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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 Sophia 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 Sophia 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, Sophia’s great grandmother was in the army of Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi. Thus, she is associated, though indirectly, with Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, too. Sophia and Bagewadi wedded in 2015 after meeting during their army postings. Sophia is a distinguished officer and discharged varied responsibilities in different assignments in India and abroad. In an interview given in 2017, Sofia 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 defence. 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, Sophia 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 defence minister Sharad Pawar who took the decision to induct women in active military service. Col Sophia has added glory to the success of Operation Sindoor.
This year’s Annual Met Gala at the NY Metropolitan Museum of Arts had many celebs from Hollywood and Bollywood flaunting their plumes and blinding the drooling audience with their bling and sass. One Indian actor invited much attention with her drop-dead gorgeous looks and her prominent baby bump. Kiara Advani dazzled and dazed those present, celebrating motherhood in unapologetic terms. Married to Sid Malhotra in 2023, Kiara didn’t think that her pregnant look was an impediment for a ramp walk. On the contrary, she was much appreciated for her panache with which she wore designer Gaurav Gupta’s bold outfit, décolletage and all. But wait, there was a fly in the ointment …there always is especially in the world of show fashion and haute celebrity. Did Kiara’s costume remind the fashionistas about Aishwarya Rai’s last year Cannes costume? The haute monde seemed to think so …Kiara got some trolls too. But hey, who cares …celebs like Aishwarya go on and on, like Dhoni, Rohit Sharma and the aged super stars of filmdom. Aishwarya has walked the Cannes ramp in many bizarre outfits …got trolled too. The fact is India and Indian celebs draw crowds globally…the Met Gala had Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra and Alia Bhatt striding stylishly with chic and panache. Kiara has arrived and plans to shine till the next Diva walks on her stilettos.
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.
Trust Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to lightly dismiss an outrageous remark made by Ramesh Bidhuri, BJP’s candidate for Kalkaji (Delhi) assembly seats about her cheeks. Emerging from a Parliamentary Standing Committee meeting One Nation One Poll, she helped clear what has been weighing down BJP leaders in Delhi. Putting down Bidhuri’s purported statement in a viral video, the Wayanad MP very tactfully pointed out that “It is a ridiculous remark. He never spoke about his cheeks. All this is unnecessary. During the elections, we should talk about the important issues of the people of Delhi.” Bidhuri’s remarks that he will make all “roads of Kalkaji as smooth as Priyanka Gandhi’s cheeks. Just as we improved roads in Okhla and Sangam Vihar,”may have gone viral. It was promptly red flagged by the party. Within minutes, BJP chief JP Nadda had reprimanded him. Of course his efforts to mimic Lalu’s promise of turning Bihar’s roads as smooth as actor Hema Malini’s cheeks were not the only misogynistic comments that he had made. It may be recalled that South Delhi-based Gujjar strongman and two-time Lok Sabha MP, Bidhuri was denied 2024 Lok Sabha ticket only because of the verbal spat he used to have with then BSP MP now Cong leader Danish Ali. More than his Priyanka remarks, what really upset the BJP leadership was his crude remarks about Delhi CM Atishi dropping her surname Marlena. A tearful Atishi had gone to people saying it was an attack on her octogenarian father. Media reports say BJP had held two meetings to consider either “shifting or cancelling” Bidhuri’s candidature. BJP feared it would affect its core support among urban women in the NCR.
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah holding a dinner meeting with his ministers and legislators close to him, while his rival Deputy CM D K Shivakumar (DKS) was away on a family vacation in Turkey naturally triggered its own dynamics in state’s politics. Sidda reportedly prompted a campaign of “one man one post,” in a bid to suggest that DKS could not continue as Karnataka PCC chief. Sidda has been restless ever since the MUDA land scam and hoping to drag DKS in some controversy. That is probably why he triggered a debate that in case he demits office, he ought to be succeeded by a SC/ST or OBC leader. He clearly doesn’t want DKS, a Gowda leader, to replace him. DKS met AICC General Secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal in Delhi and briefed him about the “one man one post” campaign. Shivakumar told the Central leadership that unless such meetings were stopped immediately, it would give scope to political rumours. Incidentally the Karnataka leader was in Delhi to announce freebies for Delhi Assembly polls like Rs 2,500 per month allowance for women. Normally, such women related pre-poll freebies are announced by Priyanka Gandhi. Oddly, for Delhi polls both Rahul and Priyanka are keeping away. Expressing unhappiness over CM Siddaramaiah’s dinner meeting and several leaders loyal to the CM giving statements on appointing a new state president and creating more deputy CMs, Shivakumar pointed out that the Jan 2 dinner event , convened by Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi had created a lot of buzz about leadership change. It was at DKS’s behest, AICC in charge Randeep Surjewala got another CM aspirant Home Minister G Parameshwara to cancel a dinner he announced for SC/ST leaders.
The announcement of India’s men in blue team for the white-ball home series against England will throw hints at the road ahead for the floundering Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. The focus will be on Ajit Agarkar (chairman) of the selection committee and his colleagues in Sridharan Sharath, Subroto Banerjee, Shiv Sundar Das and Ajay Ratra; they have to announce three teams: one for the five-match Twenty20 series, then the ODI series and also shortlist the national squad the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Sharma’s batting average in the last three Test series was 10.50 against Bangladesh in two Tests, 15.17 against New Zealand in three Tests and 6.20 against Australia in three Tests. The mandate for the selection committee is crystal clear, and that’s to send a message that the 67-Test veteran who will turn 38 in April-end has no place in the long form of the game. For the 123-Test veteran Kohli, the batting numbers are far from convincing: 33 against Bangladesh in two Tests, 15.50 against New Zealand in three Tests and 23.75 against Australia in five Tests. Nicking to the slip cordon was the feature of his batting in Australia. He is 770 runs short of 10,000 runs in Test cricket. But only three times in his distinguished career, he has scored 600 plus runs in a Test series, and the last time it was against Sri Lanka in 2017-18. Will the selectors drag his career beyond the five-Test series in England from mid-June to achieve a personal milestone? A call to end their Test career or international career can be taken only after the selection committee gets the nod from the big shots in the BCCI, perhaps even outside of it!
At a recent meeting with his Union Cabinet ministers, PM Narendra Modi advised them to focus on the work of their ministries and also restrict their public comments to speaking only about their ministerial work. Many viewed Modi’s counsel as the beginning of an assessment of performance of ministers ahead of an impending cabinet reshuffle. It was seen as a signal that non-performing ministers would be dropped even as Modi 3.0 hasn’t completed a year. The moot point is when will the reshuffle take place? Will it be after the Delhi Assembly polls are held in February? Or soon after the Union Budget is presented on February 1? Since the immediate focus for the Centre will be Mahakumbh mid-January, one may well say PM Modi will choose his time. With too many parties trying to join the BJP’s bandwagon in Maharashrashtra – NCP (SP) leaders and Shiv Sena (UBT) praising CM Devendra Fadnavis — there may be pressure to induct new faces at the Centre. Which means it will not be just old allies Shiv Sena ( Eknath Shinde) and the NCP; NCP leader Praful Patel who spurned the initial MoS offer is certain to be included. The turnaround by veteran leader Sharad Pawar who met Modi along with pomegranate farmers could pave the way for a suitable role for daughter Supriya Sule. There is a buzz that there could be a reshuffle in the PMO too. Both NSA Ajit Doval and Dr PK Misra, principal secretary to the PM, could be hanging their boots. A 1968 Kerala cadre IPS officer Doval has had a very long and distinguished innings and retired in 2005. Misra, a Gujarat cadre IAS officer has worked closely with Modi and retired in 2013.
As Hrithik Roshan completes 25 years in the films, another 8 star kids are set to enter Bollywood. Starting this month are Ajay Devgn’s nephew Aaman Devgn and Raveena Tandon’s daughter Rasha Thadani who is already a social media star even before her launch in Azaad. Saif Ali Khan’s son Ibrahim has been making news for dating Shweta Tiwari’s daughter Palak even before the release of his first film. Ibrahim who has assisted Karan Johar has three films that are under production and will see his debut in this year. One cannot miss Ishq co-stars Aamir Khan and Ajay Devgn at the launch party of director Indra kumar’s son Aman whose debut film Tera Yaar Hoon Main will be directed by Milap Zaveri. Sanjay Kapoor’s daughter Shanaya Kapoor who was to be launched by Karan Johar will have to wait longer as that movie has been put on hold but she will hit the big screen in Mohanlal starrer Vrushabha. She has been doing studio rounds for the last four years. Ananya Pandey’s cousin Ahan Pandey has been waiting in the wings to be launched by YRF and hopefully it will happen this year. Veer Pahariya, grandson of veteran Congress leader Sushil Kumar Shinde will be seen in Skyforce with Akshay kumar. Last year we saw star kids in Archies which was a disaster but both Khushi Kapoor and Vedang Raina have bagged movies. Khushi will be in Loveyappa with Junaid Khan, Aamir Khan’s son who made his debut in Maharaj. For star kids getting entry into Bollywood is easy. But, how many can make it big like Hrithik, Aamir, Kajol and Ranbir?
Operation 272 MPs was launched with the flight of Opposition MPs scheduled for a BJP landing with ETA in April 2025. Sources say the earlier target 260 BJP MPs (reported by Short Post) from current strength of 241 in the Lok Sabha was rescheduled to higher benchmark following hectic parleys with aspiring Opposition MPs, particularly in Maharashtra, keenly looking for greener pastures. This has seriously dented merger plans of Maratha strongman Sharad Pawar with nephew, Ajit Pawar’s NCP. Uncle Pawar deployed womenfolk in the family to convince Ajit Pawar for a merger while making an overture to PM Modi using his reconciliatory gambit. BJP is rather keen over 2/3 of nine UBT Sena MPs, eight from SP camp jumping ship to join its party without attracting anti-defection laws besides regional party MPs from other states to reach the majority magic figure on its own. Ajit Pawar, who succumbed to emotional blackmail by the womenfolk in December 2019 and broke alliance with BJP bringing down the 76-hour long government back then, is unlikely to do a repeat. Ajit Pawar has also nixed senior party MLA Chhagan Bhujbal’s ministerial aspirations over his extra-party OBC activities. Bhujbal’s gambit to use the good offices of CM Devendra Fadnavis also came to naught with the Maha Chanakya CM politely asking him to sort out his problems with Ajit Pawar himself. The so-called NaNi (Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar) factor was always a non-starter sans JD(S) Union Ministers quitting their posts in an election year leaving RJD Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav red-faced and worried about own political future in Bihar just like Sharad Pawar in Maharashtra.
Given the current strained relationship between India and Bangladesh, this move by CPI (M) has shocked everybody. The Kolkata-headquartered party has invited Rezwana Choudhury Bannya, the noted Rabindra Sangeet artist from Bangladesh, as a special guest to inaugurate the “Jyoti Basu Social Studies and Research Center” on January 17, the death anniversary of former chief minister of West Bengal Jyoti Basu. CPI (M) state secretary Mohammed Salim explained the significance of inviting Rezwana, emphasizing the shared heritage between West Bengal and Bangladesh rooted in the ideals of the Liberation War. He also expressed concerns over recent attempts at religious polarization, stating that the event seeks to reinforce harmony and solidarity between the two Bengals. Rezwana, who has a long-standing connection with West Bengal as a former student of Visva-Bharati and a disciple of late legendary Rabindra Sangeet singer Kanika Bandopadhyay, is expected to perform during the programme. As expected, the decision has drawn sharp criticism from the BJP. In the past too, Rezwana’s participation had sparked controversy; her planned performance at a municipal event in North 24 Parganas was cancelled following public protests against inviting a “Bangladeshi artist.” Despite the backlash, CPI (M) remains steadfast, viewing the invitation as a political statement. Within the CPI (M), the decision has sparked mixed reactions. While some members praise it as a stand against cultural narrow-mindedness, others question the party’s broader strategy regarding Bangladesh. Critics within the party argue that CPM’s perceived ambivalence toward addressing issues like the persecution of minorities in Bangladesh could further alienate Hindu voters.
Shirdi Sai Baba temple in north Maharashtra is a major pilgrimage centre for numerous devotees in India but it, too, is not impervious to political give and takes. The Shirdi temple administration’s practice of distributing free food to over 50,000 people daily has been criticised by former BJP MP Sujay Vikhe Patil. He has demanded immediate stoppage to this daily occurrence by the administration, which works under a board of trustees appointed by the state government. The food distribution has been going on for a long time. Hence, Vikhe’s timing to raise the demand has perplexed many. Vikhe has said that free food attracts a large number of beggars, many of them from around the country. The expenditure for the food distribution is met from the donations of the devotees. “Stop this practice and spend the money for sculpting the future of children, on their education,” he has asked the board. Warning of an agitation if this is not stopped forthwith, Vikhe has lamented the dismal level of academic standard imparted at an educational complex developed in Shirdi by the administration at a huge expenditure. Vikhe has also demanded concessional rates for meals served to the devotees. His views on the free food have been resented by Akshay Maharaj Bhosale, a leader of the Shiv Sena’s Dharmaveer Adhyatmic wing. The devotees thronging the temple should not be termed beggars, he has quipped. He has advised Vikhe to contact deputy CM Eknath Shinde in case the scion of one of most powerful families in the state has any problem with the Shirdi tradition.
Suddenly Kollywood is facing an existential crisis after its 2024 stocktaking. A Telugu sequel, Pushpa 2 hauled in Rs 1500 crore in just a few weeks. But Kollywood is shell shocked and stunned by the math –it trotted up Rs 1,000 crore loss in 2024. Where did it go wrong? Of 241 films released, 223 were either flops or performed badly. Even as Malayalam films faced Rs 700 crore loss, Kollywood could reap only Rs 2,000 crore. Of its repertoire, 18 films satisfied big outlays and stars … Amaran, GOAT, Meiyazhagan, Aranmanai 4 and a few more. 186 small and medium budgets like Demonte Colony 2, Romeo, Andhagan, Vaazha, Lubber Pandu and Pechi did good business on modest outlays. Tamil Film Producers Council Secretary, K Rajan said “Of the 241 films released in 2024, only 7% have brought cheer to the producers and all other stakeholders. We need quality films backed by strong scripts and stories”. Looks like the much celebrated Kollywood factory seems to be facing a creativity hiatus. Can’t blame fickle audiences and non performing cast who earn astronomical remuneration. Actually, there are many conflicting pulls…OTT, attention deficit, lack of time to watch a film unravel for 2-plus hours, and myriad other digital distractions. Time to change according to the ecosystem. Nayakan, Thalapathi, Thillana Mohanambal, Sankarabharanam, Thevar Magan and past film hits underscore the creativity of Kollywood to give gripping films. Will Kollywood reinvent itself?
Even though PM Modi has clearly spelt out that Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi will be in the CM’s chair for the next five years, yet rumour mills continue to be buzzing. And the reason for it is the undercurrent within the BJP unit in Odisha. Sources say Majhi has not kept up with BJP’s poll promises of punishing the law breakers and putting them behind bars. Also, he is yet to fill up ministerial vacancies. As a result, minor dissension is brewing with most BJP ministers/elected leaders tilting towards the Union minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan as they owe their political growth to him and not Mohan Charan Majhi. Pradhan was short-listed for CM’s post before Modi picked on Majhi. It is said that Majhi’s political support within rank and file is dwindling with 50% of leaders rooting for Dharmendra Pradhan, 25% are in the neutral zone and only 25% are in Majhi’s camp. Party sources say Pradhan’s heart is in his homeland, and he is keen to be Odisha CM someday. That said, there are no immediate crises as such for Majhi. But, the moot point is how long can Majhi carry on without support of local leaders.
Embattled minister Dhananjay Munde has generated a political logjam in Maharashtra as even while facing fresh verbal attacks day in and day out, he is refusing to resign. Munde, a confidant of deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, belongs to Vanjari community, a prominent OBC section. The NCP led by Pawar is already in the dock owing to the deputy CM’s silence over the entire sordid Beed chain of events as well as his refusal to sack Munde from the Mahayuti government. In fact, symptoms of friction between the BJP and the NCP (Ajit) over the Beed lawlessness events have started coming out in the open. The reason is some reckless statements made by BJP’s MLA Suresh Dhas, elected from Ashti in Beed district. A seasoned political figure, Dhas is a Maratha, who has been talking openly against Munde and his cousin Pankaja, both cabinet ministers in the state. In one of his speeches, Dhas attacked Pawar and the home department, held by CM Devendra Fadnavis for not removing Munde. While there is silence in the BJP camp over the utterances, Ajit’s party spokesman Sooraj Chavan has warned Dhas that such outbursts can create complications for the alliance.. “Attempts to defame Ajit Dada will be met with retaliation,” he has warned, while urging Fadnavis to rein in the MLA. The atmosphere is becoming murky since both deputy CMs, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, are avoiding making any statement over the ongoing Beed developments.
Once a political powerhouse, CPI(M) is grappling with organizational crisis in Kolkata, as highlighted in the report presented at its district conference. The party now faces a stark disparity in its presence across South and North Kolkata, with the party nearly vanishing in several areas, particularly the slums. While select areas show some signs of organizational activity through fund collection, magazine sales, and event turnouts, the situation in the northern parts of the city is dire. The report describes South and North Kolkata as “two extremes” in terms of party strength. Neighborhoods with significant minority populations, such as Rajabazar, Kidderpore, and the port areas, have witnessed a sharp decline in CPM’s influence. In South Kolkata’s refugee colonies, the growing presence of the BJP further erodes the party’s traditional support base. However, the most concerning trend for the party’s district leadership is its diminished presence in slums across areas like Beleghata, Maniktala, Chetla, Ballygunge, and Park Circus. On the contrary, Trinamool Congress leaders and MLAs, such as Paresh Pal in Beleghata and Firhad Hakim in Chetla, have secured critical voter base in the slums. Efforts to revive the party’s presence through initiatives like the Slum Federation have yielded little success. A reluctance among the younger generation to engage in grassroots-level work has compounded the crisis. The party also faces significant challenges in attracting women and individuals under the age of 31. The report highlights systemic failures in promoting women within the organization contrasting sharply with the ruling Trinamool’s success. The findings underscore the deep-rooted issues facing the CPI (M) in Kolkata, from internal structural challenges to the changing political landscape dominated by the TMC and BJP.
She is cut from the same cloth. Thirty-seven year old Jamie Lever, daughter of India’s most popular and successful comedian Johnny Lever, is making waves not only in India but the world over. Jamie has carved a niche for herself with her own inimical style of mimicry and timely punch. And it shows. She has 1.7 million followers on Instagram. So much so the Indian diaspora loves this standup comedienne, actor and singer. She, like her father, has carved a distinct niche for herself. So much so The Jamie Lever Show is well received only in India and even the Indian diaspora seems to love her style of comedy. This takes her to the UK to perform in London, Manchester and Birmingham between February and March 2025. Since 2014, she has toured worldwide and done over 160 sold-out shows. Apart from her growing comedy repertoire, she is known for her comedy roles in Hindi films like Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon, Housefull 4 and Bhoot Police. She has also appeared on several leading Indian TV comedy shows. Jamie has done Masters in Marketing Communications from the University of Westminster, London did a short stint in the corporate world before becoming a full time comedienne.
After losing his 12th Test match (in Melbourne) as captain in 24 Tests, Rohit Sharma may have called time in Test cricket. There is no way the national selection committee would recall him for India’s next Test, which will be played in England in mid-June. Sharma’s exit from the fifth Test against Australia – the official version is that he chose to opt out at the pretty-as-a-picture Sydney Cricket Ground. Winning the ICC World Twenty20 in Bridgetown made the former BCCI Secretary Jay Shah say this: “On November 23, after winning 10 matches, we won hearts, but we could not win the (World) Cup. I said in Rajkot that on June 29 we will win hearts, win the Cup and hoist the flag in Barbados. And our captain hoisted it there. After this win, the upcoming ICC events — WTC final and the Champions Trophy, I am confident that our team, under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy, will become champions.” In these circumstances, the selection committee could no way have removed him as captain after India’s 0-3 rout against New Zealand at home, but his 10 single-digit scores (0 to 9) in his last 16 Test innings did not help his cause and forced him out of the squad itself for the Sydney Test. Sharma has not led by example with the bat since the home series against Bangladesh in Chennai. His team was shot out for 46 by the Kiwis in the first innings in Bengaluru, lost on designer pitches in Pune and Mumbai, and the Australians choked him at Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne. And that’s that; he had to go away leaving the leadership to Jasprit Bumrah who led the bowling attack and the team to a superb win in Perth.
Industrialisation is seeing western Odisha facing serious pollution problems. The air quality index (AQI) in major towns and cities in western Odisha has worsened over the years reaching alarming levels of 300 (0–50: good; 51–100: moderate). Opposition parties have urged the BJP government headed by Mohan Charan Majhi to take strict action against those violating environment laws and put mitigating measures in place. It seems brazen dumping of industrial fly ash over the years, now risen to mountain size, by thermal plants, pollution by refractories, sponge iron units and coal mines have cumulatively contributed to air and water pollution. A few months back Vedanta Group was fined Rs 71.16cr for unauthorised dumping of fly ash. Blatant violation of environmental laws has affected the health of people and it seems the respiratory diseases are on the rise. Farmers have been constantly complaining that industrial pollution is impacting their crop but this seems to have fallen on the deaf ears of the government of the day. Suresh Pujari, heading the revenue and disaster management ministry acknowledged the risks posed by pollution and its impact on Hirakud Dam’s water. It’s a Catch-22 situation for the BJP government, it needs to create large scale employment opportunities so is giving a big push to industrialisation but pollution brings its own set of problems. So how to balance the two is a challenge.
It is being said if the BJP is being seen as having an edge in the Delhi Assembly elections and has consolidated Sikh votes in the state in its favour, it is all because of the manner in which the Modi government had handled the aftermath of demise of former PM Dr Manmohan Singh. Particularly, the swift manner in which PM Modi had promptly visited 3 Moti Lal Nehru Marg residence to commiserate with Dr Singh’s family. Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief JP Nadda also visited the family. In contrast, what came as a shock to Congress CMs — Telangana , Himachal and Karnataka — who had rushed to Delhi were specifically instructed not to visit Dr Singh’s family or interact with them. It was as if the Gandhis did not want the Singh family to develop any contact with the CMs. It is also being speculated that the Gandhis did not want the Centre or Singh’s family to take help of the CMs in building Dr Singh’s memorial. “We want Sikh votes in Dr Singh’s name. But instead of mobilising our support and showing it, we were sitting criticising PM Modi. It has not gone down well with Sikhs-not just in Delhi but all over India. Congress has cut a sorry picture for raking up an outright bogus issue like why only DD was allowed to cover the funeral. This is when PM Modi is being seen as doing so much for our leader. Our CMs should have been involved,” said a Cong leader. Party sources said Telangana CM Revanth Reddy was particularly disappointed with the shabby manner the Congress high command was treating him. Apparently all decisions of the state government are being whetted by KC Venugopal, who as Rahul Gandhi’s close aide and AICC Gen Secy (organisation) has made Reddy’s life quite miserable. Meanwhile, a prayer meeting is being held for Dr Singh at Gurudwara Rakabganj on Dec 3.
Gold is all about safety and it appears that presently the geo-political situation seems to be at status-quo with a possibility that things may improve. Customs duty is something which can spook prices but with the cut in duties earlier this year, even that event is currently ruled out. Rupee depreciation has happened over the last few months, but further sharp downside may be difficult. Sensex is a reflection of the economy and though we seem to be having a tough time it’s still at a level where we are better than most large economies. Other than crude oil and edible oil, we are a fairly self-consuming country. Markets have done well with the Sensex gaining about 10% in the year to hover around 78,000 points while gold rose by 22% to Rs 76,000. This includes the gains on account of the reduction in customs duty. Knowing our humongous capacity for buying and storing gold, to expect that prices would move by another 31% in calendar year 2025 and touch the Rs100,000 mark look most unlikely. In the same breath, expecting Sensex to move 26% and touch 100,000 points either is also tough. Foreign Portfolio Investment or FPI selling, valuations at elevated levels even though they have softened is still expecting too much. I believe the expectation that the race to touch 1 lakh for gold or 100,000 points for Sensex is unlikely to happen in the coming 12 months. Both gold and Sensex are more likely to touch the 1-lakh mark in the calendar year 2026. Is there a tilt towards one of the two? Yes. The shine and lure of gold is much more than equity even though over the last four years equity investors have grown over four times.
Jay Shah has taken charge as Chair of the International Cricket Council (ICC) leaving the Secretary’s post to be filled at a special general meeting and election on January 12. The BCCI’s president, a distinguished former cricketer and 1983 World Cup-winning star, Roger Binny deputed Jt Secretary, Devajit Saikia to carry out the duties of the Secretary till the time the election process is completed. Meanwhile another vacancy in the BCCI was created when its Treasurer Ashish Shelar was chosen in the Maharashtra State Cabinet. According to the BCCI Constitution, ministers are barred from holding any position in the BCCI/State set up. So the election process has been called for by the electoral officer. The 34 representatives of the voting members have been announced with no representatives from the Railways, Services and All India Universities. The nominations for the two posts will be known on January 4, the last day to file the papers. Which means the future Secretary and Treasurer will be known on January 4 itself because only those who have the blessings of the powers that be will have filed the necessary documents. Assam’s Saikia who is also on the ICC Board may be continued till the next AGM and election in September 2025. The grapevine is telling the cricket world that Mumbai Cricket Association Vice President Sanjay Naik has a good chance of becoming the Treasurer. Naik is known to be close to the outgoing Treasurer Shelar. Naik will complete six years together at the MCA and BCCI (should he become the BCCI Treasurer) next September and will run into a cooling off period of three years.
Make in India, as a concept, cannot be simply wished away in a country with a population of over 140 crore. Not surprisingly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is leading the push and leaving no stone unturned in convincing overseas companies to make in India to address the domestic needs and also satiate the global demand. This, no doubt, requires a holistic approach. But this one move appears to be a self-defeating exercise. Or how else could one describe this? Well, an exercise is believed to be quietly under way to issue BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) certificates to overseas manufacturing facilities of multinationals which intend to sell their branded iconic products in India. Clearly, it is an oxymoron exercise. On the one hand, there is a high-level intention to entice people to set up shops in India. On the other hand, there is a liberal approach to issuing BIS certificates for overseas facilities of companies which intend to make their iconic brands in India. If they could get a BIS certificate for their overseas plants, why would they think of setting up shops in India either on their own or through collaborations? Even as the owners of big brands are pushing hard to get a BIS tag for their facilities abroad, the Indian industries such as footwear and others are feeling somewhat fidgety. Well, the government machinery appears to be working at a cross-purpose.
“From tomorrow onwards until the DMK is removed from power, I will not wear any footwear”…the unique protest by Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai of flogging himself six times on December 27 and vowing not to wear footwear until the ruling DMK is removed from power is being largely viewed in BJP circles more as a pressure tactic to continue him as state BJP chief rather than pose any threat to Stalin government or seriously take up the issue of sexual assault of a student inside a campus in Anna University, Chennai. Already the Madras HC is seized of the matter. Standing shirtless in a green veshti outside his Coimbatore residence, Annamalai whipped himself before a crowd of BJP supporters. He claimed that it was the first of his acts of “atonement” for the DMK government’s inefficiency in the Anna University sexual assault case, in which a man identified as Gnanasekaran is accused of sexually assaulting a student and attacking her male friend on December 23. Gnanasekaran was arrested the next day and soon, allegations of his links to the DMK emerged as several pictures of him with party functionaries were posted on social media. Incidentally Annamalai’s self-flagellation drama hasn’t gone down well with BJP central leadership particularly Home Minister Amit Shah who feels there should be a new face to lead TN. Annamalai’s tough stand against AIADMK and fellow Gounder Edappadi K Palaniswami have not helped the BJP. Lok Sabha elections in the state were disastrous when the party went solo. BJP sources feel if the party must grow in TN it must have an alliance with AIADMK and feel Annamalai will have to be eased out before 2026 assembly polls.
The year 2024 belonged to the horror comedy genre and the South Cinema which helped box office get respectable numbers. Trade analyst Atul Mohan says 2024 will go down as one where horror films emerged as the unlikely saviors of Bollywood. With movies like Shaitaan, Munjya, Stree 2 and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 collectively raking in Rs 1,200 crore — almost 50% of the year’s total box office collections — the genre proved its mettle in a challenging year for the industry. Prabhas and Allu Arjun films including some south films dominated the box office and it does seem like a trend that will go into 2025. `While the South Indian blockbusters Kalki and Pushpa 2 dominated the Hindi belt, Bollywood struggled to deliver consistent hits. The absence of the Khans from the big screen was conspicuous and some highly anticipated films like Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, Maidaan, Sarfira, Vedaa and Jigra fell short of expectations. Some of the big stars like Askhay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Tiger Shroff, Alia Bhatt failed miserably at the box office clearly indicating that you cannot take your audience for granted. The Khans absence was clearly felt at the box office. However, the year wasn’t without its surprises. Films like Munjya, Crew and Madgaon Express turned out to be unexpected crowd-pleasers, providing a glimmer of hope amidst the gloom.
Senior BJP leader Ravindra Chavan’s anointment as the next possible Maharashtra BJP president has sent warning signals for the supporters of deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, once again indicating internecine power play within the ruling Mahayuti alliance. Chavan’s name has been announced as the state in-charge by outgoing president Chandrashekhar Bawankule. The reshuffle was expected ever since Chavan was not included in the cabinet while Bawankule was asked to contest the assembly election which he has won. Chavan was a minister in the previous Shinde government, holding the public works department, considered a prominent position in the state hierarchy. The tussle between Shinde and Chavan is based in Thane district from which both have been getting elected time and again. In the recent assembly election, the BJP bagged nine seats while Shinde’s Shiv Sena won six. Chavan’s contribution in this handsome victory was lauded by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis by visiting Thane for a party function. This gesture has made Shinde’s supporters jittery since local body elections are expected to be held in the near future. Thane has always remained a matter of tension between the Sena and the BJP, from the days of Balasaheb Thackeray. So far, Shinde has prevailed but the assembly results have changed the picture. Chavan was elected to the assembly for the first time in 2009. Under his tutelage, the BJP has been performing well in the district. A formal announcement about Chavan’s appointment as state BJP chief is expected soon.
For Tamils, Pongal is the height of inviting prosperity into homes. It is also the time when wallets are thrown open generously for entertainment, especially movies. So along with the controversial Jallikattu (Bull taming), families eagerly await new film releases. This Pongal Ajith Kumar and his much delayed Vidaamuyarchi is the film that all his adoring fans are eagerly waiting for. Already, much news was aired about Ajith’s illness, the stop-start shooting schedules in Azerbaijan and the many challenges that director Magizh Thirumeni had to face in completing this film. With the ravishing Trisha as his co-star, recent first look pictures have been praised sky high…Arjun, and Regina Cassandra are also in the film which has been already snapped up by Netflix after its cinema run. At November end, Lyca Productions aired a silent teaser video, in which a trim, suited and booted Ajith and a slim and svelte Trisha hit the high notes, hand in hand. With his overwhelming competitor, Vijay out of the film world, the often acrimonious and acerbic competition for biggest following of both, no longer exists. Yes, outsider Sivakarthikeyan has gained huge strides after his rocking performance in Amaran and Ajith could be back again on that treadmill. But Ajit has a unique fan following for his suave looks, underplayed roles and a sophisticated aura no other South star has touched. Suddenly, out of the blue, director Aadik Ravichandran aired some first looks of another Ajith film, Good, Bad and Ugly. Serendipity…cheap copy of that classic Clint Eastwood cult spaghetti Western? Can Ajith pull off a hit with this and make it a double treat for Pongal?
The Maharashtra state assembly elections gained BJP 132 elected MLAs out of 288 in the legislature and yet, some of its candidates lost out after contesting on tickets from alliance partners Shiv Sena and NCP. What does the future portend for them and will they rejoin BJP? BJP sources reveal the leaders so loaned out never resigned their parent party membership at all. Assembly elections witnessed chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, the Maha Chanakya, micro-managing not just candidatures for 148 seats his party contested but also fielding nine BJP leaders to contest from deputy CM Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and five from deputy CM Ajit Pawar’s NCP. Over 19 BJP leaders were fielded, some even as independent candidates, to upset the apple cart of the Maha Vikas Aghadi. Unfortunately, BJP leaders like Santosh Shetty contesting from Bhiwandi, Ajit Pingle from Dharashiv, Shaina NC from Mumbadevi lost the electoral battle as Shiv Sena candidates and must contemplate their political future seriously. They were loaned out to alliance partners for the express purpose of impacting election results in favour of the Mahayuti alliance. It is clear Shaina NC performed creditably from south Mumbai’s Mumbadevi assembly constituency securing over 40,000 voter ayes in her favour despite over 55% of voters comprising minority community members who single-mindedly voted Congress’ Amin Patel (since 2009). Shaina and other BJP leaders who contested from different alliance parties continue to be BJP members, however, the problem of plenty that the BJP now enjoys will lead to a lot of jostling for space within the party.
Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) MLA Uttam Jankar has made a sensational allegation regarding the recent assembly election results in Maharashtra. After calling on Pawar in Baramati on Sunday, Jankar said the Mahayuti alliance had won just 107 seats in the 288-member house though the official results have placed the number at 237. Jankar had shot to fame recently when he had announced a ballot paper voting in Markadwadi village in his Malshiras assembly constituency in Solapur district. The move was abandoned after it was disallowed by the authorities, deploying massive police bandobast. Undeterred, Jankar has reiterated his suspicion of the EVMs and has warned that he will take up the issue with the EC, Pawar and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. The objections against the EVMs have been repeatedly rejected by the EC and the Supreme Court. Pawar himself and his daughter Supriya Sule, MP, have desisted from making any adverse observations about the election process. Still, certain INDIA bloc leaders persist in raking up the issue. Jankar has created sensation by charging that rival NCP’s leader Ajit Pawar had lost the election from the prestigious Baramati constituency in actuality but was declared elected by the EC by a thumping margin. Jankar said the results in nearly 150 constituencies were open to such suspicions. He demanded that the VVPAT slips should be given to the voter for dropping into the ballot box and should not drop automatically.
For the Congress that was faulting the government on not earmarking space for a memorial for PM Dr Manmohan Singh who had passed away on December 26, nothing could have come more as an embarrassment than LoP in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi slipping out of the country for New Year even as the nation mourns Dr Singh’s demise. “While the country is mourning ex-PM Dr Manmohan Singh’s demise (for a week until Jan 1), Rahul Gandhi has flown to Vietnam to ring in the New Year. Rahul Gandhi politicised and exploited Dr Singh’s death for his expedient politics but his contempt for him is unmissable. The Gandhis and the Congress hate the Sikhs. Never forget that Indira Gandhi desecrated the Darbar Sahib,” posted BJP’s Amit Malviya. However, before jetting off on his holiday, Rahul was caught giving homilies about how “the first PM of the Sikh community” had been totally insulted by the present government by performing his last rites at the Nigambodh Ghat. The BJP attacked the Gandhis for not being with the family to collect the ashes. As for Gandhis not being present to collect the ashes, the excuse was they wanted Singh’s family to have some privacy. A defensive Congress described Rahul’s visit to Vietnam as his private visit and a party MP Manickam Tagore even felt the visit “should not bother BJP”. Meanwhile the government has already conveyed to Dr Singh’s family about building a memorial. It could be either near Kisan Ghat, the memorial of former PM Chaudhary Charan Singh, and Rashtriya Smriti Sthal — a designated spot for the last rites of presidents, vice-presidents and PMs could be allocated for Singh’s memorial. A trust will have to be set up to supervise construction of the memorial.
The Centre made it clear that last rites of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, who passed away on December 26, will be performed with full military honours at New Delhi’s Nigambodh Ghat on December 28 at 11:45 am. The Congress apparently wanted a separate resting place on the banks of the Yamuna River in Delhi, where many former PMs have their memorials. In a letter to PM Modi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had conveyed the party’s desire. Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and KC Venugopal have also followed it up with Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Kharge wanted Dr Singh’s last rites to be held at a place where a memorial can be built. He wrote the letter after speaking to PM Modi about setting up a memorial for Singh, who was a two-term PM revered by the people of the country. He said Dr Singh’s final resting place would be a sacrosanct venue for memorial of the great son of India. “This is in keeping with such tradition of having memorials of statesmen and former PMs at the very place of their funerals,” Kharge said in his two-page letter. Interestingly, it was the UPA government headed by Dr Singh that had blocked demands for separate memorials. In 2013, the UPA Cabinet decided to set up a common memorial ground — Rashtriya Smriti Sthal at Raj Ghat — in view of the paucity of space. A seven-day state mourning is being observed throughout the country as a mark of respect to Dr Singh and during this period the national flag will be flown at half-mast across India.
Change is the law of the Universe. Well, a change has happened at The India Cements Ltd (ICL) on Christmas day. The indefatigable N Srinivasan finally called time and moved out the lock, stock and barrel of an organisation which he had captained so passionately for many years. UltraTech Cement, part of the Aditya Birla Group, is the new owner of ICL. Truly, an era has come to a grinding halt at ICL. Significantly enough, a few days from now – January 3, to be precise – Srinivasan will be completing 80 years of age. The sale of ICL to UltraTech as he steps into the twilight of his life is a reflection of the changing time and consequences of hard reality on the ground. One can debate the sale compulsion until the cows come home. Once upon a time, Srinivasan was the unquestioned Czar of the southern cement industry. Not just that. He successfully spearheaded the industry wage pact time and again with effortless ease. Why did he give up ICL? Maybe he failed to go for modernisation of ICL plants. Maybe his love for cricket had dissipated his energy and diverted his focus away from ICL. As age takes a toll on him, the competition between the two biggies in the field – Adani and UltraTech – came in handy for him to sign off ICL on a reasonably better note. History will remember this man from the founding family for the fighter in him. What belonged to him yesterday, however, belongs to UltraTech today. A lesson from Bhagavad Gita!
Maharashtra’s deputy CM Eknath Shinde may be officially sulking but he sure knows how to get his way around with the BJP’s top bosses. After having bagged nine plum cabinet berths and two ministers of state apart from key portfolios like Urban Development, housing and public works department for himself, he has now clearly emerged as the No 2 in the Maharashtra government next only to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. It is worth noting that while senior ministers like Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, Girish Mahajan are left dangling with half split portfolios with them, Shinde has managed to bag important ministries like industries, public health, education etc for his supporters. Shinde also continues to retain his value for the BJP. This was evident recently when he met up with the top trio of the BJP during his Delhi stopover en route to Kashmir for a family holiday. Prime minister Narendra Modi is believed to have granted him an audience for over an hour where the duo are believed to have discussed the significant Mumbai municipal corporation polls. The one-to-one meet with PM Modi clearly highlights that Shinde continues to be a significant partner for the BJP and is expected to play a key role in cutting down the Marathi electorate stronghold of Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai. He is also expected to play a key role in the significant Dharavi Redevelopment Project, thanks to his holding the dual portfolios of housing and urban development, that could come in handy for industrialist Gautam Adani, known for his proximity to Modi.
It is truly a tale of two funerals and gross mishandling by the Congress that denied such an honour to a former PM. While former PM Dr Manmohan Singh is all set get a state funeral befitting his stature in Delhi thanks due to PM Modi, his mentor, former PM PV Narasimha Rao was denied a funeral in the national capital thanks due to gross mishandling by the Congress party and inability of Dr Singh as PM to ensure the same when he died in December 2004. Rao was hailed by Dr Singh as “father of economic reforms in India” but a state funeral was not considered fit for him by Cong leader Sonia Gandhi; she did not even allow his body into party headquarters. In his book Sanjaya Baru The Accidental Prime Minister wrote “Ahmed Patel wanted me to encourage Rao’s son Ranga and Prabhakhar and his daughter Vani to take their father’s body to Hyderabad for cremation. Clearly, it seemed to me Sonia did not want a memorial for Rao, anywhere near Delhi but felt it would not be appropriate for me to convey to the family.” He says “The Congress had deployed then Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Andhra CM YS Rajashekhar Reddy to “persuade the family to fall in line”. With PM Modi swiftly organising a week-long national mourning and state funeral for Dr Singh, who passed away on Dec 26, the Congress simply had to catch up with the speed of government action. The Congress which was celebrating 100 years of Mahatma Gandhi presiding over the AICC session at Belgavi in Karnataka cut short its celebrations. Dr Singh’s last rites would be held on December 28 as his youngest daughter, a professor at Stanford Law School, is likely to land in India by December 27.
Leaders and thinkers from Maharashtra describe the state as the cradle of progressivism and rationalism. But the current discomfiture attached to a palatial bungalow in south Mumbai and a cabin in Mantralaya are proving amusing for the pall of superstition they have spread. At the centre of the controversy is the historic ‘Ramtek’ bungalow in Mumbai’s posh Malabar Hill area. Ramtek has been tagged as ‘unlucky’ for its occupants. And history is quoted to bolster this claim. The first such victim was then deputy chief minister Gopinath Munde, who lived in Ramtek between 1995 and 1999, never to return. Soon after becoming a Union minister in 2014, he died in a car accident in Delhi. If a bungalow is perceived to be unlucky, a mere cabin, too, is seen with apprehension. Though just a cabin in Mantralaya, Room 602 is viewed as jinxed. Presently used by a bunch of bureaucrats, ministers are reluctant to move into it. In this list, Chhagan Bhujbal is at the top since Room 602 was allocated to him in 1999. He was at the time the deputy CM and home minister. Residing in Ramtek, he became the focus of the multi-crore fake stamp paper Telgi Scam. After him, Ajit Pawar started using the cabin but he also had to step down after accusations regarding the irrigation scam started against him. He later returned as deputy CM but kept away from Room 602. The others to be hit are then BJP leader Eknath Khadse, who had to resign after being implicated in a land scam. The next occupant, BJP’s Pandurang Fundkar, died suddenly in 2018. The most recent occupant was then BJP minister Anil Bonde, who lost the assembly election in 2019. Who will occupy Ramtek and Room 602 is watched with considerable interest.
Political attacks against embattled minister Dhananjay Munde and his cousin Pankaja Munde, a cabinet minister in Maharashtra, are becoming more and more damaging for the Mahayuti government since they indirectly target the law and order situation in the state. The state’s atmosphere has been in a spin ever since a village sarpanch in the district, Santosh Deshmukh, was brutally murdered 19 days ago. The flurry of allegations was started by Beed district BJP MLA Suresh Dhas. Now, another MLA from the district, Prakash Solanke, who belongs to the NCP led by deputy CM Ajit Pawar, has joined the melee. Both have demanded that Beed’s situation will not improve unless chief minister Devendra Fadnavis himself accepts the responsibility as its guardian minister. This is seen as an oblique criticism of Munde. Incidentally, both have attracted ire from within the Mahayuti since Ajit Pawar’s spokesman Amol Mitkari has charged that it is a smear campaign to damage the reputations of Dhananjay and Pankaja. Till now, Fadnavis as well as deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar have been maintaining that the guilty will be punished. However, the police department’s failure to nab the three absconding suspects has pushed the Fadnavis government in the dock. Of the three, Walmik Karad, is closest to Dhananjay. Pictures of them hugging each other have gone viral. Dhananjay has admitted their intimacy but has claimed that those responsible for the murder of Santosh Deshmukh deserve severest punishment. This stance has not pacified the local people, who will hold a protest march to demand immediate action by the authorities.
Salman Khan is undeniably one of the most iconic figures in the Indian film industry whose impact transcends mere box office statistics. With a career that spans over three decades, his films–regardless of critical reception — frequently surpass the Rs 100-crore mark signifying his extraordinary appeal and star power. Throughout his illustrious career, Salman Khan has found himself at the centre of numerous controversies and has come unscathed. With a net worth estimated at around Rs 2,900 crore, he is an immensely sought-after star for brand endorsements. However, in recent years, his forays into guest appearances in films such as Baby John, Singham Again, Godfather and Antim have not garnered the kind of response one might expect from the audience. While his cameo in Pathaan was well-received, his lead role in Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan released on Eid, faced significant criticism and was largely snubbed by both critics and fans alike. Looking ahead, the anticipation surrounding his upcoming film Sikandar is palpable. Directed by AR Murugadoss, this film marks a significant moment in his career, as it will be his first mainstream lead release following Tiger 3. Sikandar represents a pivotal juncture in his career, especially after a series of mixed receptions for his recent projects. Rumours are rife that he is in talks with well-known south director Atlee. Despite his immense charisma and dedicated fan base, a pressing question lingers in the face of ongoing controversies, and the challenges posed by a rapidly evolving industry: whether Sallu bhai at 59 can still captivate the new generation of moviegoers?
Rohit Sharma ought to be mulling over his Test/international career sooner than later. Joining the Indian team after the Jasprit Bumrah led Indian team trounced Australia in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, he has not been able to contribute with the bat at all. His fifth-ball dismissal in the first innings in Melbourne to his counterpart Pat Cummins reflected his diminishing confidence levels; initially he chose to drop down the order allowing Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul to continue opening the innings. This was the same pair that had put on 201 in the second innings in Perth. But after the Test matches in Adelaide and Brisbane, he reverted to the opening slot — allowing Jaiswal to take strike first — and perished quickly and traced his steps back to the pavilion, an unhapppy man. A powerful batter in the white-ball format, Sharma would have been wiser batting before Rishabh Pant (5/6), but he rushed to the top, a decision that resulted in Shubhman Gill being dropped “to give a sense of balance” to the playing XI.. Should the home team win the contest at the MCG, Sharma may begin to introspect about captaincy before the fifth and final Test in Sydney. Nothing has gone right for him since the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru. Sharma focussed a lot to win the two ICC World Cups — he lost the final against Australia in Ahmedabad and won the final against South Africa in Bridgetown. Sharma, an attractive player to watch, is struggling and that’s not a good sight!
Kolkata’s bustling winter markets, once a vibrant hub of Afghan and Kashmiri traders, are now grappling with a decline in traditional businesses. For decades, these traders have enriched the city’s seasonal economy with their exquisite dry fruits, handcrafted garments, and winter essentials. However, the changing tides of commerce, marked by the rise of e-commerce and increased costs, threaten to erode their livelihoods. Kashmiri vendors, particularly those from Budgaon, have been an integral part of Kolkata’s winter landscape for generations. From November to March, they bring a colourful array of shawls, blankets, and sweaters, woven with intricate patterns and warmth. But the bustling markets of yore are now a distant memory. Regular to Kolkata market, one of the Afghan traders, Rahmat Khan mentioned that he had been to the city for past three decades and the business was booming in contrast to the present day situation when it’s a constant struggle to make ends meet. Younger generations of Kashmiri traders are increasingly hesitant to carry on the family legacy. The convenience of online shopping has shifted consumer preferences, leaving traditional vendors struggling to compete. Afghan traders, known for their premium dry fruits, have fared slightly better due to consistent demand, they too face significant challenges but rising operational costs are eating into their profits.
BJP’s top brass ignored RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat’s latest broadside seeking to curtail the rising momentum to reclaim, reinstall old temple sites to their pristine glory. A politically savvy RSS man says, “There is little likelihood of response or retort from either PM Modi or Shah to Bhagwat’s vocalisation for limiting the number of devastated temples in India needing reinstallation.” Legal remedies are increasingly the resort of Hindus thanks to the mountain of evidence unearthed by the Archaeology Survey of India (ASI). Modi-Shah will plough ahead with their rejuvenation plans for Hindutva ignoring Bhagwat even as their political favourites: UP CM Yogi Adityanath, his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma espouse political advocacy stridently furthering Hindutva’s agenda. Notwithstanding PM Modi’s radio silence over Bhagwat’s repeated outbursts, last time prescribing arrogance shedding over general election results that restricted BJP to 240 MPs, social media platforms unleashed criticism waves targeting the RSS Chief over his soft advocacy of Hindutva. “Typical of RSS claiming credit for political wins registered by BJP after Haryana and Maharashtra elections while feigning sleep over their own track record in states like Jharkhand over RSS’ abject failure at outreach in tribal belts through Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram,” the RSS man says. NASA has confirmed the structural engineering marvel of the Ram Setu while Dwarka city is truly resting underwater and yet, India dilly-dallies over Moghul-British era false narratives including scheduled castes and tribes introduced by the latter. Latest infringement at Sambhal was exposed by the ASI to be the remains of a 200-year-old temple built over a mosque and yet, Bhagwat preaches secular values today. Advocacy of Moghul-British invaders next?
The prestigious New Delhi Assembly seat is poised to witness a fierce electoral contest with sitting MLA and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal pitted against the sons of two former Delhi chief ministers. While the Congress has already declared Sandeep Dikshit, son of late former Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit — who was three time CM — as its candidate, the BJP has asked Parvesh Verma, the son of late former Delhi chief minister Sahib Singh Verma to prepare for the contest. The BJP has so far not declared its list for the Delhi Assembly elections. For Sandeep Dikshit, taking on Arvind Kejriwal would be like avenging his mother’s defeat in 2013 by Kejriwal. The AAP supremo shot to fame by defeating incumbent CM Sheila Dikshit by a margin of over 25,000 votes. In 2015, he again won from the same seat defeating the BJP candidate by more than 31,000 votes. His victory margin was reduced to 2,000 votes in 2020 polls. Of the 70 assembly seats, the New Delhi constituency is one of the smallest assembly seats and is dominated by the government employees as voters. It has 17% SC voters. Also in the fray is former AAP leader, Dr Munish Raizada, a U.S. trained neonatologist, is vigorously pushing for his candidacy as Bharatiya Liberal Party candidate. A boost for him is that at least his main rival BJP, is taking him seriously. “It gives me satisfaction that the BJP candidate’s managers took my name more often than Kejriwal,” says Dr Raizada. As for Kejriwal, it is only his wife Sunita and two children who are campaigning for him. It is possible the AAP supremo is acutely aware that even if he wins, he may not be able to return as CM.
Perhaps the time is upon the BCCI to take stock of women’s cricket and effect changes starting from now on. It’s 18 years since women’s cricket came under the BCCI umbrella and in this long period things have looked up for the teams across formats on all counts, from contracts to match fees, coaching, exposure in India and abroad. It’s the women in blue team that’s seen in action much more than they being in whites. What has been disappointing is that the national team has not been able to bring the ICC tournament silverware even once. The women’s team, under the BCCI, has taken part in four 50-over World Cups and nine Twenty20 World Cups. The illustrious former India allrounder Diana Edulji squealed at the team’s inability to rise above mediocrity and lose to Australia 3-0 recently. As far as the World Cup matches are concerned India has played 27 ODI World Cup matches since 2009, won 16 and lost 11 and played 40 World Twenty20 matches, won 22 and lost 18. Not impressive! India’s top five batters average around 25 in World Twenty20 matches and in 50 over World Cups, India’s batters have not been consistent. In general the women in blue team has not been able to outwit Australia, England and New Zealand in matches/series away from home. In less than a year’s time India will host the 13th World Cup and hence just the time now to make changes that’s likely to bring in fresh ideas. The big question the BCCI and the selection committee has to take a call on is who should lead the team: Harmanpreet Kaur or Smriti Mandhana?
For over a year now the social media has been on an overdrive about Aishwarya and Abhishek’s marriage. Mirroring this sentiment, shortpost.in on December 22, 2023 ran a story headlined “Aishwarya And Abhishek: Rocky Marriage Or Only Hiccups? Now, Aishwarya and Abhishek have shut the mouth of rumour mongers after the two were spotted together at their daughter’s Aaradhya birthday party. Then tongues started to wag that Aishwarya is having issues with her in-laws. What gave credence to this rumour is her solo appearances with her daughter at Ambani wedding and other events. So the Bachchans took the opportunity to clear the air with Amitabh Bachchan making it to Aaradhya’s annual school day function. The video that went viral shows Aishwarya all smiles when Amitabh Bachchan steps out of the car. But, many say that it was done for optics as grandmother Jaya Bachchan was missing from the scene. So too were Aaradhya’s cousins (Shweta Nanda’s children). All these clearly indicate all is still not well but amends are being made. The reports about fallout began when a news report said that the actress had walked out of the Bachchan’s Jalsa bungalow and moved into Amu which is in close vicinity. Although there was no official statement but once Abhishek showed his wedding ring to the media to indicate all is well. Sources say that Aishwarya is slowly getting back to doing more work. This should be music to ear for her diehard fan.
When RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat recently expressed concern over the resurgence of temple-mosque disputes, and advised people against raking up such issues, was he speaking on behalf of PM Modi? Most likely. With the U.S. President Donald Trump all set to take over next month, the Modi government may not want any Hindu-Muslim communal tension to disturb the country’s economic trajectory of reaching $ 5 trillion. It is in this background what Bhagwat said at a function of Pune NGO assumes significance. He said no one will become a “leader of Hindus” by fanning communal divide. His statement surprised many Hindu leaders and came after Hindu right-wing groups moved various courts across the country seeking demolition of decades-old mosques claiming that those were built on temple sites. These mosques include the Shahi Jama Masjid in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal, where riots had left five dead, and the Ajmer Sharif in Rajasthan. “Extremism, aggressiveness, forcefulness, and insulting other gods are not in the nature of our country and this is unacceptable,” he said, adding that to become ‘Vishwa Guru’, India should not forget its nature that it is “accommodative” to all. The RSS chief said that the Ram Temple in Ayodhya was built to respect the sentiments of Hindus but to use it to become a “Hindu neta (leader)” was unacceptable. This is not the first time Bhagwat has cautioned Hindus about going overboard. In the past, he had talked of not looking for ‘Shivlings’ under mosques. This was his remark after the Ram Temple judgment came. It was a clear message of unity. Bhagwat’s words were welcomed by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.
This serial “multi-dimensional entrepreneur” never ceases to excite. This first-generation foreigner of Indian origin holding Seychelles citizenship has strong roots in Tamil Nadu with most of his ilks living in Chennai. Well, C Sivasankaran is his name. From launching affordable Siva Computers a few decades ago to his aborted bid to acquire Tamilnad Mercantile Bank (TMB) and his foray into telecom field with the floatation of Aircel (now defunct, of course), Siva, as is popularly known, has managed to keep the arclight focussed permanently on him. Controversies are nothing new to him. So are court cases. A Look Out Circular issued by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with alleged financial fraud has forced him to stay put in India. Being a mentor of AIWO Ltd., he insists that he has to visit abroad every month to deliver wellness services to clients. But his persistent efforts to get this LOC revoked proved futile. Finally, the Madras High Court gave him a reprieve. On Friday (Dec 20), the Madras High Court allowed him to go abroad by providing for temporary suspension of LOC. It has set some stringent terms, though. The HC allowed him to travel abroad to balance concerns of the prosecution side and constitutional rights. His travel to Seychelles, however, is prohibited since India does not have an extradition treaty with that country. Well, Siva can never be out of focus!
Six months after the BJP came into power in Odisha, chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi has every reason to be happy. It is learnt that PM Modi has appreciated his citizen centric outreach programmes. This is why PM Modi made it known to Odisha BJP leaders, during his last visit that Majhi is doing good work, in the process he subtly sent a message to CM aspirants that Majhi will be in the CM’s chair for the next five years. Now, there are strong talks that to strengthen Majhi’s hands a former bureaucrat with a strong administration background may be drafted into the Odisha ministry. The name of ex-CAG Chief Girish Chandra Murmu and now external auditor of WHO is doing the rounds. He was one of the several names shortlisted before PM Modi cast his vote in favour of Majhi. Sources say Murmu, who hails from Mayurbhanj in Odisha seems to have ticked all the boxes. He is a strong administrator, down to earth personality. Two, a tribal leader, three, not arrogant and fits into Odia Asmita culture. Being industrious and having both Modi’s and Shah’s confidence since he was earlier Modi’s Principal Secretary in Gujarat and was appointed as Lieutenant Governor of J&K when Article 370 was abrogated. Murmu certainly seems to have the heft and gravitas.
Even as the dust is settling over the internecine acrimony about the allocation of portfolios in the ruling Mahayuti alliance, a new wave of one-upmanship has erupted about the appointment of guardian ministers. As there are more than two or three claimants to grab the powerful position, the competition is intense. Moreover, as there are 36 districts in Maharashtra while the number of ministers is 41, it is obvious that some of them will be ejected out of the race. Another major issue of contention is the guardianship of Pune and Thane districts, which are politically very important for every party. In Pune, deputy CM Ajit Pawar was the guardian minister under the government of Eknath Shinde till recently. Now, the BJP and the Shiv Sena (Shinde) feel it is their turn to occupy the position. Similarly, in Thane, deputy CM Shinde wishes to become the district guardian minister. However, the BJP is keen to obtain the turn this time. Senior BJP minister Ganesh Naik and Shinde have been at loggerheads for long and the tussle between the two seems unavoidable. In neighbouring Raigad district, NCP(Ajit) boss Sunil Tatkare’s daughter Aditi is trying to retain the responsibility though Shinde’s supporter Bharat Gogawale is determined to wrest it from her. Sambhaji Nagar, another sensitive district, is claimed by Shinde’s soldier Sanjay Shirsat while BJP’s powerful minister Atul Save, too, is considered a strong claimant. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is now busy untangling the rider.
West Bengal politics was set ablaze recently after a statement by Firhad Hakim, senior minister of Mamata Banerjee government. Addressing a gathering of minority students, Hakim, a trusted lieutenant of Didi remarked that minorities could soon become the majority, prompting sharp reactions from political circles and his own party, the Trinamool Congress. The TMC, quick to distance itself from Hakim’s remarks, faced an internal and external uproar. Party leaders expressed disapproval, with several calling the comments “unnecessary” and “potentially divisive.” Opposition parties, led by the BJP, accused Hakim of fuelling communal tensions and promoting a polarising narrative in the state. Hakim’s controversial statement marks another instance in a series of remarks that have landed him in trouble over the years. In 2016, he faced backlash for referring to the Garden Reach constituency as a “mini-Pakistan”. More recently, his description of a BJP candidate during a campaign as an “item” also drew severe criticism. Sources within the TMC revealed that Didi, who relies heavily on Hakim for political and administrative matters, has expressed dissatisfaction with his comments and reminded him of his past controversies that caused embarrassment to the party. In an unusually stern response, she advised him to exercise caution in his public statements to avoid further political damage. Hakim’s daughter Priyadarshini, a youth leader within the party, defended her father, asserting that his statement in Urdu had been misinterpreted. Political analysts say that TMC faces the dual challenge of containing the fallout from Hakim’s remarks while steering the focus back to governance and development in the run-up to crucial elections.
Controversial minister Dhananjay Munde is now facing public ire over the murder of Massajog village sarpanch, Santosh Deshmukh, last week in Beed district. Allegations abound regarding Munde’s close associate Walmik Karad being the mastermind of the gruesome broad daylight killing in Beed district, the fiefdom of the Munde clan for several years. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced a judicial inquiry into the shocking incident and has replaced the district police chief. However, as this could not pacify the local people, deputy CM Ajit Pawar visited the village immediately after the legislature’s winter session was over as Munde is one of his staunch supporters in the NCP. Pawar was greeted with demands to remove Munde from the council of ministers. The situation has a caste angle as the deceased Deshmukh was a Maratha while Munde and Karad belong to the Vanjari community, a prominent OBC section. Pawar now has been asked by a Maratha delegation to forthwith remove Munde from the cabinet. A memorandum submitted to Pawar has levelled serious allegations against Munde. When Pawar reached Beed to interact with the Deshmukh family, he promised the bereaved that no guilty would be spared. However, the villagers were angry since Ajit Pawar did not meet them. Munde’s absence from the legislature for the last three days and the refusal of his cousin Pankaja to comment on the incident, too, have added to the gravity of the situation. Munde is expected to come out with his version so#WalmikKarad
Last week, as Congress leaders protested against Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s so-called “anti-Ambedkar” remark in Rajya Sabha, Rahul Gandhi joined his party MPs in a blue T-shirt, giving up his trademark white polo T-shirt. His sister Priyanka also twinned with him wearing a blue sari. Clearly the Gandhi siblings opted to go for a very visual protest against Shah’s remarks. The choice of the colour of clothes of the Leader of Opposition (LoP) — usually spotted donning plain white T-shirts raised eyebrows. The colour blue has been associated with Dalit politics since 1942, when Dr BR Ambedkar established the Scheduled Castes Federation to campaign for the rights of the Dalit community. The body adopted a blue flag featuring Ashok Chakra. The flag was later retained by the Republican Party of India (RPI), founded by Ambedkar in 1956. Over time, blue became very closely associated with Dalit identity and activism. Even political parties like the Bahujan Samaj Party and the ASP, which champions Dalit welfare, embraced blue colour in their branding. As the Gandhi siblings lead the protest, it was the choice of colour of their clothes that caught everyone’s attention!
The Winter Session which saw a two-day discussion on the 75th anniversary of the Constitution and introduction of One Nation One Election (ONOE) Bill has come to a close. It brought out sharp divisions over discussions and bills at least in two political parties — the Congress and DMK. In the Congress, if a first term MP Priyanka Vadra was seen opening the discussion on the Constitution in the Lok Sabha, for some reason senior leader and eminent lawyer P Chidambaram did not get an opportunity to have his say about the Constitution in the Rajya Sabha. In the DMK, there was a clear division of views between the DMK parliamentary party leader TR Baalu and deputy leader Kanimozhi. While Baalu endorsed the government’s offer to refer the Bill to the Joint Parliamentary Committee, Kanimozhi seemed completely surprised by his stand and insisted that her party was opposed to the Bill and demanded its withdrawal.”DMK has consistently opposed the entire Bill. We do not accept that there can be ONOE because it is against the Constitution. It is against federal rights and it is against the will of the people. People choose state governments for 5 years, I don’t think you can take that right away from the people and give it to the EC to decide how many years governments can last or not. So, this is completely against the state, against federalism” said Kanimozhi. While her stand reflects TN assembly resolution passed in February against ONOE Bill this year, the media is awash with reports about how her late father Kalaignar M Karunanidhi had highlighted the benefits of simultaneous polls in his autobiography Nenjuku Neethi. Incidentally, Karunanidhi had advanced state polls to 1971 to coincide with LS polls.
The Thursday (Dec 19) visit of BJP and Shiv Sena (Shinde) MLAs to the RSS headquarters in Nagpur has become a hot political topic though there are other reasons, too, for intense politicking. Firstly, the MLAs belonging to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar did not join the event. Secondly, those disgruntled due to their non-inclusion in the council of ministers have started expressing their anger openly. Like earlier two occasions, Ajit Pawar and most of his followers distanced themselves from the visit organized by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. The presence of former CM Eknath Shinde and his MLAs proved to be another highlight. However, the discontent brewing within Mahayuti on other counts is now becoming more vocal. Political heavyweight Chhagan Bhujbal was the first to articulate it. His open criticism of Ajit Pawar surprised many since he had stayed by the side of Pawar all through. Now, there are reports that some of Bhujbal’s supporters want him to join the BJP to end his political wilderness. So far, Bhujbal has maintained that he is with the NCP (Ajit). The other notable leader to become the subject of political speculation is the legislative council’s deputy chairperson Neelam Gorhe. Her detractors, mainly the recent Sena (UBT) entrant Sushama Andhare, have started hinting at Gorhe’s plans to go with the BJP. Gorhe, too, has not reacted to the talk. Ajit’s sudden disappearance for two days from the winter session only added grist to the grapevine. His explanation that he was down with a throat infection is hardly swallowed. More murmurs are expected to be heard once Fadnavis announces the allocation of the portfolios.
The Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray has started preparing for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election, expected to take place early next year. This will be the fight for political survival for Thackeray because the Sena has been in power in India’s richest civic body since 1985. Taking stock of the situation, other political parties, too, have begun their planning. The picture this time will be fundamentally different since the BJP has emerged as the largest party in the state after the assembly election. Its estrangement with the Sena (UBT), which split in 2022 owing to Eknath Shinde’s decision to walk out of it, will be a major factor in the coming election in which the Congress will be an insignificant player, given its lacklustre performance in Mumbai and the state as a whole. Equally exasperating is the condition of the state Congress committee as its president Nana Patole is perceived as an ineffective leader by the rank and file. The BMC’s last election saw the Sena winning 84 seats in the 227-member house while the BJP had captured 82. Owing to the alliance ethics, the BJP had made no effort to bag the mayoralty of the financial capital of India. However, the BJP is not prepared to take any chance this time and a decision about its Mumbai president is likely to be taken soon. Sitting chief Ashish Shelar is among the hopefuls though his inclusion in the council of ministers could be a decisive factor in the final choice.
This was to happen one day or the other with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) putting its foot down saying it will not send its national teams to India for any signature event of the ICC, like the World Cups in the two formats in men, women and the juniors. This was the PCB’s riposte to the long-standing BCCI position — citing security concerns — that it will not send its team across the border for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and that it will play only at a neutral venue. For three World Test Championship (WTC) the two nations have taken themselves off the Future Tours Programme (FTP). The cricketers of the two countries may enjoy good relationships when they lock horns in neutral country venues and have fans across the border, but the Indian government has been steadfast in denying permission to the BCCI. The latest communication from the ICC has confirmed that in the 2024-2027 cycle all ICC events given to India and Pakistan, the matches featuring the two countries will be held at a neutral country chosen by the host country; in the Champions Trophy case the PCB is the host. What all this means is the elimination of high security arrangements that India had to do when Pakistan played last year’s World Cup matches in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata. It took hard bargaining by the PCB with the ICC — with Jay Shah in Chair since December 1, 2024 — for it to agree to a hybrid model in order to ensure that it remains the host in a neutral country venue as well and where India will play and this country is said to be the United Arab Emirates.
The massive success of Pushpa 2, has reignited the debate over screen allocation in West Bengal’s single-screen theatres. While the blockbuster continues to dominate the box office, its stronghold has created challenges for four Bengali films— Khadaan, Shontaan, Chaalchitro, and 5 No. Swapnamoy Lane—which targeted Christmas Day for their releases. The overlap has sparked a heated controversy over securing adequate slots in single-screen theatres, which remain a key audience base for Bengali cinema. Single-screen theatres across Bengal are grappling with the balancing act of accommodating these films while catering to the massive demand for Pushpa 2. Tollywood’s Christmas lineup has been significantly impacted, with producer-actor Dev expressing frustration on social media. He alleged that Khadan’s shows and advance bookings were disrupted due to the overwhelming presence of Pushpa 2. Arijit Dutta, owner of Priya Theatre, reported dividing slots among the films: Khadaan (two shows), Chaalchitro (one), 5 No. Swapnamoy Lane (one), and Pushpa 2 (one). However, veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty’s Shontaan was left out entirely, sparking outrage from its director Raj Chakraborty, who criticized the lack of consistent support for Bengali cinema. A distributor, speaking anonymously, blamed the simultaneous release of multiple Bengali films during the festive season, suggesting a lack of coordination among producers. He pointed to Bollywood’s strategy of staggering releases as a model Tollywood could emulate. Star Theatre owner Joydeep Mukherjee called for better planning within the Bengali film industry to avoid internal competition. Interestingly, allegations have resurfaced about Shontaan‘s producer, pressuring hall owners to prioritize its films. This history has led some distributors to side with independent producers in the current clash.
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Editor’s Note: Short Post Noticed By People Who Matter
Four years have zipped by and we are crossing another milestone on 31st January 2025 – it’s our 4th Anniversary. It feels good.
Looking back at the 1460 days, I must say Short Post has made its mark with people who matter via 4000 stories published in the areas of politics, business, entertainment and sports. All made possible by the unflinching commitment and dedication of our senior editors, most of whom have been part of this journey from Day One.
Small pack, big impact is in essence the story of Short Post which was launched at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021. It shows our conviction. In all humility, I can say, we have created a new niche in the news segment space like Hindustan Unilever which created a new segment, when it launched CloseUp Gel.
Yes, we have created a brand (in a limited sense), created demand (readers) and created supply (senior journalists). But we are facing teething problems like all start-ups. What makes us happy and confident is the recognition of our efforts. For instance, we have an arrangement with the OPEN Magazine, part of the $4.5 billion Kolkata-based Sanjiv Goenka-RPG Group. This arrangement sees around 10 Short Post stories posted on OPEN Magazine website every week. This arrangement is testimony that our content has been well received! Also, I may add that the Maharashtra government has recognised Short Post and has allowed our senior editor to cover the Assembly sessions. Ditto: Odisha.
Our goal is to ensure that Short Post becomes a habit. I would like people to keep checking their smartphones to know the latest Authentic Gossip. As regards AI and the fear of it disrupting all businesses including media. On that, personally, I have no such fear as I am confident AI cannot smell news particularly Authentic Gossip. That’s the place we are well entrenched.