It is being said that this paper, after initially supporting AAP , has now 'turned' against it. We were prepared for this. We have been called pro-Congress, anti-Congress, pro-BJP, anti-BJP. We have been accused by some of being cheerleaders for Narendra Modi , and by others of running a campaign against him. And depending on who you listen to, we are either too soft or too hard on Rahul Gandhi .

Truth is, we have no political masters, nor do we have any hidden agendas. The only side we take is that of our readers.

We do not seek power or influence despite being by far the world's largest-circulated English newspaper. But we do want to use the columns of this paper to do good. We want to make India a better place for our children; we want them to grow up with hope, not despair.

Our job is to inform, educate, entertain, guide, and above all, help every reader realise his or her full potential. We believe in primacy of the individual over the state, and that democracy in its truest sense is about the power of one. We believe in personal liberty and in freedom of choice. We believe that governments and political leaders are here to serve, not to rule. We believe taxpayers have a right to expect that their money is spent honestly, prudently and wisely—instead of disappearing down the ratholes of sloth, corruption and political handouts. We believe natural resources need to be allocated fairly and transparently. We believe that business, when honestly conducted, is good for the nation. We believe in the creation of opportunity for the greatest number.

We will support Modi, Rahul, Kejriwal and every other politician every time they do the right thing. But no one should expect a blank cheque from us. Our sole allegiance is to our reader, not to any politician or party.