- 2 days ago
The big talking point of this episode of News Today is the political controversy surrounding Rahul Gandhi's accusations of 'vote chori' against the Election Commission.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Good evening, hello and welcome. You're with the news today, your primetime destination news,
00:05newsmakers, talking points Friday night ahead of the weekend. We'll tell you what's making the
00:09news. There is a big talking point that Rahul Gandhi is stirring up once again, this time by
00:16claiming that Gen Z will defend the constitution. The big question as a political war breaks out
00:23is Rahul Gandhi's attack on the EC and calling for Gen Z to defend the constitution about defending
00:33democracy or is it damaging it? Is this a call for anarchy as his opponents claim? Also, a social
00:41activist has been brutally attacked in the heart of Goa's capital. The big question, why is peaceful
00:49Goa suddenly getting a tinge of violence? We'll tell you more on that too. Let's get you first.
00:56As always, the nine headlines at nine tonight. A day after Rahul Gandhi doubles down on his
01:05vote-shory allegations, a political war now breaks out over his Gen Z post. Rahul Gandhi had claimed
01:13that Gen Z will save democracy and the constitution. BJP calls it an attempt to provoke anarchy in the
01:21country.
01:24The ABVP sweeps the Delhi University student elections, wins three out of four posts, including
01:31President, Secretary and Joint Secretary. The Congress-led NSUI backs the post of Vice President.
01:40Expect the tariff issue to be resolved soon. World Economic Forum Chief, Borge Brende, expresses
01:51optimism over India-US tariff standoff ending soon in an exclusive interview to India Today.
01:59The Ministry of External Affairs reacts to revocation of waiver on Chabahar port sanctions, says
02:10examining the implications, India had signed a 10-year deal to operate the Chabahar port
02:16in partnership with Iran.
02:21Unidentified gunmen ambush a convoy of Assam rifles personnel in Manipur, Vishnupur.
02:28Manipur police confirmed the death of two soldiers.
02:36All six accused involved in Goa activist Rama Khan-Konkar assault case arrested by the police.
02:45Thousand stage of protests gather outside Goa police headquarters. The Chief Minister assures
02:51a stern action.
02:57iPhone launch in Mumbai and Delhi witnesses massive crowds. Buyers flock Apple stores in large numbers
03:04early morning. Scuffle breaks out outside a Mumbai store.
03:08Following a tragic scuba diving accident in Singapore, he was in Singapore to attend the North East Festival.
03:21And the film Homebound picked as India's official entry to the Oscars. The film stars Ishaan Khattar,
03:33Jan B. Kapoor and Vishal Jaitwa as lead actors set to release worldwide on 26th September.
03:39But first, our top story. Rahul Gandhi, the Congress leader, is never far away from the headlines.
04:04A day after Rahul Gandhi doubled down on his attack on the election commission, accusing it of vote chori or vote theft,
04:11Rahul Gandhi has stirred a controversy once again. This time over a social media post where Rahul Gandhi
04:18called for the youth of the country, the Gen Z, to stand up and protect the constitution.
04:25The BJP is claiming that Rahul Gandhi is putting out such social media posts to spread anarchy in the country.
04:34Rahul's supporters say all he is doing is defending the constitution and asking the young to stand up for constitutional values.
04:43Our big story and our talking point tonight is Rahul Gandhi defending democracy or damaging it.
04:50Take a look at our top story.
04:55The Congress vote chori campaign has become a big flashpoint in Indian politics.
05:01Rahul Gandhi posted on social media, lauding the students, youth and Gen Z of the country to fight and protect the country and its democracy.
05:11He expressed his support for the next generation to defend the constitution and stop vote chori.
05:18This post came within hours of his second media briefing on vote chori on Thursday.
05:25At this stage is I would request youth of India to add their voice to the lone voice of Rahul Gandhi.
05:37The local leader of the opposition's social media post has snowballed into a massive political storm.
06:04The Indian subcontinent has for over a year now seen protests and uprising by the Gen Z toppling governments in Bangladesh first and then recently in Nepal.
06:17BJP alleged that the leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha is instigating the youth to create unrest in the country.
06:23BJP
06:27Jain Jain Jeejake
06:29Rahul Gandhi
06:31we want to reduce the population's risk. Why? Because we are in the state of government.
06:37We will not rest from the country. We will stop the state of the future.
06:42We will end up in this country's news. We are not going to be a bad news.
06:45We are not going to be a bad news. We are going to be a bad news.
06:48We are going to be a bad news. We are going to be a bad news.
06:55The fallout of Rahul Gandhi's second vote-chordy revelations are still going on
07:08and in the middle of it, the latest controversy over his Gen Z comment
07:12has added more fuel to the fire.
07:15Bureau Report, India Today.
07:17Now, remember, all of this started with Rahul Gandhi doubling down on his vote-chordy allegations
07:27at a press conference yesterday.
07:29Away from all the charges and counter-charges, we at India Today decided to go to ground zero
07:34to the constituency in Karnataka of Aland, where Rahul Gandhi claimed
07:39thousands of people's votes were being deleted without their knowledge
07:43and then an FIR was filed by the Election Commission.
07:48What is the ground reality?
07:50Were many voters facing deletion of their names from electoral rolls?
07:55Saghai Raj and our Bengaluru Bureau with today's special report from the ground.
08:01Seerule number one. Seerule number one. Seerule number one.
08:05Rahul Gandhi did not drop the promised vote-chordy hydrogen bomb
08:21but came out all guns blazing with what he claimed is undeniable proof
08:26of centralized voter list additions and deletions using software.
08:30He also accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of shielding the perpetrators.
08:3523, Karnataka CID writes to ECI requesting all details of these numbers
08:42and these transactions almost immediately in March.
08:47In August, EC gives a reply, doesn't fulfill any of the demands
08:53and doesn't give us the information, doesn't give the CID of Karnataka
09:02the information that will lead them.
09:07India today visited the Sarasamba Gram Panchayat in Aland Assembly Constituency
09:11which was cited by the leader of opposition as a case study
09:14for what he claimed could be a nationwide exercise.
09:17Many voters in Sarasamba who were allegedly targeted spoke out.
09:22They claimed that names had disappeared from the electoral rolls
09:25just a couple of days before the 2023 assembly elections.
09:28The people were taken, but our Muslims were taken as 12 people.
09:33They were taken as many people.
09:35And then they did that.
09:37We took the voting order from the PR-pattles,
09:39we didn't get the voting order.
09:41We didn't know who the voting order was yet.
09:44The voting order was taken as a case study.
09:47The名c is taken as a case study of our country.
09:49B.R. Patil, who won from Alant, told India today that the Congress will get to the root
10:18of the issue and reveal the faces behind the conspiracy.
10:48As per the FIR filed in the case in 2023, 6018 applications were received for the deletion
10:59of voters.
10:59The FIR mentions that only 24 applications were accepted and the corresponding names
11:04deleted.
11:05It further says that the remaining 5994 applications were submitted using various mobile numbers.
11:13The election commission claimed that relevant information was already shared with the police
11:16investigating team, which held meetings with the chief electoral officer of Karnataka
11:21and cyber security experts.
11:24Now, while the EC claims it prevented the fraud from happening, the question remains, will
11:29those who tried to alter the voter list ever be unmasked?
11:35Bureau Report, India Today.
11:39Okay, let's raise some big questions then from our top two stories.
11:43Is Rahul Gandhi's Gen Z call to action?
11:46Is it a recipe for anarchy or is it much needed?
11:49Is Rahul Gandhi defending or damaging democracy by taking on the election commission in the
11:55manner that he is?
11:56Are Indian elections now under a cloud and is this a litmus test for the election commission
12:01and not for Rahul Gandhi?
12:02Some of the questions I will raise.
12:04Joining me now, Sandeep Shastri, Vice President, Neeti Education Trust, political analyst and
12:10commentator who's been tracking elections and particularly for years.
12:14Sanjay Jha is a former congressman, now a political analyst.
12:20And also joining me, Rajat Sethi, political commentator who's worked closely with BJP governments.
12:25I appreciate all of you joining us.
12:27I want to come to you, Rajat, first.
12:29Rajat, do you believe that Rahul Gandhi, when he asks Gen Z to come out and defend the constitution,
12:35save democracy, is it a recipe for anarchy or as the BJP alleges?
12:40Or is he doing what any political leader wants, trying to galvanize the young to take a stand
12:46on certain contentious issues?
12:48Well, Rajat, good evening to you and to the fellow panellists.
12:53See, if you look at those words in the tweet, you cannot necessarily draw a conclusion that
12:59they have any kind of a malified intention per se, but it has a subtext to it.
13:06We've all seen what has happened in Bangladesh, in Nepal, also to some extent in Pakistan.
13:12You know, reaching out and calling to Gen Z has some implied political signaling, a dog
13:18whistling as well, trying to draw in lessons from the neighboring countries and try and,
13:23you know, use the same recipe of some kind of anarchy here.
13:26Now, will he succeed or not succeed?
13:28Time will tell.
13:29So far, he has raised questions around constitution repeatedly over the last decade or so.
13:34And most of them haven't worked.
13:37On the farm issues, yes, it did work where the government had to withdraw schemes.
13:43Even without going into the merit of it, the government just felt the pressure.
13:47Now, what Rahul Gandhi aims to do, he needs to galvanize his base.
13:52He has been losing elections on a spree and there has to be a reasonable sort of, you know,
13:58explanation as to why is my leader losing elections after elections.
14:01And he needs to have a potent answer before the Karikartas.
14:04How else will he go out and face them and energize them?
14:07So, I think he is trying to use this as a core issue around which he brings in some kind of a fighting spirit into his base so that they can fight out on the streets and ensure that, you know,
14:19they are fighting with some hope that, yes, that I put pressure on the EC so you would not be taken for a ride and you can go out and continue to fight elections.
14:27I think that is where the larger message is.
14:30Otherwise, you see, you know, Rahul Gandhi has been picking issues around elections, but like flavors of ice cream keep changing, the issues keep changing and we don't see issues being taken to a logical conclusion.
14:41You know, when Pawan Khela is party's main spokesperson himself has two epic cards, then very little is left in terms of imagination as to, you know,
14:50where is there a genuine mistake and where are the mistakes which are generally true for the entire process in the election commission across party lines, across phases of our democracy.
14:59My main point here is, had Rahul Gandhi credibly, you know, without, you know, reasonable doubts,
15:06he would have established something even in one mohalla, one village, where he could patently come out and claim that, yes, rigging has happened and this is the modus operandi.
15:14I believe a lot of people, not just Gen Z, a lot of people would be hitting the ground.
15:18But in my understanding, there has been no clear single case which he has presented before the voters, before the public, where he could have justified.
15:29You look at the Karnataka case as well.
15:31What does the MP say, the Congress MLA say?
15:33He clearly says that we were vigilant and we stopped that.
15:37That is the job.
15:38This is what Tej Pratap is also saying.
15:40If you believe that the votes are getting deleted, be vigilant.
15:43Go out and hit the streets and ensure every voter is getting accounted for before the voter list is finalized.
15:50And any responsible leader should focus on that effort.
15:53But I believe Rahul Gandhi here is focusing on the optics part of it to galvanize his base.
15:57Sanjay Jha respond, is Rahul Gandhi focusing on the optics to galvanize his base, to excite them, to give them a sense of fighting spirit?
16:10Is he being reckless by making allegations without 100% proof as Rajat Sethi seems to want?
16:17Is he spreading anarchy and disaffection among Gen Z?
16:21Or is he simply doing what any opposition leader would do?
16:24Trying to expose the government where he believes they should be exposed?
16:28Good evening to you, Razdeep, and to both Sandeep and Rajat.
16:34The truth is this, that Rahul Gandhi's performance in both the press conferences where he's challenged the election commission directly
16:44is unprecedented in India's political history that I am aware of, where using official data,
16:51he's put compelling evidence out in the public domain.
16:55He's actually spoken on behalf of every citizen in this country, even if it's a BJP supporter.
17:01I believe tomorrow if the Congress were to be in power, would the BJP supporters like you to abuse that power by misusing institutions like the way the BJP is doing today?
17:11So the truth is that his political brand, Rajdeep, and I know he has had many critics, but they need to eat some humble pie now.
17:19He's a transformed politician or a leader after the Bharu Jhuri Yatra.
17:25A lot of people today see him as a custodian or a sentinel of India's democracy, flailing and failing at its seams and at its core.
17:34And if you look at the whole issue, it's not just about the press conferences where he's challenged the election commission,
17:41which, by the way, hasn't responded to them.
17:44The fact is that if you look at his vote, the whole Adhikar Yatra in Bihar on the SIR issue.
17:49Who are these lots of people?
17:51Sanjay Jha, who are the lots of people who are responding to Rahul Gandhi?
17:56The fact is, he's lost, like it or not, more than 80-85% of the elections he's contested.
18:02Ultimately, validation comes from voters.
18:04Are the voters backing Rahul Gandhi?
18:07Rahul Gandhi makes allegations.
18:09The opposition says, or the BJP in this instance, says it's shoot and scoot.
18:13You throw some dirt and hope that it will stick.
18:16It's done out of hope rather than conviction.
18:19Well, I think that can actually apply to the BJP, right?
18:22This desperate attempt to try and target Rahul Gandhi at every stage,
18:26when the truth is that the reason why they are worried is that Rahul Gandhi's whole SIR exercise,
18:32the battle that they have done on motorcycles in Bihar, has crossed Bihar.
18:37I am from Bihar.
18:37I can tell you that while it's going to be a key electoral issue there for sure,
18:42this is an issue that is being discussed all over the country.
18:44It's caught the public imagination.
18:47People are concerned, Rajdeep, about democracy.
18:49This is no longer a conversation for you and me, English-speaking people,
18:53doing in Mumbai and Delhi in our drawing rooms.
18:56People across the board are worried about where India is headed and where are their rights to vote.
19:02So here is the crux, I believe, that Rahul Gandhi today in the eyes of the BJP
19:08is representing the 99% of Indians,
19:10while Mr. Modi is being seen increasingly as a man who represents 1% of India.
19:15And the truth behind that is the reason why the BJP is panicked.
19:19Now, can you imagine a country which is so young, right?
19:23If you look at the Gen Z definition, I'm sure Rajat knows that,
19:26are those who are born after 1996, I think up to 2009-10.
19:30That's a young population, mostly jobless, by the way.
19:34And Rahul Gandhi is asking them to protect India's democracy and constitution.
19:39And the BJP is getting paranoid about it,
19:41to call him as a dangerous anarchic threat.
19:44I mean, it tells you how this party has essentially lost its entire constitutional health.
19:52It's really in a panic mode.
19:54I mean, it's just bizarre that a young leader asking the young of this country,
19:59who are the future, to be participating.
20:01What is the BJP?
20:03That's an authoritarian culture of the BJP.
20:05Okay, let me bring in Professor Sandeep Shastri.
20:12Sandeep Shastri, there's the truth lie in between somewhere,
20:15between how Rajat Sethi sees it and Sanjay Jha sees it.
20:18Because do you really believe that this vote-chori allegations
20:22will lead people to take to the streets?
20:24The farm laws led people to take to the streets
20:27because the farmers felt their rights were being affected.
20:29Here, the youth isn't really concerned about vote-chori, is it?
20:33Do you believe it is?
20:34Is there any evidence, statistical, anecdotal, otherwise,
20:38done by pollsters that suggest that on vote-chori,
20:42people are ready to hit the streets on allegations of vote-chori?
20:45Good evening, Rajdeep and my fellow panelists.
20:53I heard with great interest what Rajatji and Sanjay Jha said.
20:58Point number one,
21:00upholding of democracy or attack on democracy,
21:04both these perspectives,
21:07I think are selective explanations of reality.
21:11I would neither call it an attack on democracy,
21:15nor would I call it an upholding of democracy.
21:19It is a debate which should happen in a democracy,
21:24which unfortunately has become a war of words
21:28and not become a meaningful debate.
21:32Point number two,
21:34when a leader appeals to a segment of society
21:38and people talk of what is happening across the region in India,
21:44I would still believe in the inherent strength
21:48of the foundations of Indian democracy
21:51that people are not going to be swayed by what is said,
21:55but people are going to go by
21:58what they see as the reality on the ground.
22:01I think what is happening is the personal attacks...
22:05So India won't go the Nepal or Bangladesh way?
22:07On all sides.
22:08You're drawing a clear distinction
22:10between institutions of democracy in India
22:12and those in Nepal and Bangladesh.
22:13I believe in the fundamental robustness
22:22of our democratic foundations,
22:25which does not mean we should take things for granted,
22:29but I believe that we should not see statements,
22:33counter-statements as either the challenging of democracy
22:38or the strengthening of democracy.
22:40What Rajneep, I think we need
22:43is an end to the war of words
22:46and what we need is an end to personal attacks.
22:50What we need is not going overboard with words.
22:55Now, even in the Aland Assembly Constituencies study,
23:00it was an attempt at...
23:02Now, if we were to believe what has happened,
23:05it was an attempt at Vokchuri
23:07and not a Vokchuri.
23:09And this attempt at Vokchuri
23:11has also been acknowledged
23:12by the Election Commission in its statement.
23:15So, I think it's important for us
23:17to be fair in our analysis of reality.
23:22I think somewhere that fairness of our analysis
23:26is caught in the crossfire
23:29of these words of politics between parties.
23:32You know, Sanjay Jha quickly respond,
23:38then I'll come to you, Rajat,
23:39because Sanjay Jha...
23:41You see, Rahul Gandhi tends to speak
23:43when he believes in extremities.
23:45He makes points,
23:47according to his critics,
23:48that are reckless.
23:50His supporters say he is saying inconvenient truths.
23:53But maybe when you are in politics,
23:55sometimes you need to also look at the complexity,
23:58the nuance,
23:59the point that was made by Sandeep Shastri.
24:01If there was an attempted vote churi
24:04or attempt to deletion,
24:05it was caught by the Election Commission.
24:07The fact is an FR was filed.
24:10But the sense seems to be
24:11that you don't believe in any institutions.
24:13You think every institution in this country
24:15is somewhere corrupted by the party in power.
24:18So there is almost a nihilism in his politics.
24:22Well, let me tell you, Rajat,
24:24I'm glad you asked me that question.
24:26You talk of institutions.
24:28What did the Supreme Court say on the ED?
24:31It told the ED,
24:32why are you fighting political battles?
24:35The same ED that harasses the opposition.
24:37Is that not the death knell of democracy?
24:40The same Supreme Court that told the ED,
24:43why are you behaving like crooks?
24:44This is the Supreme Court.
24:45I'm not quoting an opposition party.
24:48Is that not literally sounding the bells,
24:52literally the extension of democracy?
24:54This is what the BJP has done to the country.
24:55We all know that.
24:57What has Rahul Gandhi said?
24:58You know, Sandeep makes a very technical point.
25:01An acknowledgement or attempt at deletion.
25:04It exposes the Election Commission,
25:07which first said online deletions cannot happen,
25:10but actually stands contradicted.
25:12And it took the leader of the opposition
25:14to sit with his team
25:16and put it out in the public domain.
25:18What about the epic issue
25:20that the Trinidad Congress raised in West Bengal?
25:23I mean, you know, we get very carried away
25:26by our own romanticism with democracy
25:29about how many people vote
25:30and how many booths are there in a national election.
25:33The bigger issue, Razdeep, remains,
25:36the voter suppression,
25:38the kind of threats we saw in Uttar Pradesh to voters,
25:40and even the EVM issue that remains unresolved.
25:43I think Rahul Gandhi today,
25:46like it or not,
25:47even his worst critics will have to recognize,
25:48he's fighting for what matters to this country.
25:52All of us on this program,
25:53Razdeep, are very privileged English-speaking people.
25:56Rahul is fighting for the Dalit,
25:58the Adivasis,
25:59the minorities,
26:00the middle class.
26:01He's even fighting for business and industry
26:03that is not a crony capitalist.
26:05I mean, I believe
26:06that's the kind of political leadership that we need.
26:08I'm saying that the BJP is faulted.
26:11It came with aspirations as well.
26:13Okay.
26:13I think Rahul Gandhi represents a hope.
26:15I think he's the future.
26:16Mr. Modi is clearly in my opinion in the past.
26:23Rajat Sethi,
26:24quick final response to what you're hearing.
26:27Do you believe that the BJP
26:29also has been served a bit of a wake-up call?
26:32That they still see Rahul,
26:34any statement of Rahul Gandhi's
26:35latched upon the BJP to say,
26:37oh, Rahul Gandhi,
26:38I just heard Deventer Fandavise
26:40is an urban Maoist.
26:41He's an urban naqsal.
26:42He wants to spread anarchy.
26:44I mean,
26:44it's almost as if the opposition
26:46is not allowed to speak out
26:47without being labelled
26:48as an urban naqsal
26:50or an anti-national.
26:51He's asking questions
26:52make you an urban naqsal
26:54or an anti-national
26:55in this country.
26:57Well, Rahul Gandhi steps up
26:59on the stage
26:59and says,
27:00Prime Minister Gaddi Chhodo.
27:02And he is trying to uproot
27:03a democratically elected
27:05Prime Minister of our country.
27:07Isn't that anarchy?
27:08And then you have,
27:10you know,
27:10then you are trying to question
27:11if BJP retorts.
27:12What should BJP do?
27:13Sit in silence
27:14and allow Rahul Gandhi
27:16to come in
27:17and bulldoze everything,
27:18every aspect
27:19of our institutional
27:20stability of our country.
27:21Chapter one
27:22towards Nepal
27:23is actually starting,
27:25starts by creating doubt
27:26around institutions.
27:28This is what Rahul Gandhi
27:29is busy doing.
27:30He used to say the same
27:31against the Supreme Court,
27:32which Sanjay Ji
27:33is currently hailing
27:34as the biggest keeper
27:36of our conscience,
27:37of our constitution.
27:38The same Supreme Court
27:39has said enough
27:40about the CBI
27:41and the manhandling of CBI
27:43that the UPA Sarkar
27:45used to do
27:45not too long ago.
27:46My Gen Z friends
27:47watching this program
27:48might not know,
27:49but I was your age
27:50when UPA was in power.
27:53I know what
27:53authoritarianism looks like.
27:55You have forgotten
27:56or you have never
27:57experienced that.
27:58So don't go by
27:59what Rahul Gandhi is saying.
28:01Look at what he has been doing
28:03in his actions
28:04in states
28:05where states after states
28:06ruled by Congress
28:07is unleashing police
28:08after journalists
28:09and after God knows
28:10how many political activists.
28:11That is the real face.
28:12Now coming to the mood point here.
28:14See Rahul Gandhi
28:15in this point.
28:15No, let's be
28:16Rajat,
28:17Rajat,
28:18again I am coming
28:19to see Rajdeep
28:20a lot.
28:20No, no, let's be clear.
28:22It's not as if
28:23BJP ruled states
28:24are also targeted journalists.
28:26Let's not,
28:27please let us not
28:28take the moral high ground
28:29at the moment
28:30on creeping authoritarianism.
28:32Therefore Rajdeep
28:33I did not
28:34get on to a moral pedestal
28:36the way Sanjay Ji
28:37is trying to get on to.
28:38I am not.
28:38I know real politic
28:40is ugly.
28:41I am acknowledging that.
28:42Therefore I am going back
28:43to what Rahul Gandhi
28:44said on vote chori.
28:45See,
28:45elections happen
28:46in a country
28:47in a very,
28:47very decentralized way.
28:49What you need to do
28:50is when draft voter lists
28:51are present
28:52you need to have
28:53your workers,
28:54your parties,
28:55booth workers
28:56to look at those lists,
28:57flag the deletions
28:59at the appropriate time.
29:00There are remedies.
29:01If the remedies
29:02don't get resolved
29:03in a due process
29:04or within the due time
29:06you have all the right
29:07to go out
29:08and fight for every single vote
29:09which has been wrongly deleted.
29:11You cannot preempt that system
29:12only because you
29:13as a princeling
29:14are standing up
29:15and trying to say
29:16that everything is stolen
29:16in this country.
29:17That is the wrong way
29:18to address it.
29:19There is a process
29:20that has been laid out
29:21after a lot of deliberations
29:23over ECs after ECs
29:24for decades and decades
29:25in this country.
29:26You cannot come out
29:27on a pedestal
29:28and try and say things
29:29just because
29:30you don't have
29:30the experience
29:31of running elections
29:31at a grassroot level.
29:33Where have you
29:33stood and sat together
29:35with your people
29:36who handle the
29:37new...
29:38Sir, please wait.
29:39Please wait.
29:39I did not intervene
29:40when you were talking.
29:41Where has he sat together
29:43with people
29:43who are looking
29:44at those forms?
29:45Where has he ever sat
29:46with the draft voter list
29:47with his own party
29:48and looked at list by list
29:50and tried to identify
29:52why are the reasons
29:53why certain names
29:53have been deleted
29:54and certain not?
29:55Okay.
29:55And try and fight for it
29:56in the polling booths.
29:57He's trying to fight it
29:58in Delhi and fight it
29:59in those cosmopolitans
30:00in the hope that
30:02the gent is going
30:02to hit the road.
30:03It won't happen.
30:04I'm sorry to break
30:05this news to him
30:05and to you.
30:08Razib,
30:08five seconds, please.
30:10Okay.
30:12You can break it
30:12to Sanjay Jha,
30:13but Sanjay Jha,
30:14you know,
30:15there are those
30:15who believe
30:16Rahul Gandhi
30:16is making these statements
30:18without accepting
30:19the flaws of the Congress
30:20and his own leadership.
30:21You see,
30:22you want to substitute
30:23the lack of reforms
30:25within your own party,
30:26your failings
30:26within your own party,
30:27especially the lack
30:28of a ground game.
30:30Your BLAs,
30:31your boot level agent
30:32should have picked this up
30:33a long time ago,
30:34whether it was in Maharashtra
30:35or in Karnataka,
30:36they did.
30:37In Maharashtra,
30:37it was too late.
30:38My point is,
30:39rather than believe
30:40that all institutions
30:41are discredited,
30:43why don't you actually
30:44work on improving
30:45your ground game?
30:48Well, Razib,
30:48let me tell you,
30:49all these things
30:50happen concurrently
30:51in politics.
30:52I mean,
30:52just because the Congress
30:53lost elections
30:54in the past
30:55doesn't mean that
30:56it has lost the right
30:57to win them
30:57in the future.
30:58Here are two short responses
30:59to what Mr. Sethi said.
31:01And your viewer
31:02should know the data
31:03that the difference,
31:04NDA has got around
31:0544% of the total votes
31:07in India
31:07and Mr. Modi
31:08is the Prime Minister.
31:10The India bloc
31:11got around 42%,
31:122% less
31:13and Rahul Gandhi
31:14is leader.
31:14How much did Nehru get?
31:16One minute,
31:16just one minute,
31:17just one minute,
31:17please.
31:18I did not interrupt you,
31:19Mr. Sethi.
31:19Oh, you were.
31:19Here is the point.
31:21So,
31:22can you imagine,
31:23can you imagine Razib?
31:24No, no, no,
31:24one minute,
31:25let him finish.
31:26Yeah,
31:27can you imagine
31:28that the BJP
31:29and the RSS
31:30and the ecosystem
31:31calls Rahul Gandhi
31:32an anti-national
31:33and the opposition
31:34an anti-national?
31:35They are insulting
31:36all the voters
31:37in this country.
31:39They are insulting
31:39each and every one of you
31:41who have voted
31:41for the India Alliance.
31:42They are calling you
31:43anti-national
31:44because the MPs
31:45represent you.
31:46They are calling
31:47the people of India
31:48anti-national.
31:48Can you imagine
31:49the arrogance
31:50of this party?
31:51And the second point,
31:52you are insulting
31:53Gen Z BJP.
31:54I mean,
31:55Gen Z is not
31:56insurrectionists
31:57because they are being
31:58asked to protect
31:59Indian democracy.
32:00Don't insert
32:00their intelligence.
32:02Don't insert
32:02their vision
32:03and commitment
32:03to India BJP.
32:04Just because
32:05you are intellectually
32:06defunct
32:07and morally compromised.
32:08Okay,
32:08this is absolutely
32:10wrong, Rajdeep.
32:11I just have a minute.
32:12He is trying
32:13to sermonize
32:14and talk
32:14and try to paint
32:15the entire
32:1844%
32:19as intellectual
32:20defunct.
32:21He claimed
32:22that 44%
32:23of this India
32:23is intellectually
32:24defunct.
32:25This is,
32:25I take strong
32:26objections to this.
32:27He can keep
32:28his report card
32:28to himself.
32:29Nobody gives
32:29two hoots
32:30about it.
32:31The country
32:31has chosen
32:32a leader
32:33with an absolute
32:34majority.
32:35Okay.
32:35Now,
32:35let that government
32:36rule.
32:36If you have issues,
32:37keep fighting
32:38on the streets.
32:39Nobody is stopping
32:39you from doing
32:40that.
32:40Okay.
32:44One final word
32:45from you,
32:46Sandeep Shastri.
32:47Do you fear
32:48that all of this
32:48is because politics
32:49has become so
32:50hyper-polarized
32:51that there is
32:52no dialogue?
32:53All of these
32:53issues,
32:54ideally,
32:54even about the
32:55election commission
32:56should have been
32:56settled possibly
32:57in a democracy
32:58through dialogue.
32:59But there is no
33:00dialogue anymore.
33:01And particularly,
33:02the government
33:03simply will not
33:04even give the
33:04opposition the space,
33:06whether in
33:06parliament or outside,
33:07to have that dialogue
33:08any more.
33:10Nor will the
33:10media,
33:11large sections
33:11of the media
33:12will shut out
33:13the opposition.
33:16There is no doubt
33:17that there is
33:18this hyper-intense
33:19polarization.
33:20I'll put it
33:21in another way.
33:23Why do debates
33:24take the form
33:25of we the
33:27opposition,
33:28they the ruling
33:29party,
33:30or we the ruling
33:31party and they
33:32the opposition?
33:33Why cannot be
33:34it a debate
33:35of us,
33:37the political
33:38class taking
33:38a decision?
33:39Why does
33:40every debate
33:41has to be
33:42between one
33:43side and
33:44another side?
33:45Why does
33:45everything have
33:46to be made
33:47as we
33:48versus they?
33:50The country
33:51looks at
33:53the political
33:54class coming
33:56up with an
33:57us rather
33:58than a we
33:59and they.
33:59on that
34:06thought that
34:08we can get
34:09away from
34:09us and
34:10them politics,
34:10I try and
34:11avoid noise
34:12on this
34:12program so
34:13that we can
34:14get to hear
34:15more voices.
34:16There was a
34:16bit of a
34:17skirmish between
34:18Sanjay and
34:19Rajat, but I
34:20appreciate both
34:21of you listening
34:22to each other
34:22and that perhaps
34:24is the way to
34:24kick-start a
34:25dialogue.
34:25Rajat,
34:25Sandeep
34:27Shastri,
34:27appreciate you
34:28joining us.
34:29I want to
34:29turn from
34:30there to a
34:31piece of
34:31breaking news
34:32that we are
34:32getting at
34:33the moment.
34:33Two Assam
34:35rifle jawans
34:36have been
34:37killed, five
34:38injured after
34:39unidentified gunmen
34:41have ambushed a
34:42security convoy
34:43in Vishnupur
34:44district of
34:45Manipur.
34:46The attack
34:46took place
34:47around 5.30
34:48PM when the
34:48vehicle carrying
34:4933 Assam
34:50rifles personnel
34:51was moving
34:52from Impal
34:53toward Vishnupur.
34:54The injured
34:54have been rushed
34:55to nearby
34:55hospitals where
34:57they are
34:57receiving treatment.
34:58Now all of
34:58this comes
34:59against the
34:59backdrop of
35:00the Prime
35:00Minister being
35:01in Manipur
35:01just a few
35:02days ago.
35:03Shivani Sharma
35:04joins us
35:04with the
35:05very latest.
35:05Shivani,
35:06do we know
35:07who these
35:07armed militia
35:08groups are
35:09who are
35:09responsible for
35:10this attack
35:10on the
35:11armed personnel
35:12of the
35:12country?
35:13Two soldiers
35:13we are told
35:14have died?
35:16Rajat,
35:17two soldiers
35:18have died
35:18and five
35:19are injured
35:20who are
35:20undergoing
35:20treatment
35:21at RIMS
35:23Impal
35:23and yet
35:24we do not
35:25have information
35:25about these
35:26unidentified
35:27gunmen who
35:28opened fire
35:29on this
35:29military column
35:30in this
35:31Assam rifles
35:31column that
35:32was en route
35:33the NH2
35:34in the
35:34Vishnupur
35:35district and
35:36this is the
35:37area particularly
35:37Rajdeep which
35:38is a denotified
35:40area that
35:40means here
35:41the APSPA
35:42is not
35:43applicable so
35:45in the
35:45darkness in
35:46the hours
35:47when there was
35:48darkness in
35:48the evening
35:48at around
35:496pm the
35:51ambush was
35:52opened on
35:53this military
35:54on this
35:55army
35:55the Assam
35:57rifles convoy
35:58and two
35:59personnel have
36:00been killed
36:01while five
36:01are under
36:02treatment and
36:04the search
36:04operations are
36:05still going
36:06on.
36:10Remember
36:11Manipur remains
36:12still flush with
36:13guns and that
36:14is one of the
36:14concerns of course
36:15many of these
36:16militias have
36:17still not laid
36:18down their
36:19arms.
36:19Shivani Sharma
36:20joining us with
36:21that troubling
36:21news coming in
36:22from Manipur.
36:23Let me turn to
36:24now more breaking
36:25news and that's
36:26coming from one
36:27of my home
36:27states of Goa
36:28where the
36:29Panjim police
36:30today have now
36:30arrested all the
36:32six accused in
36:33connection with a
36:35murderous assault
36:36that took place on
36:37an activist
36:38Rama Kankonkar
36:39only yesterday.
36:41The activist was
36:41allegedly assaulted
36:42in just outside
36:44the main city
36:45of Panjim with
36:46a cycling chain
36:47had his shirt
36:48torn and cow
36:49dung rubbed on
36:51his face by six
36:52people on Thursday
36:52afternoon.
36:54Kankonkar has
36:54been taking on
36:55various civic issues
36:56in Goa including
36:58speaking out against
36:59the state's drug
37:00mafia.
37:01So that is the
37:02troubling, that is
37:03the story coming in.
37:04The accused have
37:05been arrested.
37:06Remember a fearless
37:07activist assaulted
37:09in broad daylight in
37:11Goa stabbed, beaten,
37:13left for dead simply
37:14for speaking truth to
37:16power.
37:17As Goa erupted in
37:18anger today, hundreds
37:19of people surrounding
37:20the police station in
37:22the main city of
37:23Panjim.
37:24The question is, who
37:25sent these people to
37:27attack an activist?
37:28This is more than
37:29just violence.
37:31It's a chilling
37:32warning in a state
37:33that's otherwise been
37:35known to be relatively
37:36peaceful.
37:37Take a look.
37:41In the heart of Goa's
37:44capital, a social
37:46activist is cornered
37:47and nearly killed.
37:51Rama Kankonkar, whose
37:53vocal on corruption
37:54and civic issues was
37:55brutally attacked by
37:56six assailants in
37:57Panaji on Thursday.
37:59The assault took place
38:01in daylight in front
38:02of many onlookers.
38:03of many onlookers.
38:05The first thing is that
38:06we can do a couple of
38:08times as well.
38:09We have made a special
38:11team and sent them
38:12to us.
38:12In the bus stand area,
38:13we have a restaurant
38:14where we have two
38:15friends.
38:16Anthony Nadar
38:17and Francis Nadar.
38:18After that,
38:19we asked them
38:20about the rest of the
38:21people who are in the
38:22side, who have
38:23already known,
38:24so they asked them
38:25where they are.
38:26So they knew
38:27that we might
38:28go to a railway station
38:30on the train
38:31on the train.
38:33Opposition parties
38:34and NGOs
38:35hit the streets
38:36on Friday.
38:37Angry crowds tried
38:38to enter the police
38:39headquarters.
38:40The protesters
38:41threatened a
38:42statewide band
38:43if all suspects
38:44are not arrested.
38:48The way outsiders
38:49are trying to
38:50capture the lands
38:51in the state of Goa,
38:52and definitely
38:53we will wait
38:54the next call,
38:55whatever is being
38:56given by the activists,
38:57we will make sure
38:58that we will support.
38:59that we have
39:00in Goa's
39:01law and order.
39:02The situation
39:03has completely
39:04failed.
39:05That's why
39:06BJP,
39:07CM Dr. Pramodh Sawant,
39:08the government,
39:09which is also
39:10the Home Minister,
39:11shows the complete
39:12harm.
39:13And today,
39:14it has proven
39:15that Goa is nothing
39:16short of gangs
39:17of Vaseepul.
39:18Chief Minister Pramodh Sawant
39:19promised turn
39:20action against the
39:21assailants.
39:22Goa's angry citizens
39:23are demanding
39:24answers.
39:25Who ordered the attack?
39:27Goa's angry citizens
39:28are demanding answers.
39:29With Ritesh Desai,
39:30Bureau Report,
39:31India Today.
39:32Joining me now is one of
39:36Goa's most
39:37most popular
39:38people
39:39who ordered the attack.
39:42Who ordered the attack?
39:44Why was Ramakand
39:45Konkar targeted?
39:47Goa's angry citizens
39:49are demanding answers.
39:51With Ritesh Desai,
39:53Bureau Report,
39:54India Today.
40:00Joining me now is one of
40:01Goa's most prominent
40:02activists.
40:03I'm joined by Dr.
40:05Oscar Ribello.
40:06Appreciate your joining us,
40:07Dr. Ribello.
40:08This is shocking.
40:09In the heart of the city,
40:10just outside in
40:12Karanzaleh,
40:13in a residential area,
40:14someone being beaten up
40:16as we are showing those
40:17images on the screen.
40:18What do you make out of this?
40:20Are we seeing the gangs of Goa?
40:22As one of the opposition
40:23leaders said,
40:24like gangs of Wasepur.
40:25We now have the gangs of Goa,
40:27Dr. Ribello?
40:31Raghif, I think this is something
40:34whose time has come.
40:36For the last decades,
40:38Goa has completely got corrupted.
40:42It's just become a product that has
40:45been sold by hook or crook.
40:47We have the same gangs of ministers
40:50who one day are white,
40:52you know,
40:53with the Congress.
40:54In Goa, they'd be green with the garb.
41:01But it's the same guys for the last two decades
41:04who are ravaging the environment,
41:06who are indulging in
41:09.
41:11And the worst bit is
41:13major national
41:15.
41:17Now the BJP,
41:19keep encouraging them,
41:21keep making them the heroes of Goa
41:25with immense amount of power,
41:27immense amount of resources
41:28at their disposal.
41:29And obviously,
41:30whenever you have concerned citizens
41:32and genuine activists,
41:33and all the rest of them
41:34who are fighting with their backs to the wall
41:36against this degradation,
41:38keep going away.
41:40There's going to kind of some kind of solution.
41:44We are having a lot of problems.
41:46We are having a lot of problems with your audio,
41:48which is again,
41:49one of Goa's problems.
41:50The lack of communication
41:51in some parts of Goa.
41:52But I want a quick answer to you.
41:53Is there a solution?
41:54You're telling me
41:55that there are,
41:56the politicians have simply shifted
41:58from one party to the other.
42:00There is Aya Ram, Gaya Ram
42:01or Aya D'Souza, Gaya D'Souza politics
42:04at one level,
42:05which is very problematic.
42:06So the political class seems to have lost credibility.
42:07But where is there?
42:08I come back to it.
42:09What is the solution?
42:10What is the solution that a relatively peaceful idyllic state
42:13like Goa should see an activist brutally assaulted like this
42:16in the heart of the city?
42:18So, let me get to the mark.
42:21So, unless we get to the mark,
42:22the mark of my Rajdeep,
42:23unless a temple is made of the mark,
42:38the mark of a scared gun,
42:41I would think J.A. would be rescued
42:43who have had this for forever.
42:47Okay, I'm not...
42:51Oscar, I'm afraid that our line is very bad
42:55and therefore we will miss the opportunity to hear you.
42:58Maybe we'll do this on another day,
43:00get the lines fixed.
43:01But I appreciate you joining me.
43:03I know that it isn't easy in Goa
43:06for people to speak out.
43:07But I'm glad that there are people like you
43:10who are still speaking out
43:12and speaking truth to power in Goa.
43:14Thank you so much.
Recommended
45:26
|
Up next
2:33:51
1:04:00
2:52
Be the first to comment