back at terrorist locations.” Pakistan is a master of denial …the most humiliating one when Osama Bin Laden was given sanctuary in Abbottabad. Tharoor further goes on to laud the term “Sindoor” and how appropriate it is in the context of the terror killing of a newly-wed man at Pahalgam …in one swoop , his wife’s as well as many other victim’s sindoor was wiped off. Why then is the Congress High Command not openly volunteering his talents as a global media mouthpiece to defend India’s stand? The BJP and especially Modi have extended their hand openly. At the Vizhinjam Port inauguration, Modi was all admiration for Tharoor’s presence. Is the tipping point at hand now? Whatever the political exigencies and ideology compulsions, a resource like Tharoor could well be harnessed for India’s benefit.

India strongly protested state funerals for three terrorists killed in ‘Operation Sindoor’. At a Press Conference on May 8, foreign secretary Vikram Misri displayed a picture of Pakistan army personnel attending the funeral of three terrorists killed during Operation Sindoor. He said it was “odd that the funerals of terrorists were carried out with the coffins being draped in Pakistani flags and state honours being accorded.” India confirmed that several terror targets were eliminated in the strikes which Pakistan claimed to be civilians. Images of Pak Army personnel at the funeral of three terrorists killed during Indian military strikes surfaced on May 7. The funeral held in Muridke — approximately 40 km from Lahore — was also attended by members of Jamaat-ud-Dawah, the banned organisation led by Hafiz Saeed. The three individuals, Qari Abdul Malik, Khalid and Mudassir, were killed in the terror group’s headquarters in Muridke. “…I wonder what message this picture actually sends to all of you. This is a question that is worth asking. As far as we are concerned, individuals eliminated at these facilities were terrorists, giving terrorists, state funerals, maybe a practice in Pakistan,” Misri added.  On Pakistan’s propaganda that it downed Indian jets, Misri said, “…There is nothing surprising in it. After all, this is a country that started lying as soon as it was born. In 1947, when the Pakistani army claimed Jammu and Kashmir, they lied not to any random person but to the United Nations that we have nothing to do with it…So this journey started 75 years ago. Pakistan also alleges that we have targeted the Neelum-Jhelum dam in PoJK, it is absolutely fabricated and a blatant lie,” he added.  

At the time of launch of ‘Operation Sindoor’ on May 7 to avenge Pahalgam attacks, India had called its response as “focused, measured and non-escalatory”. It was specifically mentioned that Pakistani military establishments had not been targeted. It was also reiterated that any attack on military targets in India will invite a suitable response. On the night of May7-8, Pakistan attempted to engage a number of military targets in Northern and Western India including Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bhatinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi, Uttarlai and Bhuj using drones and missiles. These were neutralized by the Integrated Counter UAS Grid and Air Defence systems. The debris of these attacks is now being recovered from a number of locations that prove the Pakistani attacks. On May 8 morning Indian Armed Forces (IAF) targeted Air Defence Radars and systems at a number of locations in Pakistan. It has been reliably learnt that an Air Defence system at Lahore has been neutralized. Pakistan has increased the intensity of its unprovoked firing across the Line of Control using mortars and heavy caliber artillery in Kupwara, Baramulla, Uri, Poonch, Mendhar and Rajouri sectors in J&K. As many as 16 lives have been lost due to Pakistani firing. Here too, India was compelled to respond to bring mortar and artillery fire from Pakistan to a halt. In a statement, IAF reiterated their commitment to non-escalation, provided it is respected by the Pakistani military. Meanwhile PM Modi chaired a high-level meeting with Secretaries of various Ministries and Departments of the Government of India to review national preparedness and inter-ministerial coordination in light of recent developments concerning national security. Ministries were advised to maintain close coordination with state authorities and ground-level institutions.

The Indian armed forces successfully executed ‘Operation Sindoor’ in the early hours of May 7 carrying out targeted strikes on nine “terrorist infrastructure” sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in response to the April 22 Pahalgam attack that had left 26 civilians dead. Shortly after the confirmation of military strikes in Pakistan, the Indian Army in a post on X said, “Justice is served. Jai Hind!”. The best part about the strike was the surprise element. Delhi chose to strike Pakistan in the wee hours on a day when it may have least expected. That’s because across the nation citizens had been asked to prepare for civil defence for a war like situation! Modi, who had vowed stern action to the terror attack had monitored Operation Sindoor throughout the night. In a big boost to military strikes, JeM chief Masood Azhar who is responsible for multiple terror attacks in India admitted that 10 members of his family had been killed in the attack on Jama Masjid Subhan Allah in Bahawalpur. Details of Op Sindoor were shared with the media by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and two women officers from the services — Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh. Colonel Qureshi, who hails from Gujarat clarified that no military infrastructure of Pakistan was struck during the operation. Foreign Secretary Misri said that the probe into the Pahalgam terror attack had clearly established Pakistan links. He also noted  that Pakistan did not take any action against “terrorist infrastructure” after the Pahalgam terror attack. Misri said the Resistance Front, which claimed responsibility for the attack, was connected with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Responding to the attacks,  a Pakistan government’s statement noted that India’s “temporary pleasure will be replaced by enduring grief”.

It is interesting to see the Congress blow hot, blow cold over the April 22 Pahalgam attack. First it extended unequivocal support to the government. Then when hot heads in the party from Karnataka including CM began shooting their mouths.  AICC social media manager Supriya Shrinate took the ultimate shot with her PM Modi “gayab” post that went way beyond reproach. It was seen as a crude post mocking PM Modi’s absence from all-party-meeting with a missing head that resembled a “sar tan se juda” caricature. Shrinate had not only crossed the line but was apparently reluctant to delete her post even after public outrage. Media reports say till Rahul Gandhi intervened she didn’t yield. Congress leaders were shocked that AICC leadership had to put up with such recalcitrant behaviour from influential office-bearers who seemed more interested in flexing their muscle than in protecting or furthering Congress’s or nation’s interest. Party’s media-in-charge Jairam Ramesh himself was also not doing any better. The day LoP Rahul Gandhi was interacting with the media on a sensitive issue like Pahalgam, one found Jairam was immersed in amplifying his own two-bit message to the media. “Our media strategy should be such that the attention should not be dispersed from Rahulji with a cacophony of   views,” pointed out a senior Congress leader. Meanwhile after all the talk of being fully with the government, the Congress was back to its old tricks. Emerging from a CWC meeting, two former CMs — Charanjit Singh Channi and Bhupesh Baghel — wondered why no action had been taken against Pakistan nearly two weeks post Pahalgam attack. Who is responsible for this deterioration? We want to know?

While the nation is just recovering from the shock following the dastardly Pahalgam terror attack, the Shiv Sena (UBT) has launched a campaign by criticising the BJP government at the Centre day in and day out. It has gone to the extent of demanding Union home minister Amit Shah’s resignation, holding him responsible for the security lapse. Upon this, Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray has been taunted by former Union minister Milind Deora, who is now with the Sena led by deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde. Responding to the repeated criticism of the BJP government in the state and the Centre by Sena MP Sanjay Raut about the delay in teaching Pakistan a lesson, Deora has reminded Raut that his leader was in Europe or wherever enjoying a holiday when Shinde had rushed to Kashmir to reassure the tourists from Maharashtra. Shinde had organised their return journey and extended monetary help where it was required urgently. Deora has pointed out that Uddhav kept on posting X messages but did not send any representative for the all party meeting after the attack. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi cut short his visit abroad and returned to India, Uddhav continued with the vacation, Deora has told the Sena. Incidentally, it has been routine for Uddhav and his family to travel to the cool environs of Europe every summer. So far, there is no response from the Sena (UBT) to Deora’s barb.

As the first BJP government in Odisha under chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi will soon complete a one-year anniversary, the corridors of power are abuzz with speculation about the declining influence of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in the state’s affairs. Pradhan and his coterie, which includes leaders such as Samir Mohanty, Golak Mohapatra and Thakur Ranjeet Das, appear to have lost their hold. Well known journalist Shekhar Gupta has been raising the question: Who is ruling Odisha these days? Dharmendra Pradhan or Ashwini Vaishnaw! Thus, by raising this question he has clearly indicated that there is a power shift. The new power centre seems to be multi-portfolio minister Vaishnaw. Vaishnaw, a former IAS officer from the Odisha cadre whose family has been associated with the RSS is known to have close ties with both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Besides, his control over three key cabinet portfolios has further bolstered his stature. According to both government and bureaucratic sources in Odisha, the decline of Dharmendra Pradhan’s clout has directly contributed to Vaishnaw’s ascendancy in the state’s political landscape. For instance, Vaishnaw is widely believed to be the driving force behind the Odisha government’s auction of mines. He is also close to Naveen Patnaik’s Man Friday VK Pandian and that made it possible for Vaishnaw to be re-elected to the Rajya Sabha in February this year with the support of BJD. While his efficiency and varied experience are beyond question, Vaishnaw in the past has been dogged by controversy, primarily because of his association with B Prabhakaran, who was named in the massive mining scam in Odisha in 2013. 

Tamil film superstar-turned politician Vijay’s public appearances for his TVK party and his election stump are turning into a circus due to the fans over enthusiasm and uncontrolled public show of admiration. But is this public display of admiration working against Vijay’s agenda? Climbing on vehicles, crowding around his caravan and surrounding him with bike riders who don’t seem to care for their own safety and the public became the talking point after Vijay’s two events at Coimbatore and Madurai. On April 26 and 27, crazy fans descended on the airport to receive him causing annoying inconvenience to other air travellers. It was meant to be a meet to organise booth committees. However much these staggering crowds made him ecstatic, Vijay seemed to run scared as he appealed to them to maintain discipline. In fact, some party bigwigs planned to ask for a higher level of security than the current Y security from the government. His trip to Madurai was no less nerve racking when he had to insistently appeal to the tailgating crowds…please don’t follow my caravan riding your bikes “you are not wearing helmets, security personnel are thwarted…we have to follow discipline.” But the way his caravan got dented, soon went viral on social media. Vijay was on his way to Kodaikanal by road to complete the shooting of Jananayaga (Peoples’Hero). Observers are openly saying that these followers are still in fan mode and that Vijay must get his political act together before proclaiming that 2026 will see TVK coming to power in TN.

Opposition political formations’ jubilation over PM Modi’s scientific population, caste census is short-lived with the untimely AI driven process commencing 2026, concluding 2028. Bihar’s former DCM Tejaswi Yadav’s disappointment is imminent for imagining caste census would conclude before state assembly elections in 2026. The comprehensive, scientifically bolstered census digitally exploiting AI will eliminate redundant caste affiliations converted into other communities, religions. Corrective yardstick encompassing next census capturing social-economic, castes will not likely throw up existence of over 4.6 million castes, sub-castes, synonyms, different surnames and gotras in caste and clan names in India included among categories of SC, Scheduled tribes, OBC communities. 2011 census revealed many citizens had entered surnames under ‘caste’ discrimination column, was abandoned by then PM Manmohan Singh under weight of humongous data, relegated to timeless cold storage. PM Modi’s digitally initiated census process will serve as the true last value on cultural, socio-economic make-up of India. Use of AI, rejection of AADHAR, PAN cards as identity proof will ensure honest distinct process accomplishment. Even National Register of Citizens (NRC) provisions will play a pivotal role reaching true last values across India. One anomaly elimination, for a more accurate picture of existing castes in India, will delete surnames, occupation driven caste affiliations. The Andhra Pradesh High Court has also ruled Scheduled Caste citizens will lose status immediately upon converting to Christianity, forfeit protections under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in sync, albeit inadvertently. India’s purge of foreign nationals from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar (Rohingyas) also coincides with a larger census plan. Tejaswi and other backward community leaders’ vice-like grip on India’s reservation pie will phase out. The ‘M+Y’ political formula...

A felicitation of Maharashtra’s former chief ministers organized by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar in Mumbai has become talk of the town for all the political reasons. The ceremony was convened under the banner Glorious Maharashtra and all former CMs of the state were invited. However, senior most among them, Sharad Pawar, did not turn up while DCM Eknath Shinde, too, stayed away, pleading that he had already scheduled other engagements. The absence of the last Congress CM in the state, Prithviraj Chavan, was noticeable. Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray is abroad, according to his annual Europe trip routine. Interestingly, CM Devendra Fadnavis attended in both capacities, former and present incumbent. Former Congress leaders Ashok Chavan and Narayan Rane, both with the BJP now, were conspicuous by their presence. Fadanvis said he had created a record by remaining CM for the shortest duration, of 72 hours in 2019. The same record was shared by Ajit Pawar, who was his deputy CM then and is now as well. Fadnavis said Ajit has another record to his credit. “He has taken oath as DCM for the maximum number of times,” Fadanvis quipped. He revealed that the teaming up of the BJP and Ajit’s NCP was incepted within those 72 hours. Fadnavis remarked that people in Maharashtra would have been happy had all former CMs attended. His reference is considered to be aimed at Eknath Shinde. More is expected to be heard soon.

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has moved into his official residence, Varsha, as a caring father and mature politician. The shifting took place on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya (30 April) though there was a personal angle, too. Fadnavis and wife Amruta were overjoyed to announce that their only child, Divija, had cleared the 10th Board examination by scoring 92.60%. The entry into Varsha was done without any fanfare; a simple pooja was performed. Till now, Fadnavis had ignored constant criticism that he was not moving into Varsha due to superstition. Those making irresponsible statements included Republican leader Prakash Ambedkar and Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut. In fact, Raut had gone to the extent of alleging that Fadnavis was refusing to occupy Varsha since the horns of a buffalo sacrificed at the Kamakhya temple in Guwahati had been buried in its grounds. Raut had said that this was done to ensure that the occupant living in Varsha should not continue in office for long. Raut’s charge was directed at former CM Eknath Shinde, who had taken the Sena rebel MLAs to Guwahati and formed his government in Maharashtra in 2022. During the Guwahati stay, Shinde supporters had gone to the Goddess temple for pooja. Fadanvis had ignored such crass assaults and had declared in February that he had postponed the move into Varsha till his daughter’s annual examination in response to her wish. Recently, he has stopped reacting to Raut’s daily verbal attacks, too.

The Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) has sent out a clear message that it is not with Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) or any elements which are using the issue of compulsion of Marathi language. The timing of a statement made by senior BJP leader Kripa Shankar Singh in this regard is interpreted as an unambiguous signal by the BJP in view of the new political formations likely to take place in the state with an eye on the coming local body elections.  The statement is also viewed against the backdrop of the possibility of MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT) joining hands for the BMC election. MNS leader Raj Thackeray had triggered the agitation for Marathi some time ago though he stopped it after some ugly incidents took place against Hindi speaking sections. Moreover, a few Gujarati residents, also, had to face ire of the aggrieved people on the issue of Marathi and vegetarianism. As the atmosphere was vitiated, the BJP has taken a firm stand, especially as the assembly election is approaching in Bihar. Making the position clear, Singh recalled his long association with Mumbai and said, “Hindi is my mother and Marathi is my Mausi (aunt).” Taking a swipe at those using the language issue for political purposes, Singh lamented that such elements reared their heads when their political existence was threatened. He emphasised that the north Indians in Maharashtra were not merely a workforce but had been contributing towards the state’s development as well.

Tensions have erupted within the BJP West Bengal unit following senior leader and former state president Dilip Ghosh’s controversial appearance at the inauguration of the Jagannath temple in Digha where he shared the stage with chief minister Mamata Banerjee. The temple event had been boycotted by the BJP in light of recent communal tensions in Murshidabad. Ghosh’s presence — along with his wife Rinku Ghosh — was quickly disowned by the party’s current state leadership. BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar distanced the organisation calling it his “personal choice.” Others, including senior leaders Swapan Dasgupta and Soumitra Khan, launched more pointed attacks, with Dasgupta branding the move a “betrayal.” The backlash has reignited tensions between Dilip Ghosh and sections of the BJP leadership, especially those who joined the party after 2021. Ghosh accused defectors of sidelining long-time loyalists like him and also claimed that many grassroots workers have become disillusioned under the current leadership. Ghosh’s veiled remarks were seen as a dig at Suvendu Adhikari. Ghosh pointed out that many had once thrived under Didi’s leadership and lacked the credibility to question him. He urged the party to recall its past alliances with Banerjee during the Vajpayee-era. Despite the controversy, Ghosh reiterated his loyalty to the BJP but cautioned against internal sabotage, blaming leadership failures for the party’s declining momentum in Bengal. He highlighted his own role in the party’s past growth with 18 MPs winning during 2019 Lok Sabha Polls and 77 MLAs during 2021 Assembly Election and questioned why that progress had stalled since his exit from the top post.

In a major decision, the Centre announced that caste enumeration would be part of the upcoming census and assured it would be carried out in a “transparent” manner. I&B Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said while some states have done caste enumeration in the name of surveys, conducting a census falls under the purview of the Centre. He added that the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) had resolved to include caste enumeration in the next census– the timeline for such Census was not given nor has any provision been made for it in the current year’s Budget. The census exercise was to commence in April 2020 but got delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Vaishnaw alleged that Congress governments “have always opposed caste census”. He recalled how in 2010, the then PM Manmohan Singh had assured the Lok Sabha that the matter of caste census would be considered in the cabinet. A group of ministers was formed to consider this subject. Most political parties recommended a caste census. Despite this, the Congress government decided to conduct only a caste survey instead of a census. “That survey is known as the SECC of 2011”. However, the results were never formally released due to questions surrounding data accuracy and consistency. With Rahul Gandhi’s promise of a nationwide caste census and higher reservation limits if the Congress comes to power, the Centre’s move is being seen as a perfect foil ploy to rob the main Opposition party of an election plank ahead of Bihar assembly polls. But Rahul sees it as an outcome of pressure from grassroot activists. Besides, Bihar under Nitish Kumar had already done a caste survey much before the Telangana government. Rahul was keen to know the model the caste census would adopt and the timeline.

By inaugurating the magnificent Jagannath Dham temple in the tourist town of Digha on the auspicious Akshya Trithiya, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has completely stunned state BJP leaders. Many BJP leaders who attacked her for not visiting Murshidabad where Hindus were victims in violence unleashed by Muslims over Waqf Bill wonder if Digha Dham is a ploy to placate the majority community. The lone leader questioning the project is LoP Suvendu Adhikari. He insists that Hindu temples can’t be a state project and talks of his own efforts to restore temples in Murshidabad. The Digha consecration ceremony was held with great grandeur, with sacred water from various pilgrimage sites brought to the temple for the rituals. Several celebrities and prominent figures from West Bengal’s music and film industry, along with political leaders, were present. Constructed in the traditional Kalinga architectural style, the grand structure, developed by the state government at a cost of Rs 250 crore, the dham is expected to emerge as a major centre for pilgrimage and tourism. Mirroring the design of the original Lord Jagannath Temple in Puri, the Digha Dham is spread across 20 acres. BJP sources admit no one wants to criticise the project as Digha is a popular sea resort for Bengalis from Kolkata, especially those who can’t afford time or money to go to Puri. Hitting out at Mamata, BJP leader Amit Malviya posted on X, “This is how Mamata Banerjee appeared at the inauguration of the Jagannath Cultural Centre in Digha. There is no sign of devotional enthusiasm—only a sinister political calculation aimed at salvaging her reputation as an anti-Hindu leader”.  In social media, Didi is already being hailed as the second Bengali Woman after Rani Rashmoni–who had built Dakshineswar Temple associated with Ramakrishna Paramahans–to establish a historic Hindu Temple in Bengal.

When the newly appointed Tamil Nadu BJP chief Nainar Nagendran met with PM Modi he apparently gifted him a statue of jallikattu, the popular bull taming event in Tamil Nadu which the Modi Govt in 2016 had restored by first issuing an ordinance to overcome the Supreme Court ban. Nainar also presented him the famous Tirunelveli halwa and Srivilliputhur’s palgova (a traditional sweet dish). He was accompanied by his son Nainar Balaji. Modi advised Nagendran to focus on revitalising the state unit and prepare for next year’s elections. A number of Modi visits are likely through the year in the poll-bound state. Nagendran also held discussions with Home Minister Amit Shah and FM Nirmala Sitharaman. On X, Nagendran shared how PM Modi “in every word and gesture” conveyed ” his deep love for the people of Tamil Nadu, and his reverence for our ancient and glorious Tamil language”. Meanwhile, contrary to speculation the BJP nominated an old RSS leader and OBC face Pakka Venkata Satyanarayana for the lone Rajya Sabha seat from Andhra Pradesh instead of K Annamalai, former TN BJP chief. Why did Annamalai lose out? It was believed that at this juncture no point would be served by bringing him into the Rajya Sabha with a limited tenure of three years. The party would use him fully in Tamil Nadu until the state elections.

Looks like the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is playing the balancing game. She has inaugurated the newly constructed Jagannath Temple, officially named “Jagannath Dham,” in Digha on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya. Didi referred to the arrival of Jagannath in Bengal as “a long-awaited dream fulfilled.” A Vedic yagya commenced on April 25 at the temple, with offerings made to the guardian deity “Vastu Purush” to purify the temple and ward off evil. Mamata, who personally oversaw the final rituals and ceremonies in Digha on April 28, will serve as the ‘pradhan yajaman’ (chief patron) during the agni ritual, culminating in the ‘purnahuti’ — the final sacred offering. On April 30, she conducted the pran-pratishtha (ritual infusion of life into the deity) and performed the temple’s ceremonial opening, followed by the first aarti.  It may be recalled that Mamata boycotted the Ayodhya event. Now BJP and RSS leaders are dismissing the Digha temple as a mere “cultural center” with questionable spiritual legitimacy. Meanwhile, the TMC government headed by Mamata Banerjee feels that Digha will witness an economic surge in hospitality, transport and tourism, similar to Ayodhya. Roads have been improved, accommodations readied, and security strengthened. Looks like Didi is shaping a narrative that blends devotion with development ahead of the 2026 Bengal Assembly elections.

Organising “Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan” rallies for Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge across states has become sort of a political hazard in the Congress. Asked to convene such rallies, Congressmen are literally shivering in their pants considering what happened with Buxar District Congress President Manoj Pandey who was sacked for not organising enough crowds. A livid Kharge had stripped Pandey of his post in an election year in Bihar when he confronted empty chairs on a Sunday afternoon mid-April. No Congress leader is willing to risk the wrath of Kharge. That is why Tamil Nadu Congress leaders recently held a meeting to draw up a plan to organise a meeting on May 4 to be held in Teynampet area in Chennai addressed by Kharge. It was decided that the target to mobilise crowds would be shared by various leaders at different levels. That is eight Lok Sabha MPs from the state would be given the responsibility of bringing a crowd of 5000 people each and 17 party MLAs were given the target of bringing about 1000 people each. Party office bearers from 76 districts   were tasked to bring 500 people each. In all  the ballpark crowd size of 95,000 to 1 lakh. Some office bearers even suggested raising funds from ally DMK ministers to organise the event. It wasn’t just to bowl over Kharge. The general argument was an impressive show by the Congress that could even make the DMK concede more seats in the TN assembly elections next year. Explaining the lack of crowd at Buxar, Manoj Pandey blamed it on the scorching heat. If Bihar couldn’t withstand the heat in April, will Chennai put up with searing heat in May just to make a political point?

Less than a week after the dastardly Pahalgam terror attack, the Congress has shed all pretence of extending its cooperation to the government. It is back to fretting and molly-coddling its Muslim vote bank. That is why Karnataka excise minister RB Thimmapur rushed to doubt if the “perpetrators of the attack in Pahalgam would have asked the name and the religion of victims” and insisted “it is unfair to target a particular religion over the attack”. This even as the wife of a victim from Shivamogga had helplessly watched her husband being shot dead, after the terrorists asked the name and religion before shooting the male tourists. Building a defence for the assailants, the minister argued it wasn’t the gunmen who asked for the name and religion of the tourists. Religious colour was being given to cover up intelligence failure. “Kargil, Pulwama and now Pahalgam are the result of central intelligence failure. The BJP has been playing politics over deaths,” the minister argued. Why was the Congress minister making a case for Pakistani terror operatives? It wasn’t just the minister, even chief minister Siddaramaiah had caught the attention of the Pak media playing up his comment saying  that there is “no need for war” over the Pahalgam terror attack. He was dubbed “Pakistani Ratna” by the state BJP. With RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat making it clear that “it is duty of the king to protect the people” and urging the government to teach errant neighbour a lesson, PM Modi assured in his Mann Ki Baat that bereaved families will get justice; he felt the terror strike was to destroy the Kashmir narrative with peace and normalcy returning.

The AIADMK-BJP alliance is not the only cause of anxiety for DMK chief and Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin. Senior ministers in his cabinet are as much of a headache for the chief honcho. While trusted lieutenant and money handler V Senthil Balaji put in his resignation on April 27 after strictures from the top court, so too the education minister K Ponmudy  quit on the same day as he was also under fire for needlessly disparaging comments that drew the ire of a High Court judge who called for a suo motu FIR against him. Did he really need to joke about Brahmin sects and sexual positions and denigrating the whole of womanhood? Brahmin baiting may be fair game for the DMK that evolved out of the Justice Party, but vilifying women outraged a senior woman party leader in Kanimozhi who spoke out. The most senior minister among Stalin’s cabinet colleagues, Duraimurugan, who was just emerging from the woods after a tasteless description of physically challenged people — whom he called ‘nondis’ using an old Tamil term for lame people — when an old case came out of the woodwork to haunt him. A DA case has re-emerged to trouble the minister as the Madras High Court cancelled his acquittal by a lower court. Even the highly regarded IT minister Dr P Thiaga Rajan (PTR) was pulled up by the Speaker for saying in the Assembly that his ministry had no funds to create new IT parks. He was told there must be a better way to approach the government for funds.

On June 14, Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi will be completing a one-year term in the office. Has the CM who has the backing of the PM delivered? There are mixed reports from the ground. Some are saying that Odia people are fed up with lip service of the Majhi government – the same line “work in progress and grandiose investment plans”. The general feeling is that Majhi has simply tweaked close to two dozen schemes of the BJD government led by Naveen Patnaik. It is a cut and paste job without any value addition –BJD’s colour green has been changed to BJP’s saffron in government buildings and buses. But a clued-in analyst has a different take. He points out that Majhi is considered “accessible CM” in a stark contrast to BJD’s chief minister Naveen Patnaik with whom ordinary people had no access. Besides, it would be inappropriate to compare the two CMs performances — one with 8 months governance record and the other with 290-month dream run. Adding further he says, BJD failed to fulfil their promise of giving bonus of Rs 100 per quintal to poverty-stricken farmers om Western Odisha’s Sohela in Bargarh district. Here, the Majhi government took a decision in just 24 minutes in its cabinet meeting to provide Rs 800 per quintal input assistance to farmers, apart from providing annual financial assistance of Rs 10,000 to around one crore women in the state. But the general lament is that Odia people voted for BJP, so that it effectively weeds out “mafia raj” and “percentage raj” but nothing substantial has happened in this direction. Meanwhile, the BJD has not lost the opportunity to brand Majhi as a “copycat” government.  

The game of one-upmanship between Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde and Maharashtra’s chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, that followed in the relief operations for the tourists affected by the Pahalgam terrorist attack, exposed the friction within Mahayuti government. Shinde duplicated the efforts of the Fadnavis government with his parallel visits and relief flights for the stranded tourists there. While Shinde was meeting tourists at Pahalgam, donating to the local Muslim victim and even holding parleys with Jammu and Kashmir’s deputy chief minister, Fadnavis was restricted to paying condolence visits to Pahalgam victim families at Pune. This wasn’t Shinde’s first attempt at duplication of governance; earlier too he had set up parallel medical relief funds in tandem with Fadnavis’ official ones. Shinde may have been cornered within Mahayuti with many of his decisions as CM either being withdrawn, stayed, kept in abeyance or simply rejected but he is not lying quiet and instead seizing the moment like he did at Pahalgam. He is also trying to assert himself as a Hindutva mascot and trying to usurp the advantage enjoyed by the Thackeray cousins even if they were to come together. Shinde’s attempt to carve out his own distinct identity in Fadnavis’ term, is clearly not going down with the man and the party at the helm. The BJP is clearly upset with Shinde’s attempt to hog the credit and not let the landslide majority government have its way. Shinde may be indispensable to the BJP in the run-up to the BMC polls to woo the Marathi manoos vote bank but remains to be seen how this open friction between Shinde and Fadnavis may play out for the Mahayuti in the forthcoming local elections.

The recent Supreme Court order invalidating the West Bengal government’s 2016 appointment of more than 25,000 teachers and non-teaching staff triggered off sitting demonstrations and agitation in the state. During the course of agitation what came to the fore was, the Trinamool Congress’ (TMC) National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee was not countering the attack from the front. He consciously stepped away from the frontline, raising serious questions about the cracks within the party’s top leadership. It is also obvious that Abhishek’s public appearances have been reduced to congratulatory social media posts for local football clubs and the occasional endorsement of police efforts in his constituency. His last major political intervention was a virtual meeting on March 15. Since then, his near-total disengagement from party affairs has triggered anxiety within TMC’s rank and file, many of whom now openly question the party’s leadership strategy. The official narrative claims Mamata Banerjee has asked Abhishek to focus on national politics. But Abhishek’s loyal followers say that he was deliberately being sidelined from talking on the school recruitment scandal. Instead the State President Subrata Bakshi was given the job of doing all the heavy weight lifting on this front. Sure enough, his exclusion has left his loyalists demoralised. Further, Abhishek’s social media activities, particularly his praise for Diamond Harbour police during communal tensions and earlier disapproval of police actions post the RG Kar Hospital incident, are being interpreted as subtle criticism of the state government’s performance. These posts have drawn further scrutiny and are being read by Opposition parties as indirect jabs at the administration led by Didi. 

Dr P Thiaga Rajan (PTR), Tamil Nadu IT minister was seen as a wunderkind when came back from the U.S. to revive his political and family connections in Madurai. He joined the DMK and was quickly rewarded by chief minister MK Stalin with a cabinet post. But it didn’t take long for the awestruck scales to drop…his unique talent and standalone abilities created a rift with those who swore by “Dravidian” versus his hybrid talents, swung from Gesellschaft to Gemeinschaft. Not just unique, he was unequivocal too in expressing his views fearlessly, shocking entrenched party loyalists. His recent speech in the TN Assembly was the flashpoint for Stalin’s anger. The fuse was lit when someone from his party asked about his earlier projects and new ones. He apparently grumbled about the lack of adequate funding for the IT Ministry…“even as Rs 20, 000 crore allocation is sanctioned, the IT ministry got only 200 crore, now cut to Rs150 crore. Even then we used the funds prudently but faced several deficits in projects. Like other states, all IT parks don’t come under this ministry, excepting the small ELCOT …whereas TIDEL and other mega parks are under the Industries Ministry.” Was PTR holding a grudge against Rajaa? The fallout of this frankness was immediate. When PTR invited Stalin to release a book on his grandfather…after some hesitation Stalin agreed but only to pull the carpet from under PTR at the event. In his speech Stalin said: “PTR has excellent communication and strong debating talent. But these abilities often turn into weaknesses by excessive open talk” leaving PTR squirming.  Talk is rife that PTR may be sent to Delhi via the Rajya Sabha. When you are inconvenient, you become convenient…to be deputed.

When he was Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah, many decades ago called up senior leader Sharad Pawar and requested him to accommodate his son Omar in Mumbai as the situation in his own state was very bad. All the academic institutions were closed due to disturbances in Kashmir.  Farooq wanted Omar to continue his education, hence he had contacted Pawar with the request.  “Omar stayed in my house and completed his education,” Pawar told a Pune rally while speaking on the latest situation in the border state. Pawar said he was mentioning this little-known fact since the Abdullah family had close relations with his family. Pawar called up the chief minister of the state Omar Abdullah to obtain the latest updates post the Pahalgam massacre. “Omar has assured me that every person in Kashmir is of the opinion that no compromise should be made with Pakistan,” Pawar told a meeting in Pune. He appealed to the people to think as Indians and remain united by forgetting any other differences on the issue of the nation’s unity. Pawar complimented Union home minister Amit Shah for owing up any lapse on the part of the intelligence agencies in regard to the terrorist attack and reiterated that this is not the time to think about religion or caste. He lamented that attempts were made by certain elements to give a religious tint to the tragedy. 

The tour operator led mostly Hindu families to the Pahalgam terror site (aka mini-Switzerland) causing 26 male killings, well aware that visits to interior regions needed prior army sanction before tourists could be taken to the scenic meadow, nearby regions. Tour operators were intimated the area would be turned open to tourists from June 2025. The Hamas signature style terror strike upon India, preceded by public rally in Pakistan where Hamas operatives were in full view, vocally exhorting Pakistani state sponsored terrorists (including Hafiz Saeed) to carry out wanton attacks like they pulled off in Israel on October 7, 2023. In addition, terror attack fatalities included officers attached to the Indian Navy and Intelligence Bureau which has raised questions about whether local over ground workers (OGWs) were the resort of terrorists before the attack took place. The local pony operator’s death was confirmed as inadvertent since he was caught in crossfire. Scores of terrorist aiding suspects were rounded up in quick time after the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) took over investigations. “Even the 2008 26/11 attack upon Mumbai city was launched in similar pattern with local infrastructure support with then Mumbai police chief Hassan Gafoor admitting privately that 16 to 20 Indian locals were involved, before he was issued a gag order by the then state government that soon enough eased him out of his post,” sources reveal. A senior intelligence officer had then stated that the 10 Mumbai attackers only landed upon Mumbai soil with a cache of bullets and were provided weapons and hand grenades in Mumbai city itself, as revealed to this scribe back then.

PM Narendra Modi has planned something ‘big’ against Pakistan following the J&K terror attack upon innocent Hindu tourists. Pakistan’s army Chief Asim Munir, is on India’s crosshairs, like former Pakistan armed forces Chief Qamar Bajwa was after the 2019 Pulwama terror attack claimed lives of 40 Indian CRPF jawans. Then, NSA Ajit Doval employed his wherewithal to neutralize Bajwa following the Balakot strikes and soon Bajwa was eased out of service, like his predecessor General Asfaq Kayani who took refuge in Australia after being deposed. The Balakot bombings and aerial dogfight that cost Pakistan an advanced (American) F16 fighter plane brought down in aerial combat by Captain Abhinandan from the Indian Airforce operating his antiquated MIG (Russian) fighter plane even as the Balakot air strikes were concluded by his colleagues using other fighter jets. Bajwa’s exit as army chief was precipitated and he eschewed his homeland choosing France after suffering ignominy of a four-hour wait to meet Saudi Arabia’s political leader with his begging bowl seeking a $4 billion soft loan that was also declined. Asim Munir also finds himself in an unenviable position after internal strife engulfed the neighbouring country with terror attacks by Tahereek-e-Taliban against Pakistan police, army posts alongside eruptions of unrest in Balochistan. Munir’s desperation was evident when he resorted to a public forum while dwelling upon cultural differences between Islam and Hindus only days before the Hindu-religion-discriminated terror attack was launched. Bajwa got away lightly, being ousted from power but Munir’s fate will likely be worse with his very life at stake now. The political formations in Pakistan are also rallying up against Munir, whose days are surely numbered now.

All eyes are now on the Indian armed forces, as PM Modi vowed to avenge the killings of Hindu tourists in Pahalgam. Modi’s top ministers have discussed all options. But they have left it to Modi to decide on the action. They feel Modi will go for a sustained approach and not an immediate strike– because there is no pressure of any election like in February 2019. Modi had ordered the IAF to strike at the Balakot terrorist training camp in Pakistan after many CRPF men were killed in Pulwama. This time, Modi’s plan is: the end of the game for terrorists and their perpetrators. Meanwhile, the Pakistani army has begun troop movement near the borders in Rajasthan and Kashmir and tanks and heavy weapons are being shifted from Afghan border to the Indian border. Pakistani fighter jets were seen flying along with cargo planes to transport troops and weapons to the Indian border. India has defeated Pakistan in three wars. Pakistan officials are worried that many Pakistani fighter jets are in poor condition because of a lack of spare parts. Pakistani tanks do not have enough diesel for long-distance attacks. Pakistan wants to show the world that Kashmir is no longer under India’s control, but the world is watching that nothing is under control in Pakistan — neither PoK, Balochistan nor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. If Pakistan carries out any misadventure, it must fight on four fronts. A former Pakistani army major, Adil Raja, has claimed that the killings of Hindu terrorists in Pahalgam were carried out on the directions of Army Chief Gen Asim Munir. Indian security agencies are evaluating reports that the people of Pakistan are not happy with their Army Chief, and to curb the growing voices of dissent, Gen. Munir chose the old formula to carry out a big terror attack in Kashmir to save his chair.

In an interesting move, Vice-President JP Dhankar reached Ooty to preside over as chief guest at a high-level conference of Vice-Chancellors at the Raj Bhavan with representatives from 32 universities taking part in the event. Since Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi assumed office, he has been organizing annual conferences involving V-Cs of both government and private universities. This year marks the fourth consecutive edition of the conference. Dhankar’s presence at the conference assumes significance as it comes in the backdrop of the Supreme Court order that gave Tamil Nadu government powers to appoint V-Cs. Official sources say that Dhankar could have possibly agreed to preside over the event only after some kind of suggestion from the Centre to consent to his presence. It remains to be seen what message the V-P delivers at the event. Local media reports suggested that there was pressure on several V-Cs from the DMK government to stay away from the two-day event. The main agenda of the event was to foster dialogue and collaboration among academic leaders to enhance the quality and reach of higher education in the state and across the country. Invitations were extended to 21 V-Cs from state universities, 25 from private universities, and three from central universities. Only representatives from 32 institutions had confirmed their participation.  Dhankar, who is on a three-day visit to TN, will also be visiting the Muthanad Mund Toda Temple in Ooty. He will also be addressing the students and faculty members of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in Coimbatore on April 27.

In a strategic move ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, chief minister Mamata Banerjee has revived the ‘Mentor’ position within Zilla Parishads, a role previously discontinued after the last panchayat elections. The State Panchayat Department’s initiative has already been implemented in districts including Howrah, Hooghly, East Midnapore, Bankura, Birbhum, and Bardhaman. While officially recognised, the ‘Mentor’ designation was initially introduced by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) following their rise to power, primarily to accommodate influential leaders who could not be placed in formal governance roles. However, the role was quietly laid dormant after the 2023 panchayat polls. The revival of these positions is widely interpreted as a strategic move by Didi to strengthen the party’s grassroots organization. Party insiders suggest it serves to provide senior leaders with influential roles, potentially mitigating factional rivalries. Notable appointments have included figures such as former state minister Rajib Banerjee (Howrah), former minister Akhil Giri (East Midnapore), and former MLA Arup Khan (Bankura). However, objections have reportedly surfaced in at least two districts, with concerns that these mentors, despite lacking formal administrative authority, could become alternative power centres. This raised fears of potential disruptions to both Panchayat operations and internal party dynamics, given the mentors’ individual support bases. Some party leaders also believe the revival is a pre-emptive measure to manage the growing number of MLA ticket aspirants for the Assembly poll. Adding to the political complexity, the TMC has yet to implement a long-pending organizational reshuffle. Discussions indicate that Didi may soon expedite this process, which is expected to include changes within several party wings.

Closeted with his lawyers after leaving the Assembly session early, Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji was wondering when to put in his resignation. Given a sharper deadline by the Supreme Court to either resign or risk losing the bail given to him after more than a year in jail, the minister for prohibition as well as electricity — major portfolios through which large amounts of money flow — may have boxed himself into a corner now. A Jaya loyalist who once made a name for efficiency as well as an ability to keep everyone in the cabinet happy, Senthil Balaji made himself an invaluable member of Stalin’s government. Having defied the edicts of the top court which gave him bail only on the grounds that Article 21 may have been breached in continuous imprisonment as an undertrial and thus denied his human rights, the minister might become the first victim as the tide turns in judicial circles for Tamil Nadu. The state is still celebrating verdicts in its battle against Governor RN Ravi. While time may have run out for Senthil Balaji who had tested the court’s patience after becoming a minister just a few days after getting bail in a money laundering case, other TN ministers are also in trouble with the judiciary. An old disproportionate assets case has come back to haunt senior minister Duraimurugan. Another minister, K Ponmudy earned the wrath of the Madras High Court after disparaging comments against the religious sects of Brahmins and women seemed to disappear from public memory. The judge has asked the court to take suo motu notice of his offence of hate speech and asked for a FIR to be filed.

PM Narendra Modi who chaired the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on the back of terrorist attack on April 22 in Pahalgam, in which 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen were killed, took a series of steps to corner Pakistan and express India’s anger over Islamabad’s mischief in killing the innocents. Delhi began with what could hit Pakistan the hardest; it declared holding the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 in abeyance with immediate effect, until the recalcitrant neighbour credibly and irrevocably abjured its support for cross-border terrorism. In another significant move, the Integrated Check Post Attari will also be closed with immediate effect. Those who have crossed over with valid endorsements may return through that route before May 1 2025. It was also made clear Pakistani nationals will not be permitted to travel to India under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES). Any SVES visa issued in the past to Pakistani nationals are deemed cancelled. Any Pakistani national currently in India under SVES visa has 48 hours to leave India. Cracking down on the Pakistani High Commission, the CCS wanted the Defence/Military, Naval and Air Advisors in the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi to be declared Persona Non Grata. They have a week to leave India. India will be withdrawing its own Defence/Navy/Air Advisors from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. These posts in the respective High Commissions are deemed annulled. Five support staff of the Service Advisors will also be withdrawn from both High Commissions. The overall strength of the High Commissions will be brought down to 30 from the present 55 through further reductions to be effective from May 1. It was noted that this attack came in the wake of the successful holding of elections in the Union Territory and its steady progress towards economic growth and development.

PM Narendra Modi who flew into New Delhi early April 23 morning after curtailing his Saudi Arabia visit by a day in view of the Pahalgam terrorist strikes in J&K decided to get cracking as soon as he reached the capital. Security officials who were preparing to brief Modi on his arrival at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg were surprised, when they were asked to reach the Palam Air Force base by 6 am for the meeting at the airport itself.  He took stock of the situation along with EAM Dr S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and other top brass of security agencies. Meanwhile as the world mourned the massacre of 28 innocent tourists, Pakistan and Turkey have drawn outrage by using the tragedy to rake up the Kashmir issue. Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif during a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara thanked Turkey for its “unwavering support” on Kashmir—just hours after the terror attack. The Resistance Front, a Lashkar-e-Taiba proxy, has claimed responsibility for the massacre. The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) will meet once HM Shah reaches Delhi and FM Nirmala Sitharaman returns from the U.S. In a post on X, Modi said the attackers would not be spared. “Those behind this heinous act will be brought to justice…they will not be spared! Their evil agenda will never succeed. Our resolve to fight terrorism is unshakable and it will get even stronger,” said Modi. While the CCS could possibly discuss a range of options and authorise retaliatory strikes; timing of such a step would of course be strategised by our security forces. After all, if we recall Pulwama attack that claimed lives of 40 CRPF jawans in February 2019 was retaliated with  Balakote airstrike  a good 10 days later.

In an unusual move, the Congress suspended its Buxar District Cong president Manoj Kumar Pandey indefinitely and stripped him of all organisational posts for “inaction” or low turnout at party president Mallikarjun Kharge’s Buxar rally. The party  apparently decided to suspend Pandey from all posts he was holding in the organisation, including that of Buxar District Congress president, with immediate effect due to lack of coordination and irregularities on his part in connection with “the Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan” rally held at Dalsagar Stadium in Buxar on  April 20, which was addressed by Kharge.  Pandey himself made it clear that it was not lack of coordination but the sweltering heat — about 42 degrees — that had made people stand in the shade. Efforts to get people to occupy empty chairs had failed. Bihar Congress leaders are stunned that Pandey was even being blamed for low-turnout.” Action should be taken against the PCC leadership and AICC in charge Krishna  Allavaru who chose this time of the year to organise these rallies.  How can you organise these Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan rallies when villages are getting busy with weddings? Besides, most of these areas are Brahmin dominant — Buxar, Madhubani and Darbhanga where rallies are being planned, ” pointed out a senior Cong leader. It was also felt that recent organisational changes have been quite ineffective. The new PCC chief Rajesh Kumar — who fulfils Rahul Gandhi’s goals of filling up Dalits in all party posts– has substantially weakened the Bihar unit.  At this rate, under the new set-up Cong men fear their tally which is at present in double digit with 19 MLAs is bound to fall in the upcoming Bihar assembly polls.

The general trend among politicians who move into spacious Lutyens bungalows in Delhi as ministers is to ensure that their children are married in style before their term ends. AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal who was voted out of Delhi government on February 8 this year after a three-term stint may have planned well for that; he did not expect to lose power. He was voted out as he built a “Sheeshmahal” for himself and failed to deliver on promises that had disillusioned voters. Yet, he ensured that his daughter Harshita is married off in style. Never mind the propriety of it all. Or else how does one explain that within two months of losing power, Kejriwal was back in the news in connection with Harshita’s wedding with Sambhav Jain, her batch mate from IIT Delhi. What raised eyebrows was the manner in which the wedding and other ceremonies were held at the Kapurthala House, the official residence of Punjab CM in Delhi. Apparently four different events were held. The jaimala and reception were both solemnised at Kapurthala House. A day before the wedding, the engagement ceremony was held at Shangri-La hotel in Delhi on April 17. A video of Kejriwal and his wife Sunita dancing to Pushpa 2 songs has been doing the rounds on X. Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar, in his tweet, took a dig at CM Bhagwant Mann for the manner in which Kapurthala House had morphed into a ‘marriage palace of eminence’…before Kejriwal’s daughter’s marriage, AAP MP Raghav Chadha’s pre-wedding ceremonies with actor Parineeti Chopra had been held at the same venue in May 2023. It’s just a matter of time before CM Mann decides to monetise Kapurthala House” — a model of ‘kranti’ to earn revenue by bankrupt Punjab for solemnising marriages — in Khaas Aadmi style.

The electoral victory of former cricketer Yusuf Pathan from Baharampur rekindled the long-standing debate over whether celebrity status alone could shape an effective politician. Pathan, a political novice, was fielded by the Trinamool Congress (TMC)—reportedly at Abhishek Banerjee’s behest—and went on to defeat Congress heavyweight Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. However, his silence during unrest in Murshidabad led to criticism of his political detachment. A social media post of him sipping tea amid tensions drew backlash, highlighting concerns about celebrity MPs’ lack of engagement. This reflected a broader trend of celebrities being fielded for name recognition or to balance party equations, often without expectations of long-term political commitment. While some like Kirti Azad transitioned successfully, others faded from active roles. TMC’s Satabdi Roy, Dev, June Maliah, Sayoni Ghosh, and BJP’s Locket Chatterjee, Agnimitra Paul showed sustained dedication. Conversely, Moon Moon Sen and Sandhya Roy won seats but failed to leave a mark. BJP stars Hema Malini and Sunny Deol also faced absenteeism charges. Among Pathan’s cricketing peers, Lakshmi Ratan Shukla exited politics; Manoj Tiwary, despite a ministerial post, remained largely inactive. BJP’s Ashok Dinda, however, stayed visible. Though TMC defended Yusuf, arguing that the unrest occurred in a Congress MP’s area, even party insiders admitted only a few celebrities remained actively engaged. BJP’s Dilip Ghosh remarked that most celebrities joined politics for perks, not service. CPM’s Mohammed Salim emphasized that real leadership demanded grassroots work and personal sacrifice—values rarely found overnight.

The AIADMK supremo Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) could not have asked for more. Every wish of his was granted by the BJP that was seeking an alliance in Tamil Nadu with a major party at any cost. The first concession that EPS made in return was in withdrawing the case against Sasikala’s nephew TTV Dhinakaran that he had filed at the height of the battle for the party and its ‘Two Leaves’ legacy symbol. This is the first sign that some sort of rapprochement might come about between EPS and his bete noire O Panneerselvam, who has stood by Sasikala. It is, however, unlikely that any of the Sasikala clan and cronies will be allowed back into the party. At most, they may be accommodated in the seats that the BJP gets from AIADMK. Earlier, the BJP had empowered EPS after it became known that Vijay was bent upon going into his poll debut on his own with his fledgling TVK. EPS and his party have been named the leaders of the grand coalition that the BJP was desperate to cobble together to take on the DMK that has further entrenched its position by being a fierce voice of opposing the ruling national party. Former BJP TN chief Annamalai may have fought tooth and nail to improve the party’s vote share in the Lok Sabha polls but BJP had to ditch him to get EPS on its side. Today, EPS is bold enough to state that there will be no coalition government in TN even if the alliance wins a majority even though Amit Shah had hinted at a sharing of power in the state.