THE rupee breached the 80 level versus the dollar for the first time amidst a widening trade and current account deficit.  The continuous decline in the value of the rupee is bound to increase inflationary pressures. This, coupled with already existing inflation and high unemployment, shows how the economy is being mismanaged by the Modi government by its pursuit of pro-big business policies.

THE drive to establish one-party authoritarian rule was clearly expressed by the union home minister, Amit Shah, at the national executive meeting of the BJP held in Hyderabad on July 2-3. Moving the political resolution, Amit Shah said that the next 30-40 years will be the era of the BJP in India.

THE Agnipath scheme, which makes a radical departure in the nature of recruitment of soldiers to the armed forces, has met with widespread opposition from the youth and ex-servicemen of all categories.  Despite this fierce opposition, the government has directed the armed forces to go ahead with the new recruitment programme.The objections to the scheme have been well spelt out by various retired senior officers of the armed forces and defence analysts.    More importantly, it is the young men, of predominantly rural backgrounds, who have understood the pernicious character of the grandiloq

THE BJP and the Modi government have been hoist on their own petard. After presiding over a systematic anti-Muslim campaign and whipping up Islamophobia, the government and the ruling party are faced with a strong diplomatic backlash from most of the Muslim countries, among them the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Indonesia, Malaysia and Turkey.Two BJP spokespersons – Nupur Sharma at the national level and Naveen Jindal of the Delhi BJP – had made offensive remarks against Prophet Muhammad on national television and social media respectively.

DURING the Ramjanmabhoomi agitation, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and other Hindutva outfits had raised the slogan “Ayodhya sirf ek jhanki hai, Mathura or Kashi baaki hai”. This translated means “Ayodhya is just the beginning, Mathura and Kashi are left”.After winning the battle to build the Ram temple at Ayodhya at the very spot where the Babri Masjid had stood, in less than two years after the foundation ceremony of the temple at Ayodhya was held, the same forces have begun the struggle for Kashi and Mathura.