Controversies
AAP: The Party With a Difference May Not Be So Different After All
In most political parties, defeat often brings out the worst in its members. Yet in the case of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) its spectacular victory in the Delhi assembly election last month has sparked off a vicious internal war. Two prominent leaders Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan were ousted from the party’s Political Affairs Committee (PAC) for criticizing party chief Arvind Kejriwal for running the party as a one-man show. read more
Honeymoon Over for J&K Coalition Govt
The new state government in Jammy and Kashmir is barely a week old and already the coalition partners have found that living with each other may be troublesome. With Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed playing to his political constituency in the Kashmir valley, he has already sparked off needless controversies and miffed off his coalition partner, the BJP. The latest spat is over the release of separatist leader Masarat Alam from jail. read more
Police, Activists Criticize BBC Documentary on Dec 16 Rape
In the controversy surrounding the BBC documentary film on the December 16, 2012 brutal gang rape in Delhi, the police and activists have found themselves on the same side against the filmmaker. Delhi Police on Tuesday obtained a restraining order from a court against the film’s broadcast, while activists raised questions over its “white saviour” complex. read more
Opposition to Land Bill Threatens Budget Session
The opposition staged a walkout in the Lok Sabha when the NDA government introduced the land acquisition amendment bill on Tuesday. The prime objection to the ordinance was that it removed the need for consent from 70% of landowners for joint public-private projects. With the government's first full-year budget expected on February 28, it may consider the opposition’s demands on the land bill to prevent a parliament washout. read more
Modi’s Suit Creates Ripples Again, This Time at Charity Auction
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is auctioning off his controversial suit with his name embroidered in gold pinstripes that had created a controversy when he wore it while hosting U.S. President Barack Obama in January. A textile merchant from Surat, Rajesh Juneja, has already bid a massive Rs 1.21 crore ($184,000) for the suit at a charity auction that ends on Friday. read more
Right Wing Groups Target Valentine’s Day. Again.
Young couples need to be on their toes on Saturday. Merely expressing their love in public could lead to them being married off, with right-wing Hindu groups vowing to force marriage on couples found celebrating an indecent "Western festival". But the annual threats have now become commonplace. Students in New Delhi have used Facebook to ask people to gather in wedding finery outside the headquarters of the Hindu Mahasabha to mock its campaign against Valentine's Day. read more
BJP’s Print Blitz Before Delhi Election Raises Eyebrows
The BJP took out full-page newspaper advertisements extolling the achievements of the Narendra Modi government in the past 8 months and calling on the people of Delhi to vote for the party in the assembly election. The only problem: this was on Friday, one day before polling, and technically within the EC's ‘cooling-off’ period. Apparently there is a little-known loophole in the law – it does not cover the print medium. read more
EC Warns Kejriwal of “Stern Action” Over Bribe Comments
The Election Commission has been forced to warn Arvind Kejriwal of “stern action” after the Aam Aadmi Party leader ignored its earlier directive to be more circumspect in his public utterances. Kejriwal has reportedly been exhorting voters in his election speeches for the Delhi assembly election to take bribes if offered by the BJP and Congress but to vote for his party. read more
Godman’s Vanity Film Stirs Communal and Political Passions
A self-styled godman has made a Bollywood film starring himself, showing him protecting society by beating up sword-wielding bad guys and destroying a car with his fist. Sikh groups are protesting against the film and political parties too have entered the fray. Then, just when you thought it couldn’t get more complicated, the Censor Board chief has resigned over government “interference”. This entire saga sounds like a film plot in its own right. read more
BSP Leader Defends Paris Terror Attackers
Former Uttar Pradesh minister and BSP leader Haji Yakub Qureshi sparked a controversy when he appeared to defend the terror attack on French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, saying that whoever shows disrespect to Prophet Mohammad would invite death. Earlier in 2006, Qureshi had declared a reward of Rs 51 crore ($10 million) for anyone who killed the Danish cartoonist behind the controversial cartoons. read more
Rajasthan’s Panchayat Election to Go Ahead, Legal Challenge Falters
An ordinance issued by the Rajasthan state government on December 19 makes it mandatory for candidates contesting panchayat elections to have minimum education qualifications for the first time. This has been criticised by activists and by opposition parties, but the Supreme Court said on Monday that it would not interfere with the election schedule a day ahead of the deadline for filing nominations. read more
Conversion Issue Hijacks Parliament Agenda
The opposition has stalled proceedings in the Rajya Sabha over a campaign by Hindu hardliners in Uttar Pradesh to convert Muslims and Christians to Hinduism. This controversy is now affecting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reform agenda - opposition members forced the suspension of the Rajya Sabha session on Monday, thereby preventing the NDA government from tabling the insurance reform bill. read more
Opposition Uses Sadhvi’s Comments to Attack Govt
Derogatory comments by first-time minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti have provided opposition parties with a convenient handle to attack the government in the Rajya Sabha – where the opposition commands a majority – as important legislation hangs in the balance during the current session of parliament. read more
14 Deaths Later, Blame Game in Chhattisgarh, But Sterilization Camps Continue
Sub-standard drugs are being blamed for the deaths of 13 women after sterilisation surgery at a family-planning ‘camp’ in Chhattisgarh last weekend, with owners of the factories that produced them being summoned for questioning. But that has not stopped the state government from holding another such ‘camp’ this week, where another woman died after her operation on Monday – the 14th death so far. read more
Gujarat Govt Gets Cold Feet Over Compulsory Voting Law
The Gujarat Local Authorities Laws (Amendment) Act has been passed by the state assembly and signed by the governor. But a growing controversy over the act’s provision that make non-voting in local body elections a penal offence has forced the Gujarat administration to rethink the bill. read more
Maharashtra’s Ex-Home Minister R R Patil Criticised for Remarks on Rape
The Maharashtra election is barely days away, yet senior NCP leader and former state home minister Raosaheb Ramrao Patil has sparked a controversy by allegedly trivialising rape. He reportedly said that Sudhakar Khade, a MNS candidate jailed on rape charges, should have waited for the election to get over before committing the crime. read more