00:00My first guest today is the BJP Sudhanshu Trivedi, its Member of Parliament and National Spokesperson.
00:07Appreciate you joining us, Mr. Trivedi.
00:10Before I come to you, I want to raise the big questions tonight.
00:14Modi government. Is the Modi government engaged in the politics of intimidation?
00:19Has dissent been criminalized?
00:21Are Rahul Gandhi's personal attacks on Prime Minister Modi misguided and self-goals?
00:26Does the Indo-U.S. trade deal need a national debate?
00:28Let's go question by question.
00:31You're my first guest, then I'll be joined by the Congressist, Abhishek Manu Singhvi.
00:35But to you, Sudhanshu Trivedi, according to Rahul Gandhi, Modi now stands for the murder of democracy in India.
00:44That this is intimidation when you arrest workers for what he says was a peaceful, non-violent protest.
00:50Your response to what is now escalating into a major controversy?
00:58I will respond both on the technical aspect as well as on the political aspect.
01:02On the first, on the political aspect, if Rahul Gandhi is calling his leaders, youth Congress leaders,
01:10as Babar Sheer, means the soldiers of Lashkar-e Rahul, he is saying as Babar Sheer.
01:16But I would ask him, is there any coalition partner standing with him on this issue?
01:22The answer is no.
01:23No. On the contrary, Akhilesh Yadavji has indirectly criticized on that aspect and precisely directly on doing this thing in
01:33Bharat Manapuram.
01:34Is his entire party with him?
01:37No.
01:38Margaret Alwa has openly criticized.
01:40So, the fact of the matter, Rajdeepji, is that this episode has become a sinkhole for coalition and reputation both
01:49for Congress Party.
01:50But unfortunately, the Congress Party is guided by a misguided leader at the time who is least interested in making
01:57the organization of Congress strong
01:59and making an objective politics rather than he is more interested in anarchial and destructive politics.
02:05On the technical aspect, I would like to ask, if there was an organization or a program going on in
02:13which 20 head of the states are there,
02:15including UN Secretary General, and 100 countries are represented, and all top IT companies whose heads are there,
02:24in terms of sensitivity of the security, their security is also equivalent to head of the state.
02:30If in that place, somebody goes there and creates this type of scene, is this not a very sensitive issue
02:38which is to be dealt with firmness
02:40and with extensive investigation by the agencies?
02:45No, what is the crime?
02:46I'm not saying that the Congress is binfully trying to do something.
02:49No, no. Sudhanshu Trivedi, one minute.
02:51Across the world, across the world, protests take place at big international events.
02:56Across the world.
02:57This is not unusual.
02:58If there is a protest, we can, you and I can agree that it is inappropriate, we can agree that
03:05it is, some would say, immature, reckless, but is it criminal?
03:08This is a question I asked last night.
03:10I am asking it again because I am not getting a clear answer.
03:13What is the conspiracy here?
03:16What is the conspiracy suddenly?
03:17I will give you...
03:18What is the conspiracy suddenly?
03:20Rajdeepji.
03:21Rajdeepji, I will give you a very clear categorical answer.
03:25Yes, in several international events, the environmental activists, other, they protest.
03:30They protest outside the building.
03:32They protest on the other side of the road.
03:34They do not enter in the disguise of the visitors and then they start protesting on that particular point in
03:43which so many sensitive people are there.
03:45This can be a diversionary tactic which can be used by any security threat of the terrorist organization or whatever,
03:52whosoever wants to do that.
03:53I am not saying that the Congress is beautifully done.
03:55And one more thing I would like to say.
03:57In this context, if this would have been an incidence of some stray voice coming, suddenly they got agitated, they
04:04entered into like a normal visitor and they start shouting all from Delhi, then it could have been understood.
04:10But if all are from different, different states, they have come here, it means it has come with a proper
04:17planning.
04:18So it has to be investigated whether the planning was just to give a protest or something else.
04:24Because if somebody says that there is no categorical something else, then he has to take the responsibility.
04:31No, no, what is the something else? They have gone in a shirtless protest. You all have now giving them
04:38even more publicity. The point is that they have done a shirtless protest.
04:43You can claim that it was unlawful assembly to enter the Bharat Mandapam. I am still not able to understand
04:50the non-vailable crime here. You are restricting the right to protest as a result.
04:59But, again, I would like to say.
05:01Will Sudan should privately decide where and how a protest has to take place?
05:10No, no, now I will decide.
05:12Rajdeep ji, if you remember, there were several protests against the TV channels and media houses also.
05:19But it is always outside.
05:20You remember, in 1994, two big newspapers of UP, when Mulaim Singh was chief minister, they went inside.
05:30And inside they started threatening those people and doing demonstration.
05:34Then a criminal case was launched.
05:36It was not a protest.
05:37When you move inside the house and start doing anything, then it becomes a criminal activity.
05:43Like somebody wants to protest outside your house, it's okay.
05:46You could have protested outside the BJP office.
05:48You could have protested outside the IT minister's office.
05:51You could have protested outside the parliament building.
05:54But once you intrude inside and start taking action, it becomes criminal.
05:58It is technically, as per law, after Abhishek Manu Singh Viji comes, you can ask him.
06:04If somebody enters into your premises and forcefully started taking any action, is this not criminal?
06:12He will have to answer yes or no.
06:14Your answer will be categorically yes.
06:16So, again, I would like to say the other thing.
06:19When India is all set to emerge, a leader in the emerging technology of AI, there could have been a
06:27possibility that the several countries or the several forces, anti-India forces, will not be very appropriate for this.
06:34Because in the last one and a half year, there are certain things which have happened.
06:39We are now number three country in the AI rollout after America and China.
06:44We are number one in the digital transaction.
06:46We are the second country after China in which iPhone is being manufactured.
06:53We have become the biggest factory outside China of the Foxconn, which prepares the chip.
06:58It has now been started in India.
07:00Now Google is spending $15 billion.
07:02So they are not foolish that they are going to have a Vishakhapatnam.
07:06So there can be a possibility that if India is emerging as a hub to try to create a situation
07:13in which there should be a lack of confidence,
07:16so this can be a conspiracy, not only on the security aspect, but also against the economic rise of India,
07:24against the economic rise of India.
07:25No, no, for the very reasons you are saying, if we are so powerful, if we are doing so well,
07:31why should we be worried about some protesters coming on a shirtless protest?
07:35Are we so weak that we suddenly get afraid?
07:38No, it seems that you want to set a, you want to create a chilling effect, that no one will
07:44not do on the university campus, or on the Bharat Mandapam, you will not allow them to protest, you will
07:50brand them as anti-national.
07:51A strong democracy allows space for protest, a weak democracy becomes authoritarian.
08:03Rajdeep ji, again, I have already explained it.
08:07You are a very senior journalist.
08:09Now you quote a single instance, in which any international event, inside the premises, something has happened.
08:16I challenge you, quote me a single instance.
08:20And as far as the democracies, we can, I know that there is no answer at all.
08:25And there is still a fig leaf cover to cover that.
08:27But as far as the democracy is concerned, Rajdeep ji, these people are trying to give a sermon.
08:32They were having a DIR, Defense of India rule, in which if you are on a public place, somebody is
08:37saying that the Indira Gandhi's government should go.
08:39He could have been put behind the bar without any legal remedy.
08:43He could, he was not having even power to move the court.
08:47And they are trying to say that they are the babbar chair and the defenders of democracy and so and
08:52so.
08:52We are just saying that any possibility of any conspiracy should have been cleared, then there will be no problem.
08:59They can go ahead.
09:00Otherwise, it was a very shameless, reckless, I understand that the Congress is having a consistent level of frustration because
09:09they are consistently being defeated.
09:12So they are having an utter sense of jealousy, utter sense of inferiority complex with Prime Minister Siv Modi and
09:18the BJP.
09:19But out of this frustration, if you are going to this type, this level, which has not only brought down
09:26the prestige of Congress Party, but also trying to bring down the prestige of India.
09:31And again, I would like to ask, name a single India alliance who has openly supported Congress on that.
09:36Tell me.
09:42Sir, politically, politically, they may have scored a self-goal.
09:46We could argue about that.
09:47Politically, they may have scored a self-goal.
09:49I am only asking on the limited point that a party in power seems to be so determined in some
09:57way to send out this message that nobody in future will dissent.
10:02Nobody will claim, has the right to criticize the government at an event.
10:08You seem to suggest because it was an international event, therefore you cannot protest there.
10:14Am I correct?
10:15Any other event would be okay?
10:17This is international event?
10:18The country's image has been spoiled.
10:21That's your limited point.
10:22Rajdev ji.
10:25No, my limited point is very clear.
10:27Now you have to answer.
10:29Everybody is having the right to protest.
10:33For that, he has to tell in advance and he has to take the permission.
10:41Am I correct or not?
10:43If the permission is not granted, then it is autocracy.
10:46But without any permission, you try to create, then this is disturbance.
10:51It's not protest.
10:53You can do protest.
10:54If you have asked the permission and the permission would not have been granted, then you could have said that
11:00this is an authoritarian attitude.
11:01How do you respond to Rahul Gandhi saying these are all weapons of mass diversion?
11:06Government is on the back foot on Epstein files on Indo-US trade deals.
11:10That's why they are sending out this message.
11:11What will you say to him in conclusion?
11:16Actually, the problem is Congress party's biggest weapon of mass diversion, no, biggest weapon of destruction, their political mass destruction
11:25has become Rahul Gandhi ji.
11:27In the last 11 years, Rahul Gandhi ji caught a single instance in which they tried to create a ruckus
11:33and they could have been able to prove even an iota of threat.
11:37On Rafale, they've fallen flat on the court of law.
11:40Then they said Chaukidar Chor.
11:41They have to tender an unconditioned apology.
11:44Then they tried to create a ruckus that LIC has been destroyed.
11:47LIC is an all-time high profit.
11:49Then they say the State Bank of India has been destroyed.
11:51State Bank of India is an all-time high profit.
11:54They said the HAL has been finished.
11:55HAL is having an all-time high order line of 2,53,000 crores.
12:00Then they said the SEBI is finished.
12:02It's all okay.
12:03Then they say the COVID vaccine is bad.
12:05Then they tried to say the Ram Mandir is, Mohort is against.
12:09You name a single instance in which they have not tried to create a confusion and anarchy in the country
12:15on the issue of surgical strike, bala court, operation Sindhu.
12:19Every time their entire claim has fallen flat.
12:23So there is a consistent design to deem in India, to destroy the image of India.
12:29So this seems to be, I can say, whatever the activity of Congress is a naked truth of their notorious
12:37engagement inspired by the nefarious design.
12:42Okay.
12:43I'm going to leave it there, Sudhanshu Trivedi.
12:45I always appreciate you joining us and giving us a...
12:49Yes.
12:50Ten seconds.
12:51Rajdeep ji, one AX sentence or boldu, if you permit.
12:54Ten seconds.
12:55Congress is not only in opposition, sir.
12:57You are in power also.
12:59If I ask you, which is the biggest AI hub or IT hub of India, it is Bangalore.
13:04Under your state, you should have given a model.
13:07Then the second biggest is Hyderabad.
13:08That is also under your state.
13:10Like we were giving the Gujarat model.
13:12Rajdeep ji, we are sitting on India Today TV.
13:15India Today for seven consecutive years during UPA government has given Gujarat as the best performing state.
13:47So, everybody is clear.
13:49You should have given a model.
13:51You are on a roll, Sudhanshu Ji.
13:52Particularly when AI hubs are under your state.
13:55You are on a roll and I have heard you.
13:57I have heard you loud and clear.
13:58Your message has been loud and clear.
14:00I have heard you strongly.
14:01I have given you full time.
14:02I appreciate you joining us.
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