Naseeruddin Shah is not a star in box-office terms. But in the firmament of Indian actors he shines bright.

Why do you think Narendra Modi is the best prime ministerial candidate for the BJP?

Narendra Modi’s emergence on the national scene has been a phenomenon. It is not only the urban middle class, and the youth and the students who strongly support him, the rural masses across India also want him because there is no alternative before them.

Noted historian Mushirul Hassan suggests that the ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh is likely to reap a bitter harvest from the Muzaffarnagar riots. In this interview with K.S. Jayaseelan, he says that the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Congress are likely to gain electorally from the situation thrown up by the riots.

Of late, a view is emerging in the West, especially in Britain and the US, with greater clarity than before, that India-Pakistan “rivalry” is the root cause of Afghanistan’s problems. What do you think?

Are you relieved that that the National Food Security Bill has cleared the Lok Sabha and may now get through Parliament?

Do you think the present mood of panic and despondency in the country is justified?

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former finance minister Yashwant Sinha tells Yojna Gusai & Mukesh Ranjan that the proposed Food Security Bill is a recipe for long-term poor economic management. He also believes it to be an “assault on the federal structure of the country”.

Last month the Supreme Court delivered two significant judgments — one which barred persons behind bars, except in preventive custody, from contesting elections, and the other ordering immediate disqualification of elected representatives convicted in criminal cases and awarded minimum two years’ imprisonment. Both verdicts have been criticised by all political parties and the Centre has filed a petition seeking review. What’s your opinion on the judgments?

Why are Line of Control (LoC) incursions taking place so frequently of late? Does our own border management protocol needs to change?

There is no normalcy around the LoC. When Pakistan is hell-bent on creating problems in Jammu and Kashmir, there can be no stability. While the perception is that the incursions on the LoC have increased, the reality is that they never ceased. The Pakistanis plan these incursions methodically.

How do you react to the recent Congress announcement creating a separate Telangana state? How do you justify it?