logo
As PM, Rajiv Gandhi gave wings to India's, hopes aspirations: Mother of Late IAF Pilot

As PM, Rajiv Gandhi gave wings to India's, hopes aspirations: Mother of Late IAF Pilot

Indian Express21-05-2025

'Rajiv Gandhi was not only a good pilot but as Prime Minister, he worked relentlessly to strengthen the wings of India's hopes and aspirations. People who shout in disdain about the Nehru-Gandhi family from which he comes are very shallow. True, true heirs do not need to shout or raise slogans like this,' said Kavita Gadgil, mother of the late Flight Lieutenant Abhijit Gadgil who died in a MiG-21 crash in 2001.
She was speaking at a program held today to pay tribute to Rajiv Gandhi on his 34th death anniversary in Katraj. Kavita Gadgil is the wife of late Wing Commander Anil Gadgil and the mother of late Flight Lieutenant Abhijit Gadgil.
Speaking on this occasion, she further said that Rajiv Gandhi made a fundamental contribution to the foundation of the country.
'While promoting computerization in the 80s, he prepared numerous young computer engineers in the country, these engineers were used to solve the 'Y to K' problem that arose in the year 2000. The prosperous Indian society that we see all over the world today was created through the foundation laid by Rajiv Gandhi. He established peace in the contiguous provinces of Punjab and Assam without any war, and that peace has lasted forever.'
Praising Sonia Gandhi's leadership, she said,'I see in her the courage of women of ancient times. After the untimely death of her husband, Sonia Gandhi, who not only took responsibility for her children after her husband but also carried the goals, duties, dreams and responsibilities of her husband Rajiv Gandhi towards the country, was a life of selfless and ideal patriotism.
The program was organized by the Rajiv Gandhi Smarak Samiti founded by Gopaldada Tiwari.
In his introductory speech, Tiwari said walking on the path shown by Rajiv Gandhi will be a true tribute to him. Senior members of the Rajiv Gandhi Memorial Committee Rajiv Jagtap and Abasaheb Tarwade presented a Tulsi sapling and a shawl as a token of gratitude.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Rahul Gandhi Challenges ECI To Publish Voter Rolls, Post-5pm CCTV Footage Of Maharashtra Polls
Rahul Gandhi Challenges ECI To Publish Voter Rolls, Post-5pm CCTV Footage Of Maharashtra Polls

News18

time24 minutes ago

  • News18

Rahul Gandhi Challenges ECI To Publish Voter Rolls, Post-5pm CCTV Footage Of Maharashtra Polls

Last Updated: Rahul Gandhi ignited a political row after he claimed that a systematic method was used to influence the Maharashtra election outcome in favour of BJP. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday hit out at Election Commission of India (ECI) over the claims and allegations of 'electoral manipulation" in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections, urging the poll body to respond to his allegations in a 'proper manner". The Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition said that 'releasing unsigned, evasive notes to intermediaries" was not a done thing to respond to his 'serious questions." Gandhi also demanded the poll body to publish consolidated data for the recently held elections and all post-5pm CCTV footage from Maharashtra polling booths. 'Dear EC, You are a Constitutional body. Releasing unsigned, evasive notes to intermediaries is not the way to respond to serious questions. If you have nothing to hide, answer the questions in my article and prove it by– Publishing consolidated, digital, machine-readable voter rolls for the most recent elections to the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabhas of all states including Maharashtra and releasing all post-5pm CCTV footage from Maharashtra polling booths. Evasion won't protect your credibility. Telling the truth will," Gandhi said in a post on X. Rahul Gandhi's remarks came hours after the poll body dismissed the allegations raised by the Lok Sabha LoP that there was a large-scale electoral manipulation in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections. What ECI Said? The ECI hit back with a point wise rebuttal, stating that 'facts are completely being ignored." 'Unsubstantiated allegations raised against the Electoral Rolls of Maharashtra are an affront to the rule of law. The Election Commission had brought out all these facts in its reply to the INC on 24th December 2024 itself, which is available on ECI's website. It appears that all these facts are being completely ignored while raising such issues again and again," the ECI said. Following Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi's tweet on Maharashtra election, ECI says, '…unsubstantiated allegations raised against the Electoral Rolls of Maharashtra are affront to the rule of law. The Election Commission had brought out all these facts in its reply to INC on 24th… — ANI (@ANI) June 7, 2025 Adding to its rebuttal about how 'facts were being completely ignored" repeatedly, the ECI further said that such actions not only show 'a complete disregard for the law," but also undermine the integrity of thousands of party-appointed representatives and demoralise the lakhs of election officials who, it said, 'work untiringly and transparently during elections." 'After any unfavourable verdict by the voters, trying to defame the Election Commission by saying that it is compromised, is completely absurd," stated the poll body. Rahul Gandhi's Allegations The Congress leader ignited a political row after he claimed that a systematic method was used to influence the election outcome in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In a post on X, the grand-old party leader summarised the key points of an article he wrote for The Indian Express, where he described the so-called electoral manipulation. In his article, Gandhi outlined a five-step process he claimed was used to tilt the Maharashtra election. 'Step 1: Rig the panel for appointing the Election Commission Step 2: Add fake voters to the roll Step 3: Inflate voter turnout Step 4: Target the bogus voting exactly where BJP needs to win Step 5: Hide the evidence," the Leader of Opposition wrote in his post. 'It's not hard to see why the BJP was so desperate in Maharashtra," Gandhi wrote in his post. 'But rigging is like match-fixing – the side that cheats might win the game, but damages institutions and destroy public faith in the result." 'All concerned Indians must see the evidence. Judge for themselves. Demand answers," Gandhi added. He also warned that what happened in Maharashtra could be repeated elsewhere. 'The match-fixing of Maharashtra will come to Bihar next, and then anywhere the BJP is losing," he said, calling match-fixed elections are a 'poison" for any democracy. Earlier at multiple occasions, Gandhi had raised concerns over the surge in new voters, particularly between the 2024 Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections in Maharashtra, highlighting that 39 lakh new voters were added in just five months after the Lok Sabha polls. 'We want to bring to the notice of the people of India some information that we have found regarding the Maharashtra elections. We have studied in detail the voter lists, the voting pattern and we have a team working on this for some time. There are many irregularities that we have found," Gandhi had said in February this year. Maharashtra Elections 2024 The Bharatiya Janata Party-led Mahayuti alliance had scored a massive and astonishing victory over Maha Vikas Aghadi in the Maharashtra Assembly elections. The unprecedented electoral sweep is a record win as no alliance has ever crossed the magic mark of 200 seats in the Maharashtra polls. The ruling Mahayuti had won 234 of the 288 seats in the Maharashtra elections, with the BJP emerging as the single largest party, winning 132 seats on its own. About the Author Shobhit Gupta Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at and covers India and International news. He previously worked with Hindustan Times Digital (HTDS) and NDTV. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India ...Read More Get Latest Updates on Movies, Breaking News On India, World, Live Cricket Scores, And Stock Market Updates. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : BJP maharashtra maharashtra election Rahul Gandhi Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: June 07, 2025, 19:30 IST News politics Rahul Gandhi Challenges ECI To Publish Voter Rolls, Post-5pm CCTV Footage Of Maharashtra Polls

Himanta says drive to identify foreigners to be 'accelerated'; AAMSU protests 'harassment'
Himanta says drive to identify foreigners to be 'accelerated'; AAMSU protests 'harassment'

Hindustan Times

time25 minutes ago

  • Hindustan Times

Himanta says drive to identify foreigners to be 'accelerated'; AAMSU protests 'harassment'

Guwahati, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday asserted that the process of identifying illegal foreigners, which was "paused" due to NRC-related matters, will be accelerated, even as protests were witnessed in different parts of the state during Eid prayers on Saturday over "pushback" and "harassment" of minorities in the name of detecting illegal immigrants. Sarma maintained that the state government was looking into the details of an old law, which allows it to "push back" the declared infiltrators without having to mandatorily approach the judiciary. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a programme in Nalbari, Sarma said that a constitutional bench of the Supreme Court, while hearing a case on Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, had said that there is no legal requirement for the Assam government to always approach the judiciary in order to identify foreigners. "There exists an immigrants expel order, which is an old law. The Supreme Court has said that this law is in force and a deputy commissioner can give permission for immediate pushback under it," he maintained. "For whatever reason, our lawyers had not informed us and we too didn't know about it. The entire matter has come to light in the last few days. We will now discuss it further," he added. The chief minister said pushing back illegal migrants will continue, adding that the process of identifying foreigners, which had been paused due to NRC-related matters, will now be accelerated. "And when the identification of a foreigner happens, there will be no need to send the case to any tribunal. We will directly push them back. We have been preparing for it," he added. Sarma said the process of pushback will continue, though no person with a case pending before the court will be sent back. Meanwhile, members and supporters of the All Assam Minority Students' Union wore black badges and displayed placards against the purported recent pushback of Bangladeshis in the state. They carried out the protest in different parts, including Chirang and Jogighopa, after Eid namaz. AAMSU president Rejaul Karim Sarkar maintained that more intensified protests will be carried out if the government does not stop "harassment" of genuine citizens. "We have seen cases where the entire family is Indian but one member is taken away as an illegal foreigner. Such acts are against humanity. The government should stop harassment of genuine citizens, else we will carry out more agitations in a democratic manner," he said.

‘Despite its flaws, the Collegium system preserves judicial independence,' says SC judge Justice Surya Kant
‘Despite its flaws, the Collegium system preserves judicial independence,' says SC judge Justice Surya Kant

Indian Express

time30 minutes ago

  • Indian Express

‘Despite its flaws, the Collegium system preserves judicial independence,' says SC judge Justice Surya Kant

Strongly defending the collegium system of judicial appointments, Supreme Court judge Justice Surya Kant said on Saturday that, 'despite its imperfections, it serves as a crucial institutional safeguard … preserving the Judiciary's autonomy.' Speaking at Seattle University on the topic 'The Quiet Sentinel: Courts, Democracy, and the Dialogue Across Borders,' Justice Kant noted that the collegium 'significantly limits interference by the Executive and Legislature, thereby preserving the Judiciary's autonomy and insulating judges from extraneous pressures that could otherwise compromise their impartiality.' He acknowledged that the system 'has been subject to sustained criticism—particularly regarding the opacity of its deliberative processes and the lack of publicly articulated criteria—but recent efforts by the Supreme Court signal a growing commitment to enhancing transparency and public confidence in it.' Referring to proactive judicial interventions that advance constitutional compassion, he asked in his June 4 address, 'How far can courts go in shaping policy?' and 'Is judicial creativity a virtue or a vice?' 'The answer, I believe, lies in intent and integrity. When courts act to empower the powerless, grounded in constitutional text and moral clarity, they do not usurp democracy—they deepen it,' he said. Justice Kant conceded that the judiciary 'has not remained impervious to criticism that at times it breaches the fine line between judicial activism and judicial overreach' and added that 'in recent years, there has been a discernible shift toward greater institutional self-restraint in select domains. The Court has increasingly sought to nudge rather than command, and to engage with other branches of government in efforts to increase dialogic remedies. This evolving balance reflects an awareness that judicial authority is most enduring when it is exercised with a sense of humility—when the Court is seen not as an omnipotent arbiter but as a co-traveller in the democratic journey, grounded in constitutional values.' He described the judiciary as 'the sentinel of constitutional morality' and said it 'has been instrumental in shaping this very democracy's moral spine.' Recalling past challenges, Justice Kant observed that 'the Indian judiciary, too, traversed periods of profound trial and transformation. Particularly during the Emergency, the Court grappled with serious challenges to its independence and, at times, exhibited troubling deference to executive power. Yet, this phase of institutional strain gave way to a renewed judicial consciousness.' He added that 'the judiciary's evolving relationship with its own independence lies at the very heart of how India's vast, pluralistic democracy continues to function with remarkable cohesion. It is not merely the existence of judicial independence that is noteworthy, but rather the degree and contours of that independence—how it is asserted, negotiated, and exercised—that renders the Indian experience particularly distinctive within the global constitutional landscape.' On the role of courts in a democracy, he said, 'constitutional democracy is … a system where majorities are checked, where minorities are protected, and where principles cannot be sacrificed at the altar of popularity,' and 'in such a system, courts cannot function as mere referees.' He stressed, 'in a democracy as vast and diverse as India's, it is only when the judiciary wears its power lightly, and its conscience visibly, that it can remain not only the last word, but also a trusted voice among many in our collective democratic journey.' 'Judiciary may not be the most visible arm of the state, it may not command battalions or shape budgets, but it performs a task more difficult: it keeps alive the promise of justice. In India, this task has often been thankless, occasionally triumphant, and always essential. The judiciary is not a saviour; it is a sentinel. It does not march. It watches. And when necessary, it speaks—not to please, but to preserve.' Earlier, during a visit to the Washington State Supreme Court's Temple of Justice in Olympia on June 3, Justice Kant highlighted the SC's defence of free speech rights, noting that 'pre-censorship and vague notions of public order cannot trump the right to free expression,' and adding, 'these are not merely legal precedents; they are constitutional declarations—that democracy without dissent is a contradiction, and that silence in the face of injustice is not neutrality, but complicity.' Drawing parallels between the Indian and American judiciaries, he said, 'in both countries, the Judiciary has consistently pushed back against the temptation to suppress dissent under misguided and deceptive notions that the Executive may hold … Both our systems were designed not to trust power blindly, but to restrain it.' At a fireside chat at Microsoft Corporation headquarters on June 6, Justice Kant touched on the rise of technology such as artificial intelligence in the judicial process. He said he was 'firmly convinced that any contemplation of AI must be guided by a deep moral compass. Shaping the future demands more than innovation—it calls for an unwavering adherence to foundational values. Transparency, equity, responsibility, and respect for human dignity must not be afterthoughts, but the pillars upon which all technological advancement rests.' He warned that 'technology, if left unchecked, can reflect and reinforce societal inequities. AI is not a perfect technology and it can perhaps never replace the human element that the entire Rawlsian theory of justice hinges on,' and added, 'technology must remain subordinate to our higher commitments to fairness, equity, and human dignity' and 'must adapt to the lived realities of the people it seeks to serve.' Ananthakrishnan G. is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express. He has been in the field for over 23 years, kicking off his journalism career as a freelancer in the late nineties with bylines in The Hindu. A graduate in law, he practised in the District judiciary in Kerala for about two years before switching to journalism. His first permanent assignment was with The Press Trust of India in Delhi where he was assigned to cover the lower courts and various commissions of inquiry. He reported from the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court of India during his first stint with The Indian Express in 2005-2006. Currently, in his second stint with The Indian Express, he reports from the Supreme Court and writes on topics related to law and the administration of justice. Legal reporting is his forte though he has extensive experience in political and community reporting too, having spent a decade as Kerala state correspondent, The Times of India and The Telegraph. He is a stickler for facts and has several impactful stories to his credit. ... Read More

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store