
The year that was in 5 big political stories
As an eventful 2019 draws to a close, Hindustan Times looks back at five stories that tracked the big changes in India’s polity. They capture the essence of the protests that have been sparked off by the citizenship law and give our readers an insight into the mind of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
So here are some of the top stories that defined 2019, not necessarily in any particular order. There will be loads more to come in 2020.
PM Modi’s interview

2019 was an election year for India. A year which saw the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) catapulting to an even bigger margin of victory and nearly destroying the Opposition.
But what was going inside the mind of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, then eyeing his second term? What did he think about his last tenure? And what are his view about some of the big decisions of his first tenure like demonetisation, implementation of GST etc? He spoke to Hindustan Times on the economy, opposition strategy and his party’s poll prospects. Click here to read the full interview
How Congress planned to restart the economy

In the election year, Congress had upped the ante by targeting the government on economy. Rahul Gandhi, then Congress president, blamed his opponent and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of ruining the economy. In an interview with Hindustan, a sister publication of the Hindustan Times, Gandhi said the NYAY scheme being proposed by his party will remonetise the Indian economy. Click here to read the full interview
Anger on streets

Delhi was singed by protests against the citizenship law, which was passed by Parliament in December, 2019. Many civil society groups, politicians and activists joined hands to urge the government to roll back the new law. But when they were met with stiff resistance from the authorities, the protests turned violent and public assets like buses and other vehicles were destroyed.
There was stone pelting and attacks on policemen. The Delhi Police fired at least 450 tear gas shells to quell protests in Jamia Nagar and Seelampur, admitting that it could be the largest quantity of the ordinarily non-lethal ammunition used in a comparable time span in recent history in the national capital. Click here to read the full story
Changing the contours of OBC quota

Reservation has been a sentimental issue in the country. Now when a government panel decided to recommend radical changes to how the 27% reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) is implemented, the story became one of the most read in 2019.
Currently, all 2,633 OBC castes compete for the same 27% quota. The panel recommends breaking this up into three bands - those that have got no benefits should get 10%, those with some benefits 10%, and those with maximum benefits 7%. Click here to read the full story
Rumours, rage and excess in AMU campus

The Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) was the earliest to support the students of Jamia Milia Islamia in Delhi during the protests against the citizenship law. Though the AMU agitation started peacefully, a phone call from a fellow student that two Jamia students were killed in police firing turned it into a violent one.
It turned out to be a rumour. But it seems to have been the trigger for what followed. Click here to read the full story

'I have two daughters,' Babul Supriyo after backlash for 'sexist' post on Mamata

New social media rules may raise compliance cost, make competition tough

'Centre behind Red Fort violence, not farmers': Kejriwal at 'Kisan Mahapanchayat

J&K Police carrying out IPDR analysis of phones seized from PDP leader

Hyderabad firm eyes record, builds 25.54km lane in less than 18 hours

Security stepped up at Kochi airport following threat call

Will send BJP back to Nagpur: Rahul Gandhi in poll-bound Tamil Nadu

CM won't come under pressure: Raut on demand for minister's ouster

Fuel prices may fall by April, says petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan
- Fuel prices have been on fire this month with oil companies raising petrol and diesel prices 16 times so far.

'He was on vacation': Shah jabs Rahul Gandhi for 'no fisheries ministry' remark

6 states contributed to 86.37% of new Covid-19 cases, says govt

PM Modi congratulates Bolsonaro on successful launch of Amazonia-1 satellite
- The launch took place from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

Narrow escape for Odisha IPS officers as 3 Satkosia eco retreat tents catch fire
- Transport commissioner Sanjeeb Panda and his IPS officer wife Santosh Bala (Home department special secretary), were in one of the three tents that caught fire.

News updates from HT: ABP-C-Voter opinion poll predicts edge for TMC in Bengal

Bombay HC refuses to interfere in physical criteria for medical admission
- The petitioner had moved the high court in January this year after she was declared ineligible for admission to an undergraduate medical course as her left hand was amputated.