- 5 months ago
This episode of News Today focusses on severe flooding in Punjab, the worst the state has experienced in nearly four decades, affecting 23 districts.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Good evening, hello and welcome. You're with the news today. This is your prime time destination.
00:05Wednesday night, this is where you'll get all the day's top stories, news, newsmakers on the news without the noise.
00:12Our big talking point tonight, Punjab is facing its worst ever floods in almost four decades.
00:19Lacks of people have been displaced.
00:22We'll be getting you ground reports of what's been happening in flood-hit Punjab and indeed across North India, unprecedented flooding across North India.
00:34Also, it's the big GSD reforms meeting, opposition states versus a government showdown over GSD reforms.
00:43I'll be joined by one of the architects of economic reforms in the country, former Deputy Chairperson of the Planning Commission, Montek Singh Aluwalia.
00:51And we'll take a deep dive into the Umar Khalid case that has divided opinion.
00:57The right to protest versus national security, should it be a case of bail not jail, is the question we'll raise on the show tonight.
01:07But first, as always, it's time for the 9 headlines at 9 to 9.
01:11On the show today, debt toll rises to 37 in Punjab.
01:18The land of the five rivers has become a land of floods.
01:23Schools, colleges to remain closed till the 7th of September.
01:2723 districts have been declared flood-affected.
01:303,50,000 people have already been displaced.
01:34Yamuna River also continues to flow above the danger mark.
01:42Several areas inundated.
01:44Over 10,000 people have already been shifted now to relief camps.
01:50Water continuously being released from the Hatnikund Baraj in Haryana.
01:56Crucial GST council meeting underway in New Delhi to discuss GST reform.
02:04Sources say new GST rates to come into effect from September 5th could offer consumers a big relief on daily essentials.
02:12But there are still question marks over what goods will be in the 40% range.
02:17The internal discord within the Karnataka Congress widens supporters of SAC Congress leader K.N. Rajanna
02:26accused D.K. Shiv Kumar of orchestrating a conspiracy to remove him from the Cabinet.
02:35Tenter extends cut-off date for entry under the Citizenship Amendment Act to December 31st, 2024.
02:41This will allow members of persecuted minority communities Hindu Sikhs from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan to stay in India without a passport.
02:53Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Uday Needy Stalin's big claim on the Sanatan Dharm controversy claims his words were twisted and a price was offered for his severed head due to fake news.
03:05Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandra Babu Naidu lashes out at the YSRCP for demanding opposition status, says YSRCP has 11 seats, a party needs 18 to claim opposition status.
03:25Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was in China to attend the military parade, claims he never ruled out meeting with Zelensky.
03:32Zelensky, if he's interested, Zelensky, though, must come to Moscow.
03:40Open AI to introduce parental controls after a California couple filed a lawsuit accusing the company of guiding their 16-year-old son to die by suicide.
04:02But the big story that we are breaking at the moment, the Bhakra Dam water level is continuously rising in Punjab, a state which is now several districts of which are completely underwater.
04:18Reports coming in, all four floodgates of Bhakra have now been opened up to eight feet.
04:24Punjab floods toll has reached 37.
04:28All schools and colleges now have been shut in Punjab till the 7th of September.
04:333.5 lakh people affected, 20,000 people evacuated in the worst floods in 37 years.
04:41I want to go straight across to Aman Bhardwaj, our reporter who's joining me live from Firozpur in Punjab, one of the worst affected areas.
04:48Give us a sense of what's happening at the moment.
04:51We are told that the Bhakra Dam itself is now in danger of reaching a stage where water could cross a danger mark.
05:01The water levels have continuously risen.
05:04What does this mean at the moment for Punjab, their Aman?
05:07See, Rajip, Bhakra Nangal Dam has a danger mark of 1680 feet and the level today has reached till 1678.
05:23So it was two feet less than the danger mark.
05:26Though Bhakra Nangal Dam is managed in a way that still on the danger mark, it has five to ten feet margin.
05:33So it's not to be worried so far.
05:38But yes, the way the Punjab is dealing with floods, it do concerns, it makes concerns for the administration, for the people.
05:46Because the water in Bhakra that's coming through the Satoloj is 90,000 kiosk.
05:53And the water released from the Bhakra is also 60,000 kiosk.
05:58So the level the Satoloj is flowing is also concerning.
06:04And eight feet floodgates being opened, all the four floodgates being opened till eight feet.
06:14And it will raise water level in coming hours.
06:19Next 10 to 12 hours is more concerning for Harike here, which touches the Ferozpur area.
06:25Because here also in Harike, where the water barrage is there on Satoloj, and Bayas and Satoloj burges here in Harike.
06:33So here the water is releasing at more than 3 lakh kiosk.
06:37So it is concerning for the people because here, near and around villages have been asked to vacate the place.
06:43People are asked to move to the safer place.
06:46People, the villages near the Satoloj, near the Bhakra area are being asked to move to the safer place.
06:53And also...
06:54Amin, I'm just going to stop you because it's not just Punjab.
07:03Across North India, what we are seeing is heavy flooding of a kind that has not been seen in decades.
07:09This is the highest rainfall in the last four weeks between the middle of September now to the...
07:17From the middle of August to the first week of September that North India has seen in decades.
07:23Several of the rivers are in spate, especially in Punjab.
07:27But the Yamuna and Delhi is also now reaching the danger mark.
07:31And we've already seen in Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir repeated cloud bursts.
07:37What is the situation on the ground across North India?
07:40Our reporters have fanned out for this special report.
07:43Take a look.
07:58Monsoon fury has unleashed kiosks across North India.
08:01What were once rivers of life have now turned into raging threats.
08:12From the fertile plains of Punjab to the hills of Himachal and the valleys of Kashmir, nature's wrath is everywhere.
08:23Punjab, the land of five rivers, is now submerged.
08:26From Gurdaspur to Barnala, entire villages lie drowned, fields swallowed whole.
08:35Rooftops have turned into rafts.
08:38Desperation writs the floodwaters.
08:44Rescue and relief operations are in full swing.
08:47But thousands of villages are waterlocked,
08:49hectares of farmland destroyed and lax displaced from their homes.
08:54The car being towed away, especially from waters right here.
09:03Difficult moments for people.
09:05Chief Minister Bhagawan Taman visited flood-hit areas and took stock of the situation where
09:25he couldn't hold back his tears.
09:29The tragedy unfolding on ground has left many shaken.
09:35Himachal Pradesh is drowning in its own tears.
09:38The hill state, battered by relentless rain, has officially declared itself disaster-hit.
09:49In Jammu and Kashmir, rivers are rising fast.
09:52The Bhadarva and Riyasi regions are witnessing flash floods and the Srinagar-Jammu National
09:57Highway has been shut down due to heavy rainfall.
10:04From the plains to the peaks, North India is reeling.
10:07The monsoon, once a promise of life, has now become a force of devastation.
10:14Bureau Report, India Today.
10:17Another big breaking news that's coming in and it's really the top political economy story
10:34of the day.
10:35There is a showdown going on at the big Inter-GST Council meeting.
10:41The goods and services tax where all the finance ministers of the country have gathered.
10:47It comes against the backdrop of the promise made by the Prime Minister for major GST reforms
10:53and a big Diwali gift that the Prime Minister promised in his Independence Day address.
10:58Remember, the big likelihood is that this meeting could see a fresh two slab structure of 5% and 18% on most goods.
11:09But we are now told that opposition rule states in particular are seeking a protection for any loss in revenue as a result of these GST reforms.
11:19Sources saying the states are seeking a compensation plan to be put in place.
11:26Some BJP states also are looking at a potential revenue loss.
11:30So will we see, as some are hoping, the major GST reforms that could in a way have a dramatic impact on the economy and indeed on the prices of consumer goods.
11:43I want to first go to Aishwarya Paliwal, who's tracking that meeting.
11:46Aishwarya, there's much talk that from the 5th of September, the country will have new GST rates in particular,
11:53that a broad consensus could still be evolved at this meeting.
11:57What are you picking up?
11:58Well, Rajdeep, you know, there are two things.
12:01I'll quickly make both those points.
12:02First and foremost, the government is very, very clear.
12:04And this is something which even the opposition states are agreeing to, that the slabs need to be simplified.
12:09We do not need four slabs.
12:11Two slabs are enough.
12:12And then for the sin goods, 40% is what the GST Council at the moment is looking at.
12:16So that's where the opposition states and the BJP rule states, along with the center, they are on the same page.
12:22But what they are not on the same page is with regards to the compensation.
12:25Now, most of the opposition rule states believe that there will be a loss to the revenue that the states have been making.
12:31They are now asking for an assurance.
12:33In fact, even a draft, a rough plan of how the compensation will happen.
12:37This is something, Rajdeep, let me tell you, which is on the minds of not just the opposition rule states,
12:42but even some BJP rule states at the moment are looking at the GST Council,
12:46speaking with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman and asking her to at least come up with a compensation plan.
12:51The government is also understanding that there could be a little bit of an offset.
12:55There could be a little bit of a gap, but the government also at the moment is looking at making sure that simplification,
13:00because that's the priority both of the state governments as well as the central government.
13:05So first that and then the compensation.
13:07Rajdeep, this meeting will continue tomorrow also.
13:09We are hoping by tomorrow night we will have a compensation plan in place.
13:13Right.
13:14Okay, so it could be the big breakthrough that we are looking forward to in GST reforms.
13:23But what does this really mean?
13:24What kind of a GST mechanism does the country really need?
13:29I want to go to one of my special guests.
13:31Joining me now is Dr. Montek Singh Aluwalia,
13:34former Deputy Chairperson of the Planning Commission,
13:36one of the architects of India's economic reforms.
13:39Dr. Aluwalia, do you see the potential for GST reforms
13:44at a time of Trump tariffs becoming a game changer?
13:50Dr. Aluwalia, can you hear me?
14:04Okay, we are trying to get through to Dr. Aluwalia at the moment.
14:08Remember Dr. Montek Singh Aluwalia, as I said,
14:11has been one of the architects of economic reforms in the country.
14:15Someone who has spent a lifetime really looking at the state of the economy.
14:20Former Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission.
14:23He has been Finance Secretary.
14:24He was part of what was then dubbed as Dr. Manmohan Singh's dream team
14:29that looked at how to really take India out of the slow growth trap,
14:37the 1991 reforms.
14:39And many believe that GST, which was brought in by the Narendra Modi government in 2016,
14:44was a major transformation in indirect taxation in the country.
14:49The idea of creating a one-tax, one-nation regime.
14:53But over the years, because of differential slabs,
14:56there have been question marks over GST,
14:59both on compliance issues, both on how do you simplify the tax.
15:03And at a moment like this, when the Trump tariffs have come in place,
15:08GST becomes very important.
15:11Because how do you then, in some way, spur domestic demand?
15:17The hope, of course, and the Prime Minister announced this at his Independence Day speech,
15:22was that this would be part of a Diwali Dhamaka.
15:26Now, against the backdrop of that, we've had a meeting like this.
15:31I want to go straight across to Montek Singh Aluwalia now.
15:34Dr. Aluwalia, how do you see this GST reforms that are likely to come in
15:40in the next 24 to 48 hours?
15:42Can they be a game-changer at a time when Trump tariffs have loomed large over the economy?
15:50Well, you know, what I've heard is that there will be a big reduction in rates
16:00across a large number of commodities.
16:03That's more or less what I think the Prime Minister had implied,
16:08because it's kind of a Diwali gift.
16:10And that will be welcomed by consumers, no doubt.
16:13But that's not a reform.
16:15I mean, if you want to reform the GST,
16:18then you have to address some of the structural deficiencies in the GST,
16:22which have been talked about for some time.
16:25It's difficult to judge what the GST Council is actually discussing.
16:30If it's just discussing a reduction in rates,
16:33that's fine.
16:34If the government can afford the loss of revenue, people will be happy.
16:39But if you're talking about reforms,
16:41then you need to talk about what's the structural change that constitutes a reform.
16:46There are lots of things that have to be done to the GST,
16:50but I have no idea whether that's what they're thinking.
16:53You know, frankly, I think this raises a larger issue.
16:57There's a fault in the GST Council system.
17:02You know, in the days when these matters went before Parliament,
17:06the finance minister in the budget speech would make some proposals that these would be discussed,
17:13both within Parliament and outside Parliament.
17:15Government would hear different points of view,
17:18and then they could take a view on modifying them in the light of discussions.
17:23These GST discussions are all behind the curtain.
17:27What is being proposed is not put forth in the public.
17:31So you just have to wait until the GST Council decides.
17:35And the problem is that once it's decided, that's final.
17:38Even in Parliament, that can't be changed.
17:40But they have all the...
17:41But Dr. Aluwali, all...
17:42I feel that one of the first...
17:43But the fact is, all the finance ministers are present at this...
17:47May I just stop you for a moment to say that all the finance ministers are present in the meeting.
17:53There is generally a consensus that, by and large, GST has been a positive for the country.
18:00The idea that you could...
18:03Oh, I have absolutely no doubt that the introduction of the GST has been a huge positive.
18:10It's also true that many people have felt that the GST that we've put in place is not an ideal one.
18:18I mean, remember, in terms of revenue, we have been getting less revenue than the previous peak as a percent of GDP.
18:27I think instead of 6.5%, it came down to about 5.6%.
18:32But then we had a lot of CESs, which are outside the GST.
18:36If you include the CESs, we've just about reached where we were just before the GST was introduced.
18:42Now, the idea of the GST was that it would promote compliance and lead to an increase in revenue as a share of GDP.
18:51That has not happened.
18:52Even if you include the CESs realization, as a share of GDP, revenues are actually a little below what they were at their peak.
19:02Now, it's well known what needs to be done, and people have talked about it.
19:07I mean, they've said that we have too many rates.
19:09That's not at all what a GST does.
19:12A purist would say you should have just one rate, but people would concede that maybe you need two.
19:18And, of course, you have a certain number of commodities exempted.
19:22Now, we at the moment have about seven rates, including the low ones for jewelry.
19:27According to the newspapers, we are going to get rid of the 12% rate and bring it down to everything in 12%, or most of it will go down to five.
19:42That's a straight reduction of the rate.
19:44I don't know how much will actually go up to 18%.
19:47It's not clear what we're going to do with the 28% rate.
19:51It's not clear what we're going to do with the CESs.
19:53Is the CESs going to continue?
19:55And there's a real issue there.
19:57The CESs, in my view, is an aberration.
20:00Because what it is doing is, it is generating tax-related revenue, which is not shared with the states.
20:06Now, half the problem that the states have is that the CESs is not something that's shared with them.
20:13Now, all these things have to be looked at in a composite way.
20:16And I feel that the best thing would have been for whatever proposal, let's say, the finance ministry wants to take to the GSD should have gone forward as a sort of proposal.
20:28And then they hear all the finance ministers and the council takes a view.
20:33But that proposal should have been made public.
20:36So we know what is being proposed and we can talk about what the problem is.
20:40Right.
20:41Let me just give you one simple example.
20:44You know, if you reduce, let's say if you reduce the 15% rate down to 5, what will happen is that, yes, the rate will go down.
20:55But actually, a lot of the input tax credit, which normally accrues when you're at 15, will no longer accrue.
21:04Because at 5, the input tax credit is limited to the input tax credit only on goods and not on services and not on capital investment.
21:16So actually, these individuals who will end up with a lower, the producers, who will end up paying a lower tax, will also lose a lot of input tax credit.
21:27So I'm not sure the net-net what the effect is going to be.
21:30And I think that we need to consider this question.
21:34Are we willing to have two rates?
21:36Personally, I think 5% is too low a rate.
21:39I know it's very attractive.
21:41But, you know, I would have thought if you wanted a single rate, probably what you should have done is have a 14% rate, which is 6% for the center, 6% for the states, and 2% for urban local bodies and local...
21:59the third level of government because they don't get anything.
22:02And yet these urban local bodies lost a lot of revenue when the octoy was abolished.
22:08Now, that would be a real reform.
22:10If you don't want to have just one rate, then you can have two.
22:13I'm not sure whether that is even on the agenda at the moment.
22:17And I do think that the issue of SES needs to be addressed.
22:21I mean, there is no logic in SES accounting for a rising percentage of revenue.
22:27I think you've given us, Dr. Aluwali, an idea.
22:30You've given us an idea which I hope is going to be looked at.
22:376% for the states, 6% for the center, and 2% for urban local bodies.
22:45So you could have, in your view, a 14% rate.
22:48Very quickly, do you believe, though, that we will, therefore, either way, have a better GST in place?
22:56And that's one of the learnings of the last eight years since GST has been in place.
23:01Every government makes possible mistakes.
23:04Very quickly, I have a minute only on the show with you.
23:07Do you believe, therefore, that we are at least moving in the right direction,
23:11that there is now a wake-up call, that we cannot have such a complicated GST structure,
23:16which many believe has even led to corruption, with GST notices being sent by GST inspectors?
23:23Let me say, that's not a wake-up call.
23:26That has been known for some time.
23:29All that we're doing at the moment is picking one of these rates and lowering it massively.
23:33I do feel that if we want to move towards a single rate structure,
23:40then what I've suggested, that is 6%, 6%, and 2%, would be very good.
23:45You know, frankly, urbanization cannot be financed unless the urban local bodies get more revenue.
23:52And this is the best way of doing it.
23:54I will concede that maybe one rate may be too much.
23:58Okay.
23:59You can have a second rate.
24:00But at the moment, we seem to have too many.
24:03Okay.
24:04Let me leave it there.
24:09Let me leave it there, Montek Singh Aluwalia.
24:12I hope someone there in those meetings is listening to your voice of wisdom.
24:16We have far too many rates.
24:18The time has come to rationalize GST.
24:20Will that happen in the next 24 hours?
24:22We'll wait and see.
24:23Thank you very much for joining us.
24:25I want to turn from there to one of our newsmakers who's joining me tonight.
24:29Remember, my top story has been the unprecedented flooding in Punjab.
24:33The worst ever floods the state has suffered in decades.
24:37Thousands have been displaced.
24:38I am now joined by Bhagawan Singh Maan, the Chief Minister of Punjab.
24:43Namaskar Bhagawan Singh Maan Ji, Satshri Akal.
24:47I am talking to you about such a time.
24:50There is so much pressure in Punjab in Punjab.
24:53What is your message to you about?
24:55When we are watching this yesterday,
24:58or two-three days, the floods in Punjab have come.
25:01What will you say?
25:05Thank you, Rajadit.
25:06First of all, thank you very much for your support to me.
25:12You have given me the opportunity to speak to your channel.
25:18This is in 1988.
25:26It was the most difficult time in Punjab.
25:32There is water coming in Punjab.
25:35And what is the power of this power?
25:39How can we do this?
25:41But I am going to say this on your own.
25:46When the country came to the country,
25:49Punjab came to the front.
25:53Punjab stood with the country.
25:56When the country came to the front,
26:03the country came to the front.
26:08When the country came to the front,
26:13the most important thing was Punjab.
26:17The most important thing was Punjab.
26:20Are now Punjab,
26:22then I feel like the country will come to the front.
26:27I need to believe that.
26:29I need to give the respect to Punjab.
26:33And I need to give the respect.
26:36You need to give some feedback.
26:37Can you give us some feedback.
26:39You definitely need to give the feedback.
26:42You need to give an influence.
26:43this country is always the most aggressive
26:50but the biggest challenge is today reports that the dam
26:57has been increased. If you release the water, you will have more problems.
27:03This is the biggest challenge in Punjab.
27:08Look, we have three main dams, Ranji Sagar, Pong and Bhakda Nangal.
27:18It's still right now, but Bhakda Nangal's danger level is 1680 meters.
27:33It's about 1670 meters.
27:38It's about 160, 180 meters.
27:43It's a dangerous level.
27:47It's about 1677 meters.
27:54It's about 3 meters.
27:57If Bhakda Nangal has to open the gate,
28:04this means it's 7 meters.
28:07It's a lot of damage.
28:10What you are seeing is that I'm seeing on TV.
28:15They are being attacked.
28:17If we have to leave the water,
28:22it's more the same.
28:25Because we need to have to do that.
28:32maji ji ji
28:34Aolith a Pradhaan Mantri Narendra Modi ji se baat bhi ki hai bhagwan maan ji
28:40Pradhaan Mantri waapis aya chae chine se unho nne aapse baat ki unho nne muafze ke baare ma kaaya
28:44jitna bhi rileve however much rileve Punjab One-center says they will give
28:49kya abhi bhi aap saomaj na ki saar kendra santaar puri tarah se aapko sath dee rahi ya ya nahi dee rahi
28:56Thank you very much.
31:58how much challenge is?
32:00The most important challenge has been in the past years in Punjab.
32:04Punjab has been dropped by several times,
32:08but Punjab has been taken up.
32:10Every situation has been in Punjab.
32:14There is no matter what happened.
32:16If we have been in Punjab,
32:19we will have been in the same way.
32:21If we have been in Punjab,
32:23if we have been in Turkey,
32:25I have been thinking about it and I have been thinking about it.
32:32I want to say that it's been a long time.
32:37I am thinking about it.
32:40I am thinking about it.
32:46But
32:48now, the power of the power is not coming.
32:52What can happen with the power of the power of the power of the power of the power?
32:55There is water on the above.
32:57Three million cuts in a year.
32:59In a day, only to
33:04the Bagan hives have he has passed.
33:07So,
33:08he has to come above.
33:10I cannot even say anything.
33:12they can write something about them
33:16They can write something about them
33:20yes he is not going to help them
33:23he is not going forward
33:26people can write something about them
33:29I'm sure to write something about them
33:32but this goes to help them
33:35the
33:36foreign
33:38I
33:41I
33:43.
33:44.
33:45I
33:46.
33:47.
33:47.
33:48.
33:48.
33:49.
33:50.
33:51.
33:55.
33:56.
33:56.
33:59.
34:01.
34:05.
34:05.
34:05or i will request on behalf of the channel i hope that number of you will contribute to the
34:13chief minister's relief fund and ensure that the people of panjab are up and about again they have
34:19that spirit they will fight this as they have fought so many other tragedies in the past
34:23the chief minister of panjab there joining us here on the news today on a day when
34:35on a day when panjab floods are the top story i want to turn from there to our political face-off
34:41of the day a very contentious issue yesterday remember the delhi high court denied bail to
34:47the activists who have been charged for their alleged role in the delhi riots 2020 conspiracy
34:55two of the primary figures umar khalid the jnew scholar and sharjil imam were denied bail they've
35:02been in jail for the last five years along with several others all of them were denied bail the
35:08court observing that the role in their 2020 delhi riots conspiracy case was prima facie grave
35:18the court said that the role assigned to khalid and imam by the prosecution cannot be lightly brushed
35:26aside on the other hand there are critics of the delhi high court order who are saying surely bail is
35:33the rule and jail the exception the trial also has not begun and both sharjil and uh umar khalid have
35:41already spent five years in jail how does one look at this is this the right to protest which is leading
35:48to them being branded as terrorists in some way and charged under uapa or is this as the court seem to
35:55suggest or the prosecution claims a case of national security and therefore cannot be treated as an
36:02ordinary bail case two sides to that story satyapal jain additional solicitor general is joining us senior
36:09advocate supreme court also joining me is sanjay hegde a senior advocate supreme court i want to come to
36:15you satyapal jain first the general principle in this country is bail and not jail umar khalid
36:25and sharjil imam and others have already spent five years in jail without even a basic trial
36:32beginning is that not a miscarriage of justice let's understand the total working of the criminal
36:40system i do not agree at all that simply because they have been denied bail by two courts first the
36:46special judge who is at the level of the district judge and their appeals have been dismissed by the
36:51high court it doesn't mean that no law has been violated there is no right to protest if you see
36:57the order passed by the high court today which is a very detailed order you have read two three four
37:03sentences mr asli from the judgment the court has discussed each and everything all arguments raised
37:10by both the sides i do not agree that bail is the rule and jail is the exception if you accept that
37:17then everybody should come out of one bill nobody should be in jail why should have legs and legs
37:22of people who are there in jail these are the general principles criminal cases maybe bail maybe
37:28conviction maybe parole they go on the facts of each and every case and let's not forget it is the
37:35courts two courts which have denied them the bill first the district judge special court then the high
37:40court and they have given detailed reason for that purpose if you go through the judgment each and
37:45every argument has been discussed there are very serious allegations against them allegation of
37:50ipc prevention of damage to the public property act arms act unlawful activities act and so many
37:57things which i will not like to read because that may take a lot of time the judgment is a well-written
38:02judgment judicial process gives you inherent power first they dismiss the special judge they come to high
38:08court now if they feel that high court has not done justice to them if they are of that opinion
38:13they have every right to go to supreme court i don't think there is anything we can attribute
38:17motive either to the court or to anybody else it's a detailed order which according to me to my knowledge
38:23of the criminal law it's a perfectly valid order the same let let let let sanjay let sanjay hegde respond to
38:32satyapal jain's initial remark sanjay hegde according to satyapal jain this is a detailed well-reasoned order
38:39umar khalid and sharjir imam have gone to other lower courts as well for bail in the past and their
38:47applications have been denied they in the umar khalid's case he even withdrew his bail application
38:52from the supreme court how do you respond to what you've just heard that this according to satyapal
38:59jain there is no politics involved here this has they have gone strictly by the law
39:03law well men and women of the law do know that you can write a detailed judgment and still be wrong
39:11that is why we have appellate courts and we have larger benches now the point here is bail has been
39:20denied on a technical reading of the uapa the sections granting which govern bail the uapa has a section
39:30which says that the judge must prima facie be satisfied that you are not guilty of the offense
39:36and it is it also says that you you are unlikely to repeat it again now that section was interpreted
39:44by the supreme court in a case from jnk called vatali vatali sort of closed the door on interpretation
39:51made it so strict that bail was almost impossible to to get that was in 2019 2021 the supreme court
40:00watered down vatali what the delhi high court has done is to go by vatali which is a 2019 judgment
40:07and say that uh the the 2021 judgment is distinguishable on facts then as far as the
40:15merits of the case goes the the court has simply not said that we cannot get into it because we cannot
40:23conduct a mini trial at this stage of granting bail what the court has basically done is to turn a
40:32nelson's eye to the long period of incarceration it also to the fact that others have have got bail and
40:41has simply agreed with the prosecution that this is a matter of national security
40:48now you can be secure in the peace of the graveyard but the noisy discourse of the public square
40:59cannot be chilled by simply putting people in jail and throwing away the key
41:05okay you're saying the long period of incarceration of being in jail for five years without even a trial
41:16starting should have been reason enough to grant them bail satyapal jain respond to that because that is
41:22really the the those who are saying that umar khaled and sharjil imam should be released are saying look
41:29are they flight risks can they tamper with the case why should they be denied bail in a case like
41:36this which for five years has not even reached the trial stage yet others who have been similarly
41:41charged in the same case have been granted bail and there is still no direct evidence of the specific
41:48role of an umar khalid for example in the delhi riots conspiracy there is a charge sheet but even the
41:55trial has not begun why not allow them bail till the trial starts they are not terrorists are you
42:01calling them terrorists just simply because they have been charged under uapa let's be clear about
42:07two things number one first the issue of long custody or how much time have you spent in jail
42:14during trial or otherwise is one of the factors which have to be taken into consideration this is not
42:20the only factor that since the there is a long custody so therefore you should be granted well
42:26this is one of the considerations number two the power to assess the facts law arguments is not either
42:34with me or mr sanjay hegede or with you this power has been given by the constitution to the courts and
42:40the present case it is two courts first the special judge and then the high court which has recorded
42:45reasons why the bail should not be granted it's wrong i'm not saying simply because you have not
42:50been given the bail somebody may say that he's a terrorist no all that trial will prove ultimately
42:55how often do special courts how often do special courts and high courts grant bail in a uapa case
43:01isn't part of how often do you see special courts or high courts granting bail in uapa case
43:06it means i arrest you under uapa you remain in jail even as the trial will take years
43:11because see the all the special acts maybe pmla maybe sfi maybe unfallable prevention and they
43:18have been enacted by parliament they have not been enacted by any particular government they have been
43:22enacted by the parliament of india and parliament of india has laid down certain conditions keeping
43:28in view the gravity of the situation and the situation where the law has to be applied so when it
43:33is the law of the land the courts are applying the law of the land and they are passing the detailed
43:38order and if they are approved they have a right to go to supreme court he's rightly said there is
43:42an empty of a bill but we cannot say that simply because it's not to my liking therefore i say no
43:48no no no they should not have been done that should not have been done that is the discretion of the
43:52judicial officer both are judicial officers okay the third was also judicial officer if you are not
43:58satisfied go to supreme court supreme court has in many cases been reversing the order passed by the trial
44:04course you know but as a result a person spends years in jail sanjay egde a final word on that
44:14that eventually there is the supreme court and therefore both sharjeel and uh umar khalid and others
44:21will have to try their luck in a supreme court to attribute political motives at this stage according to
44:26satyapal jain would be unfair that this case because it's politically sensitive hence they are put in jail
44:32who's who's attributing political motives we are only speaking of the lack of proportionality
44:42and the overdose of punishment you see i too had been a prosecutor and uh when i used to appear before
44:49justice kajoo if i over argued on behalf of the prosecution he would remind me that the prosecutor's
44:56duty is to the court to be absolutely fair and he would just tell me in hindi
45:05this is exactly what has happened you may have started on a prosecution which you did not know where
45:11it would culminate you wrote a 3000 page charge sheet you've got 400 odd witnesses you have you can't
45:21say that i will lock you up till the cows come home until your trial is completed this case is now an
45:31international cause celebrate we are being judged on what our courts deliver okay and we do not judge
45:40the judges alone we judge the bar as well
45:49see i like to tell mr sanjay higre
45:52article 14 is not available in criminal matters yes article 14 is not available in criminal matters
45:58whether to grant bail to one or deny to other is the judicial discretion which has been exercised in a very
46:04judicial manner and if you are agreed to go to the supreme court sir no one okay no
46:14okay let let me leave it there satyapal jen sanjay higre for joining me on that contentious issue which we
46:19will continue to look at an issue which is in some way swept aside most prime time tv will not discuss
46:26the contentious issues of the time we will do that here on the news today on the news today now we are getting
46:32more breaking news uh we've got the very latest on that big gst council meeting that we were uh
46:39referring to at the start of the show sources now saying all gst slabs have been approved only five
46:47percent and 18 percent gst slabs to stay we still don't know what happens to sin goods which are
46:53supposedly going to be charged at 40 percent but all gst announcements to be implemented from the 22nd of
47:00september is what we are gathering karishma asudani from business today tv is joining me karishma is it
47:07only going to be five percent 18 percent nothing like 40 percent or sin goods will be at 40 a bulk of
47:12the goods now will be 5 and 18 percent just two slabs have all the has there been a consensus on that
47:19that is the bank gone it's going to be 5 and 18 percent of indirect tax regime in the country just
47:30about from 15 days from now and a 40 percent of a special tax that will go on sin goods luxury goods
47:36that is demerit goods like cigarettes tobacco and pan masala center's proposal which came in as a surprise
47:43announcement on india's independence day by prime minister modi has been adopted by all the state
47:50finance ministers today i will not shy away from sharing that a lot of state finance ministers were
47:56apprehensive of the fact that how will the revenue loss of which could be more than about 50 000 crore
48:01be compensated but today when i saw a lot of smiling faces come out of these this meeting it looks like
48:07they're happy with the discussions with the center after of course a lot of negotiations it's to watch
48:13out what our center promised them for uh this uh consensus
48:21but but what about that compensation question uh how will the states be compensated for potential
48:27revenue losses has that been discussed or will that be done on the second day we are told nirmala
48:31sitaraman could even be having a briefing later tonight
48:34yes absolutely there is going to be a meeting in next 20 minutes from now by union finance minister
48:44nirmala sitaraman how the states have been compensated is something that will officially come out
48:49in the press briefing but i did have an opportunity to speak to a few finance ministers including from the
48:54opposition states like karnataka kerala and most of them have shared that and bengal and most of them have
49:01shared that they are satisfied with what has been offered to them and this probably could be on the
49:07fact that there is an additional levy instead of compensation says that the government could apply
49:13on certain goods which will be for the sin or demerit goods which will be above 40 percent which could
49:18actually help in decrease the gap of the revenue loss
49:22right okay we'll wait and see karishma what the finance minister has to say uh in a few minutes
49:31from now but appreciate your joining us okay let me come and shift focus to tonight's get real
49:37india story which comes from indor's maharaja yashwant rao hospital the largest government health
49:43facility in the city a few days ago rats have been found roaming freely inside the neonatal icu over the
49:51weekend two infants were bitten by the rats and guess what tragically one of them has died the
49:58hospital maintains that the right bite is not the cause of the death what's the story get real india
50:07free run for ads inside the neonatal icu at the maharaja yashwant rao hospital the largest government
50:14health facility in indor two children in the nicu suffered rat bites on saturday and sunday
50:20one of them died but doctors claim the death was not caused by rat bite
50:25hospital authorities have cracked down even as the video from the nicu went viral
50:53my committee
50:54it
51:01uh
51:07foreign
51:09A high-power committee of doctors have been formed to investigate the incident of rat bites.
51:39The panel will submit its report within a week.
51:42With Dharminder Kumar Sharma, Bureau Report, India Today.
51:48From that troubling story in Indore, let's end today with a happy story, a good news today story.
51:55From modest beginnings in rural Bihar to leading an eco-enterprise,
51:59that's the story of Satyam Sundaram, who saw bamboo as an untapped alternative to plastic.
52:05Since its inauguration in May 2022, Manipuri Bamboo Architecture now crafts 300 bamboo products,
52:14which are sold across 25 states.
52:16Take a look.
52:17Satyam Sundaram, an MBA graduate from Purnia, has chosen an unusual path,
52:32one that is deeply rooted in tradition, sustainability and innovation.
52:37After failing to land a job, he turned adversity into opportunity and started working on bamboo products.
52:45Today, Satyam has designed more than 200 bamboo products.
53:06Satyam's bamboo mission started with the help of only two people on the roadside.
53:24Now it provides employment to many.
53:26The people who are dependent on the roadside because today are used to become a bottle,
53:33a cup or pen stand.
53:36Sometimes we are interested in this experience to be grown and by our society.
53:44In the past three-four months, I was very slow in learning.
53:46I was trained in a very good way, he was taught for work.
53:48He had taught me about work for four months.
53:51Now I have been working for about two years now and I am doing good work on the whole.
53:55Sundaram also provides training to artisans
53:58in an initiative supported by the Bihar government.
54:03Fitzmit Akumar, Bureau Report, India Today.
Be the first to comment