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This edition of News Today focusses on escalating tensions in West Asia following Iran's seizure of two vessels, including an India-bound ship, in the Strait of Hormuz.
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00:00Good evening, hello and welcome. You're with the news today, your prime time destination news,
00:04newsmakers, talking points. Wednesday night, our big talking point, our continuing focus
00:09on that war in West Asia because now there's been a seizure of ships by Iran. Is this tit for
00:16tat?
00:16Are we about to enter? Are we about to return to war in West Asia? Terror sponsor to peacemaker
00:23one year after Pahalgam. What has changed? What will it take for India to ensure that Pakistan
00:30pays for its support to cross-border terror? We'll have top guests joining us on that too.
00:37But first, as always, it's time for the Nine Headlines at 9.
00:43Donald Trump does another U-turn. Now indefinitely extends the West Asia ceasefire,
00:49even as Tehran is yet to decide on attending the peace talks in Islamabad.
00:53Iran also seizes two vessels, attacks one ship in the blocked Strait of Hormuz.
01:04Security tightened at an unprecedented level in West Bengal ahead of the Phase 1 elections.
01:10Despite slacks appealing against the SI and list, only 136 voters are added by the tribunal
01:17for Phase 1 Bengal elections. The ruling TMC cries foul.
01:25Supreme Court pulls up West Bengal. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the IPAC raid case
01:30says you walked in during an ED raid on IPAC, put democracy in jeopardy.
01:38Get ready for a blockbuster ballot battle in Tamil Nadu tomorrow.
01:42A potential three-cornered contest between DMK, AI, DMK and the disruptor Vijay's TVK results to be declared on May
01:524.
01:55Trouble mounts for Congress Chief Malikarjun Kharge over his Modi terrorist jibe.
02:01After BJP files complaint, poll body issues noticed to Kharge asked him to respond in the next 24 hours.
02:07Congress says what happened to the Prime Minister's violation of Code of Conduct.
02:16A year since the horrific terror attack in Pehalgaam, Prime Minister Modi pays tribute to the victims as innocence will
02:23never be forgotten.
02:27IRS officer's 22-year-old daughter allegedly sexually assaulted and killed by a former servant in Delhi,
02:33accused Rahul Meena has now been arrested by Delhi police.
02:40An American tourist allegedly raped and confined to room at a homestay in Karnataka's Kodugu district,
02:47two arrested in connection with the incident.
02:52A frustrated Mumbai citizen berates the BJP minister during a protest rally of Nari Shakti during peak hours in the
03:01heart of the city.
03:02Under fire, Maharashtra minister Girish Majan objects to her behavior, but the citizen gets support across netizen.
03:26The story that we are breaking right at the very top specter of war once again looming over West Asia
03:33with no sign of the negotiations taking off.
03:36Today, Iran has seized two ships, attacked a third one.
03:40The one seized ship was heading towards India.
03:43The ships were seized hours after Donald Trump extended the truce indefinitely.
03:48Iran has called the U.S. seizure of its ship earlier an act of war.
03:54So both countries now off the negotiating table.
03:58Instead, once again, we are seeing tit-for-tat battles playing out there in the West Asia conflict.
04:06Let's bring you the top five takeaways or the top five developments at this moment.
04:11The U.S.-Iran ceasefire has been extended indefinitely.
04:14The truce may hold on paper, but tensions are rising.
04:18Talks uncertain, mediation is under strain, and the Strait of Hormuz once again a key flashpoint.
04:24The top developments.
04:26Even as the ceasefire extends, Donald Trump says U.S. blockade of Iranian ports will continue,
04:32a move that Tehran is calling an act of war.
04:35The Strait of Hormuz remains the key flashpoint, with reports of vessels being fired upon and one cargo ship seriously
04:42damaged.
04:43Iran says it's enforcing maritime rules, but concerns now over shipping safety rising.
04:49Iran's state media saying two ships, including one bound for India's Mundra port, are now in its custody.
04:57Iran says it has not yet decided on participating in the next round of talks with the United States later
05:02this week.
05:03Tehran says it entered the negotiations in good faith, but accused Washington of shifting positions and lacking seriousness.
05:09Tehran has warned Gulf countries that allowing U.S. operations from their territory would put their oil infrastructure at risk.
05:17Inside Iran, too, the messaging is now assertive.
05:20Pro-government rallies in Tehran have featured the display of ballistic missiles, underlining a visible show of strength.
05:26These demonstrations come even as talks with the U.S. remain uncertain,
05:31signalling that Tehran is positioning itself for both continued diplomacy and potential escalation.
05:40The U.S. has now advised its citizens to leave Iran immediately as the country's airspace partially reopens.
05:48Americans have been asked to monitor local updates and check with airlines for available flights.
05:53Land exit options remain open via neighbouring countries.
05:58Tensions are also rising along the Israel-Lebanon border.
06:02Hezbollah claiming a drone attack on Israeli troops in southern Lebanon,
06:06calling it a response to alleged ceasefire violations.
06:09Israel Defence Forces say the drone was intercepted, termed it a breach of the truth.
06:14This comes as the U.S. plans fresh talks over Lebanon and Washington
06:18to prevent the conflict from widening further.
06:21So there's a lot of uncertainty once again in West Asia.
06:25It leaves me to raise the big questions.
06:28Are we returning to war in West Asia?
06:30And some are suggesting a seizure of ships by Iran.
06:34Is this simply tit for tat?
06:35Is the IRGC now calling the shots in Tehran?
06:39Will Donald Trump lift the blockade?
06:41Is this simply now a war without an end game?
06:45Joining me now, special guest, Patrick Henningson,
06:49geopolitical analyst, founder of the news website 21percenturywire.com.
06:54He joins me from Phoenix, Arizona.
06:56Colonel Jeffrey Fisher of the Fisher Aerospace CEO.
07:00He's been a combat veteran.
07:02And joining me now is Zohreh Karazmi.
07:07He's Associate Professor at the University of Tehran in Iran.
07:10I appreciate all of you joining me on the show today.
07:14I want to come to you, Zohreh, first there,
07:15because Iran is making the headlines once again today.
07:18They've targeted two ships, seized two ships.
07:22One of them was bound for India.
07:24And Iran says this is tit for tat to the action the U.S. has taken.
07:29What message is Iran trying to send?
07:31Do you want a ceasefire or you don't want a ceasefire?
07:37Iran has, as a coastal state,
07:40has the right to actually guarantee the innocent passage
07:45that international law also is guaranteeing for a coastal state
07:49in the Strait of Hormuz.
07:51Because the Strait of Hormuz and across it
07:54actually becomes a platform of active aggression against Iran.
07:593,300 people were murdered by Americans and Israelis.
08:06So just guaranteeing the order
08:09and the innocent passage of the vessels
08:12in the Strait of Hormuz is the very sovereign right Iran has.
08:17And now the blockade the United States made is the act of war.
08:23And also from 11,000 kilometers away,
08:27Americans came to bullying over Iran.
08:31And it's actually something that Iran would not give up and accept.
08:35So I think Iran has already just given the rules and regulations,
08:41the route, and tweeted friends and foes differently.
08:46So you're not going to allow...
08:50So you're determined...
08:52No, no, let's be clear, ma'am.
08:55Zohreh, let's be clear.
08:56You're telling me that so long...
08:58Is this now conditional on the United States blockade?
09:01So long as the United States continues with its blockade,
09:04you're telling me Iran will not allow vessels
09:06to move through the Strait of Hormuz,
09:08including vessels potentially with an Indian flag.
09:13Certainly, Iran would actually guarantee its control.
09:16And if United States keeping on its bullying over the region,
09:20Iran not only keeping on to close the Strait of Hormuz,
09:25but even the bubble mandat in the Red Sea can be added to the closure.
09:31And you can imagine that 10% of energy and 40% of container shipment
09:35also is crossing the Red Sea to the Suez Canal.
09:41So what actually the Trump is getting is the way to disaster
09:46and getting the whole global economy down.
09:50Right.
09:52Okay, you know, let me at this moment also turn to my other guests
09:57because you're hearing these voices coming in from Iran,
10:00very, very strong voices coming in.
10:02I want to turn to you, Colonel Jeffrey Fisher.
10:05How do you see this?
10:06Is the United States now caught between a rock and a hard place?
10:11That you've got an Iran which is even more belligerent
10:15than it was five or six weeks ago
10:17and has weaponized the Strait of Hormuz.
10:19And at the same time, the United States cannot afford, it appears,
10:24to allow the blockade to be lifted so easily.
10:27Will that be seen as a sign of defeat in some ways?
10:32Yeah, I think it's a great question.
10:34To be fair, you know, I don't think Donald Trump's helping himself at all.
10:39Right.
10:40I don't think this, you know, where he makes an ultimatum
10:43and then he changes it and then he extends the ceasefire.
10:47But I think this speaks to kind of who Donald Trump, though, is.
10:50Right.
10:50I think that that is very scary.
10:52My biggest concern is, look, when I was in the U.S. military,
10:56I've actually sailed through the Straits of Hormuz on an aircraft carrier
10:58sitting on a catapult ready for launch.
11:02And we were in that posture because the Strait is very narrow
11:06and things in the Strait can escalate extremely fast, right?
11:10The time of flight for missiles from either coast or from a ship are very, very short.
11:15So you're in a situation where you're at a heightened tension,
11:21narrow shipping lanes.
11:23What I'm seeing from both countries at this point
11:26is really trying to find ways to leverage the blockades
11:31to gain an advantage in negotiations, right?
11:35That this is, as you said earlier, I think your words are right.
11:39There's this kind of tit for tat action between the two nations.
11:43It's a good explanation.
11:44And it truly is really just trying to find innovative and creative ways
11:49to gain leverage in negotiations.
11:54You know, I want to at this point also bring in because if this is tit for tat,
11:59are we heading back to the situation that existed before the ceasefire was announced?
12:05Patrick Henningsen, is this simply now becoming a war without a clear endgame?
12:10The Iranians are sticking to their tough stand on the negotiating table,
12:14refusing to come to negotiations until the U.S. blockade is lifted.
12:19President Trump is sending out mixed messages.
12:22Does this make the situation even more worrying, even more uncertain?
12:28Yeah, absolutely so.
12:29Look, you just have to look at the pattern of behavior from the U.S.
12:33in terms of how it's conducting its negotiations
12:36and has previously on multiple occasions used high-level negotiations
12:40as cover for a sneak attack against Iran.
12:43So now we're into sort of round three here or the third iteration of this.
12:48And what does the U.S. do?
12:49Immediately puts a military blockade on Iran.
12:53That is an act of war by anyone's definition.
12:55And then ratchets up the sanctions as well simultaneously.
13:00So that's how the Trump administration is doing negotiations,
13:04is trying to front load with all kinds of leverage.
13:07And, of course, as we know in the history of negotiations
13:10and international relations and game theory,
13:12you're not going to get very much cooperation from the counterparty
13:17if that's how you are, if you're threatening them with military obliteration,
13:21which Scott Bessent, the U.S. Treasury Secretary,
13:23and other cabinet members are basically doing,
13:27trying to destroy Iran either militarily, economically, or whatever.
13:31And they know that they're going to be good on those threats
13:35because they've already done that to Iran to begin with.
13:38So it seems to me like the U.S. and Israel are buying time.
13:43And this ceasefire, and by the way, just remember who requested the ceasefire.
13:47It wasn't Iran. It was the United States.
13:50So by any logic, it's usually the party that is either losing
13:54or in desperate straits is the one who is going to request a ceasefire.
13:58And they're going to buy time.
13:59They need to reload. They need to rearm.
14:02Israel is in a very precarious situation in terms of its shortage of interceptor missiles,
14:09its radar stations, ground radar for air defense that has been destroyed in part,
14:15or at least in part, by the previous Iranian missile attacks.
14:18So they need time to recalibrate.
14:21And so I think they're preparing for a war.
14:23And we have to go by previous behavior patterns from the U.S. and Israel.
14:29I would bet that they are buying time to resume this war.
14:33And the other thing is negotiations are not going to succeed.
14:38The U.S. cannot manage to put a framework together.
14:40They showed up in Islamabad last time with nothing
14:43and basically front-loaded all of these new maximalist demands on the Iranians
14:49that they knew were going to be deal-breakers
14:51and then turned around and blamed Iran for not wanting to do a negotiating good faith,
14:56believe it or not, or not wanting to do a peace deal.
14:58So this is a negotiations tactic that's been perfected by the Israelis over the years.
15:04And now the White House is pretty much using the exact same negotiations tactics.
15:11Let me bring in Zoray.
15:13From what you're saying, what you just heard from my guest in America,
15:17we're now in a situation where both sides are buying time but preparing once again for war.
15:22Is that the feeling in Tehran?
15:24We are told that the IRGC has virtually taken over your country.
15:28That it is now the revolutionary guards who are calling the shots.
15:32The so-called moderates have been marginalized.
15:34And the revolutionary guards want war.
15:37That they want this conflict now to carry on.
15:39They're ready to take this conflict to the next level.
15:42Is that true?
15:44It's not actually the IRGC that wants war.
15:47But I think that the majority of the Iranians have already got this message
15:52that Americans are bringing a lot of, you know,
15:55a compilation of different ammunition, aircraft carriers.
15:59You know that the assault vessels are also dismissed to the region.
16:05And 2,500 Marines, the Airborne Forces, the Delta Forces.
16:12And this is the news that the Russia Security Council also publicly revealed.
16:18So those who want the war is the United States and Israel.
16:23And Iran only is doing the retaliation.
16:26It's a very legitimate, actually, act of defense.
16:29So when you're talking about even negotiations,
16:32there is no seriousness among the Americans, as in Islamabad.
16:36Netanyahu mentioned that once is just reporting him constantly what's running in Islamabad.
16:43So I think that what the Iranians are getting from the scene is that, yes,
16:47they are preparing for the retaliation against the sort of American military buildup
16:53and the Israeli military buildup and the negotiations are only perceived as the cloaks
16:59to cover conspiring and act of aggression they are going to do.
17:06You know, it's interesting the way the Iranians are now claiming
17:10that they are only retaliating to what the Americans are doing.
17:13But Jeffrey Fisher, it's interesting because also that the president of Donald Trump
17:19had said 24 hours ago that if Iran does not return to the negotiating table within 48 hours,
17:27I will bomb Iran.
17:29Now he's gone ahead and just put an unconditional ceasefire.
17:33Sorry, a ceasefire without a timeline.
17:38What sense does one make of this?
17:42One moment the U.S. president is talking tough,
17:44next moment he's extending the ceasefire indefinitely.
17:50How does one respond to such kind of unpredictability?
17:59Very cautiously would be my answer in responding to that.
18:02You know, at the beginning of this war, Donald Trump was very, very clear
18:06that his expectation in the endgame of the war would be an unconditional surrender from Iran.
18:13And these were his words, right?
18:16An unconditional surrender means that Iran has no say, right?
18:20That's what it means.
18:21And we're clearly in a situation where Iran has, at the negotiation table,
18:27not accepted the United States demands.
18:30As a matter of fact, it was pushed back with their own set of demands to end the war.
18:34So it's somewhat, you know, we've seen a lot of vacillation from where President Trump wants to be on this.
18:41I think if Donald Trump truly wants to get to a place where he's going to achieve unconditional surrender,
18:49it means this war will continue.
18:53There's nothing in the blockade that would suggest that this would put enough pressure on Iran
18:59or the leaders of Iran to say, okay, yes, we will come to the table and let you dictate the
19:05terms of this piece.
19:08You know, because Patrick Hennigson, Donald Trump is claiming Iran is on its knees,
19:13it's losing $500 million a day.
19:16Here you've got my guess from Tehran saying, we are actually becoming even, our resolve is even stronger.
19:23Has Donald Trump, right through this war, underestimated Iran's resilience?
19:29That's where he's got it badly wrong.
19:31He perhaps didn't realize that they could weaponize the Strait of Hormuz in the way they have.
19:36They brought the global economy into a difficult situation and now they're getting even tougher.
19:42You heard my Iranian guess, they're sounding tougher by the day.
19:46Well, I think at every turn, the United States has underestimated Iran's resilience, both politically.
19:53They said that, oh, the regime was going to collapse in days when they were backing these so-called democratic
19:59protests in Tehran
20:01back in the latter part of December and January.
20:04Donald Trump said, rise up and take over your institutions.
20:08Trump admitted he was trafficking weapons to these so-called peaceful protesters just a few weeks ago.
20:13No idea why he said that publicly, but he did.
20:16And they assassinated the supreme leader, the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and they thought that the government would collapse, that society
20:25would collapse.
20:25So at every turn, there's this kind of false assumptions in America about the nature of Iranian society, about the
20:33nature of the political structure in that country.
20:36And I think they've hugely underestimated it.
20:39In fact, there's more solidarity than ever.
20:41When you speak to Iranians, you look at reports, they've galvanized society in ways that you couldn't possibly have imagined
20:48prior to this, all these hostilities breaking out.
20:52So on the military front, Iran is dug in for a war of attrition.
20:56That is clear.
20:58And they're on their home turf.
20:59They are fully prepared as a society.
21:02They're fully mobilized as a society.
21:04The United States is not fully mobilized for a long war.
21:08And so this isn't like World War II or that type of historical situation for the U.S.
21:14So the U.S. was hoping for a short war.
21:17This is what was promised to them by Benjamin Netanyahu when he came to sell the war to the United
21:22States in February, as we learned via the New York Times reporting recently.
21:27So and then economically, they've underestimated Iran.
21:31And the reason is because because of 47 years of sanction, Iran has developed an incredible amount of resilience economically
21:38with import substitutions.
21:40They have homegrown industries.
21:42They're not reliant on imports like other countries are.
21:46So they're not going to need American reconstruction teams like the Gulf Arab states require to come and rebuild things
21:53that have been destroyed during these conflicts.
21:55So I do think the U.S. is at a disadvantage politically in a war of attrition because Donald Trump
22:01doesn't have an unlimited timeline to bring closure to the situation, whereas Iran could easily bleed out the United States
22:08over the course of months, even years.
22:12So a final word from you, Ms. Karazmi.
22:17The fact, though, is all this said, significant casualties, more than 3,375 people reported dead.
22:26There are vulnerabilities that have been exposed in your country in terms of a large part of your military arsenal
22:32has also suffered huge losses.
22:35Is Iran willing to go in for a long war?
22:39Is that what really Iran wants?
22:41That if they, why not come to the negotiating table and try and meet the Americans of the Western world
22:47halfway?
22:49You know, the negotiation table can be efficient when there is mutual trust and respect.
22:55And this is something that Americans are not showing up.
22:58As I mentioned, when you were talking about the first round in Islamabad, we don't know really who is in
23:06charge of the negotiations because, you know, the vice president of the United States is repeatedly just reporting to Netanyahu.
23:15And also when you're talking about Kushner, when you're talking about Witkow, they are Israeli firsters rather than really liking
23:23to make America great again.
23:26So I think that there is no seriousness there.
23:29And you see that even the blockade was done immediately after the Islamabad talks.
23:35And just before the second round of talks, they seized the Iranian sheep of Tuska, that was actually a cargo
23:44sheep.
23:45So they again sent the message of animosity.
23:49And there is no sense of action.
23:51And, you know, yesterday again, Trump just started to add some Iranian companies to the list of the sanctions.
24:00So there is no realities on the ground to indicate that the United States is serious about the negotiations.
24:08Right.
24:09OK, I'm going to leave it there.
24:11Clearly, as we've seen, even in this discussion, it's Iran hardening its stance.
24:17America looking for options, but not sure what those options are.
24:20And as I said at the outset, we are therefore in a very, very difficult situation of a war without
24:26an endgame or seemingly a clear strategy.
24:29And the world is watching and the world is also suffering the blowback.
24:34I appreciate my guests joining me on our top developments there on West Asia.
24:39But remember, today is also a day which needs to be remembered for another reason.
24:45Exactly a year ago, this day, Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorists from Pakistan killed 25 tourists, all Hindus, one local Kashmiri
24:55in Pehalgaam.
24:57Three Pakistani terrorists were also killed in the anti-terror operations that followed.
25:02India launched Operation Sindhu to punish Pakistan for launching those terror attacks.
25:08But ironically, a year later, the country that is seen to have supported terrorism, cross-border terror,
25:14used it as a state policy against India, is playing the role or attempting to play the role of a
25:20peacemaker
25:21between the U.S. President Donald Trump and Washington and the regime in Iran.
25:27Pakistan, that's quite a turnaround.
25:29And that, in a way, suggests how geopolitics has changed in the last 12 months alone.
25:36That's what I want to now turn to.
25:38Has geopolitics changed so dramatically in one year since Pehalgaam?
25:43Is the world now ready to ignore Pakistan's terror links?
25:47Does the world suffer from a sense of global amnesia?
25:51Will Pakistan give up its role in sponsoring cross-border terror?
25:56Is it genuine about a change in stand?
26:00Those are some of the questions I want to pose.
26:02I've got two special guests.
26:03They'll join me one by one.
26:04My first guest is General VP Malik.
26:07Former Army Chief joins me at this point.
26:10General Malik, I'm trying to contrast just how the world has changed.
26:13A year ago, Pakistan clearly found itself in a situation where it was deeply embarrassed,
26:21one would have hoped, by the manner in which it had allowed its soil once again to be used
26:27for cross-border terror against India and Pehalgaam.
26:30Now it's trying to play peacemaker and in a very high-profile role between Iran and the United States.
26:36How do you see it?
26:37Has global geopolitics changed so dramatically in the last year?
26:43Good evening, Rajdeep.
26:46Yes, geopolitics is always dynamic, and we have to remember that.
26:51Situation can change from time to time.
26:54It all depends on the national interest of the players who are playing that game at that time
27:00in a particular situation.
27:04And also, I think we have to give credit to Pakistan's narrative building
27:10and the manner in which they indulge in diplomacy, going to the people who have been their friends
27:21in the past and bending down to get their interest.
27:27So, politics has changed, and today there is no doubt that Pakistan has a good image abroad, may not be
27:38fully justified.
27:41But does that, General Malik, as a military man, make you angry?
27:46That here is a country which over the last three decades and more has repeatedly engaged in cross-border terror
27:52against India, has nurtured the likes of Masood Azhar, of a Hafiz Saeed, of a Daud Ibrahim on their soil,
28:00and many others, and yet the world doesn't do enough to call out Pakistan.
28:09Well, I am disappointed, yes.
28:11It doesn't make me angry, because I understand the dynamics that is going on in geopolitics.
28:18So, yes, I am disappointed that people are not conscious of what Pakistan has been doing all along,
28:25and it has now become their favorite nation for some time.
28:33But could we do more?
28:35Do you believe we could do more to sort of make sure that we talk of zero tolerance against terror?
28:42Pahal Gham happened and was a wake-up call again.
28:45Do you believe it's possible to do more?
28:47Do you believe Operation Sindhu sent out enough of a tough message to Pakistan
28:52that India will even go and target terrorist camps inside Pakistan?
28:58Do you believe Sindhu had a kind of effect as a deterrence, a credible deterrence on Pakistan?
29:06Look, Operation Sindhu was a much stronger response from our side than we had done earlier,
29:12whether it was a surgical strike or even balakot strike.
29:18Operation Sindhu was a much stronger message that was sent to Pakistan.
29:23And unfortunately, I believe that our narrative building was not as strong as it should be in such a situation.
29:32And Pakistan did take advantage of that.
29:35Munir made himself a field marshal and continues to rule the country today.
29:42And the other thing is that we could probably, in diplomacy,
29:48we could have been slightly more aggressive,
29:53and we could have probably done better in our relationship with countries like USA and others.
30:04Make sense of General Munir for us.
30:06Here is someone self-anointed as a field marshal.
30:10You've been a general of the Indian Army,
30:12and one of the great distinctions is between the Indian Army,
30:14which has always stayed in the barracks,
30:15and the Pakistani Army, which has always sought power.
30:19Here is someone.
30:19How do you read Asim Munir?
30:21Someone today who is a state guest of President Trump in the White House
30:25is now negotiating between Tehran and Washington.
30:29Well, he is not the first one.
30:31If you recall, even Parvez Musharraf,
30:34after Kargil war, had been fated in Washington, D.C.
30:40And he was also meeting the…
30:42So, that is the way USA functions.
30:46And that is the way Pakistani generals,
30:49who have a lot of friends in USA all along they have been.
30:53So, they take advantage of that.
30:55And as I said, it is disappointing,
30:59but then we have to be realistic and see the situation as it develops.
31:05So, do you see General Munir very much like Parvez Musharraf,
31:08or do you see General Munir as even far more dangerous,
31:11because he seems by all accounts just as powerful in Pakistan today?
31:15No, I think he is far more powerful and he is far more dangerous than even Parvez Musharraf was,
31:22because Parvez Musharraf tended to be a little more secular than Asim Munir.
31:31Asim Munir is a person who makes no bones about two-nation theory.
31:36He thinks that Pakistan is following two-nation theory,
31:41and therefore, Hindus and Muslims, they are absolutely posed apart.
31:45And he has no function in saying that Hindus are our enemies.
31:51So, he is far more dangerous because of the position in which he has got into,
31:56the position that he has acquired in Pakistan today,
31:59as well as the mindset that he has.
32:04I am going to leave it there, General Malik.
32:07Always good to have you on the show.
32:09As you said, General Asim Munir now poses an even bigger threat or a challenge
32:13in the way he leads Pakistan.
32:15I want to turn now to Vivek Karju, another senior diplomat who served in the region.
32:21Mr. Karju, one year after Pahlgaam,
32:23as I said, the contrast between a country
32:26which was responsible for sponsoring cross-border terror,
32:29now plays mediator between Tehran and Washington.
32:33Does this at some level suggest a failure of Indian diplomacy
32:37to do sufficient, to push the idea that Pakistan is a country
32:42that needs to be ostracized rather than a country that needs to be embraced?
32:48Look, it's unrealistic to think that Pakistan can be ostracized or isolated.
32:54It is a country of around 240 million people.
32:58It has nuclear weapons.
33:00And therefore, all countries wish to engage in such a state.
33:05If for nothing else, they don't want such a state to go down the tube.
33:10So, let's not look at this aspect.
33:14Yes, I think we've got to be smart in projecting Pakistan as a haven for terrorists.
33:24We have to focus on their terror modules, on the Rashkar, on the Jayesh.
33:32But at the same time, we have to be mindful of the fact, of two facts.
33:38One, that the moment when terror was a priority in the world has gone.
33:47I think that's past.
33:49The Western countries, the advanced countries and other countries
33:54are not facing terror in as sharp a way,
33:59or not even have they faced terror in a concerted manner for many, many years.
34:04I think that is one fact.
34:08And second, as soon as something happens between India and Pakistan,
34:14the world's main interest is to prevent an escalation.
34:19They don't want, no one wants India-Pakistani, first of all,
34:25tensions to get into a military conflict.
34:27And when a military conflict occurs, they want it to stop as soon as possible
34:32because everyone is too scared of escalation.
34:35I think in these issues, we've got to develop new narratives.
34:41And I feel that it is possible to develop these narratives
34:46and push them to the world.
34:49No, no, but just a minute.
34:51You've said something significant.
34:53You've said that you believe terror is not a priority
34:56in most global capitals at the moment.
34:59And therefore, even if India raises Pakistan's role in cross-border terrorism,
35:04it's not attracting the same attention.
35:06How then does India go, one year after Pahlkam,
35:09after this terrible, heinous attack that took place there?
35:13Is this the collective amnesia of the world, particularly the Western world?
35:18And how should India then counter it?
35:21Because God forbid, another Pahlkam happens.
35:25And if the world is engaged in Ukraine, engaged in Gaza, or engaged in Iran,
35:31where does that leave us?
35:32I think it's a very difficult job for our diplomats and our narrative builders at hand.
35:39It is very difficult, but nevertheless, it's not impossible.
35:42I do believe that means can be crafted to push the idea, Rajdeep,
35:48that the first step on an escalatory ladder between two nuclear states is an act of terror.
35:54It is not the response to terror, but the act itself.
35:59And therefore, the world should be warned that if there is a terrorist attack from Pakistan,
36:06we will respond.
36:08All the policymakers in the major countries have to be informed of this in such a manner that,
36:16as soon as some… in such a manner that, first of all, they keep warning Pakistan,
36:21and there are ways and means of warning Pakistan not to embark on this path,
36:25but to wind up this enterprise.
36:28It won't be easy, but that's the job at hand.
36:34Okay.
36:34Those are very wise words, Mr. Vivek Karchu.
36:37I hope someone is listening to you, as always.
36:39I appreciate you joining me also and giving, putting some context to what's been happening
36:45at the moment.
36:46Thank you very much.
36:46Now, remember, it was approximately 2.50 p.m. on 22nd April 2025, exactly a year ago,
36:54that five terrorists carried out a massacre in the Baisaran Valley of Pahlgaam.
36:5926 people were killed, 25 of them were Hindu tourists,
37:03while one was a local Kashmiri who was shot while trying to save them.
37:07A year later, Lieutenant Vinay Narwal and Adil's fathers are separated by distance,
37:14but they remain united in their grief of losing their young sons to this horrific terror attack
37:20in Pahlgaam.
37:22Take a look at this report.
37:28A brand new house stands ready side by side with old family house of Pahlgaam martyr Adil Hussain.
37:37On 22nd April 2025, Adil Hussain was 30 years old.
37:42He sacrificed his life to save tourists from the terror attack in Pahlgaam.
38:05A year later, Adil's family is yet to find peace.
38:32Lieutenant Vinay Narwal and his wife Himanshi wanted to go to Switzerland, but their visa was rejected.
38:39And fate brought them to Baisaran Valley on 22nd April 2025.
38:54Himanshi, sitting on the ground by her dead husband,
38:58became a cruel reminder of what happened that afternoon in that scenic meadow in Chennaar Valley.
39:16A year has passed, another family, another father, who finds it difficult to move on in life
39:23after murder of his young son by terrorists.
39:49Separated by a distance of 658 kilometers,
39:53Haidhar Hussain and Rajesh Narwal are united in their grief.
39:59They are the parents of Pahlgaam terror attack victims.
40:04Bureau Report, India Today.
40:10The grief of parents divided in some ways, but united by their grief.
40:17We will never forget what happened in Pahlgaam.
40:21Thoughts and prayers with all the families.
40:23Let's turn from there to the big story on elections.
40:27Tomorrow is voting day across the battleground state of West Bengal.
40:32It's witnessing unprecedented security.
40:35Over 400 companies of central forces stationed.
40:39The EC has announced several restrictions on people's movements,
40:43even not allowing motorcycles to move for 12 hours.
40:47The TMC is crying foul, saying the EC is acting at the centre's behest.
40:52The BJP says the EC is ensuring there will be no pole violence.
40:57Take a look at this report.
41:06Unprecedented security in Bengal as the state votes on Thursday in the first phase.
41:11The Election Commission has deployed 2.4 lakh central armed police forces personally to the state,
41:17which is more than three times what was deployed in 2021.
41:222,407 companies of central forces are in Bengal for the two phases,
41:26on April 23rd and April 29th, as against 7.25 used in the previous eight-phase polls.
41:34In the first phase, 273 companies are in Purva, Medinipur.
41:38271 companies in Pashim, Medinipur.
41:412,40 in Murshidabad.
41:43176 in Burbhum.
41:45172 in Malda.
41:48The restrictions imposed are also unprecedented.
41:52The EC has banned motorcycle rallies in election areas.
41:56No motorbikes are allowed from 6pm to 6am.
41:59No pill and riding is allowed from 6am to 6pm.
42:02The EC has clarified that gig workers, family voters and emergency cases
42:06are exempted from the restrictions on motorcycles.
42:09Non-voters are barred from residential complexes where booths are located.
42:12No outsiders can stay in hotels in coastal towns such as Diga.
42:16The excise department has shut liquor shops for four days in polling areas.
42:22In the first phase, over 3.6 crore people are eligible to vote.
42:26Over 1,000 candidates are contesting from 152 seats across 16 districts.
42:32Now it remains to be seen, as we are barely hours away from the first phase polling in West Bengal,
42:38this kind of heavy deployment, whether it can deter the criminals from creating nuisance and election violence
42:46as promised by the Election Commission.
42:48With video journalist Tapush Bairi, this is Tapush Ngupto for India Today in Barampur.
42:58Okay, let's go across to our correspondents.
43:00Indrajeet Kundu is joining me from Kolkata.
43:02Pramod Madhav is joining me from the other battleground state, Tamil Nadu.
43:06Remember, Tamil Nadu goes to polls in a single phase.
43:08But I want to come to you, Indrajeet.
43:10As we saw in that story, unprecedented security.
43:12All the heads of the central agency were there, police forces were there in Kolkata a few days ago.
43:19And there have been complaints that there is not on one side saying that the restrictions are designed
43:25to prevent TMC voters from coming out.
43:28The BJP says it's for free and fair polls.
43:31What are you picking up?
43:32What is the general mood?
43:34How do people see what happens tomorrow, given particularly West Bengal's history
43:39of being one of the states in a cycle of violence when it comes to polling days?
43:48Well, you know, unprecedented, no doubt, because the numbers does speak for themselves.
43:53It's a record number of, you know, security personnel who will be deployed tomorrow.
43:592.4 lakh central security personnel will be manning 152 constituencies.
44:06And one can do the math themselves.
44:08You know, it's an unprecedented number of central security forces that have been placed here
44:13with innumerable amounts of restrictions that have been placed by the Election Commission,
44:18all for the sake of, as they say, free and fair elections.
44:22Is that an excess?
44:23A lot of people do find it that it's perhaps an excessive use of, you know, central forces.
44:28And there are a lot of restrictions.
44:29Could have been a little more lenient.
44:32But it also does have a history.
44:34Bengal has a history of political violence.
44:37And therefore, there is a requirement to break out of the cycle.
44:41Fortunately, Rajdeep, I can tell you, 2024 Lok Sabha elections, you know, by and large
44:47was mostly peaceful.
44:48And that should be the template for these 2026 Assembly elections as well.
44:52And we just hope that, you know, just a few hours from now, elections, you know, would begin.
44:57It's a first phase, high-profile first phase, north and central Bengal, 152 seats.
45:02You know, it will be incident-free, violence-free, and people will be able to come out in large numbers
45:07to vote.
45:10Now, violence, not a real factor, Pramod Mahajan.
45:14But guess what?
45:14If it's muscle power in West Bengal, it's money power in your state of Tamil Nadu.
45:19We've been seeing videos of raids being carried out, large amounts of money being seized in Chennai, other places.
45:25Does the EC really have a plan?
45:27How do you control money power in a state like Tamil Nadu?
45:31Absolutely, Rajdeep.
45:32We have 39 districts and, unfortunately, like, it is very clear that we are not going to have any kind
45:37of issue tomorrow
45:38because, like you exactly mentioned, the Tirumangalam formula or the cash for words
45:42is apparently being used in a very big manner over here.
45:44That seems to be the only menace the Election Commission needs to handle.
45:47But even that, they are finding it extremely difficult.
45:49Even more than a thousand crores in cash, gold, and everything was seized.
45:52And even after that, we got information just two days, yesterday, today and yesterday,
45:56about money being seized from various supporters or, you know, assistance of candidates from all the party.
46:02We have to agree that it is from all the party that this kind of issue situation has occurred.
46:06Now, Arsana Patak, the CEO, says that all kind of measures have been taken.
46:09FAR has been registered and such.
46:12But it definitely is going to, we can clearly see that it is going to impact the elections.
46:16Definitely, Rajdeep.
46:20Ramon Madhar, Indrajit Kundu, for joining me, one state,
46:23which has a brand of being the state where violence takes place on polling day.
46:29The other state where money power counts.
46:31Either way, let's hope that we genuinely have free and fair election,
46:34that there is a level playing field, that the Election Commission is fair to all sides.
46:39Already, of course, the question mark I can tell you over SIR.
46:43Only 136 cases cleared by the tribunals out of the lacks of people who had applied under adjudication.
46:51I wonder what the Supreme Court of India will have to say on that.
46:55Either way, we can only hope that the right to vote in both states is protected above all else.
47:01Let's turn to another of our reports today because Mumbai's rush hour in the heart of the city
47:07was brought to a halt yesterday, not by weather, but by a political rally that the government,
47:13the BJP government here, was pushing on Nari Shakti.
47:16And the rally was in one of the most congested parts of the city on a weekday in peak traffic
47:23time.
47:24A woman commuter stuck for over an hour, then got out of her car,
47:30confronted the minister, Girish Mahajan, as the chaos unfolded on the streets.
47:36That video has gone viral.
47:38It's raised a larger question.
47:39Does every citizen have the right to not be inconvenienced by a political party's right to protest?
47:48India Today now reports.
48:01Mumbai's rush hour brought to a standstill.
48:06Not by rain, not by any vehicle breakdown, but by a political rally, triggering cures on worldly roads.
48:18One furious commuter stepped out of a car, walked straight into the rally.
48:24Maharashtra Minister Girish Mahajan, who was leading the Jan Akrosh rally,
48:29got a taste of exactly that, Jan Akrosh.
48:55How long before you allow the damn traffic?
49:19Rally led by the BJP targeted the opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghaadi
49:23over Women's Reservation Amendment Bill deadlock in Parliament.
49:30Maharashtra minister apologizes for the lock jam but slammed a Mumbai mom for using abusive language.
50:03Maharashtra minister apologizes for the lock.
50:09The video has went viral with sharp political reactions.
50:13Maharashtra Congress Chief Harshwadan Sapkal slammed the ruling party calling it proof of its real face on women's issues.
50:22Online a divided verdict. Some hail her as the voice of frustrated citizens.
50:28Others call it reckless behavior in a tense situation.
50:31One protest, one traffic jam, one confrontation.
50:36And a larger question, when politics hits the streets, who pays the price?
50:49Puto report, India today.
51:01Would love to hear your views on that.
51:04You can write to me on social media.
51:06Do you believe that citizens have the or political parties have the right to protest?
51:11And if they do protest, do citizens also have the right to protest against the inconvenience caused by political parties
51:19and their right to protest?
51:20I want you to think about that.
51:22Do send me your responses on X.
51:25We'll try and carry some of them tomorrow.
51:27Okay, let's turn to our good news today's story.
51:31There's always good news in this wonderful country.
51:34We meet the new marathon man of India.
51:36Mahipal Singh started taking part in marathons at the age of 60.
51:40And in five years, he's won several medals.
51:43But he's not stopping.
51:45Take a look at India's marathon man.
51:55What began as a fight against diabetes made an athlete out of Mahipal Singh.
52:02The Ghaziabad resident took to running at the age of 60 in 2021.
52:08Five years later, Singh has numerous records to his name.
52:12More than 200 medals adorned the walls of his house.
52:36The Navy veteran says he runs around 20 kilometers every day.
53:06At the International Games held in Dubai in 2023,
53:10Singh secured first place in the 1500 meters, 5000 meters and 10,000 meters races competing in the 60-plus
53:21age category.
53:22He holds the national record for the 10-kilometer marathon with the timing of 40 minutes and 28 seconds in
53:29his category.
53:31In a half marathon, that is 21 kilometer held in Jabalpur, he set a national record with the timing of
53:381 hour and 16 minutes.
53:40He also holds the national record in his age category for the full marathon or 42 kilometer with the timing
53:47of 3 hours and 5 minutes.
53:49In November 2025, Singh won bronze in both 5000 meters and 10,000 meters at the Asian Masters Athletics Championships.
54:01Singh follows a strict diet and advises others to follow.
54:06Now I am able to warn you that I have on the diet that I do 4 times.
54:12I never eat any tipo of food like outside.
54:15In general, I do not eat coldt三 category, In paired with the biscuit,
54:18Tem inconscients, chips, samosa,ì–¼ja,S sentiment.
54:23I don't eat anything at all.
54:25Rigorous training, a disciplined routine and an unwavering desire for self-improvement.
54:32These are the secrets of Mahipal Singh's successful second innings as a marathon man.
54:38With Manish Chaurasiya, Bureau Report, India Today.
54:43If only I had some of Mahipal Singh Ji's discipline, I might have also become a marathon runner.
54:51My problem is, I love my samosas, I love my biscuits, I love my burgers.
54:56And I therefore, I'm not able to finish the marathon.
55:04Well, our show is over. That's what I can finish today.
55:08So, thanks for watching. Stay well. Stay safe. Good night. Shubratri.
55:14Jai Hind. Namaskar. Keep running in life.
55:19Bye for now.
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