Topic: Indira Gandhi

The BJP is learnt to have asked state units to not only publicise Modi government’s achievements but also highlight the ‘misdeeds’ of Congress govts since 1947.

On 25 July 1969 in Lok Sabha, Rajkot MP Minoo Masani listed the economic and political grounds on which his Swatantra Party opposed the Indira Gandhi government's Bill to nationalise private banks.

Arun Nehru, who sought to be Court Chamberlain in the Rajiv Gandhi-era, argued to continue with Indira Gandhi’s policy of playing the Hindu card in a subtle way that did not alienate Muslims.

On 14 June 1972, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's speech at the UN conference on environment in Stockholm called out the hypocrisy of rich nations that advanced due to industrialisation by exploiting natural resources and labour of colonised countries but now expect developing nations to be mindful of not causing damage to the environment.

In ‘Sweets and Bittersr’, Satish Arora recounts his time from his family kitchen to becoming the world’s youngest executive chef of Taj Mahal Hotel and then revamping Air India’s on air meals.

Modi's charisma and vision for India is the only mandate for elections. Local leaders become no more than facilitators. They are not expected to win votes in their own names.

In 'Pranab: My Father', Sharmistha Mukherjee recalls how the former President's thick Bengali accent became the butt of the jokes in Lutyens' Delhi.

In 'The Tatas, Freddie Mercury & Other Bawas', Coomi Kapoor talks about how marriage of Indira and Feroze was a mismatch from the start.

A polarising figure in global geo-politics, the pro-China diplomat was also reported to have been disparaging about Indians. His rants about Indira Gandhi are well-documented.

Apart from One Nation, One Election, there is a strong similarity between 1967 and 2023—a dominant party at the helm, and a politics that’s bringing oddballs of opposition together.