Mani Shankar Aiyar | Former sports minister and Rajya Sabha member
“I will be very unhappy if the (Commonwealth) Games are a success as then they will talk of holding Asian Games and Olympics. Those patronising it (CWG) can only be evil. They cannot be God. Thousands of crores are being spent on circuses like these while common children are deprived of basic facilities to play.”
Vibhuti Narain Rai | Vice-Chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi International Hindi University (MGIHU)
“...There is a race among women writers to demonstrate they are the greatest prostitute... The entire “feminist discourse has reduced to a grand celebration of infidelity”.
L K Advani | BJP leader
“It has been our view that in the past few years, this institution (of Prime Minister) has been progressively devalued.”
Farooq Abdullah | Union minister, on his son Omar Abdullah
“He (Omar) has joined an elite club of former US President George W Bush, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, home minister P Chidambaram and a few others with this shoe. It is a wonderful thing.”
Abdul Ahad Jan |Head constable who hurled a shoe at Omar Abdullah
“I did it because of my affection for my people who are being killed every day. I was beaten up in custody and won’t accept anything under duress. They (the police) want me to name PDP or Hurriyat leaders for the act.”
K Sangakkara |Sri Lankan skipper, cautioning Suraj Randiv before the controversial no-ball in the match with India
“If he hits the ball, he gets the run.”
Supreme Court |On couples involved in long-term live-in relationships
“If a man and a woman cohabit for a number of years, it will be presumed under section 114 of the Evidence Act, that they live as husband and wife and the children born to them will not be illegitimate.”
Arun Jaitley |BJP leader
“This PM has the easiest job. He reads out the same speeches two-three times and does little else. He has run out of ideas.”
Kapil Sibal |Union minister, after a confusion over Viswanathan Anand’s citizenship
“I spoke to Anand. I said sorry and I told him that he could receive the honorary doctorate at a time of his convenience, even today evening.”
Nandan Nilekani |Chairman, UIDAI
“The unique identification number will make a difference as it will be the `number for life’ for them (without access to public schemes).”
Sitaram Yechury |CPI(M) leader, debating the nuclear liability ill in the Rajya Sabha
“The most highprofile Congress general secretary ( Rahul Gandhi) has talked of two Indias. Please empower the other India and use the money to build schools. Give us health, give us education. You don’t have to listen to us, listen to your own general secretary.”
Rajniti Prasad |RJD leader, making a reference to Kalawati of Yavatmal of whom Rahul Gandhi cited in 2008 in the House
“We hope this nuclear energy, which this Bill will help generate, will ensure that Kalawati’s children can read with electric lights in the future.”
Supreme Court |To additional solicitor general Mohan Parasaran
“Free of cost distribution of foodgrain was a part of the order. Tell your minister (Sharad Pawar) that distribution of rotting foodgrains was a part of our order and not just an observation.”
Yasir Hameed |Pakistan cricketer, on players fixing matches
“They were doing it (fixing) in almost every match. God knows what they were up to. Scotland Yard was after them for ages.”
Salman Rushdie |Indian- born author
“The monarchy and its traditions are archaic.. stupid... a British oddity.”
Rachida Dati | French politician, on Europe 1 radio station saying fellatio instead of inflation
“I see some of them looking for returns of 20 or 25 per cent, at a time when fellatio is almost non- existent.”
Ranjana Sonawane |India’s first Aadhaar holder, after receiving the UIDAI card
“Sanmaanache kaay gheun basat, ithe khayaala kahi nahi. (Damn the honour, we don’t have anything to eat.)... Now I have to cook something for my three children. I don’t understand why the officers kept us busy all month. They demanded a new document every day. We couldn’t go to work because of their visits. Hunger keeps my children awake every other night.”
Mohammed Hashim Ansari |The lone surviving litigant in the Ayodhya title suits
“Though I am not the person to decide the future course of action of the Muslim leadership, I would appeal to the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, UP Sunni Central Board of Waqf and Babri Masjid Action Committee to close the matter... Hum chahate hain ki maamla yahin thanda ho jaye (I want the matter to end here). If it is challenged in court, it will take another 60 years for the judgment. I am already 90-years-old. Do you think I will be able to hear the verdict from my grave?”
Sheila Dikshit |Chief Minister, Delhi
“I am the elected face of Delhi and as CM, the blame comes to me. But I really have no authority. When I first saw the Village, it was frightening. There was no water in many flats, lifts were not working, it was filthy, there were dogs all over the place. In just four days, we changed it around.”
Suresh Kalmadi |Chairman, OC-CWG, confusing Duchess of Cornwall for late Princess Diana
“Princess Diana was there (for the opening ceremony).”
Rahul Gandhi |Congress MP, at a media briefing in Bhopal
“I only know that both SIMI and the RSS are fanatical and hold fundamentalist views. There is no place for people with fanatical views in the Youth Congress. ”
Paul Henry |TVNZ host, insulting Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit
“The dip shit woman. God, what’s her name? Dick Shit .. it looks like Dick Sh*t, Its so appropriate, because she’s Indian, so she’d be dick-in-shit wouldn’t she, do you know what I mean?”
Markandey Katju |Supreme Court Judge
“Many of my brother judges were ahinsavadi (supporters of non-violence) but I am not. I believe that the perpetrators of such a heinous crime (burning the bride) should be handed down an exemplary punishment.”
Supreme Court |Admitting an appeal filed by the CBI
“It is very unfortunate that there is no control over corruption in the country. There is rampant corruption particularly in the department of income tax, sales tax and excise department. Nothing moves without money.”
Liu Xia |Wife of Nobel Peace Prize winner Lui Xiaobo
“Brothers, I have returned home. On the eighth (of October) they placed me under house arrest. I don’t know when I will be able to see anyone. My mobile phone has been broken and I cannot call or receive calls. I saw Xiaobo and told him on the ninth at the prison that he won the prize. I will let you know more later.”
Jang |Urdu Daily
“The shortage of water is a key global issue these days. And what is the reason? Believe it or not, Bollywood films. Bollywood not only spends money like water on its films but prodigious waste of water is also a habit of Bollywood producers and directors.”
Mario Sepulveda |The second miner to come out after being trapped for 69 days
“I was with God and I was with the devil. They fought me, and God won.”
Howard Jacobson |Author, on winning the Booker Prize for The Finkler Question
“I’m speechless. Fortunately I prepared one earlier. It’s dated 1983, that is how long the wait’s been.”
Michael Fennel | Commonwealth Games Federation president
“You have delivered a truly exceptional Games. Thank you Delhi!”
Veena malik |Ex-girlfriend of Pak cricketer Asif
“He tried to show off his macho side by abusing me. He survived on my money. I groomed him to handle high society and the media initially. He came from a vernacular background and did not even know how to talk properly.”
Sonia Gandhi |Congress president
“Some others have remained in power for years and only sold dreams.”
Julian Assange | WikilLeaks founder
“They called me the James Bond of Journalism... it got me a lot of fans, and some of them ended up causing me a bit of trouble... By being determined to be on this path, and not to compromise, I have wound up in an extraordinary situation.”
Ramachandra Guha |Historian
“Has Rahul Gandhi ever read Jawaharlal Nehru’s letters to chief ministers? Or has Mayawati read B R Ambedkar’s address to the constituent assembly? Can Mulayam Singh Yadav name a single book written by Ram Manohar Lohia?”
Vilasrao Deshmukh |Former Maharashtra CM
“I did so (approved 20 members to the society) after Ashok Chavan, the then state revenue minister, made a recommendation. I did it in good faith because the minister (Chavan) had already approved it... It’s a conspiracy to defame me.”
Narendra Modi |Gujarat chief minister, after winning the civic polls
“The BJP provided actual development whereas the Congress only engaged in votebank politics.”
Irom Singhajit |Elder brother of Irom Sharmila
“She (Sharmila) is even ready to fast for another 10 years for the cause (removal of the AFSPA from Manipur). We are confident that she would be able to do it.”
Silvio Berlusconi |Italian prime minister
“Better to have a passion for beautiful women than to be gay.”
V K Malhotra |78-year-old president of the Archery Association of India
“If the prime minister and sports minister can be above 70, what is wrong in having national Sports Federation chiefs of similar age?”
John McCain |Republican senator
“The US should support India’s permanent membership on an expanded UN Security Council. If we want India to join us in sharing the responsibilities for international peace and security, then the world’s largest democracy needs to have a seat at the high table of international politics.”
Barack Obama |US President
“In the years ahead, I look forward to a reformed UN Security Council that includes India as a permanent member.”
Mani Shankar Aiyar |Congress leader
“I can’t believe that we cannot come to an agreement with our own people (Pakistanis), except for the political divide of 1947.”
Tifatul Sembiring |Indonesian information minister, on shaking hands with Michelle Obama
“I tried to prevent (being touched) with my hands but Mrs Michelle held her hands too far towards me.”
Jairam Ramesh |Environment minister
“The growth of SUVs in a country like India is criminal. The real beneficiaries of the subsidy on diesel are the BMWs, Benzs and Hondas.”
A Raja |DMK MP before submitting his resignation to the PM, more than 22 months after the scam broke
“In order to avoid embarrassment to the government and maintain peace and harmony in Parliament, my leader (DMK chief M Karunanidhi) has advised me to resign.”
Aung San Suu Kyi |Myanmar democracy leader
“If my people are not free, how can I say I am free? Either we are all free together or we are not free together.”
Supreme Court Bench |On The 2G Spectrum scam and the PM’s inaction
“The sanctioning authority (the Prime Minister) can turn down a request for sanction but can it sit over it? ... We find the alleged inaction and silence troubling.”
Pope Benedict XVI | On the usage of condoms to prevent the spread of HIV
“In certain cases, where the intention is to reduce the risk of infection, it can nevertheless be a first step on the way to another, more humane sexuality.”
Mark Sedwill |NATO’s senior civilian representative in Afghanistan
“In Kabul and the other big cities, there are few of those bombs. The children are probably safer (in Kabul) than they would be in London, New York or Glasgow or many other cities. Most children can go about their lives in safety. It’s a very family- oriented society. So it is a little bit like a city of villages.”
Subramanian Swamy |Janata Party leader
“Yes, he (Manmohan Singh) played along the same way Bhishma Pitamah watched the stripping of Draupadi in Mahabharata. We don’t say that he is a bad man, we just say he is weak man and he should have taken a stand. That is what Lord Krishna said about him.”
Arundhati Roy |Writer, reacting to her likely arrest on charges of sedition
“Pity the nation has to silence writers for speaking their minds, while murderers, corporate scamsters and rapists roam free.”
Vaiko | MDMK leader
“Don’t bother about rumours floating on the internet… it’s a conspiracy against us. Prabhakaran is safe and in hiding for security.”
Aung San Suu Kyi |Myanmar democracy leader
“I am saddened with India. I would like to have thought that India would be standing behind us. That it would have followed in the tradition of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru.”