- 3 months ago
The big talking point of his episode News Today is the Indian women's cricket team's historic ODI World Cup win on Sunday.
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00:00But the big story that's breaking this evening, the Enforcement Directorate has now attached properties of the Anil Dhirubai Ambani group worth 7,500 crores, 132 acres in the Dhirubai Ambani knowledge system near Mumbai has been attached by the Enforcement Directorate.
00:19Anil Ambani's house in Mumbai has also been part of the attachment. ADAG's Reliance Center in Delhi has been attached even as Reliance Infra is claiming none of this will have impact on operations.
00:32But Anil Ambani now clearly and squarely in the ED's crosshairs, his properties being attached worth at least 7,500 crores.
00:44Munish Pandey who tracks the Enforcement Directorate for us joins us.
00:47Munish, what happens next in the case given that the ED says they have prima facie evidence of money laundering. What happens to Anil Ambani in particular next?
01:00Well, Rajdeep Anil Ambani has been grilled by the Enforcement Directorate earlier. His residence was raided by the Central Bureau of Investigation and as of now what ED claims that the total quantum of fraud which was committed by the company is related to Anil Ambani.
01:16It is more than 20,000 crores of rupees in multiple cases. As of now the attachment stands more than 7,500 crores which means that more attachments will take place in coming days.
01:29But Rajdeep what is important here is to point out is that the properties which have been attached by the ED, these properties in today's market value, these are worth more than 10,000 crores of rupees.
01:41For example, Anil Ambani's residence in Mumbai's Pali Hill, it is worth more than 6,000 crores of rupees but the attachment list which has been shared by the Enforcement Directorate, the value has been calculated based on the documents which were, you know, date back to many years back.
02:01So that's why at this point of time, the amount may look a little less than what it is but the current market value of all these properties collective is more than 10,000 or 12,000 crores of rupees.
02:14But what we have been given to understand is that there is a high possibility Anil Ambani will be called in for questioning again.
02:20You rightly pointed out there is a prima facie evidence against Anil Ambani.
02:25Sources have told India today that they have clear-cut evidence that Anil Ambani was aware of the frauds which are being committed by the companies related to him.
02:35Whether he'll be arrested or not, that is a million-dollar question, but there is a possibility that it can't be denied that this point of time is that Anil Ambani won't be arrested.
02:46But we have to wait and watch when the ED will decide to arrest him.
02:51As of now, ED claims that their priority is to attach these properties and recover the money which has been allegedly, you know, laundered by Anil Ambani's entities.
03:05Okay, Munish Pandey with those details, we'll wait and see what happens next to Anil Ambani, the big story breaking this evening.
03:14So has women's cricket finally come of age in this country?
03:18Is this Indian women's 1983 moment for women's cricket?
03:24Has the glass ceiling in cricket been broken once and for all?
03:28Are women cricketers now on par with men?
03:31The rise of women in Indian sport is our top focus.
03:35Okay, and joining me now on this very special day are an absolute array of women of cricket, in a way, to celebrate with us this very special day.
03:50Mitali Raj, former India captain, the highest scorer for India at World Cups.
03:55Also joining me is Poonam Yadav, Arjuna Award winner, Sushma Verma, former Indian cricketer.
04:02I'm also joined by Daina Edulji, one of the great pioneers of this sport for Indian cricket when it first started.
04:10And Sharda Ugra, one of India's leading sports journalists.
04:13I appreciate all of you joining us, as I said, on this incredibly momentous day when India has lifted the World Cup late last night.
04:21The trist with destiny, as they are calling it, for cricket at midnight.
04:25Mitali Raj, to you first.
04:26What does it mean for someone like you, who came so close and yet couldn't really quite make it with a World Cup in your hands to actually have that trophy in your hands,
04:37presented by some of your teammates who are keen to have you celebrate the occasion with them?
04:43What did it mean for you, Mitali, that night yesterday?
04:46I think it all came down to the couple of times that we were in the finals, didn't really cross the line.
04:54There were some of the players like Harman Smithi, they were also part of the 2017 World Cup final.
05:01And, you know, to see them cross that line, both of them took this team across.
05:06It was a big opportunity, you know, having the World Cup at home.
05:10And we really wanted India to do well in this World Cup.
05:14And once they qualified for the semis, because I had a lot of nerves in the semi-final just before the start of that game.
05:21But the way the Indian team made a comeback into after losing those three big games and then making a comeback against New Zealand, winning against Australia.
05:32The finals I knew, like, you know, India will get through.
05:35But it was a big night for all of us.
05:38Seeing some of these young girls coming off, like Richa Ghosh, Shefali Verma, all of them who've played, who've been part of the last 2022 edition World Cup where I led.
05:50To see them do so well and fulfill the dreams of all of us in the past, the former cricketers, who've always had the dream that India should win a World Cup.
06:00And they were able to do that in reality for all of us.
06:03So it was a huge, big night.
06:10So for you, the turning point was that win against Australia in the semi-finals.
06:14Am I right, Mitali?
06:14That was when you knew India can do it.
06:18Well, I knew India can do it.
06:20So did I feel that even Australia knew the only team that can beat them is the Indian team.
06:26And it was so clinical.
06:28I mean, at no point did the girls fumble or in that run chase, losing wicket, a couple of early wickets.
06:35But that partnership was so important.
06:38Harman showed her calmness.
06:40Jamima, through the tournament, she spoke about the anxiety.
06:44But, you know, coming out on that stage in a knockout game to come up with 100 and actually seeing the team through till the end.
06:51I mean, that was one hell of a knock in a knockout by an Indian.
06:56And then in the final, Shafali Verma, I knew the capability and the skill that she get.
07:02But that's two wickets with that golden arm that she got for India.
07:05I think that was also a turning point in the final.
07:08She came and lost sort of a wild card for India in this tournament.
07:12Right.
07:15You know, there are lots of, of course, heroines and heroes in this tournament.
07:19The likes of Ditti Sharma, who had an incredible final.
07:23Smriti, of course, is a remarkable player.
07:25Harman, Preet and Jamima with that knock, Shafali in the finals.
07:29Poonam, Yadav, was there a particular player who stood out for you for this Indian team?
07:34Or was it a team effort?
07:35Look, look, my team effort is a team effort, because cricket is a team sport.
07:41So, it's a big problem for someone's name to be able to take a single one's name, because in every game, there was a new game, and the way the wild card entered, Shafali Verma, because it was a very good form.
07:54I think that it was a great game.
08:06I think that in this team, the women's Indian team got a very good performance.
08:14Shefali Domestic was in a very good form, so I think that the effect they showed in the final, in such a big game.
08:36When often you had to travel in unreserved railway compartments, you actually had to crowdsource your way, if I'm not mistaken, to even attend the World Cup.
08:46You want to give us a sense what this means for people like you who struggled in those days, Diana?
08:51What that, what yesterday means?
08:55After winning the World Cup last night, I cannot believe that 50 years have passed since we started playing cricket.
09:04And that, through those 50 years, the transformation that has taken place in women's cricket is immense.
09:13I, it was a watershed moment for me. I was at the ground watching the game live.
09:18And I just could not control my emotions. I was absolutely over the moon.
09:25This was a trophy which I wanted very badly. We missed it narrowly in 2017.
09:31We missed the T20 in Melbourne, very narrowly in the finals we played there.
09:37That was a trophy which I wanted in the BCCI cabinet.
09:41And as a COA member, I knew if this team is capable of doing things, I gave them everything they wanted.
09:49And I just said, I want performance. And just before the finals, when I spoke to Harman,
09:54and I said, I want that star on the jersey that the men have three, let's start with our women also senior women,
10:01because the junior and under 19 have two stars on their jersey.
10:05It's time that the seniors do it. And she finally, the team and the, all the full team played like champions.
10:13I was very proud. It is a great moment, a historical day. And I just going back 50 years.
10:22I feel it's worth living 50 years in this moment.
10:25You know, Sharda Ogra, you've written a very evocative piece recently about what these, about how a billion dreams in a way are ignited
10:37when, when the Indian team does so well. Do you believe a real barrier has been broken?
10:44And do you give the credit to the players? Do you give some credit to the BCCI that a couple of years ago actually decided to give equal pay to women cricketers?
10:54What do you believe has changed, Sharda? Has something changed in the world of sport as far as India is concerned, where women sportsmen can dream big?
11:05Hi, thanks, Raji, for having me here. And before I answer, I'll do the thing that you hate your guests do.
11:10That's to say congratulations to Diana, to Mitali, to Poonam, to Sushma, and, you know, for this great, great performance.
11:17And I'm so happy for all of you. I think what has changed definitely has been the quality of, you know, the competitiveness of the players,
11:27their readiness for the fight, and the fact that they were so prepared and so ready for this.
11:32Now, mind you, a World Cup at home is not an easy World Cup to win.
11:36It's very, very difficult because there is pressure and all of it.
11:40But when I saw this women's team, it was like this, these women who are walking on the shoulders of all these giants that had got them there,
11:47particularly in the final, you know, it did not seem to be, I mean, I was so stressed out during the semifinal by watching Jemima Chase,
11:54even though like we had not lost a lot of wickets and the tempo of the innings was fine.
11:59But in the final, I thought they were much, they were much more relaxed, much better.
12:03I think since the time the BCCI started giving contracts to the senior players, a small bunch of them, we can discuss the money issue later.
12:10I am a bit sort of 50-50 on that.
12:14Post-13, 14, 15, at least acknowledging the existence of women players as professionals that need to be supported like the men are supported.
12:22The introduction of the WPL is a very big thing.
12:26That's all the factors that have come together and we've got this terrific performance and this terrific team.
12:31Why do you say equal pay for women cricketers was not a turning point?
12:38You seem to be 50-50 on that.
12:40Was that not a major factor or just the fact that women cricket was finally being recognized was more important?
12:46I think women's cricket, the pay parity factor, it's a bit of a smoke and mirrors, according to me, because you're promising them the same amount of money, but they don't play the same amount of games.
12:58You know, so you can play 15 lakh rupees a test match, but if women are not going to play test matches, what's the point?
13:04You know, so they don't play that many games.
13:06And you're looking then at your retainership contracts, you need to have that at least at par.
13:11And you can see because of the fact that the WPL has been put into place, you have been able to get all this talent coming through.
13:18You had 10 debutants, I think, in a World Cup in this team.
13:22Also, the fact that the performance bonus, as it's called, the 50 crores that have been given, is unequal to what the men got for a 2020 win, which is 125.
13:32And the moment you say it's unequal, everyone starts getting a little bit prickly and bristly and saying, oh, no, but you know, it's okay, it's fine, it's the women.
13:39And you're talking about TV rights and media rights.
13:41That's not the business of the women.
13:43It's not the business of the women to get TV rights money, it's the business of the PCCI to get the money.
13:47To market the women's game, to run the women's game as a separate vertical in their, you know, that's why I'm saying I'm 50-50.
13:53I don't want to be a grumpy and a grouse and I'm very happy for the women and may they get more rewards and awards.
13:59Okay, you know, today's not a day to be, I guess, where we can keep the grouses and the grumpiness for another day and discuss that also.
14:10But Mitali, do you believe that somewhere self-belief has come in?
14:15That's the big difference.
14:16The belief that they can do it, they rub shoulders with the Australian players, for example, regularly in the WPL.
14:22So the self-belief has come into the game in a manner that perhaps was not the case in the past.
14:28When Asharda rightly put it, there was a time when women's cricket was not even recognized in the way that it should have been.
14:34I've seen stories of how difficult it was for some of you to actually continue to play the sport.
14:41See, I think the belief has come from WPL.
14:45It has definitely transformed women's cricket, I would say.
14:48These three seasons, you know, every time the players are put into the current situation during the franchise league.
14:55We've seen some amazing innings, you know, matches getting into that super over in Bangaluru.
15:01Every game in the franchise league is tight.
15:03And when you find an Indian player in that situation, time and again, you eventually find a way out of that current situation.
15:10You'll find a way how to get going through those situations.
15:13Those experiences help you then when you're competing at the global events, you know that you've already gone through those experiences.
15:20Let's say for Richa Ghosh, she comes into that particular role in T20s as a hitter in the last five overs.
15:27And the same role was given to her in this World Cup as well in that batting line-up.
15:31And she pretty much knows how to go about it.
15:34If we talk about Harman Fritkar, the innings against Gujarat Giants in Delhi, single-handedly she took the match away.
15:40So if you consistently are in that situation, you sort of understand your game well, there is a better awareness of it.
15:47And there is that self-belief that yes, in this situation out of five games, I'm able to get the team out of three times.
15:53So that's where you build on the confidence and the belief.
15:56And without support, without resources to prepare for this big event, I don't think you would have the wings to soar.
16:03A huge credit to BCCI. Yes, the things that Sharda spoke, it's for another day.
16:10But BCCI has definitely made a lot of, you know, they've gotten a number of games before this event.
16:19India has stood England, they've played England, they've played Australia.
16:23They've got those number of ODI games before a World Cup to prepare them well.
16:27They've got camps, they've had particularly skilled camps, whether it is batting camps or bowling camps,
16:33getting camps in the venues where they are going to play more games during this tournament,
16:37whether it is Wysak or it is Mumbai.
16:39So I think everything has got the team to perform the way they did.
16:44Yes, you know, credit should go to the players, to the support staff.
16:49Indian team has about 18 to 20 support staff, minus the 15 member squad.
16:54So you can understand like, you know, how much BCCI has worked in the last 2-3 years
17:00to give them that resources and facilities.
17:02I'm sure if the same amount of support was given to the former players at the times of 80s and 90s,
17:08we would probably have had a better result as well in terms of the World Cup and the matches that they've played.
17:14You know, in a sense, therefore, Diana Edulji, there are those who are calling this India's 1983 moment,
17:24likening it to what Kapil Dev achieved, broke a barrier, India wins the World Cup, defeats the mighty West Indies.
17:30Here we defeat the mighty Australians in the semi.
17:32Is this a 1983 moment in a way? Are we going to, in your view, see women's cricket now go to another level?
17:40Rajiv, I would actually say the turning point came in 2017, you know, when we entered the finals at Lourdes
17:48and just missed out on that big, you just lost by eight runs.
17:54Then that is when everybody woke up and started recognizing women's cricket.
18:00So I would say in a way, yes, 83 moment.
18:04But this victory has given much more than what 83 guys got.
18:09So that is the only difference.
18:11So Sharda shouldn't complain.
18:12In 83, the men hardly got any money, but the women are getting a lot of money here.
18:17So I don't grudge it at all.
18:20I'm happy.
18:21I would want more definitely.
18:23Yeah, Rajiv.
18:25Right.
18:26We all want more.
18:28We all want more in whatever profession we do.
18:31But Sharda Ugra, is this an 83 moment or is this a bit like 2011?
18:36I mean, I'm trying to draw parallels maybe wrongly with the men's game.
18:41But the belief, that self-belief, the ability to hand pressure situations,
18:45to find new stars like Jemima, to find wonderful stories like that of a Harman Preet or a Deepti Sharma,
18:51all of which seems to suggest that women's cricket now has a story to tell.
18:57In fact, women's sport, if you look at PB Sindhu, the Sanya Mirzas, all of them have stories to tell.
19:03Yeah, I agree with Diana here.
19:06It's not exactly the 83 moment in that sense because that's the male lens that you're looking at the women's game.
19:12I think 2017 was breakout for the simple reason that you had those matches on television for the first time.
19:19And everyone across the country could switch on the television and see how extraordinary these players were,
19:24who they were, what their skill sets were, what they were able to do.
19:29And this win, what it's going to do, it's going to literally accelerate this growth and development and popularity of women's cricket.
19:37So maybe it's more 2011 or maybe perhaps maybe a post IPL type of thing.
19:42That's the closest I can get to it.
19:43But we don't need to actually compare it with sort of the male history because the women have their own root and their own path.
19:49And I think what it will do is certainly break open a lot.
19:54A lot of these girls in this team, more than half of them are sort of successors of this 2017 story that happened.
20:03You know, so Harman and Smriti are followed in the footsteps of Julan and Mitali.
20:09But all the girls that are later, the younger girls, they all are Harman and Smriti's sort of successors and after them.
20:17And they belong to that 20, they are the followers of that 2017 class.
20:20And now everyone who's watched this on TV, thousands and millions of girls around the world are going to say, I want to be there.
20:26I want to do that also.
20:28That number, that almost explosion of talent that they're going to see.
20:31And you're seeing it in every way.
20:33Every time something happens, you see there's some 17 year old playing something.
20:37There's, you know, you hear of names and stories and people coming from all corners of the country.
20:42Most of these girls, half of them came from the, they were not from the big cities.
20:45They were from the smaller towns.
20:47Harmanpreet herself is from Mogha.
20:49That's right.
20:50Smriti is from Sangli.
20:51You know, so you have that kind of pattern play itself.
20:53Right.
20:54In another way, in its own way and its own shape.
20:58Either way, you know, we are smiling through all of this.
21:02And that's why I think I feel emotional at one level because there's an innocence to the sport,
21:08which you see when women's cricket celebrates, the way in which they celebrate a wicket,
21:14the way in which they came together, you almost feel as if a sport is alive.
21:19And to see the power of 50, as I call it, the power of 50, meaning 50% of the population really expressing itself.
21:26Maybe they will inspire many others across various fields of activity to aim big.
21:32So that's why it was a very, very special day in Mumbai.
21:36And we all have a smile on our face this Monday night.
21:39What can I say?
21:40Thank you, Harmanpreet.
21:41And thank you to the entire Indian team.
21:44You are all total rock stars.
21:47And to all my guests, thank you so much for joining me here.
21:50Yes, Dinah, you want to say something?
21:5230 seconds.
21:53No, no, it is exactly worth that.
21:55I just want to say that I would like to praise ICC for promoting women's cricket so much.
22:05The way they have bumped into global promotion of women's cricket, Mr. Jai Shah is doing a wonderful job.
22:16Okay.
22:17You know, Mr. Jai Shah has often been targeted as a Nipo kid by his critics.
22:23But you have to give Jai Shah some of the credit for the fact that he has driven women's cricket, at least given them space in the last few years.
22:32And all credit to BCCI.
22:34When you do good things, we will praise you.
22:37But thank you all very much for joining us here on the show today.
22:42Thank you, Razi.
22:44Thank you, sir.
22:46Joining me now is another special guest.
22:48I am joined by one of the iconic figures of sport and women's sport in particular in this country.
22:54Sanya Mirza, Grand Slam winner on multiple occasions, four-time Olympian, number one in world doubles tennis.
23:03Appreciate your joining us, Sanya.
23:07Like you, the women of cricket have become trendsetters.
23:12What does it feel like when you know that India is the world champion now in women's cricket?
23:18For you, as a sports person, as an Indian, what did that moment feel like?
23:24No, I mean, first of all, congratulations to all of us and to our great country.
23:30But I think that what the women have done for us today just shows the kind of sacrifice and the commitment that's been going on for the last 25, 30 years.
23:42And I'm so glad to see that the recognition, the stands full.
23:46You know, there was a question that was asked to Harman Freeth saying,
23:50Oh, usually you guys don't have in the press conference, usually you guys don't have so much of ticket issues, right?
23:58But I'm sure at this time, you know, like the men cricketers usually do.
24:02And it's so good to hear that she also has those issues.
24:05And it's truly what an incredibly amazing moment for all of us.
24:10And honestly, as a female athlete coming from India, this does feel personal.
24:17And I know it's not personal, but it just does feel so personal.
24:25You know, because you, as I said, also broke a glass ceiling in a way by competing and winning in Grand Slams.
24:32Is that part of the attraction you think of women's sport in India?
24:36Because what you do is you break prejudice and you break barriers.
24:40Is that how you also felt when you won?
24:43And do you think a similar feeling is what you felt yesterday watching the women win?
24:48You know, honestly, that's not what you feel when you win.
24:52What you feel is proud.
24:53We as female athletes have been trying for many, many generations, I should say, to try to make a mark.
25:02And, you know, there's always a there's one that happens and then we don't hear of incredible women athletes,
25:09maybe because of the kind of acknowledgement they receive is not as much as the others do.
25:15But this to happen the way it's happened at the world stage World Cup happening in India, India winning.
25:22I mean, these are what great stories and dreams are made of.
25:26And you can see it on the faces of all these young girls.
25:31But I did see a video on social media, which was actually really heartening to see the cricketers, the women cricketers that had played.
25:40There was Mithali Raj, you know, in that and Anjum Chopra and everybody was like almost saying thank you and holding up the trophy.
25:50And, you know, they were lifting it up like they had won it.
25:54That's how personal it feels for everyone.
25:56So you don't really feel, oh, my God, we've broken a glass thing.
25:59What you do feel is extremely proud.
26:01You feel extremely honored to be in that position.
26:05And, you know, just it's a matter of great pride to be able to hold that trophy, be world champions.
26:12And yeah, I mean, the scenes and those pictures say it all.
26:19Is it easier today, you think, than it was 20 years ago when you started off?
26:24Do you think because of aspirational levels, there's far more money in sport, even in women's sport,
26:30do you think it becomes easier to fulfill your dreams today than it was 20, 25 years ago?
26:37Yeah, I think so.
26:38I think that I don't know if it's easier in terms of effort.
26:41The effort is still the same, but it's definitely easier in terms of the belief.
26:45You know, it's always hard to be the first to do things.
26:48And because there's no actually pathway to follow and there's not really, you know, you don't really, you make your own mistakes,
26:55you learn from your own mistakes and then you, you know, succeed sometimes.
26:58But I feel that today there's, when you say women's cricket, when you say a female athlete,
27:05when you say a world champion from India who's a female in any sport, I think people take it seriously.
27:12And when you, when you, when a young girl or young kid tells their parent that I want to be Smriti Mandana,
27:19I want to be Sanya Mirza, I want to be TV Sindhu or Mary Com.
27:24The parents don't say it's a ridiculous dream.
27:27I think today they say that, yes, you can do it.
27:30So I do feel that, that, that mentality has kind of shifted.
27:34And that's why we will also see more young girls playing, more young girls becoming champions and, you know, India on the world map.
27:42You made an important point because your parents were hugely supportive through good times and bad.
27:51Do you believe that's the key?
27:53I'm, you know, many of these girls have come from small towns that parents have sacrificed a lot.
27:58That seems to be one of the big changes that it is almost as if today having a, a girl child who wants to play sport,
28:07the parents are playing an important role in encouraging them to play sport in comparison to 20, 25 years ago.
28:14See, I think the thing is that that was always the case, but the, you know, because of the lack of, um,
28:21lack of opportunity, lack of acknowledgement, lack of, um, you know, just the belief that the parents actually believe that,
28:29Oh my God, my child can play cricket or play tennis or play whatever they want and be professional at it and,
28:36and actually earn a living from it or get recognition from it and play for the country for it.
28:40I don't think that belief existed before.
28:42And my parents obviously, you know, we're talking about over 30 years ago where they believe that,
28:47and they were probably a minority at that point, um, to, to come out and say that no matter what, we don't really don't care.
28:54You know, we're playing for the love of it.
28:56And, and, and people at that point just actually played for the love of sport.
29:00Um, the recognition and the TV and the money and the, and the, and everything else comes much, much, much later, if at all.
29:06Um, so, but today things have changed.
29:09I mean, you see big hoardings, billboards, ads, you see all, a lot of female athletes on them from all different genres of sport.
29:18And I think that, uh, today parents believe that my child, uh, you know, my child can become a professional athlete and that can bring, um, and it won't be a waste of time.
29:30And sport is not just for boys anymore.
29:32Well, one final word, what do you want to say to the team? Uh, is there a special message that you have for Harman Preet and the entire team?
29:44Oh my gosh. I just want to say congratulations to all of them.
29:47I got to spend some time with a few of them on the team a couple of years ago, and it was so incredible to actually hear stories, um, uh, from them about where they've come from, how they started playing cricket.
29:58And I just want to say that you've made the entire nation proud, needless to say, but as a fellow female athlete, this feels personal and thank you for, uh, doing this for us and for our country.
30:15Sanya, Mirza, as I said, you've also been one of the trend setters and path breakers for you to join us, uh, on this very special day is also special.
30:24So thank you very much for your contribution.
30:27And of course, to the incredible women cricketers who've scaled the pinnacle of their sport.
30:32Thanks for joining us.
30:33Thank you. Thanks for having me.
30:36Okay. The first phase of campaigning for the big Bihar elections ends tomorrow.
30:41I'm in Patna at the moment.
30:43And earlier today I traveled to Mokama.
30:45Why Mokama?
30:46Because in the constituencies of Bihar, Mokama is being closely watched.
30:52The candidate of the JDU, Anand Singh, a strong man, was arrested this weekend allegedly for murdering a supporter of a rival candidate.
31:01And pitted against him is the wife of another strong man of Mokama.
31:06If you want to know what, where the politics of Bihar has not changed and remained frozen in time with the rise and rise of Bahubalis, you have to turn to Mokama.
31:19Is this Jungle Raj 2.0 or is that an exaggeration?
31:23That's what I tried to find out by traveling to Mokama.
31:27Take a look.
31:28One of the constituencies that will be looked at very closely in the first phase of the Bihar campaign is that of Mokama.
31:38This is the constituency which has been represented for the last two decades by Anand Kumar Singh.
31:45Now many see Anand Kumar Singh as a Bahubali, someone who has readily switched sides from the RJD to the JDU and even won as an independent.
31:55This time he's in the news again because he's being accused of murdering a supporter of a rival candidate and is now in jail contesting on a JDU ticket.
32:06The question then is, is he an example of Jungle Raj 2.0 as the opposition claims or simply part of a political culture in Bihar where criminalization has been normalized?
32:22What explains Anand Singh's continuing hold over Mokama?
32:29Let's try and find out. Come with me.
32:31Come with me.
32:38Imagine, now you have to wear a shirt on Anand Singh's t-shirt.
32:44He said...
32:45One minute. One minute.
32:46One minute.
32:47Aanand Singh has been nuestro for jail, his name is now in the murder chamber.
32:50He's auvover.
32:51He's a leader.
32:52He is a scientist.
32:53Aanand Singh is a Bahubali.
32:54Aanand Singh is a Bahubali.
32:56Aanand Singh is a Bahubali.
32:57Come with me?
32:58Aanand Singh, one minute.
32:59foreign
33:29foreign
33:43foreign
33:59Okay, now the J.D.U. MP and a minister in the Modi government
34:29from Munger which is the Lok Sabha constituency where Mokama is located Lalland Singh is here
34:36a key aide of Nitish Kumar I want to go and meet Lalland Singh and ask him why did they give a
34:42ticket to someone like Anand Kumar Singh when the J.D.U. claims that they are fighting criminalization
34:48come with me
34:49Sir
34:53Sir
34:56Sir, one minute
34:57How do you work?
35:05Anand Singh Ji
35:06paidout to jail
35:08You remember J.D.U.
35:13He was the one created diligration
35:16you
35:43you
35:44I am going to ask you, what is Ritlal Jadav, who is 37 senani?
35:50Yes, no.
35:52Dular Jadav, who was killed?
35:54Yes, no.
35:55First, you tell me, who gave a ticket to Tijaswish Jadav Ji,
35:59that was 37 senani.
36:01You can see it in your view.
36:03That's why I know that your narrative is different.
36:06No, no.
36:07You tell me about this.
36:09What do you understand?
36:11What do you understand, Anand Kumar Singh?
36:13Come on, brother.
36:25Anand Kumar Singh has no problem with her.
36:29There are so many people who are in jail,
36:33you will make your MLA.
36:36Please ask yourself, Anand Kumar Singh,
36:39why do you cut the ticket to Anand Singh?
36:41Why do you win so easily?
36:44There is money.
36:46There is money.
36:47There is money.
36:48There are money.
36:49There are more things.
36:50People have to do less work.
36:52So there is no money.
36:54There is no money.
36:55There are no money.
36:56There are money.
36:57There are money.
36:58There are money.
36:59There is money.
37:00There is money.
37:25criminality at election time is fraught with complications. While Anand Singh is now in jail
37:32accused of murder, his principal rival Veena Devi is the wife of Suraj Bhan who was convicted in
37:382008 and sentenced to life imprisonment again on murder charges. She's contesting on an argeri
37:45ticket and even the person who was killed, Dularchan Yadav, had a long history of crime.
37:52Crime, it seems, is a way of life in Mokama. We are at the office of Veena Devi, wife of
38:00Suraj Bhan.
38:22But in 2008, he got married.
38:32foreign
38:42foreign
38:46foreign
38:52foreign
38:54Wata has been banned, MacDougal has been banned, Suta Mill has been banned, FCI has been banned.
39:24Wata has been banned.
39:54So this is my candidate.
39:55We got 5 times tonight.
39:57Yannan Singh.
39:58You'll get a star.
39:59You'll get a star.
39:59You'll get a star.
40:01I feel that the spirit is built.
40:03That which has power, power, power, power, power, powers.
40:07Judge Sir, you got to put a decision on what to do.
40:10what do you have to do?
40:11You'll get a guilty case on that.
40:14You'll get to your convinced.
40:18You'll get a trust.
40:20There's no choice there.
40:22foreign
40:52The situation is like this, because this is for the whole country.
40:57This is also the same.
40:58And the people who have been doing their work,
41:03who have been doing their work,
41:05who have been doing their work,
41:07who have been doing their work,
41:09who have been doing their work, and who have been doing their work.
41:12Mokama, in a sense, then represents a part of Bihar
41:15that appears to be caught in a time warp,
41:18seemingly fallen off the map,
41:21where often the only form of capital accumulation is,
41:25dare one say, attrist with criminality.
41:29Which is why, whoever wins the battle for Mokama,
41:33crime will only be a trigger away.
41:37Rajdeep Sardesai, in Mokama, for India Today.
41:41Rajdeep Sardesai, in Mokama, for India, for India, for India, for India.
41:50Rajdeep Sardesai, are you ready?
41:51Yes, sir.
41:52Rajdeep Sardesai, in Mokama, for India, for India?
41:53Yes, sir.
41:54Rajdeep Sardesai, as you can see, I am preparing,
41:57for elections on my plate after a long gap.
42:02Now the Nitti Choka in Delhi is good,
42:05but it isn't quite as good as what you get in Bihar.
42:10So what can I say?
42:13Chalo Bihar!
42:14Okay, the air quality in Delhi has only worsened.
42:18Smog continues to envelop the city.
42:21It's not just that.
42:22An India Today reality check has now found
42:26trucks sprinkling water at air quality stations
42:30only to try and suggest that the air quality has improved.
42:35In fact, the Supreme Court today has also pulled up the government saying
42:39where are some of those air quality measures that are required?
42:45What's going on on the ground in Delhi when it comes to air pollution?
42:49It's our Get Real India story.
42:56Delhi's pollution fight on display.
43:10Truck sprinkling water right outside the air quality monitoring station at Anandvihar,
43:14one of the pollution hotspots.
43:17Locals say such sprinkling is done multiple times.
43:21Hanji, I've seen it in the morning.
43:24I've seen it in the morning.
43:25I've kept 5-6 hours.
43:26Apparently, the politics is escalating on this issue where Anandvihar Party is targeting
43:31the Bharatiya Janta Party over the air pollution in the national capital.
43:34Recently, Anandvihar Party chief, Saura Bhadwaja, shared a video on social media showing that
43:40water sprinkling trucks spraying water around the air quality monitoring station.
43:44Around four to five times the water trucks are visiting here.
43:48They are spraying water here.
43:50And on the other hand, we are seeing politics over this issue.
43:52But BJP government and officers are saying that this is a routine exercise to settle down
43:58dust particles near the air quality monitoring station.
44:00As Delhi battles very poor air quality, the controversy in the capital is on whether the
44:07BJP government is trying to manipulate air quality data.
44:12The opposition has alleged the BJP government is continually spraying water at air quality
44:16monitoring stations to force a dip in the readings.
44:20The Aam Admi Party has put out a comparison of current AQI readings with those of last year,
44:26claiming that Chief Minister Rekha Gupta is trying to fool the public.
44:30The state government has rejected these charges, saying the sprinkling is part of routine anti-pollution
44:36measures to reduce dust levels in the air.
44:39Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa has put out his own comparison of readings under
44:44the AAP government and the BJP government, claiming that the numbers are the result of
44:48a working government.
44:50As the political blame game continues, Delhi continues to struggle to breathe in the toxic air.
44:56But even with the AQI hovering around 400, Delhi hosted quite a few fitness events this weekend.
45:03Hundreds of runners and bikers hit the roads of Delhi, gasping their way through the haze.
45:08Bureau Report, India Today.
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