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Smiling Without Answering: Rajnath confident of return of normalcy to Valley

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9 years ago

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Smiling Without Answering: Rajnath confident of return of normalcy to Valley

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Home Minister took all questions without answering most of them

Parsa Venkateshwar Rao Jr

The majority of questions at Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s press briefing on Saturday to mark three years of the Narendra Modi government centered on the deteriorating situation in the Kashmir Valley. The questioners wanted to know whether the government would take a tough stand against Pakistan, whether there would be talks with hardliners and whether the solution is to be found in military or political terms.

In a rare instance with a member of this government, Singh took all the questions on board, deflected most of them, and expressed in bland terms that the situation is “improving” in the Valley and it would become stable soon enough. He did not snub any of the questioners for pressing on with the K questions because it seemed that all the questioners were sufficiently anti-separatist and anti-Pakistan in their tone of questioning.

One of the reporters of a channel told the minister about the sting operation carried out by the channel showing Hurriyat leaders accepting money from Pakistan sources, and persisted in knowing whether government would take stern action against them now that proof of wrong-doing has been established. Singh did not walk into the trap but he seemed pleased by the line of questioning.

The journalists wanted Singh’s response to the fact that the protests in the Valley were not any more Pakistan-centric as much as they were Islam-centric. Singh amiably evaded an answer. He refused to answer whether the Army chief’s support for Major Leetul Gogoi for using a Kashmiri civilian as a shield was right, and what his view was in the matter, and he was told that his cabinet colleague M. Venkaiah Naidu supported the army action. All that Singh said was that Naidu was right.

Singh adopted a politically correct stance and said that youth of Kashmir were the future of the country as well as Kashmir, and it is not right that they should be using their hands for pelting stones. He squarely blamed Pakistan for misleading and inciting the students. He said a Pakistan which could not manage to hold Balochistan, Federal Authority of Tribal Areas (FATA), Sindh and Khyber- Pakhtunkhwa, and which had earlier failed to keep its eastern part (now Bangladesh). He also said that the government was willing to speak to any group in the Valley which was willing to talk, and that no one was excluded.

He admitted the Kashmir problem cannot be solved in a jiffy because it has been there since 1947, and he said that the solution will have to be an integrated, and not a piecemeal, one.

The Home Minister was quite at home with the media, and he did not hesitate even to banter, recognizing many of them by name. Members of the Modi government, following the prime minister’s stay-away-from-the-media policy, have been quite wary of media interaction. But Singh let his guard down as it were, and interacted rather freely with the reporters.

His other areas of focus were the Left-wing extremism affected areas, which he glibly referred to as LW and the North-East. When there was a pointed question about the recent Sukma ambush where policemen were killed, he passed over the question. When asked about the settlement of Rohingya Muslims in Jammu, there was a visible fumble when he said it was for the state government to handle.

When asked for his reaction on the NIA raids in Kashmir, Singh refused to comment, saying he didn’t want to comment on it because it was an autonomous agency.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Asish Banerjee found dead in Rampurhat, Mamata Banerjee aide’s death shocks TMC

Former West Bengal deputy speaker and five-time Rampurhat MLA Asish Banerjee was found dead at a Trinamool Congress office in Birbhum.

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9 hours ago

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August 16, 2026

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Mamata Banerjee

Former West Bengal Assembly deputy speaker and Trinamool Congress leader Asish Banerjee was found dead at a party office next to his residence in Rampurhat, Birbhum district, on Sunday morning.

Police said his body was found hanging and was sent for postmortem. A large crowd gathered outside the Trinamool Congress office after news of his death spread.

Who was Asish Banerjee?

Asish Banerjee had served as the deputy speaker of the West Bengal Assembly when Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee was the state’s chief minister. He was also a five-time MLA from Rampurhat.

He had served as Bengal’s education and agriculture minister after Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress first came to power in the state.

Banerjee contested the West Bengal Assembly election earlier this year but lost the Rampurhat seat to BJP’s Dhruba Saha.

Asish Banerjee’s recent party role

Banerjee stepped down as chairman of the Trinamool Congress’s Birbhum district core committee in June. At the time, he said he would continue as a general member of the party.

He lived in the Hattalapara neighbourhood of Rampurhat, with the party office where his body was found located next to his house.

BJP gains in Birbhum

The BJP won six of the 11 Assembly constituencies in Birbhum in the latest state election. This marked a significant change from 2021, when the Trinamool Congress had won 10 seats in the district while the BJP had secured one.

Police have sent Asish Banerjee’s body for postmortem as the circumstances surrounding his death are being investigated.

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IPS Officer Nupur Prasad gets Medal for Meritorious Service after Sushant Singh Rajput probe

IPS officer Nupur Prasad, who led the CBI investigation into Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, has been selected for the Medal for Meritorious Service this year.

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1 day ago

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August 15, 2026

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IPS officer Nupur Prasad, who led the CBI investigation into actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, has been recognised with the Medal for Meritorious Service (MSM) this year.

A 2007-batch AGMUT cadre officer, Ms Prasad recently returned to the Delhi Police after completing her tenure with the CBI. She is currently serving as Joint Commissioner of Police in the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), where she oversees investigations involving financial and economic crimes.

The award is part of this year’s recognition for police personnel for distinguished and meritorious service. Such honours recognise contributions in areas including investigation, crime prevention, public service, law and order and administration.

Nupur Prasad’s role in Sushant Singh Rajput case

Ms Prasad came into national focus during the CBI investigation into the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, who was found dead at his Mumbai residence on June 14, 2020.

The case was transferred to the CBI in August 2020 following a complaint by the actor’s family and a legal dispute over jurisdiction.

During her tenure with the agency, Ms Prasad supervised key aspects of the investigation, including the examination of witness statements, forensic evidence and medical records.

In 2025, the CBI filed closure reports, saying its investigation found no evidence of foul play, abetment to suicide or criminal conspiracy in the actor’s death.

Career across Delhi Police, CBI

Ms Prasad has served in several positions during her career, including assignments in the Delhi Police, CBI, Arunachal Pradesh and West Bengal.

Before joining the CBI, she held senior positions in the Delhi Police and became the first Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of Shahdara. During her tenure, she worked on establishing the district’s policing framework following its creation.

She also led operations targeting drug networks and illegal gambling activities while focusing on crime-prevention measures.

Later, as DCP of North Delhi, she oversaw security arrangements for major events, including Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort and Delhi University elections.

Community-focused policing initiatives

Beyond investigations, Ms Prasad has been associated with community-focused programmes involving women’s self-defence, youth development, cyber safety and drug de-addiction.

During her CBI tenure, she was also associated with several prominent investigations. Media reports have linked her to cases concerning businessman Vijay Mallya and the AgustaWestland helicopter deal.

Current role in Delhi Police

After completing her assignment with the CBI, Ms Prasad returned to the Delhi Police and took charge as Joint Commissioner of Police in the Economic Offences Wing.

The latest recognition adds to her career spanning investigations, policing and public service across several challenging assignments.

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Kharge, Rahul Gandhi skip Independence Day event for 2nd straight year

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi skipped the 80th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort for the second consecutive year.

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1 day ago

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August 15, 2026

By

Rahul Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi skipped the 80th Independence Day celebrations at Delhi’s Red Fort for the second consecutive year.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the Independence Day celebrations at the historic venue on Saturday.

The absence of the two senior Congress leaders comes amid strained relations between the ruling party and the Opposition, which further deteriorated during the Monsoon Session of Parliament that concluded on Thursday.

2024 seating controversy

Rahul Gandhi had attended the Independence Day celebrations in 2024 but his seating arrangement triggered a controversy. The Congress leader, who holds the status of a Cabinet minister as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, was seated in the second-last row during the ceremony at the Red Fort.

The Opposition had criticised the seating arrangement, calling it an insult to the people. The Defence Ministry, which organised the event, said the arrangement had been modified to accommodate Olympians at the venue.

According to protocol, the Leader of the Opposition is seated in the front row during ceremonial events.

Opposition-ruling party tensions

Relations between the government and the Opposition remained tense during the Monsoon Session, which ended on Thursday.

The session saw repeated clashes between the two sides, with both the Opposition and the ruling party blaming each other for the low productivity of Parliament.

The session began on July 20, with students marching towards Parliament on the first day. Twelve bills were passed during the session, while detailed discussion took place on only one legislation, concerning paper leaks.

The Congress, along with the Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party, also boycotted the customary tea party hosted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla after the House was adjourned sine die.

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