2004 in India

Events

Politics

• January 17 - The national executive of the BJP meets at Hyderabad.
• January 17 - P.A. Sangma quits the Nationalist Congress Party and decides to ally with the ruling National Democratic Alliance.
• January 28 - BJP president Venkaiah Naidu elected for 3 year term.
• January 29 - Congress president Sonia Gandhi meets DMK supremo Karunanidhi to finalise their electoral pact which also includes the MDMK, PMK and the Left parties in the state.

Sport

• January 28 - Former all-rounder Robin Singh appointed coach of the under-19 Indian cricket team for the junior World Cup to be played in Bangladesh in April.

Terrorism

• January 28 - The Border Security Force busts a hideout of pro-Pakistan Hizbul Mujahideen in Pulwama district of south Kashmir and recovers a "huge quantity" of ammunition and explosives. Acting on a tip-off, the security personnel raided the hideout at Remu village in the early hours and recovered around 12,000 rounds of AK ammunition, 2.5 kg RDX and three grenades according to a BSF spokesman.

Miscellaneous

• January 28 - Commerce minister Arun Jaitley announced the Cabinet decision to free gold and silver imports from all restrictions.
• January 28 - The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court fixed February 23 for further hearing of te revision petition filed against deputy prime minister L. K. Advani's discharge in the Babri Masjid demolition case by a special CBI court at Rae Bareli.

Scheduled events

• February 7-February 15 - Kala Ghoda festival
• February 23 - Further hearing of the revised petition filed against deputy Prime Minister L. K. Advani's discharge in the Babri Masjid demolition case by a special CBI court at Rae Bareli.
• February 24 - Further hearing of the revision petitions filed by Union HRD minister Murli Manohar Joshi, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Uma Bharati, Uttar Pradesh state BJP chief Vinay Katiyar, VHP leaders Ashok Singhal and Vishnu Hari Dalmiya and two others against the framing of charges against them in the Babri Masjid demolition case.

Observances

• Basant Panchami - January 26
• Maha Shivratri - February 18
• Holi - March 6
• Ram Navami - March 30
• Raksha Bandhan - August 30
• Janmashtami - September 7
• Ganesh Chaturthi - September 18
• Dassera - October 22
• Deepavali - November 12

The major Muslim festivals are also observed as holidays in India. (Id, Muharram etc.)

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