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On December 13, this photo of Prime Minister <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=narendra+modi&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Narendra Modi</a>, former Prime Minister <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=manmohan+singh&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Manmohan </a><a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=manmohan+singh&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Sing</a>h and former Deputy Prime Minister <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=LK+ADVANI&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">LK Advani</a> was taken while the trio gathered to pay tribute to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives during the <keyword id="6354721" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="parliament">Parliament</keyword> terrorist attack of December, 2001. 
 Even though the occasion was quite a sombre one, <keyword id="6354616" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Twitter">Twitter</keyword> couldn't stop notice how hilarious this picture was and immediately started cracking jokes about it. 
 
Here are five of the funniest tweets: 
 1. In the time of <keyword id="3315394" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="demonetisation">Demonetisation</keyword> 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
	
		When you're standing in ATM queue and the person in front takes out second card <a href="https://t.co/8OpnbIQYD7">pic.twitter.com/8OpnbIQYD7</a>
	— dorku (@Dorkstar) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dorkstar/status/808649966235176960">December 13, 2016</a></blockquote>
 
2. Savage 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
	
		PM, Ex-PM and Always expecting PM. <a href="https://t.co/Wd3GQiMiuR">pic.twitter.com/Wd3GQiMiuR</a>
	— The Viral Fever (@TheViralFever) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheViralFever/status/808657612455571459">December 13, 2016</a></blockquote>
 
3. #Notesban 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
	
		New 2000 note 
		Old 1000 note 
		Old 100 note <a href="https://t.co/pCW2Ue40IG">pic.twitter.com/pCW2Ue40IG</a>
	— Chuniya Mama (@daalrice) <a href="https://twitter.com/daalrice/status/808690176935358464">December 13, 2016</a></blockquote>
 
4. Oh no you didn't! 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
	
		Kaam ka PM 
		 
		Naam ka PM 
		 
		Char Dhaam ka PM <a href="https://t.co/O501jDDagQ">pic.twitter.com/O501jDDagQ</a>
	— Arjun (@zoomphatak) <a href="https://twitter.com/zoomphatak/status/808958155136765953">December 14, 2016</a></blockquote>
 
5. No words 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
	
		<a href="https://twitter.com/coolfunnytshirt">@coolfunnytshirt</a> Line to get Jio sim after hearing free internet offer is extended till march
	— Sri_samanya (@sri_samanya) <a href="https://twitter.com/sri_samanya/status/808933627522334720">December 14, 2016</a></blockquote>

Twitter can't stop cracking jokes on this picture of Narendra Modi, Manmohan Singh and LK Advani

The man whom India’s first <keyword id="71" type="POSITION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Prime-Minister">Prime Minister</keyword> <keyword id="6360386" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Jawaharlal-Nehru">Jawaharlal Nehru</keyword> prophesied to become the Prime Minister of India one day, the man whom the then Prime Minister <keyword id="6359397" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Manmohan-Singh">Manmohan Singh</keyword> called the “Bheeshm Pitamah of Indian politics,” the man who led an Indian delegation to the United Nations for a discussion on the Kashmir issue despite being in the opposition… Yes, we are talking about no other than former Prime Minister <keyword id="47100" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Atal-Bihari-Vajpayee">Atal Bihari Vajpayee</keyword>, whom even the opponents regard with utmost respect and is invariably referred to as Atal ji by one and all. 
 The political life of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, spanning across seven decades, has numerous exemplary accomplishments and statesmanship. He was the man who helped build the <keyword id="58687" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bharatiya-Janata-Party">Bharatiya Janata Party</keyword> (BJP) from an insignificant political player, with just two <keyword id="6355187" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha">Lok Sabha</keyword> MPs in the 1984 elections, to the ruling party of today. In the very first general election that the BJP contested in 1984 – amid unprecedented pro-Congress wave following Indira Gandhi’s assassination – the BJP could manage to win merely two seats in the Lok Sabha. 
 
He led the BJP from two seats in 1984 to being the single-largest party in 1996. He was invited to form the government as the leader of the single-largest party, though he did not have the majority. Here he showed he was a true statesman and not like any other power-hungry politician who would have tried every trick of the trade (read horse trading) to cobble up majority and remain in power. But he gracefully put in his papers when he did not get enough support. 
 
In 1977, as foreign minister in the Morarji Desai government, he delivered his speech at the UN in Hindi and became the first Indian leader to do so. 
 
He also served as the country’s Prime Minister from 1998 to 2004. His tenure had many accomplishments like the nuclear test, Lahore summit, Kargil victory and ushering in growth and economic development. However, after his defeat in the elections, he retired from active politics in 2005. 
 
His current state Vajpayee suffered a stroke in 2009, which silenced the great orator. He now remains confined to his bed or wheelchair in his SPG (<keyword id="494734" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Special-Protection-Guard">Special Protection Guard</keyword>)-guarded Krishna Menon Marg bungalow, where he lives with his adopted daughter Namita. He also suffers from dementia and often fails to recognise people. 
 Unlike the good old days, no one visits him these days, except <keyword id="6436232" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="LK-Advani">LK Advani</keyword> and former Uttarakhand chief minister BC Khanduri. He rarely ventures out of his sprawling bungalow, except for checkups at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. However, leaders cutting across various political parties visit him to wish him on his birthday (25 December). Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh makes it a point to visit him personally on his birthday. According to sources, Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> is likely to inaugurate Patna AIIMS on Vajpayee’s birthday this year as a mark of tribute to him. Vajpayee had laid its foundation stone when he was the Prime Minister. 
 
He is also a prolific poet and many of his poems like Kadam milakar chalna hoga and Door kahin koi rota hai were sung by the late Ghazal maestro <keyword id="6385431" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Jagjit-Singh">Jagjit Singh</keyword>. Now, singer Bappi Lahiri will also compose an album of his other poems. 
 
As much as you write about him, it seems less. According to recent media reports, the Narendra Modi government might confer Bharat Ratna to Vajpayee. This would be a befitting tribute to this great statesman.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee: The Forgotten Statesman

Amit Shah won the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat with 894624 vote share. Gandhinagar constituency recorded 64.87% voter turnout, nearly one per cent less than in 2014 when BJP patriarch L.K. Advani had won with a margin of 4.82 lakh votes. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, LK Advani, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Madhya Pradesh Governor and former chief minister Anandiben Patel were voters from Gandhinagar constituency. BJP President Amit Shah is making his Lok Sabha election debut from Gandhinagar. The constituency is a BJP bastion. The BJP is expecting the victory with good margin.

Gandhinagar Lok Sabha Election Results 2019: Amit Shah wins with 69.67% vote share

In the wake of showcause notice issued over citizenship row, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=rahul+gandhi">Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi</a> said he will deal with it. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=LK+Advani">BJP veteran LK </a><a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=LK+Advani">Advani</a>-led <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Lok+Sabha">Lok Sabha Ethics Committee</a> served a notice on <keyword id="5268" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rahul-Gandhi">Rahul Gandhi</keyword> over his alleged dual nationality issue. 
 BJP MP Arjun Ram Meghwal revealed the ethics committee has served Rahul Gandhi a notice and will act on the matter only after a reply from the <keyword id="1575" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Congress">Congress</keyword> member. 
 
"Rahul Gandhi has been issued notice to seek his response on why he declared himself a British citizen. The complaint was received by the speaker (Sumitra Mahajan) and she has forwarded the complaint to the ethics committee," said Meghwal, a member of the panel. 
 
However, Rahul said downplayed the notice. 
 
"We will deal that," Rahul Gandhi told the media. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Congress">Congress</a> leaders said Rahul Gandhi does not need to prove his credentials as an Indian. 
 
(Image: Indiatimes)

Rahul Gandhi downplays notice on dual citizenship row, says will deal with it

Last week’s eviction of the <keyword id="14666" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="BJP">BJP</keyword>’s trimurti – <keyword id="47100" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Atal-Bihari-Vajpayee">Atal Bihari Vajpayee</keyword>, <keyword id="58476" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Murli-Manohar-Joshi">Murli Manohar Joshi</keyword> and <keyword id="50272" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Lal-Krishna-Advani">Lal Krishna Advani</keyword> – from the party’s parliamentary board marked the final nail in the coffin of their political career. Their exit means an end of an era, which should have been more graceful and dignified. Instead of sacking them from the membership of the parliamentary board, they should have been allowed to fade away or kept as ‘honorary members.’ 
 Leaders from the opposition have started taking a dig at this decision. Recently, Congress leader and former Cabinet minister Manish Tewari said that this recent development clearly indicates that the “process of complete centralisation of power in one hand.” Another Congress leader Rashid Alvi said, “The <keyword id="2490292" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Margdarshak-Mandal">Margdarshak Mandal</keyword> is a ‘mookdarshak mandal.’ It is like an old-age home from where Advani and Joshi will witness the functioning of the BJP like mutes.” 
 
Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, LK Advani and MM Joshi were the pivots around which the party was built. Their role in building the BJP is unquestionable. They helped propel the party, from an insignificant political player with just two Lok Sabha MPs in the 1984 elections, to the single-largest party in 1996. 
 
Vajpayee, often referred to as the Bheeshm Pitamah of Indian politics, was the founder president of the party, and Advani and Joshi were general secretaries. Vajpayee was the party’s chief orator, statesman, and the most acceptable and respectable face of the party. 
 
Advani was the organiser and charioteer, who organised movements to propagate BJP’s core ideology of Hindutva. His Rath Yatra from Somnath to Ayodhya was crucial in building the Ram Temple movement and helped BJP form a government in the country’s largest state of Uttar Pradesh, thereby bringing the party into the mainstream politics. Advani was also a talent-spotter. He nurtured a pool of second-rung leaders, which ironically included Modi, besides Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj, Ananth Kumar and others. 
 Joshi, a PhD in Spectroscopy from <keyword id="6364092" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Allahabad-University">Allahabad University</keyword>, was the intellectual face of the party. He was the key man behind the process of manifesto preparation and policy formulation of the party. 
 Alongside the rise in the stature of Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword>, there has been a steady and parallel decline in the fortunes of party stalwarts MM Joshi and LK Advani. Unlike Vajpayee, who is ailing, both the leaders are still fit and active politicians whose vast political experience and acumen could have been used by the party. However, their eviction from the parliamentary board – the party’s highest decision-making body – can only be attributed to Modi’s attempt at complete centralisation of power and further strengthen his stranglehold on the party by undermining the leaders taller than him. 
 On the contrary, other political parties are giving their seniors due respect. For instance, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) continued with veteran leader <keyword id="2502752" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Harkishan-Singh-Surjit">Harkishan Singh Surjit</keyword> as the party’s general secretary till 2005 and the party came up with its best ever performance so far by winning 43 seats. He was also a member of the party's Politburo till 2008, when he died at the age of 92. Even in the Congress, where many leaders complain of being sidelined to give way to Rahul Gandhi, <keyword id="219946" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Motilal-Vora">Motilal Vora</keyword> (86) is still the party’s treasurer and also a member of the Congress Working Committee. 
 
It is sad to see that the BJP, which talks about Hindutva, seems to have forgotten that giving due respect to elders is the essence of the Hindu culture and the Hindu society reposes great faith in the wisdom of elders.

BJP’s Founding Forefathers Reduced To ‘Mookdarshak’

Opposition Congress party hit out at Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> over his "silence" on the <keyword id="2899690" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Lalit-Modi-row">Lalit Modi row</keyword> and demanded an answer saying he should come clean on the case. 
 The Congress party said the Prime Minister should come out of his 'meditation' to answer if External Affairs Minister <keyword id="6355111" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sushma-Swaraj">Sushma Swaraj</keyword> and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje helped scam-tainted former IPL chief <keyword id="3257" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Lalit-Modi">Lalit Modi</keyword> with his consent. 
 
The party also demanded resignation of Swaraj and Raje and claimed that BJP veteran leader LK Advani too had expressed no confidence in the leadership of the Prime Minister. 
 
"Advaniji, has obviously said he is not sure about the leadership. He has expressed no confidence in the leadership of the Prime Minister. The ball is in the court of the Prime Minister," said Congress party spokesperson Tom Vadakkan. 
 
He was referring to Advani's remarks on the possibility of a repeat of Emergency that he "doesn't have faith in today's political leadership due to its weaknesses". 
 
Vadakkan said that the Prime Minister must answer whether the Chief Minister acted the way she did with his consent. 
“Whether the External Affairs Minister did what she did with his consent? Are there other people involved, the Prime Minister must come clean. He must come out of his political Vipassana,” he said 
 
Swaraj has been at the centre of the controversy for helping Lalit Modi in getting British travel documents, while Raje is accused of pushing for his immigration plea. 
 
Reportedly, Raje's son has business associations with Lalit Modi and Congress demanded an investigation in the same matter. 
"Chhota (Lalit) Modi used to run Rajasthan. This is a reality. If Chhota Modi was running Rajasthan and now the Bada (Narendra) Modi is at the Centre, it is time that the nation should know what are the realities today," he added. 
 
(Image: Reuters)

Congress steps up ante against PM Modi, Sushma Swaraj over Lalit Modi row

<keyword id="14666" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="BJP">BJP</keyword> was leading in 214 constituencies in the initial trends available from across the country with its prime ministerial candidate <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> leading in both Vadodara and Varanasi constituencies as the counting votes went underway today. Other NDA partners – TDP, <keyword id="6358821" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Shiv-Sena">Shiv Sena</keyword> and Akali Dal – were leading in 11, six and four seats, respectively. 
 
Congress was leading in 70 seats with its partners, NCP and RJD, leading in three and seven seats, respectively. Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party, fighting its first <keyword id="6355187" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha">Lok Sabha</keyword> election, was leading in five seats. But <keyword id="260213" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Arvind-Kejriwal">Arvind Kejriwal</keyword> himself was trailing from the Varanasi constituency. 
 
The early trends show that the Modi wave was sweeping the nation and the Congress seems to be swept away in the wave. 
 
Some prominent leaders in the lead were LK Advani (Gandhinagar), Sonia Gandhi (Rae Bareli), Uma Bharti (Jhansi), Sachin Pilot (Ajmer), Jaswant Singh (Barmer), Rabri Devi (Saran), Rahul Gandi (Amethi), Murli Manohar Joshi (Kanpur), Dimple Yadav (Kannauj), Mulayam Singh Yadav (Azamgarh), Yogi Adityanath (Gorakhpur), Maneka Gandhi (Pilibhit) and Rajnath Singh (Lucknow). 
 
All the BJP-ruled states - Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh - were headed to go the BJP way. 
Exit polls had predicted a massive victory for the NDA.

BJP Takes Massive Lead In Initial Trends

<ul><li>The former Finance Minister of India succumbed to sustained illness today (August 24).</li><li>For a politician who never won an election, Jaitley remained largely relevant and influential throughout his career spanning decades.</li><li>Jaitley famously backed Narendra Modi in his early days and even when the party's leadership denounced the latter, he stoody by Modi.</li><li>In a world where friendships are forged with secrets and power, Jaitley was everyone’s confidante, philosopher, and guide. </li></ul>India’s former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley passed away after sustained illness at the age of 66 after an impressive political career spanning decades when he never won an election but was always relevant and maintained his deep influence in Indian politics. Jaitley, along with the former Foreign Minister, the late Sushma Swaraj -- <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sushma-swaraj-indias-former-foreign-minister-passes-away-at-the-age-of-67/articleshow/70561044.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">who passed away earlier this month</a>-- were instrumental in keeping the Bharatiya Janata Party relevant, as an opposition party, in the ten years preceding 2014 when Narendra Modi swept to power as India's Prime Minister. Modi himself owes a lot to Jaitley for his rise to political prominence in India. Not just Modi, even the BJP's harshest critics found it way easier to deal or negotiate with Jaitley. A very apt example of Jaitley's realpolitik, his ability in the <a href="https://www.livemint.com/Politics/1JEYCQDdw88BvxjCIHATxK/Reforms-are-the-art-of-the-possible-Arun-Jaitley.html" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">'art of the possible'</a>, is the rollout of the complicated Goods and Services Tax (GST) in 2017, through the GST Council-- which Jaitley led until May 2019-- where Jaitley had to convince state governments with conflicting interests to find a common ground. It is not possible to be a successful politician or a lawyer without making a few enemies. But the smooth-talking Arun Jaitley, who studied at St Xavier's and Shri Ram College of Commerce, wore both these hats causing little or no animosity around him. Paradoxically, Jaitley was also sharp-tongued and temperamental by nature but he dictated his mood and not the other way around. When the Supreme Court struck down an Act which intended to break the age-old collegium system of appointing higher judiciary, Jaitley was quick to call it the “tyranny of the unelected”, something he knew it will be thrown back at him for his electoral failures. Jaitley remained an nominated member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of Indian Parliament, from 2000 to 2018 as he never won an election. The Former Chief Justice of India, RM Lodha, did taunt him in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tD2GNu556aA" data-type="tilCustomLink">a televised national debate in 2015</a>. But Jaitley was prepared and he knew how to direct the debate in the direction he wanted. That was his skill, the ability to know the strengths and weaknesses, not just of himself but of his rivals too, like few else can. Watch the riveting debate between Arun Jaitley and Former Chief Justice of India RM Lodha over the National Judicial Appointments Commission in 2015. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 <div type="Youtube" id="tD2GNu556aA" title="NJAC Debate with Arnab Goswami | Legislature Vs Judiciary | Arun Jaitley Vs Justice R M Lodha - Full" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/tD2GNu556aA/mqdefault.jpg"></div>













































 Jaitley could see the future and he placed his bets, and made friends, accordingly right from the days as a student politician, to when he became a lawyer and later, the member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Jaitley was Vajpayee’s man who stood by Modi Years before Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister and was barely a politician of any significance, Jaitley became his friend. Modi was living out his exile from Gujarat politics in 1995 at the BJP party headquarters in Delhi, when he met Jaitley--who was then called ‘Vajpayee’s man’. Jaitley had lobbied for <a href="https://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/ties-that-bind/291379">Modi and turned </a>instrumental in making him the chief minister and later the country's Prime Minister. And his ability to network was so slick that even when he chose sides, he made no foes. For one, he chose Modi over LK Advani as the Prime Ministerial candidate in 2013, and yet remained close to the latter. Years later, everyone came to know Jaitley as Modi’s man. The current Prime Minister had so much confidence in Jaitley that during the first five years of the Modi government, Arun Jaitley held the portfolios of Finance, Corporate Affairs, Defence, and Information and Broadcasting-- and at times he was in multiple important portfolios simultaneously. A <a href="https://caravanmagazine.in/sports/rajat-sharma-the-ddca-and-the-perks-of-a-close-friendship-with-arun-jaitley" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">similar friendship forged with Rajat Sharma</a>, the founding editor of India TV, one of India's most influential television channels, lasted Jaitley's lifetime. Sharma reportedly used to drive Jaitley around the Delhi University on his scooter while the latter was campaigning as a student politician in the 1970s. Jaitley represented both Coke and Pepsi as a lawyer against each other at different times He could have even written the famous book ‘How to make friends and influence enemies?’ if Dale Carnegie wouldn’t have beaten him to it. Jaitley had represented two of the world’s most bitter rivals—<a href="https://www.sify.com/news/how-everybody-loves-arun-jaitley-news-columns-pmwpk3ebbdfjd.html" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Coca Cola and Pepsi as a lawyer</a>. He was Coca Cola’s lawyer for a case against Pepsi and vice versa. Though many would have rolled their eyes at this feat, for him it was a small game. Jaitley's frienship with rivals Sonia Gandhi and P Chidambaram In the <a href="https://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/ties-that-bind/291379" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">long list of unlikely friends</a> is Sonia Gandhi, the head of the rival Congress party, and former Finance Minister, and a lawyer turned politician just like him, P Chidambaram. Jaitley seemed to have gotten through his life keeping all his friends along with a successful career. But many of his friendships were tested, in court as well as Parliament. In 2012, Jaitley was a part of the Opposition party, and he was chosen to question and grill P Chidambaram, the home minister of the ruling Congress party about <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/about/what-is-aircel-maxis-case" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">the Aircel-Maxis deal</a>. Chidambaram started answering the question by saying that <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/aircel-maxis-deal-probe-will-test-friendship-between-chidambaram-and-jaitley-116030300275_1.html">he was happy that </a>“a friend of 22 years has questioned him.” Though later through the session, Chidambaram turned emotional and “felt as if someone plunged a dagger into him.” Their friendship withstood the barbs, the scams, as the Congress politician continued to attend Jaitley’s annual lunch parties which also doubled as his <a href="https://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/ties-that-bind/291379">birthday </a>celebration. Jaitley's rivalry with Subramanian Swamy and Ram Jethmalani Two of Jaitley’s most vicious critics are country’s top lawyers Ram Jethmalani and BJP leader Subramanian Swamy. Both have <a href="https://www.pgurus.com/mr-arun-jaitley-hope-you-have-learnt-your-lesson-for-treating-sonia-family-with-kid-gloves-you-owe-answers-in-mallya-exit/" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">passed vitriolic comments</a> against Jaitley and they both had old beefs to settle. Jaitley was once the legal assistant to Jethmalani. Yet, the camaraderie did not last long. Jaitley is known to <a href="http://www.indialegallive.com/commercial-news/controversy-news/battle-legal-eagles-21529">have influenced Vajpayee </a>to push Jethmalani from his position as the law minister unceremoniously. The fire-breathing lawyer had never forgiven Jaitley nor forgotten the slight, and had used every excuse to criticise him. He also went back to court as Delhi chief minister Arun Kejriwal’s lawyer in a libel case, just for the pleasure of cross-examining his old adversary. But Jaitley was not a man to be easily undone either and kept his cool, passing the bitter examination with flying colours. Jaitley was also not undone even as Swamy questioned his every move. This rivalry too started when he found a legal loophole to deny the payment of his dues over a case he argued. Ever since, <a href="https://theprint.in/politics/subramanian-swamys-rivalry-with-arun-jaitley-goes-back-to-1993-iit-delhi-salary-row/219800/">he accused Jaitley </a>of being a Congress insider, instigator or a coup and much more. When Jaitley did try to clamp him over discipline, Swamy retorted, “People giving me unasked for advice of discipline and restraint don’t realise that if I disregard discipline there would be a bloodbath.” Jaitley wisely never rose to the bait, like a seasoned solider who picks his battles. Jaitley may be no more but the way he deftly maneuvered India's labyrinth political space will provide lessons in the art of the possible. In a world where friendships are forged with secrets and power, Jaitley was everyone’s confidante, philosopher, and guide. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sushma-swaraj-indias-former-foreign-minister-passes-away-at-the-age-of-67/articleshow/70561044.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">India's 'supermom' Sushma Swaraj, the lady who redefined the country's Foreign Ministry, is no more</a>

Arun Jaitley, every big man's friend, passes away at the age of 66-- leaving behind lessons in the 'art of the possible'

The internal conflict in the ruling party at Centre is at its peak and the <keyword id="6355261" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Finance-minister">finance minister</keyword> of India has tried his best to defend his party. A major controversy broke out recently after BJP patriarch LK Advani expressed concerns that "forces that can crush democracy are stronger" now and that Emergency-like situation could emerge again. The comments were seen by the Congress as being aimed at <keyword id="71" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Prime-Minister">Prime Minister</keyword> <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword>, while <keyword id="6354944" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Aam-Aadmi-Party">Aam Aadmi Party</keyword> felt it was the "first indictment" of Modi's politics. 
 <keyword id="25455" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="finance">Finance</keyword> Minister <keyword id="42575" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Arun-Jaitley">Arun Jaitley</keyword> has told the news agency PTI, it is not possible today for the world's largest democracy to become 'dictatorial'. 
 
Jaitley said Emergency was a phase which showed that a democracy can be converted into a dictatorship by using some provisions of the Constitution and all the major institutions like bureaucracy, police, media and judiciary can collapse. 
 
"I think, today the global awareness is in favour of the democracy and the kind of sanctions which can be imposed on a dictatorship itself can be a deterrent. 
 
"I think, the media is also strong, the polity is strong and the global institutions are also strong. The world would not accept the world's largest democracy becoming dictatorial today," Jaitley told the agency. 
 
Without referring to Advani's comments, Jaitley said the media censorship is not possible today "because of the technology itself". 
 
"You have news travelling through the internand the internet can't be censored," Jaitley said. 
 
Jaitley also added that the polity was strong even during the Emergency, but "the media had by and large caved in". 
 
Recalling his own experiences from the Emergency days, Jaitley said he hopes that "the judiciary today is far more independent and does not cave in to any dictatorial tendencies as it caved in during emergency". 
 
"But the fact that detentions are no longer possible without a basis, media censorship is no longer possible and hopefully judiciary would be far more independent, it would not be possible for anybody to convert a democracy into a dictatorship without these three limbs," he said. 
 
Jaitley said the tradition of dynasty and dynastic political parties started with Emergency. Recalling his experience during the emergency days of <keyword id="6354478" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indira-Gandhi">Indira Gandhi</keyword>, Jaitley told the media, "So we burnt an effigy of Indira Gandhi and thereafter I was arrested as part of the protest. I was first kept in Tihar Jail, then taken to Ambala and brought back to Delhi. The police detained me under MISA."

Here’s how Jaitley didn’t subscribe to Advani’s belief

The newly elected members of the <keyword id="6355187" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha">Lok Sabha</keyword> took oath on the second day of the 16th Lok Sabha on June 5. Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath, who was sworn in by President Pranab Mukherjee as the pro tem Speaker, administered the oath to Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword>. 
 Senior BJP leader LK Advani and Congress president <keyword id="689" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sonia-Gandhi">Sonia Gandhi</keyword> were the next to take oath. All three leaders took the oath in Hindi. They were followed by Arjun Charan Sethi of the Biju Janata Dal, PA Sangma of the National People’s Party and Biren Singh Engti of Congress. 
Then the Cabinet ministers of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government took oath as MPs of the new Lok Sabha. 
 External Affairs Minister <keyword id="6355111" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sushma-Swaraj">Sushma Swaraj</keyword> took her oath in Sanskrit. She was followed by <keyword id="42642" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Uma-Bharti">Uma Bharti</keyword>, the Minister for Water Resources and Ganga Rejuvenation, who also took her oath in Sanskrit. Even the Union Health Minister, Harsh Vardhan, took oath in Sanskrit. Railway Minister Sadananda Gowda, Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Ananth Kumar and Minister of State for Civil Aviation, GM Siddeshwara, took oath in Kannada. 
 
However, the BJP MPs were sad and quiet as the sudden and untimely death of the senior party leader Gopinath Munde dampened the mood. The House was adjourned for the day after paying homage to Munde and the oath-taking exercise. 
 
With the Modi wave bringing in many new MPs to the Parliament, the 16th Lok Sabha has a youthful look about it. Despite the sombre atmosphere in the Lower House, three women MPs in the BJP rows were seen clicking pictures on mobiles. It was also the time for warm handshakes as newcomers were welcomed while veterans watched on. 
 
The Congress MPs looked gloomy, though, as they talked about how things went wrong. Some of them believed that the failures of the Manmohan Singh government and the lack of accountability in the party were the main reasons behind the defeat. 
 
The 16th Lok Sabha has 315 first-time MPs, the highest in 30 years, according to data compiled by PRS Legislative, a research group that tracks the working of the Parliament.

16th
Lok Sabha: Modi, Advani and Sonia Among First To Take Oath

Day 1 of the two-day BJP <keyword id="55124" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="National-Executive">National Executive</keyword> in Bengaluru saw party chief <keyword id="6355521" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Amit-Shah">Amit Shah</keyword> taking a jibe at <keyword id="5268" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Rahul-Gandhi">Rahul Gandhi</keyword>, asking <keyword id="1575" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Congress">Congress</keyword> to go look for its 'missing' <keyword id="19496" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="leader">leader</keyword> instead of looking for faults in the government. 
 
Shah slammed the Congress for its opposition to the Centre's land acquisition bill, which it called anti-poor and anti-farmer. 
 The Congress has been ratcheting up support against the land bill in a series of protests across India. This the second salvo at the Congress leader. On Thursday, the BJP took a jibe at Rahul Gandhi over his likely appearance at a farmers' rally on April 19, saying it is not sure if such news reports are true and his "vacation" is finally over. "Are you serious?" was how <keyword id="180781" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="BJP-spokesperson">BJP Spokesperson</keyword> Shahnawaz Hussain responded when reporters sought his response on Gandhi's return to active politics with the rally against the land bill amendments brought by the <keyword id="6360789" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Modi-Government">Modi government</keyword>. 
 
The land bill is the big agenda at the National Executive, with the BJP planning to drum up support around the legislation. PM Modi has asked his junior ministers to reach out to people, especially those in rural India, and canvass the party's stand on the legislation. 
 According to Times Now, <keyword id="26680" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Nitin-gadkari">Nitin Gadkari</keyword> has been assigned the task to lead the PR team over land bill. 
 <keyword id="71" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Prime-Minister">Prime Minister</keyword> <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword>, Shah, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and senior leaders LK Advani and MM Joshi are among those expected at the meeting. 
 
The Congress was quick in its response with senior leader Digvijaya Singh saying the BJP shouldn't be bothered about Rahul Gandhi. "They will know when he's back," he told Times Now. 
 
The Congress' recent ante over the legislation has irked the party. "We do not know if reports about the date Rahul Gandhi is coming on are true. No Congress Spokesperson has made any statement to this effect. What plane is he coming on, when will he me(others), if his vacation is finally over... this all will be discussed when he does finally come back," Hussain said. 
 Gandhi has been missing in action for over a month and Congress has insisted that he has been granted leave of absence to introspect over the party's affairs following a string of electoral reverses starting with its rout in the <keyword id="6355187" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha">Lok Sabha</keyword> elections. 
 
He skipped the first leg of the budget session, inviting criticism from the opposition parties. 
 
Faced with a volley of questions about Rahul's whereabouts and the date of his likely return, AICC spokesman RPN Singh said, "You are asking the same question daily... As already said he has gone for introspection on recent events with an aim to strengthen the organisation. Whenever we will get intimation, you will be informed." 
 At the same time, Congress MP <keyword id="42332" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Jairam-Ramesh">Jairam Ramesh</keyword> dismissed questions whether <keyword id="689" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Sonia-Gandhi">Sonia Gandhi</keyword>'s leadership of recent party protests meant Congress had given up on the young leader. "Everyone in the party including the vice-president are involved," he said.

Look for Rahul, don't try digging out Govt's faults: Amit Shah slams Cong at BJP national executive

NEW DELHI: <keyword id="6355261" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Finance-minister">Finance minister</keyword> <keyword id="43940" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="P-Chidambaram">P Chidambaram</keyword> has opted out of the <keyword id="6355187" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha">Lok Sabha</keyword> contest, with <keyword id="1575" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Congress">Congress</keyword> announcing his son Karthi as the candidate from Sivaganga constituency in Tamil Nadu. Kirit Patel will take on BJP patriarch LK Advani in <keyword id="6356847" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="gandhinagar">Gandhinagar</keyword> in Gujarat. 
 The passing of baton in Sivaganga caps the intense speculation on <keyword id="6362104" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Chidambaram">Chidambaram</keyword>’s candidature in the wake of Congress’s bleak prospects in the state owing to its failure to find an ally. Congress fought the last two elections with DMK and reaped a rich tally, disproportionate to its weak organizational muscle in the state. 
 
The leg-up for the GenNext extends to another of the state’s political family. Mohan Kumaramangalam, son of former Union minister Rangarajan Kumaramangalam, is the rookie to contest from Salem. 
 In what may have the making of an interesting contest, Laxman Singh has been named from Vidisha to take on leader of opposition in Lok Sabha <keyword id="6355111" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Sushma-Swaraj">Sushma Swaraj</keyword> in Madhya Pradesh. Singh is a former MP and the brother of AICC general secretary <keyword id="43786" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Digvijay-Singh">Digvijay Singh</keyword>. 
 
Congress announced sitting MPs Ramesh Kumar and Mahabal Mishra from South Delhi and West Delhi, a decision which means that all seven party MPs from the capital would be taking the field in the Lok Sabha polls. 
 
The names of Kumar and Mishra were held back in the earlier list which gave the go ahead to five other MPs, raising the possibility of their being replaced. However, the party leadership has settled for the status quo, finding that any attempt to change the candidate would skew the caste balance it wants in its representation in the apital. 
 The reprieve for the two comes after Congress mulled possible options to sitting MPs. The <keyword id="447980" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Central-Election-Committee">Central Election Committee</keyword> of the party had taken exception to the routine manner in which the MPs were recommended for renomination and had asked the Delhi managers to submit a panel of possible candidates. 
 
Union health minister and senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad would contest from Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir. He replaces MP Lal Singh Chaudhary. 
 
Congress has also replaced Paranjayadityasinh Parmar from Panchmahals in Gujarat with Ramsingh Parmar. Paranjayaditya is the son-in-law of Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh and his nomination in the previous list of candidates had sparked unrest, leading to clarification from the state leadership that it was an oversight. 
 <keyword id="6364961" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Rajya-Sabha-MP">Rajya Sabha MP</keyword> and former union minister Mani Shankar Aiyer will contest from Mayiladuthurai that he represented in Lok Sabha before losing in 2009. 
 
Expelled JD(U) MP Purnmasi Ram will be the Congress candidate from Gopalganj reserved seat in Bihar. Also, Congress’s Tsering Samphel will contest from Ladakh seat in J&amp;K.

Running Scared? Chidambaram Opts Out Of Lok Sabha Battle, Congress Fields His Son

NEW DELHI: Though exit polls predict BJP may not need to fish for allies, the party is looking to keep lines of communication open with regional parties like BJD, Telangana Rashtra Samithi and YSR <keyword id="1575" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Congress">Congress</keyword>. 
 
BJP leaders feel these parties can be part of a “greater NDA” either as formal allies or outside supporters and help boost the new government’s numbers while weakening anti-BJP numbers in Parliament. 
 
Such an outreach was very much part of BJP’s plans, but discussions with RSS (reported by TOI on Monday) have given the efforts a fillip as the party looks to widen its representation in the new Lok Sabha. 
 
RSS’s advice that it would be useful to deny Congress likely allies and deepen the party’s isolation matches BJP’s own assessment that adding partners would be useful in shepherding legislation through the upper House in particular. 
 While YSR Congress chief <keyword id="6357475" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Jaganmohan-Reddy">Jaganmohan Reddy</keyword> is a bitter rival of BJP’s partner TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu in Seemandhra, the saffron party feels a working arrangement may still be viable. 
 
Jaganmohan’s relations with Congress had worsened ahead of elections and BJP leaders feel being an outside supporter of an NDA government may not be as difficult a task as might appear at first glance. 
 On his part, Jaganmohan has indicated he may have no qualms about supporting <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> as prime minister and BJP leaders feel state-level equations need not be a hurdle at the Centre. 
 <keyword id="78324" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="TRS-chief">TRS chief</keyword> K Chandrasekhar Rao has not been averse to doing business with BJP and talks were on till as late as April before the saffron party finalized its poll tie-up with TDP. 
 
KCR’s top priority is to secure the Telangana prize by forming the first state government in India’s 29th state and would not want to be on the wrong side of the Centre as long as he has the numbers in the state assembly. 
 
The astute TRS chief can be expected to weigh the situation keeping in mind whether he needs Congress in the new Telangana assembly or can make do on his own. 
 
Allying with BJP does not pose problems for TRS as the former has strongly supported Telangana and has been committed to smaller states. In contrast, KCR adroitly avoided a merger or even an alliance with Congress as he sensed the ruling party’s diminished electoral equity. 
 
In the case of BJD, BJP ensured its channels with Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik remained open before and during the elections despite strongly challenging the regional party’s hold on the state. 
 
Having been given a scare by BJP, Patnaik may now be inclined to renew his ties with the party he broke with in 2009, delivering a severe blow to LK Advani’s prime ministerial candidature. 
 
More importantly, Patnaik will need a stake in the Centre to convince voters that it is worth their while to support BJD with BJP aggressively looking to replace Congress as the main opposition. 
 
BJP leaders feel the BJD ranks high on their list as a potential ally and can help the party mop up the anti-Congress space.

BJP Looks To Increase Allies, Isolate Congress

It is not necessary that all cabinet ministers have to gel with PM Narendra Modi. There are few ministers who had to work towards getting their equation right with the PM. 
 Economic Times reported how <keyword id="6391015" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Finance-Minister-Arun-Jaitley">Finance Minister Arun Jaitley</keyword>, Home Minister Rajanth Singh and Foreign Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj adjusted to work out their private equation with Modi. 
 
The most important minister in Modi’s cabinet is Jaitley. Arguably, Jaitley is Modi's go-to man. People close to Jaitley told ET that he was one of the trongest backers of Modi as BJP’s PM candidate at a time when several heavyweights were against the idea. 
 
The Finance Minister had also handled legal issues of both Modi and BJP President Amit Shah. A party leader told the financial daily that when Shah was banned from entering Gujarat by the Supreme Court, he went to Jaitley's house. 
 
The leader added that Shah relies heavily on Jaitley. "Those working closely with Shah now in the party are all Arun Jaitley's people. Shah's assessment of people is based on Arun's assessment and Modi too goes along," a party leader told ET. 
 
The leader also said that people close to Jaitley were given key ministries and the names were endorsed by Shah as well. 
 
A BJP leader told the financial daily that the close relationship between Modi, Jaitley and Shah was a source of much jealousy. 
 
"Of the trio, Jaitley is the easiest to attack since Modi can't be attacked and attacks on Shah will only start post Bihar if the party does badly," said the leader. 
 
The leader added that Jaitley was Modi's chief troubleshooter. 
 
One of the leaders also told ET that if performance of Modi Sarkar was to be judged largely on economy, Modi's most important minister was also the one who will be judged most ultimately. 
 Meanwhile, <keyword id="2286211" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Home-Minister-Rajnath-Singh">Home Minister Rajnath Singh</keyword> learnt to like Modi. 
 Singh is officially the number two in the <keyword id="581221" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Modi-Cabinet">Modi Cabinet</keyword> and as per an official notification, he gets to chair Cabinet meetings when the PM is away. 
 
Singh is a political heavyweight and Modi and Shah are quite careful not to mess with him. When the Home Minister publically expressed displeasure at rumours being spread about his son, allegedly by a Cabinet colleague, Modi and Shah rushed to assuage him. 
 
After Singh’s response, those rumours stopped. 
 
"The message was clear - Rajnath was not going to stay quiet," a BJP functionary told ET. In his first stint as BJP president, Singh shared an uneasy relationship with Modi and Jaitley. 
 
Singh had dropped Modi from the party's central parliamentary board and Jaitley from the post of chief spokesman. However, during his second stint, Singh’s relationship with Modi improved. 
 
Singh batted for Modi against party veterans LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Sushma Swaraj. 
 
Economic Times reported that a senior Congress leader had also gone to Singh's house when he was the president to dissuade him from declaring Modi as the party's PM candidate. But to no avail. 
 
"He also got dissidents to stop critiquing Modi in public during the run-up to the election," a BJP leader told ET, adding “At one point Singh got Yashwant Sinha to speak to Shatrughan Sinha to tone down the latter's remarks against Modi.” 
 
Party leaders told ET that as smooth as Singh-Modi relations may be now, the uneasy relationship between the finance and home ministers could still become a problem for the prime minister. 
 
"The downfall of UPA-2 started with the shadow war between Pranab Mukherjee and P Chidambaram. Round-2 of Singh vs Jaitley, if it happens, can get troublesome for the PM," a party veteran told the financial daily. 
 
Coming to Foreign Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, she was a Modi critic was adjusted. 
 
“Sushma-ji's is a case of a remarkable transformation,” a BJP leader told ET. Before Modi climbed to top of the party, Swaraj was a Modi critic. 
 
A BJP veteran said Swaraj is good with her job even if no one talks about it. Officials say Modi is even more personally involved than most recent PMs. This could have been a source of angst for Swaraj, but she has simply got on with it. 
 
"She's shown great dignity," a BJP leader told ET. As per officials, Modi has asked the foreign minister to keep special focus on the Middle East and SAARC. 
 
"Sushma Swaraj really knows the dos and don'ts of ministerial functioning," a senior official told ET. 
 
(Image: Indiatimes)

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