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Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a crucial meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security to review the evolving situation in West Asia and its potential implications on India’s energy security.
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00:00Good evening, you're watching To The Point. I'm Preeti Chaudhry. Let me quickly take you through the top stories.
00:09NATO on the brink of collapse amidst West Asia war. Trump says seriously considering pulling the US out of NATO.
00:17UK Prime Minister Stammer asserts not our war in strong ties with EU more important.
00:27President Trump now says new Iran regime president has asked for a ceasefire.
00:32Trump asks Tehran to open Hormuz first or bombardments will continue. Iran rejects Trump's claim.
00:40What I have to do is leave Iran and we'll be doing that very soon and they'll become tumbling down.
00:45We've had regime change. We're dealing with people that are much more rational and it's amazing what we've done.
00:57Iran threatens to attack US companies Google, Apple, Tesla are Tehran's targets.
01:03Iran also mobilizes soldiers for defense. Iranian forces showcase military might.
01:13commercial LPG prices hiked by Rs. 195 per 19 kilogram cylinder amidst crisis.
01:20Prices of domestic LPG remain unchanged.
01:27Jet fuel prices raised by about 8.5% for domestic airlines amidst the ongoing conflict.
01:33But foreign carriers will pay the market rates which have been hiked by a staggering 114% due to surge
01:41in crude oil prices.
01:49Minor explosion outside BJP's office in Chandigarh.
01:52Sharpenel found nature of blast unknown.
02:09The latest news coming in just minutes from now, the Prime Minister will chair a key security meet.
02:14Cabinet Committee on Security will meet in West Asia.
02:17This is the third security meet since the West Asia war began.
02:22The last one was on 22nd of March where contingency issues were discussed,
02:27especially in the wake of the conflict escalating in West Asia.
02:31LPG at that time was one of the core issues that were discussed.
02:37Meanwhile, Defense Minister Rajanath Singh, Home Minister Ramit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman,
02:42External Affairs Minister S. Jai Shankar, the key cabinet, the CCS,
02:47will be meeting today in just about five minutes.
02:50What is going to be on agenda?
02:51We're going to get our viewers know in just a short while from now.
02:55About 22nd of March where the CCS had taken place.
02:59That was the time where right on the top of the agenda was discussion, deliberation,
03:05and also contingency measures that were put in place regarding the crisis of LPG.
03:12Well, right now, the Cabinet Committee on Security meeting again.
03:18There will be a fair amount of stock taking and new measures that would be discussed
03:23if this war continues to escalate.
03:25So, the third Cabinet Security meet which was taking place at the Prime Minister's residence,
03:32and we let our viewers know exactly what filters out of that conversation.
03:38This is the Cabinet Committee on Security which is meeting,
03:42which comprises of the top five ministers within Modi's cabinet.
03:45That entails Defense Minister, the Home Minister, Finance Minister,
03:50and External Affairs Minister alongside the Prime Minister.
03:53This key, high-level meeting, we're going to get you details.
03:56Aishwarya Paliwal is joining me for more on this.
04:00In just a minute, we will connect to her.
04:02But viewers, to give you perspective, the last time this had happened was on the 22nd of March.
04:09And understandably, certain decisions were taken and made regarding the LPG crisis,
04:15where commercial and domestic LPG was concerned.
04:19This time around, it remains to be seen what is on the table for discussion.
04:24Clearly, you will have the government that would be deliberating on key issues.
04:29Already, we are seeing a hike in air turbine fuel.
04:32I want to connect to my colleague, Aishwarya Paliwal, who is joining us for more.
04:36Aishwarya, what is going to be on agenda?
04:41Well, you know, Priti, one of the things that the government since day one has been looking at
04:44is the fact that they want to make sure that we as Indians, we are not impacted by this war.
04:50See, this is a war in which we are seeing the government trying to safeguard us as much as possible.
04:54And that's the reason why we are seeing the lines being opened.
04:57Prime Minister Modi, let me tell you, has constantly been having conversations.
05:01He, in fact, also at the moment is making sure that all the ministries are connected,
05:05because that is something which is very, very important.
05:07We are seeing how the Commerce Ministry, Piyush Goyal, let me tell you,
05:10just a couple of minutes from the parliament, has now left.
05:13And what he, in fact, has been telling us is the fact that the government is very keenly looking
05:18at making sure that the trade is open, also making sure that, A, there is no shortage of LPG,
05:23making sure that these rumours that are doing rounds, that rumour-mongering is also curtailed to a great extent.
05:29What India needs to do next, Priti, let me tell you, that will be the focus
05:32in this very crucial extended CCS meeting, which will begin in just the next couple of minutes.
05:37All right, we're going to get you the latest.
05:38Keep a keen eye on developments, Aishwarya, and we will connect to her later.
05:42I want to now, so this is, of course, India preparing on the domestic front on how to deal,
05:47as we are as a country, collateral in a war that we had no part to play in.
05:52But word is coming in from the President of America, who will address his nation tomorrow,
05:58which is about 6.30 India time, where President Trump, and that's the news that we are breaking,
06:03once again has hinted at the West Asia war endgame.
06:07President Trump says we are going to be out of Iran pretty quick, won't give timeline.
06:13Iran will not have a nuclear weapon, nor do they want one.
06:16Iran will express my disgust with NATO.
06:18He also says he is absolutely considering withdrawing the U.S. from NATO Reuters, from NATO.
06:27Now, all of this was in an interview with the agency Reuters, where two quick points that seem to be
06:34coming out.
06:34Number one, he's expressed, like he has in the last week, what he feels is his disgust and his unhappiness
06:44with his NATO allies.
06:46Most of them, or rather all of them, now not even giving him access to bases or even flying over
06:52their airspaces.
06:53The second is where he says that there could be an end to this war very quickly.
06:57But having said that, and this is the time I'd like to bring in my colleague Gaurav Sawant into this
07:03conversation,
07:04because, Gaurav, you know, at one end, the speak and the speech seems to be conciliatory,
07:11that you have America looking for a way out of the war and possibly looking at ceasefire and ending the
07:18war.
07:18But that's the speech.
07:20The actions are very, very different because the kind of mobilization that we are seeing in weaponry, in boots on
07:27ground,
07:27the actions don't suggest or correlate with what the speech is.
07:32So right now, even the speech is harsh.
07:34In fact, just a short while back, President Donald Trump took to social media platform Truth Social
07:39and he's put out a message while he said that the new regime president is conciliatory,
07:45he's far less radicalized than the earlier regime and that he's seeking a ceasefire.
07:51But he's also saying his first condition, America's first condition is open the Strait of Hormuz.
07:56Remember, earlier he said he doesn't care what happens to the Strait of Hormuz.
08:00Within two to three weeks, he'll get out.
08:01Today, he's tweeting just a short while back that his first condition is open the Strait of Hormuz
08:06or they will bomb Iran to Stone Age.
08:10They are now, he's just written that they will bomb Iran into oblivion, what is happening right now,
08:16and they'll bomb it to Stone Age.
08:17That's point one.
08:19Point two, look at what's happening on ground.
08:21The American media is reporting extensively that A-10 Warthogs and A-10 Warthogs squadron plus
08:28some reports say close to 18 today and six yesterday.
08:33So, you know, 22 aircraft have already landed in the UK en route West Asia.
08:40And this would indicate escalation because these are battle-tested, hardened aircraft that are used
08:46for close air support for ground forces.
08:49Is that an indication or is that just coercive tactics?
08:53Look at the aircraft, apart from the aircraft, look at the aircraft carrier movement.
08:57Now, you have another aircraft carrier strike group, USS George W. Bush, that's en route the war zone.
09:04So, in case they're thinking of pulling out, why are additional warships moving in?
09:08So, all of these indications, very, very conflicting signals that are coming out.
09:13Let's listen to what he says tomorrow, but let's also wait and watch what they do on ground later.
09:19Well, you're right there, my colleague Gaurav Sarvant, stressing on how there are contrarian signals coming in,
09:27especially from the President of America.
09:29And Gaurav, once again, because especially in the last couple of days,
09:35the state seemingly set for an off-ramp or rather a possible end to the war.
09:41And that is what we've witnessed in terms of communication.
09:43A lot of people are speculating whether President Trump's address to his nation tomorrow will entail that.
09:51But like you also suggested, the kind of mobilization and the kind of war weaponry
09:56that is being used and mobilized completely contradicts all of that that is being speculated.
10:03And when he talks about, you're absolutely right, and what he says about the President of the new regime
10:10or the new President.
10:12Now, Masood Prashishkian is the President of Iran and he's been President of Iran,
10:16if I remember correctly, since July 2024.
10:20There is no change in the President.
10:22There is no change.
10:24The only change, incidentally, that has happened at the top level is that of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
10:29You know, he was assassinated or decapitated, as the case may be.
10:34And, you know, it's Mujtapak Khamenei is the new Ayatollah.
10:38So, does he say President but mean Ayatollah?
10:40And if he says he's less radicalized, all impression that the Americans have given so far
10:44is that he's far more radicalized than his father.
10:46So, we still do not know who he means when he says the new President
10:50because the same President has been in power since 2024.
10:54Thank you, Gaurav, for joining us.
10:56We're going to keep a keen eye on all developments there.
10:58My colleague, Gaurav Sarwath, bringing out what seemingly is
11:01very, very conflicting signals coming in from the United States of America.
11:07All right.
11:08From a high-pitched political attack to symbolic outreach on the ground,
11:12the battle for a Sam's Tea Garden vote is now at the center of this election.
11:17But beyond the optics and the rhetoric lies decisive reality
11:21with over 35 lakh tea garden voters.
11:24And it just doesn't limit to the 35 lakh.
11:27The optics that you saw today of the Prime Minister in a tea estate
11:30along with tea workers doesn't quite just restrict itself in terms of optics,
11:35but also hoping for vote mobilization in the neighboring West Bengal as well.
11:47A big fight for the tea garden vote is unfolding in Assam.
11:53BJP and Congress heavyweights have descended on Upper Assam,
11:57the state's key tea belt, where every vote could tip the balance.
12:04Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a symbolic push,
12:08visiting a tea garden in Indibrugar, plucking tea leaves
12:11and interacting with women workers.
12:15And calling it a memorable experience in a tweet that quickly went viral.
12:23But the optics quickly turned political.
12:27Taking a sharp turn, Modi targeted the Congress,
12:30accusing it of enabling infiltrators
12:33and putting Assam's identity at risk.
12:38The Congress and Tribal society of the tribal society
12:42has no more opportunity to leave the country.
12:44The missing society of the country
12:47will also be
12:47the same as the Congress of the Congress.
12:52The Congress of the Congress
12:55This is our government,
12:57which has been
12:57the same as the 10 years
12:58of the missing society
13:01for the new government.
13:05The Congress hit back hard.
13:38So why is the tea belt at the center of this political storm?
13:43Tea garden committees are largely concentrated in Aparasam, forming the backbone of the state's workforce.
13:50With over 35 lakh voters, their formidable electoral bloc, playing a decisive role in at least 38 seats.
13:57Though traditionally aligned with Congress, the BJB-led NDA dominated the tea belt in 2016 and 2021.
14:07That is why Aparasam is ground zero. Win the tea vote and you are halfway to power.
14:12And this influence stretches beyond Assam.
14:16In neighbouring West Bengal, the tea community is concentrated in North Bengal, influencing 54 seats.
14:23The region has long been politically decisive. Once a left stronghold, it swung to the TMC in 2016.
14:31In 2019, BJP won 7 of 8 Lok Sabha seats here and in 2021, bagged 30 assembly seats, making North
14:40Bengal a key battlefield.
14:43Meanwhile, the battle is also being fought through manifestos.
14:46The BJP has accused Congress of politicizing the Zubin Garg death probe.
14:52While the Congress says, BJP is using the uniformed civil court to polarize voters.
15:20He is the chief minister. The prime minister is also from his party. What is this allegation?
15:25If there is any wrongdoing, they should have taken action.
15:28They are just trying to raise wrong issues so that their own shortcomings, their own corruption, their own deeds do
15:37not get spoken about, do not get discussed.
15:40From Assam to Bengal, the battle for the tea belt has become the core of this electoral war.
15:46Because in this election, the party that wins the tea gardens may well brew its path to power.
15:53Bureau Report, India Today.
16:00In politics, optics go a long way. And what you saw today in Upper Assam with the prime minister in
16:07a tea garden, it was also messaging where Upper Bengal is concerned.
16:12And this was a region which the BJP had done considerably well in 2021, which is the Jalpayagadi region and
16:19the Malda Belt.
16:19And possibly this is the time where these two regions would be the swing regions in Bengal.
16:24And where Assam is concerned, 35 lakh votes come in from the tea garden workers, which impact over 35 seats
16:33in Assam alone.
16:35I want to connect right now to Mr. Ashok Malik, partner of the Asia Group.
16:39Mr. Malik, thank you for taking the time out and joining us very quickly in terms of what you're looking
16:45at, the play for the tea garden voters in Assam and also messaging to West Bengal.
16:52How do you look at it?
16:55Let's look at the two separately. I appreciate that the communities may mingle from or spill over from one state
17:02to another, but they are separate communities.
17:04These are separate states. In Assam, the tea garden vote has traditionally been a Congress vote for many, many decades.
17:12The BJP made Herculean effort to win this vote and now to retain this vote.
17:17This has been one of the attributes of the BJP's attempt to carve out new social constituencies for itself in
17:25Assam and move from being a much smaller party to becoming the biggest party in the state,
17:29plus it hopes to retain that title at the end of this election and win another majority.
17:34And this really speaks for the Modi-era BJP or the Hibantu Vishwa Sharma-era BJP in Assam or the
17:44Amit Shah BJP,
17:45where they really go after constituencies and communities that have not traditionally been voters for the BJP,
17:51but with an effort of political campaigning, welfare programs, all of which have happened to the tea garden workers.
17:59They try and mobilize them into a permanent and sticky voter constituency.
18:05In Bengal, it's slightly different because the BJP stronghold has been North Bengal for the past couple of elections.
18:15In fact, the BJP has not made sufficient inroads into South Bengal.
18:19And this time it hopes to make inroads into South Bengal, which is the Trinambul's fortress, as it were.
18:25But if it is to defeat the Trinambul-Adu well in Bengal, it not only has to make inroads in
18:32South Bengal,
18:33it has to retain its whole stronghold in North Bengal.
18:37And that is why North Bengal becomes very important, including, of course, the tea belt, but not limited to the
18:42tea belt.
18:44Mr. Malik, now, you know, if we focus on just the state of Assam,
18:47because, you know, there are lots of political permutations, combinations at play,
18:53especially where consolidation, counter-consolidation, and then you have the Congress looking,
18:59at least where upper Assam is, where our home vote is, and the smaller parties that they've built an alliance,
19:05hoping that kind of counter-polarization doesn't take place at the back of what lower Assam might bring them,
19:10which is the Muslim vote. Now, juxtapose all of this, Mr. Malik, in the background of delimitation
19:17that has completely changed the demography in various constituencies.
19:23Yes, the delimitation in Assam will have an impact and, you know, obviously the BJP feels that gives it a
19:32certain advantage.
19:34Assam has a very complex demography and a very complex sociology, which has been made more complicated
19:41by the fact that there has been immigration, both legal and illegal, for the past 50 odd years in Assam,
19:49which has changed the local society.
19:53And, you know, if you visit Assam, you will hear people there say that we completely understand that refugees had
20:00to come,
20:00or that migrant workers had to come sometimes legally, but Assam is a very small geography.
20:07This responsibility is a national responsibility. It can't just be shouldered by just Assam,
20:12because it completely changes society in many districts or in many sub-regions of Assam.
20:20So this is a genuine problem. It's not something which was manufactured just in the past five years.
20:25It's a very complex situation and the delimitation is the response to that, I believe.
20:32Mr. Malik, you know, I want to just get two quick questions from you.
20:36One on Assam and the other in West Bengal today, because we are very close to the polling of Assam,
20:42which is on the 9th of April. If you are looking at it, what, according to you, would be the
20:48key issues
20:49that the vote will be cast on and would, you know, where the 9th of April is concerned?
20:57In Assam, I'd say the BJP has established itself over the past decade as the leading party.
21:03It is for the BJP to lose this election, frankly. It's not for the Congress to win it.
21:08The BJP is favored to win. It has a very popular chief minister.
21:13I know there are some people who sometimes have problems with him.
21:17But the fact is, he remains very popular on the ground.
21:19The effort made by both the Modi government in Delhi and the BJP government in the state,
21:26under two successive chief ministers, in terms of infrastructure, welfare programming,
21:32and creating new jobs and industry in Assam, is significant.
21:38The fact that Assam has a semiconductor story or the beginnings of a semiconductor ecosystem today,
21:44is frankly unimaginable, even a decade ago, completely unimaginable.
21:49So, I do believe that apart from the issues that obviously take center stage in media debates
21:55and social media debates, and those are important by themselves,
21:59there is a lot of economic and developmental work which contributes to the BJP's confidence in the state.
22:08Of course, it depends on how people vote.
22:12All right, and you know, you add to that, because you are right, there are multiple layers to the BJP's
22:17campaign there,
22:18and add to that the Orun-Odeh scheme as well, which guarantees a certain amount of money in the pockets
22:23of the women voters.
22:25Just cut across, Mr. Malik, my final question, where West Bengal is.
22:29We are a little still far away, you know, for things to firm up, but we are seeing very, very
22:34different elections.
22:36The last time, 2021, was a very high decibel election.
22:39The BJP, comparatively quieter this time, no direct attacks.
22:44How are you looking at West Bengal shaping up?
22:48Look, one thing about the BJP as a political party and as a campaign machine,
22:52it never fights two elections in the same manner.
22:55It fought a high decibel election in 2021, some of it worked, some of it did not work.
23:00It has pivoted to a new strategy this time.
23:03You can see that in the choice of candidates, you can see that in the choice of rhetoric and slogans,
23:09it's pivoted.
23:09It might work, it might not work, but give the party credit for trying.
23:14Mamata Banji remains popular, she polls above her party.
23:19Just like Narendra Modi polls above the party nationally, she polls above her party in Bengal.
23:25Having said that, while she is popular, while she does have a welfare story to tell her voters,
23:34the economic problems in West Bengal, the lack of jobs, the lack of modern economic facilities and industry,
23:44remain a pressing concern.
23:46They remain a weakness over the past 15 years or maybe even longer in Bengal.
23:52And Mamata Banji's 15 years have not really been able to resolve that issue.
23:57That is the reality. She might win this election, she might not win this election,
24:00but the economic problems of West Bengal are real.
24:04And I think they do influence at least younger voters.
24:08That is what the BJP is attempting this time.
24:10Whether it succeeds or not remains to be seen.
24:13It's a bipolar election, which means, you know, the winner can win very big in terms of seats,
24:19but the vote difference could be much narrower, relatively speaking.
24:22Fair point. Thank you, Mr. Malik, for joining us.
24:25Well, if Mamata Banji does pull it off where West Bengal is concerned, she creates history,
24:29because then she'd be the longest consecutively serving woman chief minister in India.
24:33Somebody who'd served four terms has been Ms. Chair Lalita, but they were not consecutive.
24:38Thank you, Mr. Malik, for joining us and giving us your insights.
24:41We're hoping to have you back on the channel and the network and my show.
24:44Let's cut across to our panelists this evening, where we decode the optics that came out of Assam this morning.
24:53I have with me Upain Rajnath, Congress spokesperson Rohan Gupta, National Spokesperson BJP Sanjay Kumar,
24:59Co-Director Lok Neeti CSDS, Sophologist and Advocate Saurav Chandar, Spokesperson the TMC.
25:06Upain Rajnath, let me begin with you.
25:09And the way the BJP is going about its campaign in Assam, it's systematic, it's coherent and it's in multiple
25:19layers.
25:20Especially to look at the visuals that came up, 35 lakh votes at least where the tea garden workers are
25:27concerned.
25:28This was traditionally a Congress vote bank, which the BJP took away from you.
25:32And for the Prime Minister to go back there, making sure that vote bank, which is a traditional Congress vote
25:39bank,
25:39stays with the Bharatiya Janata party, as well as give strong messaging to the neighboring West Bengal,
25:45Upper West Bengal, where, you know, the tea garden workers might be small in number, but have an impact of
25:51about on 52 seats.
25:55Good evening, man. And good evening to everybody.
26:00Basically, the election is coming, and under the great leadership of our APCC president, Gaurav Gogoi, sir,
26:08we will do the victory in 2026, because we are going to form the government.
26:13Congress-led government is coming in 2026.
26:17Because all the main issues are in Assam, they are not fulfilled by the BJP government.
26:23If you see our issues, if you go to tea garden, tea garden workers, you know, they are demanding 350
26:32rupees per day wages.
26:33But BJP promised in 2016, but they did not deliver.
26:37At the same time, if you see, the tea community, they are asking, demanding for ST status.
26:43Last 10 years, BJP government has not fulfilled their status.
26:47At the same time, if you see, that tea garden workers, they are looking for land patas.
26:53But that is also not fulfilled by the BJP government, because they have committed in the visual document in 2020,
27:012016, and again in 2021.
27:05But they have, they could not fulfill that demand.
27:09At the same time, if you see in Assam, our main issue in Assam is illegal immigrants issue.
27:16But, last 10 years, that central government, they did not do the deportation treaty with Bangladesh.
27:25Our Prime Minister, the Honorable Prime Minister, he was having good relationship with Bangladesh Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasinaj.
27:32But, our Prime Minister failed to do the deportation treaty.
27:38Without doing deportation treaty, how can we send illegal immigrants from Assam?
27:44So, that's, you know, they failed on that also.
27:49And, another part is NRC part.
27:51NRC is now in Supreme Court.
27:54After, you know, completion of NRC, BJP has rejected, BJP government has rejected NRC, and that is in Supreme Court.
28:01Our Honorable Supreme Court is asking for, to submit affidavit in the Supreme Court.
28:06BJP has failed to, you know, submit a affidavit in the Supreme Court.
28:11So, NRC is pending.
28:12And if you see...
28:14Sir, your time is up, and I'm going to come back to you later.
28:16I give a two-minute timer.
28:17I want to bring in Sanjay Ji into this conversation.
28:20Sanjay Ji, I was looking at, you know, the CSDS numbers only from your post-poll survey in 2021.
28:25And it's very clear, Sanjay Ji, that the vote, especially where the tea garden vote is crucial.
28:34And the number of seats it impacts.
28:36You know, it's been politically volatile in Upper West Bengal.
28:40But in Assam, a traditional Congress vote bank, which impacts about 36 seats now with the BJP.
28:49See, when we are talking about traditional vote bank for the Congress, we are talking about an election which was
28:5510 years old.
28:56We are looking at 2011 elections or 2006 elections.
29:02But things have changed post-2014.
29:05And we should look at, focus more on 2021 assembly elections and 2016 assembly elections.
29:13There are different definitions of how many constituencies where tea garden workers have an influence.
29:19I have a data which says that, you know, roughly about 29-30 seats where tea garden workers are in
29:25a large number.
29:26You rightly said, you have looked at the data, but just to cite the data for the benefit of the
29:31viewers.
29:32If you look at the 29 seats where tea garden workers are in a sizable number.
29:37In 2026, in 2021 assembly election, the NDA had won 26 out of these 29 seats.
29:48And they had polled almost 51 percent votes, which was almost 10 percent higher compared to their average vote.
29:54Average vote polled by the NDA was 41 percent.
29:58If you look at the 2016 assembly election, even in those elections, NDA managed to win 25 out of these
30:0529 assembly seats.
30:07And they polled 53 percent vote.
30:10Again, this was 10 percent higher compared to their average vote share in that particular election, which was 43.
30:16So I think there is a clear indication.
30:18It's not about perception.
30:20The data itself speaks that NDA has managed to make a stronghold.
30:27And when I am saying NDA, it's largely the BJP.
30:30BJP now has a very strong stronghold among the tea garden workers.
30:34And the victory of NDA or a good performance of NDA in these locations speaks for that.
30:41Sanjay Ji, to ask you one quick question on this.
30:43You know, of course, you're speaking of what has been the tea garden vote in Assam.
30:49But in West Bengal, where upper Assam was concerned, it did well.
30:53The BJP in 2019, it did well in 2021, where most of its votes actually came from Jalpaiguri and Malda.
31:00But in the Lok Sabha elections, it lost ground.
31:04I don't think it's fair to compare Lok Sabha with an assembly election.
31:09And I don't want to do that. I never do that.
31:11But yes, there has been ups and downs, but you go to West Bengal.
31:15And there's a general sense, shared sense, that BJP is very strong, still very strong in North Bengal area.
31:21And this is the area which connects with the geographical boundaries, connects with Assam.
31:26So I think the benefit of tea gardens to workers having a, like BJP having a popularity among the tea
31:34garden workers, BJP will have a benefit even in Bengal when it goes to poll on the 23rd and 29th
31:42of this month.
31:43Fair point, Sanjay Ji. One quick comment coming in from both the BJP and the TMC, because I want to
31:49go to Rohan Gupta.
31:50Now, these it's because it's interesting. Sanjay Ji says, can't really extrapolate Lok Sabha data and, you know, try and
31:59look at assembly elections.
32:01But that's the last election. And then you have local body elections in Upper West Bengal, where the BJP hasn't
32:06done so well in the areas that it did stupendously well in 2021.
32:10So the optics that are coming in, while in Assam, clearly this will bolster what the BJP's gains are.
32:19But in West Bengal, also a larger messaging there, hoping to hold back the, your voters.
32:27See, I completely agree with you. But you have to go a little deeper in why tea gardeners are voting
32:32for BJP, who has been traditionally Congress vote-made.
32:35Out of 75 years, maybe Congress has ruled Assam for almost 65 years. And they could not give the land
32:41ownership right, the pattas to the tea gardeners.
32:44Which historically, BJP passed the law, did the amendment to land sealing act in Assam in 2025, and give, ensured
32:51the land pattas to 3.5 lakh families.
32:55That is what the core issue is. You cannot just talk. You cannot just make big claims or just oppose.
33:00You have to see something, do something on ground.
33:02And I think these are the core steps which is ensuring that BJP is able to hold so-called vote
33:08bank.
33:08It is not just lip service or just talking in air. We have done something concretely on ground and that's
33:14why tea gardeners across Assam and West Bengal, now they are believing that this is the party which says something
33:20and they have the capability to deliver.
33:22And that is why even in West Bengal, you are seeing this time there is a change in tea gardeners
33:26and they are moving towards BJP this time.
33:34Another point of infiltration, let me tell you, after BJP government came to the power, 1.25 lakhs acres of
33:43land on the border areas, it has been taken over and the border is completely sealed.
33:49There is absolutely no infiltration after BJP government is power. So where is the question of the treaty? We are
33:55not allowing any infiltrator to enter Assam.
33:57That is what does BJP in Assam. And that is the model we are going to sell in West Bengal.
34:03That look, this is one state where we have delivered. There are many problems which are common to Assam and
34:07West Bengal.
34:08This is one state, modern state we have delivered and this is what we are going to deliver in West
34:12Bengal.
34:13And that's why people are going to trust both as far as Assam is concerned and West Bengal is concerned.
34:17And Congress has absolutely no narrative. Their leaders are leaving because they know the ground reality that completely they are
34:23detached from the people.
34:24Go on, Gupta, your time is up. I think the clock also is a little more magnanimous to the BJP.
34:31It added an extra minute to you.
34:33So, clearly, it's how the campaign is going in Assam, like Sanjay ji also said, very popular.
34:41But, you know, Saurav Chander, spokesperson, TMC, because this is also a cautionary tale for the TMC.
34:48Because, yes, you've done well in Upper Bengal in local body elections. You did well in 2024 elections.
34:54But this was a, you know, Jalpaayuguri, Malda, where most of the BJP's vote came from in 2021.
35:01So, while, you know, what's going on in Assam is going on in Assam in terms of messaging.
35:06But those optics will travel through in mobilization to Upper Bengal as well.
35:12First and foremost, a very good evening to you, Priti ji. And thank you for having me on your show.
35:17I would like to begin by saying that there is a certain human touch in so far as our policies,
35:24as far as the tea gardens are concerned.
35:27And I'll give you some numbers.
35:30For, there's a specific problem which is often faced by the workers in the tea gardens.
35:36Essentially, they are women. So, they have to leave their children behind and go to work.
35:41So, for that, we have set up about 95 creches, out of which 34 are fully operational in the districts
35:48of Jalpaayuguri, Aliput Duar and Koj Bihar.
35:51There are about 14 health clinics which have been inaugurated.
35:55In so far as the Health and Family Welfare Department of Tea Government of West Bengal is concerned, we run
36:01mobile medical units to visit the distressed and closed tea gardens.
36:06There are special medical camps where, you know, if there are malnourished children who are identified, they are referred to
36:13the nutritional rehabilitation centers.
36:16There are two very interesting schemes, Chaasunuri and Chaasunuri Extension Scheme, which are basically the housing schemes, which has benefited
36:24about 28,500 tea garden workers.
36:27The daily wage has been increased to 250 rupees per day.
36:32Now, the tea garden workers have provided PF coverage, clean drinking water, electricity, basic facilities, medical facilities, essential work gear,
36:42so on and so forth.
36:43So, we have been doing our level best.
36:45I completely acknowledge the fact that the BJP traditionally has been strong in the North Bengal area.
36:51But we have gone to the people with our report card, with our performance, about, I'll give you some more
36:57numbers, in fact, 2.38 lakh tea garden workers.
37:01They've been issued ID cards to bring them into the social welfare net of the state of West Bengal.
37:08There were so many tea gardens which closed down during the COVID time.
37:14Mr. Chandra, your time is up, so you've elucidated what the TMC is doing to try and win back the
37:19tea garden vote.
37:19But I want to give, you know, one quick comment to Sanjay Ji, who's with us from CSDS.
37:25And Sanjay Ji, how do you see things pan out where the tea garden vote is concerned?
37:31I would think in upper Assam, it will be consolidation by the BJP, at least with the kind of indications
37:37that we are getting in.
37:38How do you read it, both in Assam and in West Bengal?
37:42I think you have already mentioned, and I would agree to that, that if you look at Bengal, the upper,
37:48the North Bengal, that's the reason where you will find a lot of tea workers and the constituencies which is
37:54dominant where you will find…
37:55Sanjay Ji, in upper Bengal, do you see upper Bengal being possibly Jalpayuguri and Malda, the swing regions this election?
38:02I won't say swing region because last assembly election also, BJP has performed very well.
38:08They had won almost more than half the seats there.
38:11So first they need to retain those seats.
38:14But why I'm not saying swing because even though BJP has performed very well in the North Bengal region, they
38:20failed, like they were short of the majority mark.
38:24They were only 77 and the majority mark was much beyond that.
38:27And they had won 30 out of 54 seats, I believe.
38:31So they need to retain the seats and then they need to improve enormously in North Bengal in order to
38:37actually register a victory.
38:38So, in a way, I wouldn't see that as a swing factor because you need to do actually win all
38:45the seats in order to, you know, make it as a swing factor in North Bengal region.
38:52All right.
38:52Thank you, Sanjay Ji, for joining us.
38:54And I thank all our panelists.
38:55I'm afraid I know you wanted to come in, our Congress panelists, but that's all the time that we have
38:59for now.
39:00We're going to leave it at that.
39:01But I'm going to leave you with a ground report from Assam's T-Vote belt filed by my colleague, Piyush.
39:24It's a community that's synonymous with Assam.
39:31The state's Chaiwala's engaging with the Chaiwala that became Prime Minister.
39:43Sumari Medha wakes up every day at around 4 AM.
39:50The first thing she does is finish all household chores.
39:57By 7 AM, she leaves for the tea garden.
40:02She spends the entire day there, returning home only by 4 PM.
40:24They hope for a better future for the children and work tirelessly around the clock.
40:32As the day progresses, the basket these tea garden workers carry can weigh up to 20 kilograms.
40:38As Assam tea travels across the world, the workers behind it are still fighting for dignity, better health care, education
40:47facilities and income.
40:50As Assam is all set to vote soon, their hardships and their battle, also their voices become politically significant.
40:59The story of the other tea garden workers is no different.
41:03Yes, but they are.
41:04The government, Hemant back to me, has been working for the people who have had a job in the community.
41:43The government ensures essential items are available
41:47to the tea garden workers, but they continue to pin their hope around promised wage hike
41:51and land parcel.
41:53After this tiresome day, it is finally time for lunch and a moment to breathe
41:57before these women go back to the household chores.
42:00At the end of an exhausting day, these tea garden workers take home only Rs. 250.
42:06The government has promised to increase their daily wages by Rs. 30,
42:10but will that make any difference to their lives?
42:17When a child has written about the cost of the house, it is about Rs. 808.
42:25The price is about Rs. 30 is increased.
42:27If it is increased, it is about Rs. 280.
42:31What does the house go from the house?
42:34Their demand is clear.
42:36Rs. 500 has daily wages, but they are willing to even settle for Rs. 350.
42:41Pools and Assam will be held next week, and tea garden workers influence 38 seats in the state.
42:47The main demand is that their wages should be increased and they should be given the status of a scheduled
42:54tribe.
42:55Now, it remains to be seen.
42:57Will the government, the upcoming government in the state of Assam,
43:02take these demands seriously and implement it as soon as it forms?
43:06With video journalist Ankita Impeyush Mashra in Dibarugarh Assam for India Today.
43:11For the latest news break coming in from Chandigarh,
43:13the chilling video of the Punjab BJP office blast has now emerged.
43:18Now, these are visuals that were recorded on a CCTV camera nearby,
43:22where one can see a man hurling a grenade and fleeing from the spot.
43:26All of these moments of the Chandigarh blast caught on camera.
43:31Intelligence sources tell us that there has been an earlier instance of the same as well.
43:36Blue-coloured grenades have been recovered in Punjab,
43:39mostly coming in from Pakistan via drones.
43:43Assim Bassi, my colleague, is joining us for more.
43:45Assim, this raises serious security concerns,
43:48or rather adds to the building security concerns in Punjab.
43:55Yes, yes, definitely.
43:57This is very, very alarming that in Chandigarh,
43:59I'm outside BJP's Punjab headquarter, which is in sector 37.
44:03This kind of an explosion has taken place.
44:04And now, with the video emerging that how two people came
44:08and one of the persons, he pulled out the pin out of a blue-coloured grenade
44:12and lobbed the grenade on this building,
44:14which is the sector 37 Punjab BJP office,
44:17the headquarter of the Punjab BJP,
44:18and damaging a couple of vehicles, including a car and a scooty.
44:22Although, fortunately, there was no human injury or any casualty.
44:26But, this is very, very glaring and very, very concerning for the security agencies as well,
44:30that such kind of a blast, a grenade has been lobbed on Punjab BJP's office.
44:35A few days ago, there was a broad daylight murder,
44:39where the youth was shot down with multiple rounds of bullets.
44:42Now, this happening in Chandigarh is definitely,
44:44with Chandigarh's police working, is under the scanner now,
44:48that how these kind of elements are roaming around.
44:49If you see the video very carefully,
44:52the video shows that how one suspect pulls out the pin from a blue-coloured grenade
44:57and the second person makes a video,
44:59the grenade is lobbed and the explosion is heard
45:01and then they both run away to this side.
45:03So, now the major challenge for the police is to crack them,
45:06to crack the entire case and trace them,
45:08that where they ran away, why they were here
45:10and what was the exact motive behind all this
45:12and which organisation takes the responsibility.
45:14So, this is a major challenge now,
45:16to basically connect all the dots that why BJP office in Punjab,
45:20in Chandigarh, was basically targeted for this.
45:23Aseem, the fact is, this is not a CCTV visual,
45:26this is not a visual that has been captured by a camera outside.
45:30These are visuals that have been made by the two perpetrators of this crime.
45:34Has the police, Punjab police, been able to identify who these people were?
45:39What is the source of this video?
45:41How has it come to light?
45:42Was it posted on social media?
45:48Well, first of all, I would like to clarify that
45:50the Punjab police is not looking into the case as of now
45:53because it is the Chandigarh police.
45:55It is the UT and the Chandigarh police which looks after,
45:57it is the jurisdiction of there.
45:59So, SSP Chandigarh also told us that it is a crude thing
46:02but now, the video shows that it was a hand grenade
46:06and as far as the video is concerned,
46:08the video has been made by one of the person accompanying the main suspect
46:13and in the recent past also, in the Gurdas police incident also,
46:16we saw that after killing of two cops,
46:18there also video was made by the suspects themselves.
46:21So, this is not a...
46:24Well, it is a matter of investigation, right, again,
46:26that if the suspect has made this video, how it has gone viral.
46:30Is it because somebody has definitely made it,
46:33some of the suspect has made it viral.
46:35This is the reason that it has come into public domain now
46:37and it is a way to basically take responsibilities also
46:41that how this grenade has been lobbed and how they did it.
46:45So, they want to basically make a claim that this is how they did it
46:48and this is now another major challenge for the police
46:51to crack the entire case and also see
46:53with what motive this attack was done,
46:56why more video was made and how it got circulated
46:58even before the police got it
47:00as there are hundreds of people around here
47:03and almost every mobile phone has this video.
47:05So, this is one element also which has to be cracked.
47:09But as of now, there is no CCTV.
47:11So, well, that is where I would reckon
47:15the Chandigarh police needs to begin with
47:16because clearly this video has been made
47:18with an attempt to shame the Chandigarh police
47:22and the law and order situation
47:23in the union territory of Chandigarh.
47:25Because this...
47:27How...
47:27Drone bot...
47:29Because these grenades that you see on your television screen,
47:31as Asim pointed out,
47:32are dropped by drones from across the border of Pakistan
47:35and how easy access it is to get these grenades
47:38and then to use them.
47:39Thank you, Asim, for joining us.
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