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Red Fort car blast not suicide attack; bomb incomplete, record turnout in Bihar
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00:00Good evening, hello and welcome. You're with the news today, your primetime destination news,
00:05newsmakers, talking points and on this Tuesday we have plenty ahead on the show for you tonight.
00:11The big Red Fort Delhi blast. Is it the outcome of white collar terror? Is this the new threat
00:18that's being posed at the moment? Radicalization possibly of Kashmiri groups. Has that become
00:26part of India's new terror challenge, particularly of professionals? We'll raise that question
00:33as that investigation now continues. Also ask, was it a result of a major security lapse and who will
00:41be held accountable? Also, who benefits from a Bampar Bihar turnout? Round two is over. We'll tell
00:48you what the turnout means. Remember, we have the big exit poll of India today, tomorrow, which will
00:55bring you the most detailed analysis from reporters who've actually been on the ground. But first,
01:00as always, it's time for the nine headlines at nine. Investigation into the Red Fort blast hones in on
01:09Dr. Umar, who detonated the explosive laden I-20 car in a possible panic attack. Faridabad's terror
01:19modules, Dr. Shaheen was tasked to establish a Jesh women's wing by Masood Azhar after Operation Sindhuur
01:27claim investigation sources.
01:31As the debt toll in the Delhi blast rises to 10, Prime Minister Modi sounds a big warning,
01:38asserts conspirators won't be spared. Oppositions question, why is the Prime Minister going on a
01:43Bhutan trip despite the terror attack?
01:46Iske piche ke shadi antrakariyon ko baksa nahin jayega. All those responsible will be brought
02:04to justice.
02:10Islamabad pays the consequences of fomenting terror. Suicide attack near Islamabad court leaves 12 dead,
02:17over 20 injured. Pakistan blames Afghan groups for it.
02:25Biyad looks set to replicate its historic voter turnout. Now in phase two of polling,
02:30over 68.61% voter turnout recorded so far far ahead of the 2020 average of 57%.
02:39Supreme Court acquits life convict Surendra Kohli in a rape and murder case related to the 2006
02:47Nitari killings. Kohli stands acquitted of all the cases against him.
02:54Delhi's air quality slips into the severe category for the first time this season.
02:59Grap 3 activated in Delhi NCR amidst mounting pollution concerns.
03:06US President Donald Trump says the US is getting closer to reaching a trade deal with India.
03:12Hints that the tariffs of penalties will now be removed.
03:19And Bollywood legend Dharmendra remains critical at Mumbai's Breach Gandhi Hospital under constant
03:26supervision.
03:31And the best in the world is set to visit Hyderabad on December 13th.
03:35Soccer legend Delangana Chief Minister Revant Reddy invites Lionel Messi as the state's brand ambassador.
03:42The top story that we are breaking at this hour now highly placed sources in the investigation.
03:43The top story that we are breaking at this hour now highly placed sources in the investigation.
03:47into the Red Throat Blast are telling us after their initial findings that the blast was
03:54in the investigation.
03:56The top story that we are breaking at this hour now highly placed sources in the investigation.
04:02into the Red Throat Blast are telling us after their initial findings that the blast was not
04:09a suicide attack.
04:10In fact, the sources are now claiming that the suspect, Mohamed Omar, triggered the explosion
04:14in panic.
04:15This is the doctor who is seen as the main suspect in the blast.
04:30According to the sources, the bomb was not fully developed and therefore had limited impact
04:36is what is being claimed.
04:38Munish Pandey who has been tracking that joins me from Red Fort.
04:41Munish, it seems according to the investigation sources that this was not a fidain or suicide
04:49attack but a panic attack particularly after the module in Faridabad was busted yesterday
04:55morning.
04:56One of them panicked and reportedly detonated it possibly accidentally.
05:02What are you picking up?
05:04Well, Razdeep sources are claiming that because of the counter-terror action by the Jammu and
05:16Kashmir police and other agencies, you know, which includes the raids in Faridabad, the accused
05:23in the case, which is Dr. Omar Mohamed, he panicked and that is why he left Faridabad, he came to Delhi
05:30Delhi and at Lal Kila where I am standing, he detonated the bomb.
05:36Now, at this point of time, agencies are saying that it was because of their action, this, you
05:42know, big attack was averted.
05:44It was not a fully developed bomb and that is why there was no sharp nails in the bomb.
05:49There was no crater created at the time of bombing.
05:53So all these, you know, if you combine all these elements, then it looks like that the accused, the
06:01prime suspect in the case panicked and that is why he triggered or detonated the bomb.
06:07But Razdeep, at the very same time, one cannot deny the fact that there was a lapse from the security
06:13agencies also, especially by the Delhi police, because there was a specific input by the Jammu and
06:18Kashmir police that there is one person called Dr. Omar Mohamed.
06:22He is absconding.
06:24He is a person of interest.
06:26And Razdeep, if you notice, yesterday there was a tweet by the Jammu and Kashmir police at
06:326.10, which is 40 minutes before the blast regarding Dr. Omar Mohamed that you can run,
06:39but you cannot hide.
06:40And just 40 minutes after the tweet, this unfortunate incident happened in which eight innocent people
06:47lost their life more than 20 are still injured, battling for their lives in LNJP hospital.
06:54So at one, one can say that Jammu and Kashmir police has done a good job by busting this module.
07:01But at the very same time, it was not enough to avert this blast completely.
07:06And also, you know, to arrest Dr. Omar Mohamed at time so that the blast could have been averted
07:13in the national capital.
07:14You are giving very important information.
07:16You are saying Jammu and Kashmir police had informed the Delhi police that someone called
07:22Dr. Omar Mohamed was still missing and was part of the module.
07:27Am I correct?
07:28And this information was given when?
07:31Yesterday when the module was busted in Faridabad because for the longest time,
07:35the Delhi police was claiming there was no link between Faridabad and Red Fort.
07:39What was the case?
07:40Well, Razdip, sources have told India today and I spoke to top sources in the intelligence agencies also.
07:50What they are saying is that when they busted the module, when several suspects were rounded up by the Jammu and Kashmir police in Kashmir,
07:58when the rates were being carried out yesterday at Faridabad, this specific intel input was given that there is one person, Dr. Omar Mohamed, he is absconding.
08:09And the same name has been mentioned publicly by the Jammu and Kashmir police in their press note which was first released at 1 o'clock yesterday afternoon and at 6 o'clock again, 6.10 to be precise, by the Jammu and Kashmir police saying that you can run but you cannot hide.
08:27It was regarding Dr. Omar Mohamed, so Delhi police, the special cell was aware that this is a person of interest.
08:34He travelled from Faridabad which is just few kilometres away from the national capital.
08:40He travelled from Faridabad, he entered Delhi, he was in the parking lot for almost three hours and at 6.50, around 6.50, he came to this location and you know he carried out that particular blast.
08:54Okay, Munish Pandey with very important information there, appreciate you joining us on the show at the top tonight.
09:01I want to turn to the investigation itself so far which has revealed Dr. Omar un Nabi Mohamed to be the main suspect.
09:10Dr. Omar is allegedly linked as we said at the outset to the terror module that was busted in Faridabad.
09:18Most of the members of the terrorist cell were allegedly practising doctors, many of them from Pulwama in the Kashmir Valley.
09:27Tonight's top story is where the investigation is heading into that terror blast which caused the lives of ten innocents.
09:37Take a look.
09:38A Hyundai I-20 car with a man wearing a mask at the wheel, now believed to be Dr. Mohamed Umair un Nabi, left the Sunheri Masjid parking lot.
10:00Four minutes later, at a red signal outside the red fort near the metro station, the car exploded.
10:12The first terror attack to hit the national capital in 14 years.
10:22On Tuesday, the Jammu and Kashmir police tracked down on Dr. Umar's residence in Pulwama, detaining many of his family members for questioning.
10:35DNA samples are now being matched to confirm the suspect's identity.
10:39We thought that you are going to do something for us.
10:43It is also in our mind.
10:44How is it?
10:45How is it?
10:46How is it?
10:47How is it?
10:48How is it?
10:49How is it?
10:50This is our hope.
10:51We knew how is it.
10:53We knew how is it.
10:54Police sources say Umar allegedly carried out the suicide attack as a search was already on for him.
11:00He was linked to an alleged Jaish-e-Mohamed terror module busted in a 15-day joint operation by Jammu and Kashmir and Faridabad police forces, but made public on Monday morning.
11:13His alleged associates in a major terror plot, Dr. Adal Ahmed Rathar and Dr. Muzamil Shakir were already in the custody of security forces.
11:23Police claim the elaborate terror network unraveled few days ago with the arrest of Dr. Adal Ahmed Rathar by the Jammu Kashmir police from Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, where he worked.
11:35The police allegedly recovered an AK-47 rifle from his locker at the Government Medical College in Anantanag, his earlier workplace.
11:44Dr. Shakil, a colleague of Umar at the Al Fala University, was arrested from Faridabad.
11:50The police recovered nearly 360 kilos of ammonium nitrate from his rented house on Sunday.
11:57The police also seized a rifle and ammunition from a Swift Desire car, allegedly used by Muzamil Shakil.
12:04The owner of the car, a female doctor from Lucknow, Shahin Shahid, was also arrested on Sunday.
12:10A search is on for her brother, Dr. Parvez Ansari.
12:15The police claim they seized 2,900 kilos of bomb-making material in these raids conducted across states.
12:22From Kashmir to Faridabad to Delhi, the agencies are now piecing together how a radicalised doctor drove an I-20 car laden with explosives, killing and injuring many lives.
12:40With Meer Farid from Kashmir and video journalist Rohit, this is Shreya Chatterjee for India today.
12:47Okay, let's raise big questions on the show tonight.
12:51The Red Fort blast, is it the outcome now of a white-collar terror network?
12:57Is the radicalisation of professionals now posing a new threat to security agencies?
13:02Is the Delhi terror result also of a major security blast and who will be held accountable for that?
13:09Is there a link between the Kashmir Valley and the Delhi blast?
13:15That's the questions I want to raise right at the top.
13:17We'll also put out unanswered questions in a moment.
13:20General VP Malik, former Army Chief joins me.
13:23Neeraj Kumar, former Commissioner of Police, Delhi.
13:26I'm also joined by Dr. Kiran Bedi, former IPS officer with us.
13:30We'll be joined in a moment by Soumya Avasti, a counter-terrorism expert.
13:35Thank you all very much for joining us.
13:37I want to first come to each of you.
13:39And General Malik, as someone who's looked at these issues over the years from your vantage position,
13:47do you get a sense that we are now seeing the emergence of a new form of terror in particular
13:53and the links that we are seeing between possibly doctors in the Kashmir Valley
13:59and indeed terror modules, sleeper cells?
14:04Yes, Radeep, good evening to you and to my panellists and those who are watching this programme.
14:13But before that, you know, I want to tell you that after Operation Sindhuur, a lot of people asked me
14:20that after this is terrorism, the terror attacks are likely to be over.
14:26And I said, no. At that time also, I said, no, they will continue.
14:31Why? Because cross-border terrorism is not a policy of Jayesh or Lashkar-e-Taiba.
14:40It is a national policy of those people in uniform in Pakistan.
14:45And today they are headed by somebody who is emboldened, who heads the whole organisation.
14:54He has made himself field marshal. He is anti-Indian and he is anti-Hindu.
15:02And therefore, you are likely to see these things more, I think, in future.
15:07You are making a very serious, you are claiming that what happened in Delhi last night must be linked to Asim Munir
15:15becoming virtually the de facto head of Pakistan, field marshal, self-appointed in a way, taking over the country
15:23and his sort of anti-Hindu, anti-India rhetoric and the blasts that have taken place
15:30and also linking it to Operation Sindhu. Am I correct, General?
15:34Yes, you are correct. And why I am saying is that let's not go through these one incident or two incidents.
15:40I am talking of the policy. The policy is not made by Jayesh-e-Mohammed or Lashkar-e-Taiba.
15:46The policy has been made by the head of the state, our virtual head of the state, who is, we all know,
15:54Field Marshal Asim Munir. And you know the kind of a person he is. And currently he stands emboldened.
16:01That also I would like to say here. Now, having said that...
16:05But I just want to say this, if I may push you a little further, General, on that.
16:11You will recall that when Operation Sindhu took place, the Prime Minister of the country said any act of terror will be treated as an act of war.
16:19Now, if this is established as a terror attack and it seems to now clearly be heading that way with the NIA taking over,
16:25should we treat it as an act of war? And therefore, should the response be proportionate to what happened?
16:31How do you respond? Because you are on an escalatory ladder then, General.
16:36Look, the response has to be there. And I am sure it will be there. In fact, the Prime Minister has already mentioned that.
16:43But what kind of response, what level of response, I think it will have to be left to the people.
16:49And it is too early for us to predict that because we still are investigating the whole issue.
16:55Right.
16:56But if it is proved to be something which has been initiated at the behest of the Pakistan army and their ISI, then I think the response will have to be more serious.
17:08Okay.
17:09Now, coming to your second part of the question. And that is, what has Redford terror attack exposed?
17:16I think it has exposed a new terror strategy and methodology. It has also raised some very disturbing facts and disturbing questions.
17:27And I think we need to look into that. The first is, as we said, that this has been done something, some people who are well-to-do,
17:37who are well-educated, who are white-collar professionals, and they have been indoctrinated, they have been radicalized.
17:46And they are not only in India, in Kashmir, but I think that they are also outside.
17:53So it's a trans, within the nation, it is a transnational activity which is going on, which has been exposed.
18:00And this is, now we have to be more alert, we have to ascertain as to what all has happened.
18:09There is a huge lot of work which has to be done by the investigating agencies.
18:13Now we all know…
18:15I am just going to stop you, General, because you have raised many unanswered questions.
18:18I just want to take them to my other panel, just for a moment, because I want to put those questions up.
18:23How did the car evade, because we have a former police commissioner of Delhi and a top cop with us.
18:29How did the car evade police checks when a search was on for this specific individual, is my first unanswered question.
18:37Was it a planned attack or a panic attack, as the investigators are now claiming?
18:42Were there inter-agency failures? Was there a larger terror plot brewing?
18:47Has the whole terror network been busted?
18:50Neeraj Kumar, why don't you take that first, because you worked as Delhi police commissioner.
18:54Is it impossible to patrol every corner, every moholla of a city sprawling like Delhi, particularly crowded areas like Chandni Chogh?
19:04Even though there may be information that one of those involved in the module which was busted was on the run.
19:11Do you believe it's impossible to do that or do you believe there's a security lapse?
19:17Well, I don't think that it is a security lapse because unless the information or the intelligence is specific, saying what is the number of the car, where exactly it is likely to be seen, etc., it is not possible to intercept it.
19:42However, there ought to have been a general alert.
19:48I'm not too sure whether it was there or not.
19:51I'm not too sure whether the kind of checking that was required was on at that point of time.
19:57But I want to emphasize one thing.
20:01It's all very easy to say that we had alerted Delhi police that so-and-so would be visiting Delhi.
20:10Unless the information is specific, it is almost impossible to intercept a vehicle in the crowded area where it was found.
20:23Kiran Bedi, you want to weigh in on that because there will be those who will say that here was a vehicle that was moving for three hours.
20:30Apparently, of course, as Neeraj Kumar says, specifics were not available of the vehicle.
20:36All that was known that a particular individual, Dr. Omar, had escaped from that terror module in Faridabad.
20:45Was that enough, you believe? Or do you believe it's impossible at one level to check every vehicle, especially in crowded areas?
20:54Yes. In this case, the information ought to have been a little more specific.
20:59Maybe the car number, maybe the car color, maybe the make of the color, make of the car.
21:05I think that kind of specificity will narrow down accountability.
21:09Then they could have checked all Hyundai cars, they could have checked all off-white cars, or they could have checked by numbers.
21:17I think that could have been said. If that had become more specific, you couldn't say, well, we somewhere, we did not do our homework well.
21:24So I think the information, you just cannot say we said it, and there's somebody on the move.
21:29Now, who? Which car? What number? I think that, I think, needed to become more specific.
21:35But we must give full credit to the JNK police for having done such an amazing detection.
21:40But I want to say, there is a new trend here. I think, why was this man, is an unanswered question.
21:47Why did this man park for so long in Red Book? Why? Was he waiting for a signal? Was he waiting for an opportunity? Why?
21:55Why would somebody who knows he has ammunition in the dickey, he would wait and park?
22:01It says that to somewhere near the Zaneri Masjid, somewhere there, which is not an insensitive place, but a sensitive place.
22:08But he park for so long. Why did he drive out? Was he waiting for a message?
22:12And I also think that he was moving to pass on this message, this ammunition to somewhere, somewhere ahead of Red Book.
22:23It has got blasted while moving. So he is not stationing to blast it. He's moving. Now, in the moving, but he's moving. Now, why is he moving?
22:33And if he wants a crowd panic, then he could have gone into a Chandni chunk.
22:38So I think he was carrying this ammunition towards the North West Delhi and to probably some seeper cells to deliver.
22:46Because after all day, he has left behind 2.9 tons of ammunition in his house. He's carrying only a little bit in his vicky.
22:54So he is probably carrying it. Why would he, as a doctor and as a leader of this group, who's probably made a lot of money out of it, because this cannot be moneyless.
23:03He made a lot of money out of it, I'm sure. This sleeper cell and this radicalized white collar crime is nothing but huge money amount.
23:11He's probably going somewhere. We need to know that. I think these are two things which are unanswered from us.
23:16That's a very important point you raise, because it was possible that this ammunition was going to be taken to another place within the national capital to cause an even bigger blast, given the kind of ammunition that he possessed.
23:29And did he panic is the question. But Soumya Awasthi, there is also the question that these are all those who are being arrested.
23:36A number of them are doctors. One of them a female doctor. Two of them male. All from in and around Pulwama.
23:42Are we seeing, as we saw during the rise of Simi and the emergence of Simi in the early 2000s, professionals now white collar, perhaps becoming part of these terror sleeper cells.
23:55Is that a recent phenomenon or do you believe it's been building up for a while?
24:00Thank you, Rajdeep. So I think it's not a new phenomenon altogether. And this was very much part of the module, which was used by Simi or we talk about Popular Front of India, they have all been focusing on diaspora or the people who are educated class engineers or political scientists.
24:19In fact, I remember interviewing one of the overground workers in Kashmir post-Pahalgam attack and he was masters in political science.
24:28So it's not that the white collar jihadists is a new phenomenon. It's just that now more and more people are volunteering to join these terror groups.
24:38And that is a worrisome situation because if the educated is behaving in such a manner, it can cause havoc for any nation which is sheltering them.
24:48And this doesn't it has no question. But yes, they are. The attack was more of a panic attack because the raids that were taking since morning, they they were rattling out all the names which were connected to these perpetrators.
25:05And in that panic, I think he wanted to, as Kiran Ma'am highlighted, that it was more of a panic because he wanted to relocate before getting caught.
25:15And in that process, he detonated those or the blast took place.
25:20But but Soumya, you're saying that these white collar professionals, this is not a post operation Sindhu phenomenon.
25:26You're seeing this building in Kashmir Valley, possibly over the last four or five years that we've seen this happen.
25:32And this could in a sense represent a new challenge because perhaps these are new sleeper cells without many of them having any history of being involved in previous terror activities.
25:44These are not cross border terrorists. These are homegrown, which is another big challenge.
25:49Yes, that is true. And also, when you talk about radicalization, if you see what kind of sleep and the sleeper cells.
25:57In fact, when it was this ceasefire happened, there was a lot of worry that now more and more sleeper cells will get activated while the drones were firing at each other in the border areas.
26:10And the sleeper cells was activated post ceasefire itself. So it was not that when will it happen, it will happen or not, but it was more about when will it happen.
26:20So there was a bigger plan in the mines, but it had to be cut short.
26:25And that's what we saw happening at the Red Fort. And yes, it is a matter of worry. Online jihad course being launched by Jaisa Mohamed.
26:34One of the women, Shahina, who was also a member of the JEMs, apparently she was heading the women wing for India on behalf of JEMs.
26:44All these things do cause worry for us. And social media has to be held responsible because, yeah.
26:55Why is social media to be held responsible?
26:57Yeah, because nowadays more and more youth is getting, you know, mind is getting polluted by these untrue stories, which are, you know, fabricated stories, fake videos.
27:12Because the activism that has come to youth without having enough understanding of the background issue has also become a potent weapon in the hands of terrorist organizations that are using social media platforms to radicalize the people.
27:28So we don't need a field. They are using naming applications. They are using the communication channels to radicalize and do propagandas.
27:37You know, that makes it more dangerous, General Malik. You've got someone like Asim Munir as the field marshal in Pakistan.
27:44You've got someone who is determined in a way to use what Zulfikar Bhutto once said to bleed India with a thousand cuts.
27:52Then you have this radicalization taking place. You've got the instability in Kashmir that continues to exist.
27:59A sense of anger, possibly frustration, certainly among some youth continues.
28:04It is a potent mix, isn't it? And that poses even more security challenges, particularly, as I said, with these white-collar professionals emerging as part of these sleeper cells.
28:15No, I agree with you that today's security threat is much more, particularly because of the leadership that we have in Pakistan and the kind of policies.
28:24You know, Rajdeep, I'm not very happy because our focus is too much while the investigation is going on, but our focus is too much on these proxies.
28:34We are not looking at the people who are teaching, who are supporting, who are creating these proxies.
28:45And we are not paying much attention to that part. After all, it is the ISI which has created all these proxies.
28:52And they are the ones who are funding them, they are giving them intelligence, they are giving them missions, what to do, where to do, and all that which has been going on.
29:01So, that is why I am saying that let's not look only at the short-term problem, which is there most, which may increase, but let us also look at the long-term problem.
29:12After all, how do we get hold of some policies, some strategies, where we can target the people who are creating these missions for the proxies?
29:24So, that is why I feel that our focus should not only be on Lashkar-e-Taiba or Jayesh and all, we should be looking at the ISI, which is controlled by Pakistan now.
29:36You know, given what you are saying, Neeraj Kumar, how prepared are the police force, honestly, to be able to tackle these new challenges?
29:44It's one thing that the NIA claims to be a specialized anti-terror unit, but you've got now the emergence of these new models.
29:51Credit to the Jammu and Kashmir police. Let's give them credit that they almost have busted that entire module. It could have been far worse.
29:59But given what we've seen, is that a big challenge? How prepared are the police across the country?
30:05It's not just Jammu and Kashmir, but across the country, to face this new challenge.
30:13You're on mute. You're on mute, Neeraj. You're on mute, sir.
30:16Yes, go ahead.
30:17I fully agree with you that this is a new challenge that we are facing of white-collar, what you call a white-collar terror.
30:34I don't very—I'm not too sure whether it's a very apt description of this new phenomenon.
30:43But please do not forget that so far the Delhi police may have slipped up, slipped on, you know, not preventing this incident.
30:54But if you go by the record of the Delhi police in the past in dealing with crime, terrorist crime, it has done extremely well.
31:03And almost every incident in the past, whether it is the Parliament House attack, whether it is Delhi High Court blasts or whether it's the Red Court attack, you know, all these major terror incidents that have happened in Delhi have been solved.
31:22And they have been solved. And they have been solved by the Delhi police, not by any external agency.
31:29So, what I'm trying to say, that even in the current investigation, the Delhi police are playing a very important role.
31:40And rightly so, because the blast has taken place in Delhi, and it has interstate linkages.
31:50So, surely other states are also chipping in.
31:54But—
31:55No, I take your point, sir. I take your point.
31:57But the point I want to raise, Kiran Bedi, is quite simply this to conclude.
32:02Is that given the nature of challenges, the multiple challenges that you face, there are cyber threats now.
32:08There are threats coming through social media. There are groups now congregating through social media.
32:15Do you believe that the police is equipped to challenge, to tackle these multiple challenges?
32:20The JNK police at least has its ear to the ground because many of these sleeper cells have links to the Kashmir Valley.
32:26But across India, are we prepared to face these new challenges that might emerge? A quick answer.
32:33Yes, can. Provided they stay united, besides if they stay collaborative, work as coalitions, work as regional police forces, not as one state like we did.
32:46If JNK quickly informed Haryana, Haryana informed Delhi.
32:50But the best is the way the investigation is now so very unified.
32:54I think the way everybody is fooling, I think resources will get generated if they work as coalitions, a proper exchange of information, and not be competitive in declaring who did what, but be coordinated.
33:07I think that's the solution, nothing else.
33:09Otherwise, the second thing is why? Because there are sleeper cells spread out all over the country.
33:14This reveals 2.9 tons was for sleeper cells all over the country.
33:21Now these states have to work together, together to identify these sleeper cells.
33:29And now, and these sleeper cells are probably in the educated communities, schools, colleges, universities, hospitals.
33:38You never know where.
33:39So I think now this is the pattern where if we reach out to the educated, you may not have, you may start having certain other narratives coming in that we are getting after that.
33:50I think we, this case reveals, we have ecosystems to blast.
33:55And in the ecosystems, we are also in religious institutions.
33:59Okay, I'm going to leave it there.
34:01Including money, say Rajdeep.
34:04Including money because this doesn't happen without big money.
34:07Okay, let's leave it there.
34:09Lots of interesting insights raised with four very fine minds.
34:13I appreciate all of you joining us here, but I want to for a moment turn to the, those who really suffered today.
34:20Names, anonymous, all lost to one senseless act of terror yet again.
34:26As investigators track the masterminds, the families of the victims are legitimately demanding answers.
34:32They are asking, why was there no security?
34:35Who will be held accountable?
34:36How many more ordinary lives will be lost before we feel safe again from terror?
34:42This is not just a story of a terror strike, but of the story of the people it left behind from Uber drivers to e-rickshaw drivers.
34:52Take a look.
35:01Many lives lost, families shattered.
35:05A day after the Redford blast, the grief is wrong and the questions are many.
35:10Behind every headline, there is a face, a story, a home torn apart.
35:17In the corner of Delhi, Pankat's family spent hours dialing his number after the blast.
35:23The 22-year-old, an Uber driver, had gone to drop a relative at the railway station.
35:29.
35:30.
35:36.
35:39.
35:42.
35:44.
35:48.
35:49But in the media, there was a flash of the car, so we have confirmed that it was not.
36:06Where did you get to know?
36:09Where did you get to know?
36:11Where did you get to know?
36:14As Srinivas Puri, the neighbours of Amar Katariya, an only son, remember a kind young man who lived with his parents.
36:22When the blasts claim Ansari's life, Amar is battling for survival in the hospital.
36:29Where did you get to know?
36:31Where did you get to know?
36:32Where did you get to know?
36:33Where did you get to know?
36:34It was in the hands of God's hands.
36:36It was coming to know that he was walking there.
36:39He was walking there.
36:40He was walking there.
36:41Noman Ansari had come to Delhi from Shamli with his friend Amar.
36:46While the blasts claim Ansari's life, Amar is battling for survival in the hospital.
36:51In Merat,
37:19In Merat, grief spills out of a small one-room home where Mohsin's family gathers.
37:25He drove an e-riksha, the only source of income for his parents and two younger siblings.
37:49Subhash, another victim, used to work at a toll booth.
38:13Their pain doesn't end there.
38:15When Subhash's body reached the hospital, the family says even dignity was denied.
38:20Subhash, another victim, used to work at a toll booth.
38:27Each home tells the same story of lives lived on hope, of dreams crushed in a moment.
38:46With Milan Sharma, Bureau Report, India Today.
38:50Okay, let's turn to the other big story.
38:54Polling has ended in Bihar, the two-round poll.
38:58And then the big news is Bihar has recorded the highest ever woman voter turnout.
39:05It has not just recorded the highest voter turnout since 1951,
39:09but now the Election Commission has given us the data at last,
39:14which shows that women have broken the record with the highest ever voter turnout.
39:21Remember, in the phase two itself that went to the polls,
39:24the voter turnout has gone up to 68.73.
39:29So there's a huge jump, 65.08 phase one, 68.73.
39:33Overall, the voter turnout could be as high as 10% more than it was in 2020.
39:4071.6% women have voted.
39:43The figure for men voters is 62.8.
39:47Now, while men actually on the electoral rolls are about 4 to 5% more than women,
39:52there's a 9% gap.
39:54So many more women have voted in that sense than men.
39:59Could the Mahila become the big factor?
40:02The battle there is between the incumbent NDA,
40:05which has pitched Nitish Kumar as its face,
40:07despite not officially naming him as CM candidate,
40:10and of course the Mahagadbandan led by the RJD's Tejasvi Yadav.
40:14Will the high voter turnout signal trust in the Modi-Niti's duo and continuity,
40:19or is it an indication of change?
40:22That's the big question that's going to be raised.
40:25I'm joined by Amitabh Tiwari, founder, Vote Vibe.
40:28He's been tracking this election over the last few months.
40:31Sandeep Shastri, national coordinator, Lokniti.
40:34Both of them are people who've tracked numbers closely.
40:38Amitabh, you first.
40:40The fact, the big story coming in,
40:41the highest ever voter turnout at 66.91 since 1951,
40:46and the highest ever turnout of women.
40:49What does that suggest?
40:50Yeah, essentially, clearly we've seen that this time,
40:55a huge number of migrants have returned back to poll and cast their votes
40:59because they felt that they were lucky this time
41:02that their names still remain on the rolls,
41:04and if they don't vote,
41:06then next time perhaps their names could be deleted
41:09because of permanently shifted.
41:10So a huge number of migrants have gone back.
41:13And also it seems that the Mahila Rozgar Yojana
41:17has motivated more and more number of women to come out and vote.
41:23Now we see a 9% lead for females
41:26vis-a-vis males in the turnout.
41:30And for the first time in the history of Bihar,
41:33the number of votes cast by women
41:36is also more than men.
41:382.51 crore versus 2.45 crore.
41:42Let's get that straight.
41:43So you're saying, Amitabh,
41:45about 6 lakh more women in all have voted than men?
41:48About 5 to 6 lakh women have voted more than men.
41:54Let's divide that.
41:55243 constituencies.
41:57I'm not saying that in all constituencies is equal.
42:00Average.
42:01If we take an average of 5 lakh 243 constituencies,
42:07you're looking at about 15 to 20,000 more women
42:09per constituency on average.
42:1120,000 on an average have voted more.
42:14That's a very significant number, isn't it?
42:17That's a very significant number.
42:19And largely it's on account of the Mahila Rozgar Yojana
42:21which we have been speaking for long
42:23that this election does not have any meta-narrative or a theme
42:27and the only perhaps bigger narrative
42:29or statewide narrative or theme
42:31was this Mahila Rozgar Yojana
42:33which has transferred rupees 10,000 rupees to 1.5 crore women.
42:41Actually, I think it will be 2,000 voters and not…
42:43Sorry, 2,000 voters, not 20,000 voters.
42:452,000 voters.
42:46But in a close contest, 2,000 voters is not less.
42:50So, 2,000 more women on an average have voted more than men across Bihar per constituency.
42:59Remember last time both the parties were roughly 37% each
43:03and the gap in total votes between Gadbandhan versus Gadbandhan was just 12,000 votes.
43:09Sandeep Shastri, do you believe therefore turnout becomes critical?
43:13We've seen in recent elections, Nitish Kumar and the JDU, BJP tend to do better in constituencies
43:21where the turnout is higher.
43:22In Kosi and Darbanga where they did well last time, women voter turnout was higher.
43:27In Magad where it was the Mahagadbandhan that did better, the male turnout was higher.
43:33Is turnout particularly the gender skew the key now to Bihar in your view?
43:38Now, Rajdeep, the latest data that we are looking at clearly shows that the woman turnout
43:47is significantly higher than the male turnout.
43:50Let's remember that in the last election in Bihar, woman turnout was marginally higher
43:57than male turnout, but not to the extent of what you're seeing this time, which is 9%.
44:02While I would endorse the point that Amitabh ji made that the Mahila Rozgar Yojana may have been
44:09a key factor in swinging the woman vote, I think we also need to bear in mind two other factors.
44:16Possibly a perception among women about the improved law and order situation in the state,
44:23also the drive of the chief minister Nitish Kumar on prohibition.
44:29I think these are two other variables which could be important in the way the woman voter
44:37would have voted.
44:38Because we have seen in past elections that women voters vote on significantly different issues
44:45as compared to men, and if the voter turnout of women is so much higher than that of men,
44:54I'm sure that these factors would be seen in the result on Friday.
45:01And it would be no surprise if the NDA has an advantage because of this factor.
45:07Interesting, because we've seen Amitabh Tiwari in recent polls, wherever women have voted,
45:15that party tends to win.
45:16There have been a few exceptions to that.
45:18Let Professor Shastri take that first.
45:20Professor Shastri, because you've probably been doing this for 20, 25 years, we've seen
45:25generally where women vote, that party wins.
45:28You can look at Jai Lalitai, Mamata Banerjee, Shivrat Chauhan, Narendra Modi himself.
45:33Women tend to be a decisive factor.
45:36Is that a universal rule?
45:37Could Bihar be any different?
45:40Rajdeep, it would be correct to say that by and large, women voters play a critical role
45:47in deciding the way the election turns out.
45:53This becomes even more crucial in the current case because the woman turnout is significantly
46:00higher than the male turnout.
46:02And I think women voters have largely been focusing on issues relating to the family, issues relating
46:11to health, issues relating to law and order, issues relating to fiscal security.
46:17So all these issues come into play.
46:20And if there has been such a significantly higher response of women, I think this would
46:27be a crucial factor.
46:29I would draw your attention to years earlier when N.T.
46:33Ramarao was able to sway the electorate in the then-united Andhra Pradesh using the woman
46:40factor and winning the vote based upon the woman factor.
46:44Something similar was done by Jayalaita in Tamil Nadu.
46:48So there have been examples of where the woman vote has made a significant difference in the
46:53ultimate result, especially when the party has focused on issues which are close to women
47:01and which women feel are important in decision making.
47:05Remember, this time it's being called the Das Hazari election or I'm calling it the Das
47:10Hazari election.
47:11More than 1.4 crore women getting 10,000 rupees just before the election and many of them during
47:17the actual election month.
47:19But Amitabh Tiwari, as we saw in 2020, that was a bit of an exception because there a substantial
47:24woman vote also went to the Mahagadbandan.
47:27In fact, when I speak to Mahagadbandan's election analysts, they say all of you sitting in studios
47:35are exaggerating this mahila factor as if every woman is going to vote for the JDU or BJP.
47:41There are enough women who didn't get the benefit of the 10,000 rupees.
47:44There are women who also vote on their caste identities based on what the man in the house
47:49decides.
47:50Do you believe that one size fits all that in every election generally when women vote
47:55one way, that state goes in that direction?
47:59Yes, essentially to be fair, in the last election, as per CSDS data, only 1% lead was there for
48:06NDA amongst women.
48:07But on the flip side, you can say that that was the deciding factor because perhaps that
48:11saved the day for the NDA in that election.
48:15So of course, the women turnout is high.
48:16We will have to look at who are these women supporting.
48:20In Bihar today, it seems that the male vote is getting fragmented between three to four
48:25forces.
48:26Mahagadbandan, NDA, Jan Suraj and even significant others or independents like AIMIM, BSP, etc.
48:34and rebels.
48:35While the women vote, because of the policy of Jan Suraj that they will end prohibition,
48:40it seems to be consolidated behind two big forces, which is the NDA and the Mahagadbandan.
48:46So you are right.
48:47We have to see in our trackers what percentage of these women who are turning out to vote are
48:53actually voting for NDA and what percentage is voting for Mahagadbandan because that lead
48:59for any gadbandan is going to be decisive in terms of vote share and could change the shape
49:04of this election either ways.
49:06One final word from you, Dr. Shastri, just to say that it's the MY factor, Mahila and
49:13the UWA.
49:14The other key factor is also the UWA vote.
49:17Now that can't be captured by turnout because turnout will not tell us how many people under
49:21the age of 25 have voted.
49:23Could that be the other X factor to look at closely?
49:27Beyond a shadow of doubt, Rashdeep, I think the youth factor this time in Bihar is going to
49:31be crucial.
49:32This is an aspirational vote.
49:35This is a vote which expects performance.
49:38This is a vote which will evaluate how much they can trust what has been promised by different
49:43parties.
49:43So youth vote is crucial.
49:45But, Rajdeep, permit me to add one more point.
49:48The 2020 election results also saw among women the caste factor was critical and you see the
49:56quantum of Yadav vote among women which went to the gadbandan.
50:01So, while we talk of the women vote, while we talk about Mahila, Rozgar, Yojana or law and order
50:08situation, we will also have to budget the caste factor in this discussion because I think the caste factor
50:15is critical both when we talk of the women vote and when we talk of the youth vote.
50:20Interesting there.
50:22We'll wait and see what happens, of course, come Friday, which is counting day.
50:26Also a reminder that India today's exit poll will be starting tomorrow at 5 p.m.
50:33Why have we chosen tomorrow?
50:35Because we believe that you must give pollsters sufficient time to actually go through the data
50:40before they throw numbers.
50:42So, this will be 12th November, 5 p.m. onwards, the India Today exit poll.
50:49And what's the difference between us and other channels?
50:53All I can say is all our reporters who will be analysing the polls have actually been on
50:57the ground.
50:58They've gone district to district.
51:00So, these are individuals who will bring you their ground knowledge, not just sitting
51:05in an AC studio, but actually having smelt the mud of Bihar, as they will call it, the
51:13midi of Bihar.
51:14And we will try and bring their observations and their analysis to you to tell you why Bihar
51:21is voting, not just who they are voting for, but why they are voting for a particular party.
51:27So, if you want a quality exit poll, look forward to that at 5 p.m. tomorrow onwards.
51:33Amitabh Sandeep Shastri, thanks for joining me.
51:36Let's bring you some good news.
51:37Curtains have come down on the fourth mini Karnataka Games 2025, with over 5,000 young
51:46athletes competing in Bengaluru across 27 sports.
51:50The aim is to nurture under-14 talents for future state and national championships.
51:57This is one area, perhaps, where Karnataka, among other states, is showing the way.
52:02Let's nurture the athletes for the future.
52:04Nagarjun reports our good news today's story.
52:07The fourth Karnataka Mini Games has ended.
52:15The week-long event, held at multiple venues in Bengaluru, was organized by the Department
52:22of Youth Empowerment and Sports, the Sports Authority of Karnataka and the Karnataka Olympics
52:27Association.
52:28More than 5,000 under-14 athletes took part.
52:34This year's edition featured 27 disciplines.
52:38Over 250 individual and team events, covering a wide range of sports, from archery and athletics
52:44to boxing, wrestling, wushu took place.
52:50This was my finals.
52:51I won my finals.
52:52Last year, I won.
52:53This is a very good opportunity for everyone to learn how to play boxing, to become better.
53:01Every day, gradually increase day by day, and more competitions like this will help a lot
53:07of people in becoming better at boxing.
53:10The food was really good.
53:11The food was really good.
53:12I tried this sweet.
53:13It was like one of the best sweets I've ever had.
53:15And then I hogged on my friend's food also, because one plate wasn't just enough for this
53:20amazing food.
53:21The food is very nice.
53:22The food is very nice.
53:23There are very options to explore.
53:24There are very much options to explore.
53:26The ingredients are very nice and they are healthy to a sportsman.
53:31The Karnataka mini-games are aimed at encouraging children below the age of 14 and helping them transit
53:38into professional training programs.
53:43Officials say the competition prepares athletes for state and national championships.
53:48The future of our country will be lying on our young children.
53:55At this age, if we groom and then if we make them to participate in state level and in national
54:01level, then they will be our products for next Olympics and Asian Games and Commonwealth
54:06Games and International Championships.
54:11The state government has announced cash prizes, 7 lakh rupees for gold, 5 lakh rupees for
54:17silver and 2 lakh for bronze at national level competitions.
54:22It has also rolled out incentive schemes for athletes that include job reservation for medal
54:28winners.
54:29Bureau Report, India Today.
54:31That's it.
54:34That's it.
54:35That's all that we could pack in on the show tonight.
54:37Just another reminder.
54:38Tomorrow, 5 p.m., the exit poll that you can trust amidst all the noise.
54:445 p.m. onward, state of war Bihar here on India today.
54:48As I said, the cutting edge, people who've been to the ground and not just sat in AC studios.
54:55Let's take a break at this point.
54:57When we return, Maria Shakil is there with much more.
55:01Thanks for watching.
55:02Stay well.
55:03Stay safe.
55:04Good night, Shubratri.
55:05Jai Hind.
55:06Namaskar.
55:07.
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