Nitin Gadkari has emerged as the most likely person to replace Rajnath Singh as the next BJP president. His name started doing the rounds soon after the RSS Sarsangchalak Mohan Bhagwat had indicated it to Arnab Goswami in a Times Now talk show that none of the four prominent second generation leaders — Sushma Swaraj, Venkaih Naidu, Anant Kumar and Arun Jaitley — were likely to be succeed Rajnath. Read more

Delhi has many five star hotels and more are coming up in anticipation of the Commonwealth Games. For instance, the Hilton Piccadily Hotel will soon open in Janakpuri and the Marina in Connaught Place outer circle is getting a face-lift to reopen as the Raddison Marina. Read more

It was really heartening to know that Nikhil Kumar has been made the Governor of Nagaland. Every one who has covered the crime beat in the capital as well as everyone who has covered politics knows him. Read more

I watched with great interest, a special two-part programme on legendary singer Asha Bhonsle on Times Now. I must concede that the effort by this news channel to pay tributes to some of our musicians and singers is indeed commendable. At last there is someone who is trying to recapture the great musical moments of the Indian film industry. Read more

For more than a week now, newspapers and TV networks have been going hoarse over the so-called austerity drive by the Central government and the Congress party. While it is good to create a perception that the ruling party and its government were keen to identify themselves with the common man (aam aadmi), the present drive has assumed farcical dimensions. Read more

The demand for a fresh probe into the death of former Pakistan President Zia-ul-Haq by his son, Ejaz-ul-Haq in a plane crash in August, 1988 has given rise to speculation as to whether the Americans were involved in eliminating him. Read more

I was passing by Gurdwara Rakabganj today and thoughts of what happened many many years ago came back to me. To be precise it was October 12, 1982 and I was barely one month old as a reporter in the Times of India. I had been assigned the Crime beat along with my late friend Ravi Bhatia and my chief Yoginder Bali had instructed me to keep a watch on the Akalis agitation, which was going on in the capital. Every day, a Jatha of Akalis would court arrest at Parliament Street as part of their ongoing agitation. Read more

Two days of rain in a span of about a month have thoroughly exposed the lack of infra structure in the capital as also raised serious doubts on whether Delhi was prepared to hold Commonwealth Games next year.

The showers demonstrated that the city had a non-functional drainage system, an erratic traffic controlling mechanism and there was no attempt by the authorities to fix responsibility and take action so that things could move smoothly thereafter. Read more

The much delayed submission of the Liberhan’s commission brought back memories of that fateful day when the disputed structure of Babri Masjid was brought down by Kar Sewaks belonging to the Sangh Parivar in the presence of some leading BJP leaders on December 6,1992. Read more

On Monday, I met Balraj Madhok, the 90-year-old co-founder of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh at his house in New Rajinder Nagar. The meeting took place a day before the BJP and the Sangh observed the martydom day of Dr Shyama Prasad Mukheree and Madhok appeared very cheerful and fully alert despite his advancing years. Read more