'I hold Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Congress president Smt. Sonia Gandhi directly responsible for colluding in this conspiracy to bury the truth about Bofors'
The timing of the withdrawal of the the Red Corner notice against Ottavio Quattrocchi is an indication that the leadership of the UPA is so convinced of the loss of its power that, like most despotic regimes, it is obliging its friends in the last da
So why has the government stalled anti-corruption help from Germany? It should accept it at least to avoid another round of possibly unwarranted harassment of Mr Quattrocchi...
The jibe by Quattrocchi's lawyer, that CBI did not argue its case properly, might well be perceived then in an altogether different, sinister light. Updates
Recent indications suggest that the differences over Ottavio Quattrocchi have assumed the dimensions of a rift at the very top, playing havoc with governance.
It turns out that this time too—a classic repeat of what happened almost a year back—the nation learnt of Bofors payoff-accused Ottavio Quattrocchi's detention when he was already out on bail! The Congress and CBI brazen it out.
Mr Ottavio Quattrocchi is in Argentinean custody not because but in spite of the government and the powers that be. The globalization of investigation in the Bofors case could possibly tie the hands of the UPA government.
It is no use looking up to America to learn how the war against terror should be fought. Can India summon zero tolerance towards political corruption, on which terrorism feeds? Unless that is done, there can be no real war on terror.
It degenerated from a movement to a party, from a party to a dynasty. It has outlived its historical role. It must be consigned to the dustbin of history. India needs a new party, a new political culture and a new freedom struggle.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi has constructive responsibility for all actions of the party. Should she not act to clear the air about circumstantial evidence pointing to corruption by her party? And safeguard her own reputation?
'Is an Italian fugitive close to the Gandhi family going to be helped in a manner that every democratic institution in India is subverted? Is Indian democracy so vulnerable that it can look a helpless spectator to this subversion?'
A work-in-progress timeline providing an overview of the Bofors case
Who authorized the Law Ministry to deal with this matter? Who authorized the visit of the Additional Solicitor General of India to Britain? Who prevented the CBI officer from accompanying the Additional Solicitor General of India?
This unusual step has been taken to help Mr Quottorocchi merely because of his proximity to Mrs. Sonia Gandhi and the Gandhi family. Is Indian law going to be different for an Italian accused?
'Bofors truth points to Quattrocchi, Sonia,' screamed the banner headlines in the Asian Age of April 8 to a piece by the Swedish police officer, who was the principal investigator in the Bofors case and has followed it for the past 18 years.
He would take his colour, brushes and canvas outside to paint and talk with his love. He would stand close to the window and paint, keeping an eye on his muse.
They say the violin mimics the human sound. In his case, it was that of love, of longing. He didn’t know any other way of loving.
Younger people do not have much progressive beliefs; a 2017 survey found that one-third of young people opposed inter-caste marriage.
The pandemic has made it clear that virtual learning is here to stay. In the West, the big question is whether it will dilute the quality of the college experience and education. In India, which grapples with digital divide, the question remains whether this will reach most people at all.
Even after two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, many 'informed' individuals in India continue to deny the virus with unscientific claims and unfounded data. The latest? Omicron will end the pandemic.
Across Asia there are deeply entrenched obstacles to a mode of higher education that is liberal in multiple senses – disciplinary and epistemological but also social and political.
The two incidents in the recent past, one in Mon district of Nagaland and the other at Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh, undermined the core principles democracy and federalism.