NEW DELHI, Mar 13: The National Investigation Agency today told a court here that the conspiracy of terror attack at the reception of Delhi High Court last year was hatched with an aim to get commuted the death sentence awarded to December 2001 Parliament attack case convict Afzal Guru. In a 1062-page chargesheet filed before District Judge H S Sharma during an in-camera hearing, NIA said two Pakistani nationals Abu Bilal and Abu Saifullah had allegedly planted the bomb at the entrance of gate number 5 of the High Court which killed 17 persons and injured over 90. The agency filed the chargesheet against six persons, including three arrested accused Wasim Akram Malik, Amir Abbas Dev and a minor and Amir Kamal, Junaid Akram Malik and Shakir Hussain Seikh alias Chota Hafiz, who are members of the banned terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen and evading arrest
Cost of Salal, Uri, Dul Hasti projects being worked out for negotiation’ Centre approached for implementation of Rangarajan panel recommendations: Omar
Excelsior Correspondent
AMMU, Mar 13: Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, today said that Union Government has been approached for the implementation of recommendations of the Rangarajan Committee, which has suggested transfer of Dul Hasti Power Project to the State. “The Rangarajan Committee has recommended the transfer of only Dul Hasti Hydro Electric Project to the State and the matter has been vigorously pursued with the Union Government at various fora”, Omar said while replying to a question of CPM MLA, Mohd Yousaf Tarigami and supplementaries of several MLAs including Leader of the Opposition, Mehbooba Mufti, in the Lower House
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Speaker expunges all remarks against Farooq NC Ministers, MLAs protest in Assembly; counter PDP charges *Rashid, Afaq nearly come to blows
By Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Mar 13: For the first time in the ongoing budget session of the Legislature ruling National Conference members including three Ministers were on their feet as all NC MLAs trooped near Well of the House shouting slogans against main opposition party, the PDP for its remarks against Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy and National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah that he was involved in multi-crore scam in Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA). Proceedings of the Question Hour were completely disrupted for about half an hour amidst massive sloganeering by the NC MLAs including senior leaders and former Ministers like Dr Sheikh Mustafa Kamal and Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan and party chief whip Mubarak Gul against the PDP, who demanded that Speaker Mohammad Akbar Lone should expunge remarks made against Dr Abdullah in the Assembly yesterday by the opposition party. At the end of NC protests after about 25 minutes, NC MLA Peer Afaq and Independent MLA from Langate Engineer Abdul Rashid nearly came to blows as latter passed some remarks against the NC and PDP MLAs. Both of them were separated by senior NC Ministers and MLAs besides Marshals but not before abuses were hurled, which were expunged by the Speaker
How funds of ` 1000 Cr NRHM are plundered in J&K-(II) Supply orders went to CBSEs but they procured kits from private spurious drug manufacturers and passed on to J&K Govt
Excelsior Special Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 13: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah as well as Chief Secretary Madhav Lal have been articulately convinced in all review meetings by the men from Ministry of Health, Mission Directorate and Directorates of Health Services in Kashmir and Jammu that work on the UPA Government’s flagship project was going on smoothly in Jammu & Kashmir. Chief Minister functions as the Chairman of the highest level State Rural Health Mission (SRHM) and Chief Secretary operates as Chairman of the Governing Body of J&K State Health Society (SHS). Both, the head of the State Government as well as the head of the State bureaucracy, have been publicly allergic to generalization of the allegations of corruption, nepotism and favouritism. They have always asked for the “proof” of specific actions and incidents. However, when, purely in the public interest, Excelsior published how junior officials of the rank of Assistant Director had been operating as Heads of Departments in the Health sector, there was not even a customary clarification or rejoinder from the Government.
What Reitesh look for in a romantic partner?
Inder Jeet S. ‘Prince’
“I had no idea that I would become an actor. Architecture is my great passion. And though my movie career has stablised, I can’t think of giving up designing and building” said Reitesh in a recent interview. Reitesh has to his credit some hits like “Hey Baby”, “Dhamaal”, “Kya Cool Hain Hum”, “Masti” and Double Dhamaal”.
But films starring himself as solo hero have failed to turn box office afire. For example “Alladdin”, “Jaane Kha Se Aayee Hai !” did not fare well at the box office.
Reitesh was also part of Ram Gopal Verma’s “Darna Zaroori Hai”, “Naach” and “Rann” Reitesh is close to so many people in the industry thanks to his father’s political background. Reitesh himself has a good track-record. He is known as a hard-working and decent actor. There are so many directors who are his contemporaries in age and who he is friendly with.
Why would he not propose it and sit and work a project together with his friends? In his own words, “I’m friends with a lot of people. I sit with, chat, hang around, have dinners with, play together. But I’ve never once tried to confuse my friendship with them to have anything to do with work. I’ve never discuss things like this.
I can assure you, with any of my friends or anyone for that matter. I’ve never ever asked “why didn’t you take me in a film?” or said, “Let’s design a film together.” I will never do that because it is below my dignity to ask that question and not respect that friendship.
Some of Reitesh’s directors like Pryadarshan, Sajid Khan and Ram Gopal Verma tend to want to repeat him in their films. Did he feel the same about working with these directors irrespective of whether the films they’ve made with him were hits or flops? “That is why I work with them. If I don’t enjoy working with a particular director, then I really shouldn’t be. Take for example Indra Kumar. I really enjoyed working with him in films like “Masti” and “Dhamaal”. And both these films were successful. I enjoyed working with Sajid Khan during the making of “Hey Baby” so it helps to be a part of a successful film especially when you’ve also enjoyed working with that person,” says Reitesh.
Reitesh who recently tied with nuptial knot in Mumbai with actress and his girl friend for some years, Genila D’Souza was in the holy town of Katra on Feb 7, 2012 to offer prayers at the holy cave of Mata Vaishno Devi Ji.
Reteish’s marriage with Gelnia was the culmination of his romance with Gelnia. Both met during the shooting of a film some years ago and fell in love with each other.
Gelnia, the 24 years actress from south film industry stormed Bollywood successfully with Imran Khan starrer “Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na”. Down south, Genelia featured in hit movie like “Boys”, “Bommarillu” and Santosh Subramaniam” (all Telgu films).
In Bollywood, Gelnia has done “Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na”, “Life Partner”, “Chance Pe Dance” Force”. She is featuring with hubby Reitesh Deshmukh in “Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya” (slated for an early release).
We posted a last question to Reitesh. What he look for in a Romance and in a Romantic Partner? In his own words. “Romance is something in which you have to be happy, you have to be content. Happiness is the only one thing you should have. Like, if you are with a person, you can be with that person without saying a word for hours. That is the comfort zone you have to be in. If that silence bothers you then there is a problem.
I think it is being in the same room doing two different things, yet the presence should be felt and there is communication without words. Because someone is not talking to you doesn’t mean there is no communication. You can be in the same room without talking for hours but when the person leaves the room, you feel the absence. That is what ‘Romance’ is to me.”
Advertising as a Career
Gauri Chhabra
Advertising aims to turn the good opinion of a target prospect towards a specific product or service (such as airline, banking) or a film, may be even a political party. In the absence of competition this task would be very easy and convenient. In reality this is just not the case. At the very point of time when one advertising agency is trying to capture the attention of its target audience to its product, there are many such agencies trying the same thing with the audience and a similar product. In advertising therefore, beating the competition is the ongoing challenge.
Advertising offers jobs on the Executive side or the creative side. While the executive department deals with client servicing, media planning and market research, the creative department employs copywriters and visualizes along with the scriptwriters, storyboard artists, typographers, etc.
The Executive Department
Account executive have to understand all aspects of the clients business, plan the advertising campaign, coordinate work on the campaign with the client and the various specialists working on the campaign. They are responsible for allocation of funds to the various media, for keeping within the agreed budget, and for producing detailed progress reports.
Market research is carried out before planning a campaign in order to explore possible markets for the product. Facts are compiled about the products uses, its advantages and limitations, the competitor’s products, and an analysis is made of potential customers.
Media executives study newspaper circulation statistics television audience figures, statistics on income groups, buying habits etc. On the basis of this research they suggest the media through which the advertisement is most likely to reach the greatest number of potential buyers. They negotiate the buying of advertisement time and space.
The Creative Department
Copywriters are expected to help create the advertising message. Armed with facts provided by the research department and by the client, copywriters spend a long time seeking just the right words to put across the message and create the desired image.
Scriptwriters have to plan and write television and radio commercials and for advertising films. Similar to a copy writer’s job, scriptwriters have to develop their ideas in terms of sound and visual possibilities.
Visualizes, also known as layout artists, work in conjunction with copywriters to give a graphic interpretation to an agreed campaign.
Usually agencies hire studios with professional film directors, editors and other specialists to produce the actual commercial.
Personality Traits
The work at an advertising agency is extremely varied but much of it is sheer hard toil and less glamorous than it is often reputed to be. Life in this industry is like a rat race and a tough go-head personality counts for as much as, or even more, than talent.
Some personality traits are essential for all advertising personnel whether on the executives or the creative side. A creative visual imagination, good powers of observation, insight into the interest of people, to work from all walks of life, the ability to interact, patience and perseverance, and mental and physical toughness to be able to withstand high pressure and criticism.
Market and media researchers should have an analytical and logical brain.
Visualizes should possess exceptional artistic ability too. Copywriters should be able to possess a strong feeling foe words.
Courses
For jobs on the executive side of an advertising agency diploma/degree holders in mass communication/advertising /social communication are found suitable. These courses are usually of one year or two years duration and can be taken up only after graduation in any discipline. In these courses students rare taught marketing, media planning, graphics and group campaigns with all other aspects of advertising and public relations.
MBAs with specialization in marketing also join the executive side. MBA courses can be taken up after graduation. They are usually of 2 years duration.
Postgraduates in statistics are suited for market research (quantative) while postgraduates in sociology and psychology are preferred for qualitative market research. Copywriters may be diploma holders in advertising. However, those who have a flair for words and can find the phrase or word which sums up others long-winded explanations should approach advertising agencies to appear for copywriting tests.
MBA programmes are offered by many universities in the country as well as the premier Institutes of Management, Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Research, T.A. Pai Management Institute (TAPMI), IISWBM, Kolkata, to name a few.
Placement
Nowhere in the world have consumers been so responsive to advertising as in India. Over the last 2 decades consumers have become more aware of advertising than ever before. Liberalization of the economy, new products and services and proliferation of media have boosted the advertising industry in a big way.
In this scenario advertising professionals have no dearth of jobs and the remunerations depend on an individual’s capability, the size of the agency and its volume of business. Newcomers can start off in the range of 7500-15000 Rs. Per month. With promotions being linked to ability, luck and success, remunerations can multiply very fast for those with flair, creativity and go-getting instinct.
In today’s advertising clutter choosing the right media poses the biggest challenge. Media planning has emerged as the most potent tool that agencies are using to back up brilliant creative campaigns. Advertising professionals constitute the rare breed of strategic thinkers most sought after in this decade.
Hindi poetry that impresses
O. P. Sharma
Man Darpan (Reflections of Mind) in Hindi is the second poetic collection by noted writer Maharaj Krishan . His first poetic work titled “Meri Awaaz” was published in 1971 when he was a student of History Department, University of Kashmir , Srinagar.
His latest book “Man Darpan” contains Hindi poetry comprising poems, gazals and geets all of which are penned in his simple and lucid style. Most of his poetry is related to life depicting its complexities and emotion-packed ideas. Some are philosophical in nature while few others are reflections of the every day life but put in an impressive and creative way. I like some of them and hope that the readers too will enjoy them.
“Man Darpan” depicts poet’s panorama of seeing things around but definitely in different way than others. He has his own attitude of look at life and its various shades of emotions and visions and so these poems are on variety of topics and themes.. What ever the poet has witnessed in Jammu since his migration from Kashmir has penned his sentiments frankly from his own personal perspective and experiences.
The poet in the preface of the book frankly, says that he is a God conscious fellow but not rigid at all about his way of living and faith due to enlightened outlook. His poems are testimony of his. preference to humanity over religiosity. At many places poet’s views are very bold and progressive but there are many places where he is optimistic though there is also under-current deep inside of pessimistic feelings at times.
The book is dedicated to those, who are struggling hard in life and have a picture of hope for mankind as well as a faith in tomorrow. He salutes in his poetic compositions all those who fell after facing bravely the turbulence and turmoils of life. His approach is humane and optimistic which is reflected in his many poems. There is sensitivity of his mind and heart. He firmly believes that the whole universe lies in everyone’s heart.
This poet is idealistic as well as realistic in outlook. Stanza expresses his candid viewpoint as follows:
“Ruaz Sabi Ka Khooley Darpan
Jhoot Kabi no Booley Darpan”
Asli Kis Ki Soorat Nakli
Meezan Pe sub Tooley Darpan
Mirror reflects only the truth
It never tells a lie
What is real, what is un real
Mirror truly weighs the balance.
When we come to his gazals and geets, one feels the flight of his imagination and depth of his sentiments. too.
In the experimentation with life and its experiences, the poet is busy too much. The poet has written already, six books in Urdu, 2 in English, 2 in Hindi including “Man Darpan”.
Pal do pal dam bharta hoon
Jeevan darshan karta hoon
Darta Hoon agar kissi se
Izaat se apni darta hoon
Living every moment of life
Gaining experiences in journey of life
If I fear anything or anybody
It is really my ownself
Yet another piece of his poetry is noted below:.
Bhoola bula pani hoon
Aur baada abhimani hoon
Gyan ki baatein karta hoon
Asl mein to Agyani hoon
(Though a simple fellow but am really proud as I often talk about knowledge yet in reality am a shallow one.)
He asks can we love God while having hatred for His creations and creatures. He appeals for love for the entire humanity. Mark the fine feelings in these lines from Man Darpan: .
Words are words
Big one small one
Every word has its
Importance of own place
Words have kept alive
Our scriptures
Like Geeta, Bible, Quran
Spring Skin Care
Shahnaz Husain
Here are some tips to help you tide over the change of season:
For normal to dry skin: Prepare a cleanser at home by mixing half a cup of milk with half teaspoon of any vegetable oil, like sesame seed (til) oil, or olive oil, or sunflower oil. Put the mixture in a bottle and shake well. Wipe your skin with this, using cotton wool and keep the remainder in the refrigerator for the next 2 or 3 days.
Skin Toning: Skin toning helps to improve blood circulation to the skin surface and add a glow. Mix half teaspoom alum with 50 ml rosewater and one teaspoon pure glycerine. Keep in the fridge and use it to tone the skin.
Or, grate cucumber. Add yogurt and apply on the face. Wash it off after 20 minutes. Tones the skin and removes winter tan.
Daily Nourishing of Dry Skin: Take pure almond oil and massage it on the skin every night, after cleansing, with outward and slightly upward movements, for 2 minutes. Wipe off with moist cotton wool.
Tulsi is very useful for eruptive conditions. It helps to soothe rashes and eruptions. The paste of tulsi leaves can be applied on the skin and washed off after 15 minutes.
Sandalwood paste can be applied on the eruptive conditions. Or, mix sandalwood with a little rose water and apply on the entire area. Wash off with plain water after 20 to 30 minutes.
Pimples / Acne: Or, add 2 drops of tea tree oil to 2 tablespoons of water or rose water. Apply this on pimples.
For itchy skin, add 1 tablespoon vinegar to a mug of water and pour it on the affected area. It helps in getting relief from itchy skin.
For dry and rashy skin, add a little turmeric paste to milk and apply on the rashes for quick healing.
Neem: Simmer a handful of neem leaves on very low fire in 4 cups of water for 1 hour. Leave it overnight. Next morning, strain the water and make a paste out of the leaves. Apply it on eruptions and rashes. The water can be used for rinsing the area. Neem contains organic sulphur compounds with versatile healing actions that are of particular benefit to the skin.
Fruit Mask would be good for all skin types. Mix together ripe papaya pulp, grated cucumber, grated apple, mashed banana and apply on the face. Wash it off after half an hour. Curd and oats can also be added to this.
Clays like fuller’s earth (multani mitti) have a cooling and soothing effect. Mix it with rose water into a paste and apply on affected areas.
Bicarbonate of soda helps to relieve itchy skin. It can be added to the Multani Mitti pack. Apply on rashes and eruptions and wash off after 5 minutes.
Body Scrub: Twice a week, apply body scrub. Mix sesame seeds (til), dried mint (pudina) leaves, curd and honey. These ingredients are not normally used, but they have a remarkably rejuvenating effect on the skin. Crush the sesame seeds coarsely and powder the dried mint leaves. Mix them with a little honey and curd and apply on the body. Rub gently with circular strokes and wash off with water.
Doda connectivity deficit
Doda district is not only hilly but also backward. Chandrabhaga or better known as Chenab River flows through it. As a mountainous region, there are innumerable nullahs and streams rushing down the steep gorges finally merging with Chenab and making it a mighty river, a roaring ocean during the rainy season. The district has very little land that is plain and the population is scattered over hills and hillocks. Evidently, connectivity is difficult and hazardous and we have motor accidents day in and day out. As such, development of the entire area is subject to dependable road connectivity. This means that a large number of bridges, small and big, have to be built to ensure connectivity. Movement of men and material is possible only when there are bridges over the nullahs and the river. With this necessity in mind, the Government planned as many as five important bridges in the region which would serve over 3.5 lakh people of various localities. Bridges proposed are Assar, Marsoo, Pul Doda, Shiva Dal and Thathri. Total amount estimated to be spent on their construction is close to 70 crore rupees.
Reports coming from reliable media sources are not very encouraging in regard to the completion of these vital bridges. In fact construction of none of the bridges has been brought to completion though work was started as early as 2005 on some of them. After a lapse of nearly six years and spending good deal of money, not one of the aforementioned bridges is functional. R&B Department is with the Chief Minister, and he has issued explicit instructions in the meetings of JKPCC that the task of bringing the construction to completion should be speeded up. It appears as if he too has become helpless in the face of lackadaisical attitude of functionaries at the helm of affairs. This is not at all satisfying. One fails to understand why such long delays happen in the construction of bridges when money and expertise are not lacking. Perhaps there is the lack of will to do or insensitivity towards the public good. It is inexplicable.
The most common reason given by responsible functionaries is that the contractor has failed to deliver and they bring all onuses to the doorsteps of the contractors. This is not acceptable. A contractor’s antecedents are fully scrutinized before the contract is signed. If the Government is not satisfied with the antecedents, no contract is to be signed. Does it mean that there has been favouritism at work meaning a contract is given to a company which does not have the technical proficiency and expertise but being a favoured one grabs the contract and after swindling a few crores of rupees leaves the work half way and is no more traceable. Normally this is the situation. It points to serious lapses on the part of the department concerned. The first and foremost thing to be scrutinized is the feasibility of the site and of the company which will undertake the project. If a certain company has failed to bring the project to completion, it should be dealt with according to rules; it has to be black listed. Nobody knows whether the department has ever thought of imposing punitive punishment on defaulting companies or not. An ordinary person will say that there has been a nexus between various agencies to swindle the money and leave the Government in lurch. The accusation may not be true but the Government should ensure not to give opportunity to observers to jump to the conclusion.
Bridges are of extraordinary importance to this hilly and backward region. If we want to improve the life of the people, connectivity is the first necessity. If a popular government is not able to provide connectivity to the backward region, it should not expect the people to be receptive to their approaches when votes are asked for. And that is the beauty of a democratic dispensation. People adjudge the governments and the parties by their performance and their assessment depends on what practical benefit has accrued to the masses during the tenure of a particular government. The Chief Minister himself is in charge of the department whose responsibility is to bring these bridges to completion. We know how serious he is and how sincerely he wants the development of the state but then there are bottlenecks. We want him to deal strongly and firmly with this recurring problem.
Tense Rajouri
It is the 6th day of curfew in Rajouri where communal tension flared up after a Bhairav procession brought out by the minority community was assaulted. There are accusations that a religious leader had whipped up communal passion in the course of his speech earlier. Whatever the background, the immediate thing to be done is to do all to bring the situation to normalcy. One fails to understand why the directive from the Speaker of LA of sending a ministerial team to Rajouri has not materialized so far. What ground situation do these ministers expect to be created to enable them to come to Rajouri? They are not going as royal visitors to play golf and want a hero’s reception. Rajouri is burning and they have to go there to doze off the flames. This State cannot afford communal disharmony. We have seen lot of bad days in last two decades and have suffered in more than one way. Thousands of families are put to great suffering and hundreds of thousands of youth are unemployed craving for two square meals. We have problems of economy, healthcare, education, and poverty. We are all geared to fight the evils of poverty, backwardness and deprivation. How on earth can we afford to forget all this and allow brute instincts within us to have the better part of us? The saner elements of Rajouri from both communities should meet forthwith and give a proof that they can rise above the conflict and tension and restore normal life. They should refuse the intervention of the ministerial team because the team has proved insensitive. They should resolve to keep the initiative in their hands and guide their respective communities. There is absolutely no alternative to living in peaceful coexistence. This is the motherland of us all to whatever faith, culture, and ethnicity we belong.
Could BJP capitalise on elections results ?
By Amulya Ganguli
The BJP has reasons to smile because of the election results. An outright win in Goa, a return to power in Punjab and a third position in U.P., pushing the Congress to the last slot, cannot but be satisfying at a time when the party is facing the “porngate” scandal and a defiant former chief minister in Karnataka and a sulking Narendra Modi in Gujarat. It might have won in Uttarakhand, too, if it had removed the tainted Ramesh Pokhriyal from the chief minister’s post early enough to enable B.C. Khanduri retrieve the lost ground.
Although the BJP benefitted from the follies of its opponents rather than any special effort of its own, what these results show is that the BJP’s position as the national alternative to the Congress remains unchanged. However, it started the campaign nervously as some of its moves in U.P. on the eve of the elections showed. While the induction of the former rebel, Uma Bharati, into the party was the first sign of its desperation to woo the backward castes, the second was the hasty manner in which it tried to accommodate another OBC, the former BSP minister, Babu Singh Kushwaha, despite the charges against him in the health mission scam.
Since the Kushwaha episode caused a mini-revolt in the party against its president, Nitin Gadkari, the latter had to tell the Koeri leader that his formal admission will be delayed. But, the incident, along with Modi’s refusal to campaign in U.P. or anywhere else, and Varun Gandhi’s jibe that the party had more than 50 chief ministers, indicated that all was not well with the BJP.
But, in the end, none of it mattered. Although the BJP’s tally of seats has dropped from 51 to 47, and its vote share from 19 per cent to 15, it will be happy to remain ahead of the Congress since, in U.P., the Congress’s discomfiture matters a great deal because it shows how the wind is blowing in the Hindi heartland. If the Congress’s failure to rise above the fourth slot is taken together with its defeat in Punjab and Goa, then the message from the electorate is that the party is in serious trouble.
This assessment will be music to the BJP’s ears because it means that the party can approach the general elections with considerable confidence. True, it has its own problems. For one, the question of the prime ministerial candidate remains open. At least four contenders appear to be in the queue – the never-say-die L.K. Advani, the grumpy Modi, and the two Delhi-based stalwarts – Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj – who were pointedly ignored by the RSS when it chose Gadkari as the BJP president. It is obvious that the final choice will not be a smooth affair.
For another, there is no certainty that the NDA will remain in its present form as the general election approaches. It isn’t only that Nitish Kumar will walk out if there is an attempt to field Modi, no one knows how the Janata Dal (United) leader will respond to any overtures from Naveen Patnaik and other votaries of a new Third Front. However, factors such as the NDA’s durability would have aroused greater concern for the BJP if it had fared badly in the elections. But, with two victories under its belt, it will be on firmer footing.
The victories have also been a godsend to Gadkari. It is no secret that the portly Maharashtrian is regarded as a “provincial” (the term which Jaswant Singh used for for the former president, Rajnath Singh) by the more cosmopolitan among the BJP’s leaders. Gadkari is also gaffe-prone, as his description of Lalu Prasad Yadav and others as Sonia Gandhi’s canine followers and of Afzal Guru as the Congress’s son-in-law showed. He also tries to defend the indefensible, as could be seen from his attempts to save B.S. Yeddyurappa by saying that the former chief minister’s acts were only immoral and not illegal. The experiment with social engineering with Kushwaha would have also rebounded on him if the BJP fared poorly.
But, now that the BJP has survived the latest trial with relative ease, its next test will be to save the NDA. If it fails, then its chances of reaching the corridors of power at the centre are remote. To make matters worse, there is no one with Atal Behari Vajpayee’s wide appeal to sustain the NDA even if the BJP reiterates its dumping of the Hindu agenda – building the Ram temple, scrapping Article 370, introducing uniform civil code – as it did in 1996.
The BJP has an opportunity to undo the 2004 and 2009 verdicts considering that the Congress has lost its sense of direction because of the tug-of-war between Sonia Gandhi’s socialism and Manmohan Singh’s neo-liberalism. But, the BJP has no one with a broad, pan-Indian vision capable of utilizing the opportunity. (IPA)