Bharat Bhushan

Pros and cons of the Modi-Meloni ‘Melody’ moment Read more at: deccanherald.com/opinion/pros-a…

After writing to the Union Minister of Environment, Forests, & Climate Change and the Union Minister of Tribal Affairs, I have written to the Raksha Mantri on the Great Nicobar Island Project.

PM @narendramodi is again asking Indians to bear the cost of his Govt’s failures. The question is why we’re repeatedly asked to sacrifice so much (after 12 years of supposedly strong leadership forging a Viksit Bharat & Amrit Kaal). In @thewire_in. m.thewire.in/article/diplom…

Why Modi needs RSS cover for dialogue with Pakistan deccanherald.com/opinion/why-mo… via @deccanherald

West Bengal, Tamil Nadu show limits of political consulting deccanherald.com/opinion/west-b… via @deccanherald

Democracy demands a public debate on Great Nicobar’s environmental and strategic costs Read more at: deccanherald.com/opinion/democr…

Democracy demands a public debate on Great Nicobar’s environmental and strategic costs deccanherald.com/opinion/democr… via @deccanherald

Democracy demands a public debate on Great Nicobar’s environmental and strategic costs deccanherald.com/opinion/democr… via @deccanherald

New rulers, old habits | Nepal's selective accountability and democratic drift deccanherald.com/opinion/new-ru… via @deccanherald

A sitting Prime Minister’s address to the nation has a sanctity to it. It is meant to be a non-partisan address intended to build national resolve and confidence. This pathetic partisan and polemical attack – a Distress Address rather than a National Address - would have been more appropriate in a Press Conference. But as unhinged as he is by the extraordinary legislative humiliation he suffered in the Lok Sabha last night, the non-grihasthi Prime Minister is still too much of a coward to face the media. The Prime Minister has apologized for failing to see his Constitution amendment bill through the Lok Sabha. What he should have apologized for is his shameless, deceitful attempts to push through a devious delimitation proposal in the name of women. His niyat is anything but saaf. It is poisonous. If one were to investigate his niyat, one only has to ask why the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023 passed unanimously way back in Sept 2023 was notified only late night on April 16 2026 after a delay of 30 months. His talking of mahila samman is sheer hypocrisy give the way he has conducted himself throughout his life. What the PM attempted in the Lok Sabha yesterday – a weakening of our democracy and our federalism – was exactly the sort of attack on the Constitution that was anticipated when the PM called for ‘400 paar’ in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections. His attempts to invoke the legacy of the Constitution-makers only induces a revulsion at his dishonesty. Among the PM’s more laughable claims was that the Indian National Congress opposed the Jan Dhan-Aadhar-Mobile and the GST. Both are entirely Congress creations. Indira Gandhi nationalized the banking industry and laid the foundation for universal bank access. Aadhar was launched by Dr Manmohan Singh on September 29, 2010 from Nandurbar district in Maharashtra. India’s digital revolution was conceptualized and enabled by Rajiv Gandhi’s vision and mission. The GST too was similarly pushed by Dr Manmohan Singh’s Government and was only unable to pass back then because of opposition from a certain ex-CM of Gujarat. The same CM opposed the National Food Security Act, 2013 and MGNREGA that proved to be lifelines for crores of Indians during the COVID-19 pandemic. The PM is a pathological liar and he proved this once again tonight. The Prime Minister ended his speech with saying that there was a ‘waqt ka intezaar’ for women’s reservation. There is no need for a muhurat to give India’s women their due. The Indian National Congress challenges the Prime Minister to move a bill in the Parliament tomorrow to implement women’s reservation within the existing set up of the Lok Sabha.

The US-Iran meeting is beginning today in Islamabad. The entire world, including India, are hoping that this is the beginning of a durable peace process between the two countries that will not get derailed by Israel’s continuing agression in its neighbourhood. But serious questions about the substance and style of the self-declared Vishwaguru’s huglomacy arise - 1. How has Pakistan managed to carve out a new role for itself despite its role in the dastardly Pahalgam terror attack of April 2025 and the diplomatic engagement India mounted to isolate it following the attacks? This failure is especially damming because the Dr Manmohan Singh Government had very effectively isolated Pakistan after the Mumbai terror attacks in Nov 2008. 2. ⁠How has India allowed the US to accord Pakistan this new role even after the Namaste Trump, Howdy Modi, and Phir Ek Baar Trump Sarkar campaigns of Mr. Modi and his cheerleaders? India also agreed to a very clearly one-sided trade deal where it gave much more than what it could get - and yet the Modi Government failed the gain any leverage with the US. 3. ⁠Why didn’t India as the current President of BRICS+ launch any peace or mediation initiative - especially since Iran, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia are members of the BRICs+? 4. ⁠What has India gained from its callibrated capitulation to China in the past eighteen months - especially in view of China’s pivotal role in Pakistan’s response to Operation Sindoor and its continued propping up of Pakistan? Peace in West Asia must return quickly. The Strait of Hormuz must once again revert to the situation that prevailed before the US-Israel assault on Iran began on Feb 28th - a mere two days after Mr.Modi had completed a most ill-advised and ill-timed visit to Israel.

LPG crisis is fueling another reverse migration from cities. asianage.com/opinion/column…

Poll politics halts FCRA amendments, but for how long? deccanherald.com/opinion/poll-p… via @deccanherald

United News of India @uniindianews is one of the oldest and most respected News Agencies in the country. It has been having problems now going back a decade or more. However if what is being put by @uniindianews below is correct 👇 then it indeed represents an unprecedented attack on the Freedom of the Press and deserves to be condemned by all right thinking Indians uniindia.com/news/india/med…

THE MEDIA FOUNDATION JOURNALISM AWARDS 2025 The WINNERS. With the jury. From L: Jury member @rupa_jha, @shivnarayan01, @sukanyashantha, chief guest @PSainath_org, @annavetticad, @NidhiSuresh, @ekta_sonawane, @teajust, jury member Parsa Venkateshwar Rao Jr Congrats, winners!