'Your phone number, your birth of date, your parent's name, your address, your photographs, I have everything with me.'

'To all those then who talk about ending Brahminical hegemony, my advice is: Get the Brahmins on your side,' says Syed Firdaus Ashraf.

'The Constitution, which talks about democracy and equality, is something that will be applied in this country, and not Manusmriti in which the RSS believes.'

'Why did they attack us? What was our fault?' 'They killed a woman. They burnt down vehicles.' 'They pelted stones at us over a 45 km stretch. There was no police bandobast.'

'It is not happening in the same manner as it was happening during the time of the Peshwas.' 'Whatever happened during the Peshwas cannot happen now.'

'All restaurants and pubs must treat the issue seriously and appoint safety officers. This chalta hai attitude cannot work.'

On December 7, the BMC wrote back to Kashalkar saying that on inspection, no unauthorised extensions had been found in the Kamla Mills area.

''Laws are made for every citizen to get justice.' 'If there is abuse of law, then the law will have its own course correction mechanism also.'

'(Upper caste) leaders talk against the Constitution, reservations and the nation and still get away.'

'I hope the anger that Gujarat farmers have demonstrated is also reflected in other parts of the country in ensuing elections.' 'Only then will the ruling parties accept that something is terribly going wrong in the hinterland.'

'Modi's charisma has started fading.'

Syed Firdaus Ashraf lists 10 instances when the BJP didn't pull its punches.

Syed Firdaus Ashraf on the futility of the 'who is a Hindu?' debate.

The cardinal rule for Mughal princes was 'Ya Takht, Ya Takhta' (the throne or the funeral pyre). They often went to battle against their brothers, even their father, to become emperor, points out Syed Firdaus Ashraf. Nothing bloodless about it.

'The BJP has taken too much of credit for sweeping urban local elections.' 'It is true in the mayor segment. But in the smaller cities, semi-urban and rural areas, the BJP has done badly and so have the other parties.' 'Nobody can claim they have swept the elections.' 'What Mayawati failed miserably to do in the assembly election, she has managed to gain that in this election.'

'The Congress will not make a difference in the life of a Patel, but only to teach the BJP a lesson we will vote against it.'

'Minus Modi, the BJP will get only 50 seats.' 'He is planning 25 big meetings in Gujarat and that will make a difference.'

'In the name of creativity, Bhansali fudges India's history.' 'Bajirao was such a great warrior, but he was shown as a lover boy by Bhansali.'

What do *you* think of the Tiger Zinda Hai trailer?

On November 7, which marks 100 years of the Russian Revolution, Syed Firdaus Ashraf recalls a conversation he once had on Communism.