New Delhi: Demonetisation, attack on Indian Air Force Base in Pathankot, imposition of liquor ban in Bihar, fire in Puttingal temple in Kerala, the terrorist attack in Uri and Manipur activist Irom Sharmila ending her 16-year long hunger strike made headlines in the year 2015.
Assembly elections in TamilNadu, Assam, West Bengal and Puducherry brought landslide victories for the AIADMK, BJP, TMC and Congress respectively.
The demise of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, months-long Kashmir turmoil, Supreme Court’s order to play the National Anthem in cinemas before films and the sacking of Cyrus Mistry as the Chairman of the Tata Sons were other issues that made news.
The landmark Goods and Services Tax Bill was passed in the parliament, and the Government of India accepted the 7th Pay Commission recommendations to increase salaries of employees.
Following is the diary of domestic events:
Jan 2: New Delhi: Veteran Communist Party of India leader A B Bardhan, who steered the party during the turbulent period of coalition politics at national level in 1990s, died here tonight after prolonged illness.
Jan 2: Pathankot (Punjab): Heavily-armed Pakistani terrorists today attempted to storm the Air Force base here, triggering a day-long gunbattle in which three securitymen and four infiltrators were killed, days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s surprise stopover in Lahore.
Jan 3:New Delhi: Two Jaish-e-Mohammed militants were suspected to have sneaked into the national capital and were planning high-profile attacks, including taking hostages, following which security was today stepped up in the city, a day after the Pathankot Air Base strike by the same Pakistan-based outfit.
Jan 4: New Delhi: Juveniles of 16 years of age and above can now be tried as adults if they commit heinous offences like rape and murder as President Pranab Mukherjee has given assent to an Act in this regard.
Jan 4: Imphal/Guwahati: At least nine persons were killed and over 100 injured as a strong 6.8 magnitude earthquake epicentred in Manipur today struck the northeastern and eastern regions, damaging buildings and sparking panic that sent people scampering out of their homes.
Jan 5: Pathankot: Bringing the curtains down on Day 4, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today said all six terrorists at the Pathankot air base have been killed but admitted to “some gaps” in security that led to the terror attack in which some “Pakistan-made material” have been used.
Jan 7: New Delhi: Putting the ball squarely in Pakistan’s court, India today linked the Foreign Secretary-level talks to Islamabad’s “prompt and decisive” action in the Pathankot terror attack for which it has provided “actionable intelligence”.
Jan 7: New Delhi/Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who crafted an impossible coalition with BJP in the Muslim-majority state, died today and just hours later his party PDP chose his daughter Mehbooba Mufti as his successor. .
PTI
