Asad Ashraf

New Delhi, Southern Asia

Principal Correspondent at The Federal

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Articles

Why BJP’s triple-engine sarkar may struggle in Delhi despite mayoral poll sweep

1 week ago | thefederal.com | Asad Ashraf

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has solidified its dominance over Delhi’s civic governance, with Raja Iqbal Singh elected Mayor and Jai Bhagwan Yadav elected Deputy Mayor. The sweeping victory, securing 133 of 142 votes, fulfils the BJP’s ambitious “triple engine” vision, aligning the Centre, Delhi state and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) under its leadership.
Fear grips Kashmiri students amid threats in several states after Pahalgam attack

3 weeks ago | thefederal.com | Aranya Shankar |Asad Ashraf

Panic has gripped Kashmiri students studying outside their home state in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, with right-wing outfits issuing threats, landlords asking for homes to be vacated, and locals demonising the Kashmiri Muslim community in various parts of the country.
On and off the grid: The reality behind Delhi’s complex ‘power’ play

3 weeks ago | thefederal.com | Asad Ashraf

The narrative surrounding power cuts is a complex mosaic in Delhi, with some neighbourhoods enduring hours-long blackouts while others enjoy uninterrupted electricity, sparking debates over the issue’s true scope. Areas such as Sangam Vihar, Burari, Nangloi, and Kondli report disruptions, while Kalkaji and Janakpuri experience stable power, highlighting a city of stark contrasts.
Is India doing enough? Palestinian envoy opens up on Gaza war

1 month ago | thefederal.com | Asad Ashraf

As Gaza reels under what he calls a “textbook genocide”, Palestinian Ambassador to India Abdullah Mohammad A. Abu Shawesh says the region faces not just destruction, but a systematic erasure. In an exclusive interview with The Federal, the ambassador reflects on India’s diplomatic stance, the crisis in Gaza, and the shifting global alliances shaping Palestine’s future. He also opens up about the deep personal toll of representing his people while his own family is under siege in Gaza.
Strong stance against Waqf law signals marked shift from AAP's known praxis

1 month ago | thefederal.com | Asad Ashraf

The aggressive counter-strike that a united Opposition launched against the Centre’s controversial Waqf (Amendment) Bill in Parliament last week had a surprise participant.
'Religious, social and political blow': What Urdu media says about Waqf Bill

1 month ago | thefederal.com | Asad Ashraf

The Urdu media in India sees the Waqf (Amendment) Bill passed inParliament as a threat to religious autonomy, minority rights and cultural heritage. Newspapers like Roznama Hindustan, Rashtriya Sahara and Urdu Times, dissecting its implications for the Muslim community, have voiced concern and criticism. Qaumi Bharat adds its voice to the chorus. Introduced on April 2, the bill seeks to expand government control over Waqf properties. Notably, the Inquilab newspaper has remained silent.
Delhi Mayoral election: A high-stakes battle for MCD control

1 month ago | thefederal.com | Asad Ashraf

With just weeks remaining until Delhi’s mayoral elections, the political landscape of the national capital is heating up as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) mounts a determined campaign to wrest control of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
RTI vs DPDP: Activists battle Centre’s data law

1 month ago | thefederal.com | Asad Ashraf

With the Centre likely to finalise rules for operationalising the controversial Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act next month, RTI activists have intensified efforts to build pressure on the Centre to revisit, if not repeal, provisions of the law that they claim would sound the death knell for the Right to Information Act.
Voices from Delhi’s Yamuna evictions

1 month ago | thefederal.com | Asad Ashraf

Under the soft haze of dawn, the Yamuna flows quietly; the air along its floodplains rancid with the mingling odours of a heavily-polluted river, damp garbage-laden earth, and smoke billowing from wood stoves in makeshift shanties of Delhi’s “urban poor” waking up to another day filled with the threat of eviction. Since the BJP stormed to power in Delhi last month, displacing the AAP, “cleaning the Yamuna” has been its avowed priority.
Detained scholar Badar Khan Suri studied conflict, held no radical ideology: classmates

1 month ago | thefederal.com | Asad Ashraf

A judge of the Eastern District of Virginia Court in the United States has ordered the US administration against deporting Badar Khan Suri, an Indian visiting scholar at America’s Georgetown University, back to India. Suri was detained by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) earlier this week under provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Suri was arrested outside of his apartment building in Rosslyn, Virginia, charged with removability and detained on Monday (March 17) night.