When it came to economic reforms, Rao was half a lion, but when it came to Babri Masjid, he was half a man, said Aiyar at the launch of his book The Rajiv I Knew.
Just like BJP supporters don't praise Vajpayee enough because of his refusal to fully embrace Hindutva, Congress supporters fret when asked about Rajiv Gandhi’s achievements.
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.
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.
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.
If a BJP PM had done what Indira Gandhi did, would liberals be this kind to their legacy? While never criticising her, Rajiv ended many of the abuses of the system that she initiated.
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.
A prayer meeting is being held at the banks of Pangong Lake to mark the 79th birth anniversary of former prime minister today as Rahul Gandhi visits the place.
Modi’s remarks in Manipur were directed at the Gen Z in Nepal. Now that they have succeeded in ending ‘oldigarchy’, New Delhi knows it’s time for a reset in its Nepal policy.
While bond yields tend to fall amid low inflation & interest rate cuts, market experts say they’ve been rising due to concerns over tax collections, fiscal deficit & potential impact of US tariffs.
To be truly functional and durable, even eternal, a state doesn’t just need a leader, a party or an ideology. It needs functional and robust institutions.
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