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Narendra Modi's penchant for depicting his adversaries in poor frame has put him in a really awkward situation. During his July 25 rally in Muzaffarpur he had commented: 'There seems to be some problem in his DNA because the DNA of democracy is not like that. In democracy you respect even your political rivals.” Initially, no one took seriously Modi's jibe against Kumar. But after a week his remark has snowballed into a major controversy. Even those opposed to Nitish has refused to endorse Modi's rile. There is a general apprehension that it may trigger the worst form of election campaigning in the state.

Should the formula no-work-no-pay be applicable to the honorable Members of Parliament? Tourism and Culture minister Mahesh Sharma had dropped a bombshell recently in Varanasi that just like this formula was applied for bureaucrats, the government was mulling the option of stopping salaries if Parliament transacts no business because of disruption. However, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu has immediately contradicted him by stating that there is no such plan. Ironically, the BJP had vociferously opposed the same suggestion floated by the then ruling Congress after the BJP had 'wiped out' an entire session of Parliament in 2010. Therefore, it is clear that whether the ruling party or the opposition there is this problem of who will bell the cat. For example, the House of Commons follow a rule of withholding the salary of the suspended members. This idea is also catching up in other countries. In India even after suspension, members continue to get their salaries.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It is no crime for politicians to be smart. But when they try to be over-smart, they sometimes end up with egg on their faces.

BHOPAL: Though the members of Parliament and Assemblies are called law makers but increasingly law making is the only task which they often perform in the most casual manner.

Too many prosecution cases – routine or those having exceptional political and financial ramifications involving the rich and famous – are being dismissed by the judiciary as prosecutors are failing to establish charges before the court. More and more accused are being let off by the higher judiciary though rarely before their custodial harassment and discomfort for weeks, months or even years as prosecutors make persistent plea for extension of custody to help investigation into crime. What happens to the accused who are let off by judiciary after long suffering at the hands of mischievous, often dishonest, politically guided police or enforcement agencies, including the Central Bureau of Investigation? Should not the relieved accused be adequately compensated for the mischief, mistake and incompetence of the prosecution after deliberate and politically-prompted harassment by the police and law enforcers?

KOLKATA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has hailed the peace accord, signed in New Delhi on Monday between the leaders of the NSCN(IM) and the Centre, as being a “landmark” one. What is intriguing, however, is that the details of the peace treaty have not been made public but kept a closely-guarded secret. But from what the PM told the Naga leaders, like “we will also be your partner as you restore your pride and prestige” it seems reasonable to presume that a substantive degree of autonomy has been given to the Nagas, because a ‘partnership’ can be entered into only by two distinct bodies, each retaining its separate identity.

BHOPAL: A gathering of intellectuals, literary personalities, educationists, politicians, social activists and journalists held at Bhopal with one voice condemned the deliberate harassment and persecution of social activists Teesta Sitalvad and Javed Anand. The participants attending the meeting unanimously resolved to organise such meetings at other places to apprise the people about the facts of the case which has been foisted on Teesta by the CBI and other authorities.

The Reserve Bank has kept its monetary policy unchanged. Repo rate, CRR have been left untouched. Its current monetary policy stance is effectively “wait and watch”. Is that justified?

The Reserve Bank's third bi-monthly policy review on August 4 holds the key lending rate, repo, unchanged at 7.25 per cent, in line with consensus expectations, on the basis of an overall assessment of current and evolving macroeconomic situation. Governor Rajan said it was a 'prudent' step at this juncture while maintaining the accommodative stance.

The Gurdaspur terrorist attack has raised a number of questions having ramifications not only for Punjab but also for the country. The material recovered from the three killed terrorists leaves no doubt that the attackers originated from Pakistan. But were they non-state players? Did they have the backing of Pakistan’s political establishment or belonged to the army/ISI-backed terrorist outfits? Or, does the attack have any connection with the ISIS’s plan to launch a major attack in India, as revealed in a secret IS document obtained by American Media Institute, which was reported by USA Today on Wednesday? And lastly, was the attack a part of the Pakistan ISI’s plan to create environment in Punjab conducive for revival of militancy and Khalistan demand?