It took three years to charge sheet Kanhaiya Kumar and Umar Khalid, who’d organised a rally condemning the death of Afzal Guru – but only six months to charge sheet Afzal Guru. Get ready India, for a new form of terrorism, where militants enter our country strapped with polarising opinions and unleash them in a crowded market.

Michelle Obama’s memoir Becoming is a lesson in empathy, endurance, and elegance. It’s an exposition of her doctrine, “When they go low, we go high.” While I’d pretty much recommend the book to anyone I know, the people who’ll most benefit from it are our politicians – Rahul Gandhi, Smriti Irani, and Arvind Kejriwal.

Maybe there is more to the sedition charges against Kanhaiya Kumar and the JNU student-activists. The delay in the filing of the chargesheet smacks of convenient timing. With the General Elections just a few months away, expect hyper-nationalistic rhetoric to be dialled up, and accusations of “anti-Indian” practices to fly thick and fast.

The Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party tie-up might seem like a marriage of convenience. But this uneasy union could challenge the BJP in the upcoming General Elections. The “bua-bhatija” camaraderie was on display at the press conference when they formally announced their alliance.

It cannot be said whether shunted CBI chief Alok Verma is truly guilty of the charges set against him. It is tempting to assume he’s innocent, considering how many good men the government has stomped all over these past few years.

The Citizenship Amendment Bill aims to protect Hindu migrants and by extension keep out Muslims. But the BJP government’s one-size-fits all vision might not work for the Northeast, where locals do not want “outsiders”, irrespective of what religion they belong to.

It is a strange and disturbing thought that the very institutions founded to implement and sustain democracy, have recently had to struggle with undemocratic values. The sacking of Alok Verma a day after his reinstatement is further proof that the country’s institutions are risking losing their autonomy and integrity - in some cases, irreparably.

Shashi Tharoor’s seemingly woke sensibilities endear him to India’s millennials like no other politician has in the past. But last week, after two women entered the Sabarimala Temple, he claimed it an unnecessary act of provocation. Perhaps we put Tharoor on the pedestal too soon.

The Citizenship Bill proposes to allow “persecuted minorities” from neighbouring countries to seek citizenship in the country. It’s ironic to see the BJP project itself as a champion for minorities in other countries, when it can be argued that they’ve failed at creating a safe haven for those already residing within our borders.

Among the tainted careers of Indian politicians, Manmohan Singh held his reputation as a squeaky-clean legislator. A new biopic wants us to spoon out sympathy for a man supposedly stuck in a sorry predicament. But let’s please accept that Dr Singh chose not to exercise any power – and that is his true legacy.