THE nomination of Ram Nath Kovind as the presidential candidate of the BJP alliance confirms the expectation that the RSS would not let this opportunity slip by to place one of its men in the Rashtrapati Bhavan for the first time.

The choice of Kovind is sought to be projected as the concern of the BJP for a dalit to occupy the highest office in the land. But behind this effort to regain  its credibility among the dalits lies the fact that the person  chosen is a follower of the RSS.

INDIA, along with Pakistan, has joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) as full members at the Astana Summit meeting held in Kazakhstan. Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif represented their countries on this important occasion. 

THE remarks made in an interview by the Army Chief of Staff, General Bipin Rawat, about dealing with civilian protestors in Kashmir exemplifies all that is wrong with the way the Modi government is dealing with the situation there.

Gen. Rawat stated in the interview that: “In fact, I wish these people instead of throwing stones at us, were firing weapons at us, then I would have been happy.  Then I could do what I (want to do)”. 

THE Modi government is set upon privatising defence production in the country. Both foreign and Indian private companies are being invited to enter defence production and the manufacture of hi-tech weaponary. This has serious implications for national sovereignty and the future course of the country.

The ministry of defence has finalised its new policy for defence production. It has decided to identify six Strategic Partners (SPs) from domestic Indian companies. These companies will partner foreign weapons manufacturers to build defence production enterprises in India.

BJP president, Amit Shah, has declared that the BJP would oust the Left Front government in Tripura in the assembly elections to be held early next year. He has also gone on to claim that the Leftists would be uprooted from the state.