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Friday, August 29, 2025
TopicMani Shankar Aiyar

Topic: Mani Shankar Aiyar

Gorbachev once asked Rajiv what keeps India together. Then IB chief Narayanan prepared note for him

Narayanan, who was chief of IB then, said PM Rajiv Gandhi asked him to prepare the brief at Gorbachev’s request. But Soviet leader didn’t even ‘glance’ at it later.

‘Narasimha Rao was first BJP PM, doing puja when Babri Masjid fell’—Mani Shankar Aiyar

He was speaking at the launch of his autobiography to a high profile audience that included former VP Hamid Ansari, Sonia Gandhi, former foreign secretaries and MPs.

I told Rajiv Gandhi to visit Pakistan. It was like Prince Edward visiting France: Mani Shankar Aiyar

In 'Memoirs of a Maverick', Mani Shankar Aiyar writes about Rajiv Gandhi's 1988 visit to Pakistan, the first by an Indian PM in 28 years since Nehru went in 1960 for the Indus Water Treaty.

‘Gandhis, Kharge believe I’m a dinosaur, loose cannon’— Mani Shankar Aiyar on being kept out of CWC

Aiyar, whose autobiography ‘Memoirs of a Maverick’ was released Monday, says he won’t leave Congress but laments party’s drift from ‘secularism of Gandhi & Nehru kind'.

‘Vishwaguru’ should look in mirror: Why Ram Navami riots & bulldozers won’t help India’s stature

Can we aspire for moral stature if we respond to criticism with prickliness? The partisan would cheer, but it doesn't mean we lose ability to look within. Or stop listening to friends.

Surprise guest list at Congress G-23 ‘dinner meet’ — Tharoor, Aiyar, Preneet Kaur, Vaghela

G-23 leaders meet for 2nd time in week at Ghulam Nabi Azad’s house after poll results declared. Former CMs Prithviraj Chavan, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, also spotted.

Can’t deny top Congress leadership inaccessible — Aiyar, Chacko, Shastri back letter to Sonia

Senior Congress leaders Mani Shankar Aiyar, P.C. Chacko, Anil Shastri and others said they are in “full and complete agreement” with the demands raised in letter.

Congress doing politics only sometimes, says Sandeep Dikshit, echoes Sanjay Jha’s concerns

Senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar says he hopes leadership gives Sanjay Jha 'a patient hearing' and doesn't shut him up.

Happy if Rahul returns as Congress chief else Priyanka should take over: Mani Shankar Aiyar

Mani Shankar Aiyar, a senior Congress leader, also says no space in the party to express views and so Congress should hold camps like it did at Pachmarhi in 1998. 

Mani Aiyar says Congress weak, Drèze on cost of COVID-19 lockdown & telcos to the rescue

Today’s political, economic & strategic punditry from Yamini Aiyar, K. Srinath Reddy, Sandipan Deb, Sunita Narain & many others.

On Camera

Mohan Bhagwat’s U-turn on ‘retire at 75’ is a Hindu succession problem

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has backtracked on his retirement rules. The ‘75-year rule’ was applied selectively to sideline some leaders, but it doesn’t apply to the top brass.

Easy loans, uneasy ‘debt traps’. Women harassed by private lenders ask ‘who will restore lost dignity?’

A public meeting, where the women voiced their protest, took place this month in Delhi, grounded on the findings of an AIDWA survey, covering 9,000 women borrowers.

Post-Sindoor, joint doctrine tasks Special Forces with fighting info warfare & countering propaganda

Joint Doctrine for Special Forces Operations, released Wednesday, also outlines plans for the future expansion of AFSOD and the creation of Joint Service Training Institutes.

That Oval Office picture for ages deserves closer Indian reading, with a geopolitical lens

Putin sees this as a victory. Europeans have decided to deal with Trump on his terms for the sake of the larger Western alliance. We look at the lessons for us in India.