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Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump on Wednesday held a bilateral meeting, their first face-to-face interaction since the West Asia conflict, on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Evian-Les-Bains.
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00:01Good evening, hello and welcome. You're with the news today, your primetime destination news.
00:06Newsmakers, talking points, our big talking point tonight, this Wednesday night, is coming from the bilateral meeting between Prime Minister
00:12Modi and US President Donald Trump.
00:14Face to face, first time after the West Asia war, Donald Trump heaps praise on Prime Minister Modi.
00:21But the big question, can India really trust Donald Trump? Is he someone India should be trusting?
00:27That's the question we will raise on the news today.
00:30We'll also have our newsmaker tonight, the leader of the Shiv Sena Legislature Party, as the party appears on the
00:36verge of a split.
00:38Plenty on the show tonight, but first as always, it's time for the Nine Headlines at Nine.
00:44Prime Minister Modi, US President Donald Trump hold a bilateral meet at the sidelines of the G7 summit.
00:50Trump says India-US trade deal very close, calls Prime Minister Modi a tough negotiator.
00:59While meeting US President Trump, Prime Minister Modi speaks out on the death of three Indian sailors in the Hormuz
01:06Strait during the West Asia crisis because of US military strikes.
01:11Trump shrugs it off, says it's a rough profession.
01:17Centre versus Telegram at Delhi High Court's doorstep ahead of the re-meet exam next week.
01:23Telegram claims order passed without application of mind.
01:27High Court observes high level of illegal activity on the platform.
01:31Centre seeks time till tomorrow to respond.
01:35Leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi holds his echo of students rallying quota over paper leaks as India's education system subjects
01:44its children to stress pressure, which is not good for the country.
01:52After the Trinamol Congress, the Sena UBT appears less.
01:56The next one likely to split.
01:57Uddav's close aides meet Lok Sabha.
02:00Speaker submits their letter while speaking with India.
02:03Today, Sanjay Rao claims 15 crores advance offered to MPs to defect.
02:07Shinde Sena dismisses the charges.
02:13A big claim by U.P. Minister O.P. Rajbhar says Samajwadi Party is heading for a major split.
02:19Many leaders to join BJP.
02:21SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav denies the charge, says Party's United slams BJP for poaching attempts in the past.
02:30Shocking incident caught on cam from Gurugram.
02:33Lyft operator loses his red eye after he was brutally assaulted by residents.
02:36Altercation broke out after a lift malfunction probe ordered into the matter.
02:43Monsoon crisis deepens in India.
02:46Clouds remain absent.
02:47Rain deficit hits 40% across the nation.
02:49Weather experts attribute slowdown to an unfavorable large-scale atmospheric pattern.
02:56In America, witnesses Messi magic.
02:59Lionel Messi scores his first hat-trick in a World Cup against Algeria.
03:03As Argentina opened that title defense in style.
03:09His first World Cup hat-trick.
03:11And it's a record-setter.
03:16Big deflection.
03:18Got it home.
03:20That's two for Messi.
03:30The story that we are breaking at the moment.
03:33Prime Minister Narendra Modi has held a bilateral meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in France.
03:38Their first one-on-one face-to-face meeting since the West Asia War.
03:43And in fact, the first in over a year.
03:45The meet was held at the sidelines of the G7 summit in Avion in France.
03:49The Prime Minister has raised the issue of seafarers' death.
03:53Three Indian sailors who died when a U.S. military strike took place during their naval blockade in the Strait
03:59of Hormuz.
03:59Donald Trump has responded to those three Indian seafarers' death, shrugging it off.
04:04It's a rough profession.
04:05It's been happening.
04:06We'll work together.
04:07Importantly, the U.S. President, he praised on Mr. Modi, called him cool, calm and a total killer.
04:16And saying that Mr. Modi was someone that America looked forward to doing business with.
04:22Those are the images that are coming in from that face-to-face meeting.
04:25Let's first listen in to what Donald Trump had to say on what's been a rather turbulent phase in India.
04:31U.S. relations, he even spoke.
04:33First, listen in to what he said on the seafarer's question.
04:38First, listen in to what he said on the seafarer's question.
05:19But there is also a tragic loss of lives of Indian sailors recently, sir, in American strikes.
05:25Any words of condolences for the grieving family, sir?
05:27Yeah, I did.
05:28I heard about that.
05:29It's a rough profession.
05:31There's no question about it.
05:33And we work together on it.
05:35This has been happening throughout time.
05:38But we work together on it.
05:40We love all of those people.
05:42They're great people.
05:43Meanwhile, my colleague Pranay Upadhyay was also at that press briefing, or at least after the bilateral meeting, the questions
05:52that were taken.
05:53And he confronted Donald Trump on his recent anti-India statements.
05:57Listen in to how that exchange unfolded.
06:02Trump, you said many a times that India has a great friend in the United States, in Washington, D.C.,
06:07in White House, till the time you are president.
06:09But some of your decisions recently caused trouble, concern in India.
06:13How would you like to assure people of India, the leader of India?
06:17Well, like I said, as long as I'm president, we have a great, they have a great friend in the
06:22White House.
06:23I don't know where there might have been trouble, but I don't think so.
06:27I can tell you, everyone here, they love India.
06:30They have tremendous respect for this man.
06:34So, let's raise the big questions.
06:36Can India really trust a Donald Trump?
06:38What does Trump's praise for Prime Minister Modi mean?
06:42Is this classic Trumpian foreign policy, say one thing one day, say something the other?
06:48Should India forcefully convey its concerns to the U.S. president?
06:53Some of the questions I will raise tonight, joining me now, Casey Singh, veteran diplomat, joined me.
06:58He's tracked diplomacy for decades.
07:00Pramit Pal Choudhury, head of India practice at the Eurasia Group, has tracked the United States for a long time.
07:05Greg Kafura, director of public opinion and foreign policy at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, is with us.
07:12Let me come to you, Mr. Kafura, first.
07:15How should we look at the U.S. president's comments?
07:19At one level, he says India is a great friend.
07:21He has a terrific relationship with Prime Minister Modi.
07:25And yet, over the last one year, we've seen numerous pressure points.
07:30The U.S. president, time and again, in a way, taking on India.
07:34Whether it's on tariffs and trade, which has been more frequent than others.
07:39But even on other issues, including taking credit for ending Operation Sindhu.
07:43How should one read, can India trust Donald Trump?
07:48Well, it's a good question.
07:50I think one of the other questions is, you know, can anyone trust Donald Trump on any particular statement or
07:55any particular day?
07:56But one of the things to remember about the way that Trump conducts foreign policy is that it's very personal
08:02and very personalistic.
08:03And that doesn't always translate very well into the broader diplomatic security-political relationship that you need to sort of
08:12put out through state and the Pentagon and DOD.
08:16And I think that's where you get some of these conflicting divergences in U.S. policy.
08:23Not just on U.S.-India relations, but on other relationships as well.
08:27Think of the U.S. relationship with China.
08:29Yeah, Trump clearly has and wants to have a great relationship with Xi Jinping.
08:33That's not necessarily, you know, Gita Xa's priority or Marco Rubio's priority or, you know, the USTR's priority.
08:43In the India relationship, I do think it's, if you're looking at this as sort of a good news story,
08:49he clearly sees Modi as a strong leader.
08:52He's heaped praise, I mean, truly heaped praise on Modi in this conversation, even saying that he'll protect India if
08:59India is attacked, which I don't think other presidents have gone as far to say.
09:05How seriously he means that, though, that's another question.
09:09And I do think that's where Trump likes to talk and likes to say a lot of things.
09:13I'm not convinced that that means something.
09:15If the trade, if they work through the trade negotiations, if they work through the trade deal and get something
09:20signed, I think that would be a point of real progress.
09:23Casey Singh, you want to respond?
09:25Here is a U.S. president, as Craig Kafura says, that if India is attacked, the U.S. will be
09:29there to protect it.
09:30But we've seen in the past, for example, when Galwan happened, we didn't have the U.S. standing up for
09:36India strongly on Operation Sindhu, as I just mentioned.
09:39The U.S., in fact, has, if anything, moved closer to Pakistan rather than India in the last 12 months.
09:45So how does one trust someone like Donald Trump?
09:48No, that's absolutely correct.
09:50Whom would India have a conflict with?
09:54Either Pakistan or China?
09:55Now, where China is involved, they've already taken the eye out of the CENTCOM thing.
10:01So they're no longer treating the Indian Ocean as part of the CENTCOM thing, which had come during his first
10:06term, where they linked up the Pacific and the Indian Ocean, and India had become a part of it.
10:12Secondly, he's still sitting on a bill which is supposed to give alms to Taiwan.
10:16He hasn't done that before his visit to China or after his visit to China.
10:21So if we have a conflict with China, I don't see him coming to your aid.
10:26So, you know, this is typical.
10:27But of course, it went very well for Prime Minister Modi, because the impression in India was growing that Prime
10:33Minister Modi hasn't taken a stand, he's not spoken up.
10:36So I think all those got addressed.
10:38I have a feeling that President Trump had been briefed about that, and he went out of his way to
10:44show that his relationship with Prime Minister Modi is excellent, and so on and so forth, and to address any
10:51questions regarding there being differences between India and U.S.
10:56And of course, where relations are concerned, he'll be transactional.
10:59He's been transactional for the last year and a half, and he'll continue to be transactional.
11:04And we have to be used to it.
11:05But that's precisely also what the other leaders of the G7 did.
11:09They just flattered him and went along with him.
11:14And then he was much better.
11:15No, no, no, but Mr. Casey Singh, where is this diplomacy as flattery, where is it getting us?
11:20You see, we can flatter Trump, he can flatter us.
11:24At the end of the day, the proof of the eating lies in the pudding.
11:27Now, Mr. Khafura made the point that there could be a trade deal next week.
11:31Now, if that happens, that's visible progress.
11:34But otherwise, whether it's...
11:35And I'll put those sticking points in a moment.
11:37Look at these sticking points, Mr. Singh.
11:39Operation Sindhuur and the Ceasefire Claims, Trump Claiming U.S. Role in India Park De-Escalation,
11:45India rejecting the third-party mediation narrative.
11:48Agriculture and dairy access.
11:50U.S. has been pushing for entry of agri and dairy products.
11:54India protecting farmer-sensitive sectors,
11:57even as the U.S. has been putting penalty clauses even on India when it comes to tariffs.
12:02Russian oil purchases.
12:05U.S. wanted India to stop all discounted Russian oil imports,
12:10while India was asserting its energy choices.
12:13We've seen what's happened in the Hormuz strikes.
12:15Death of three Indian sailors, which Trump seemed to brush aside.
12:19So, how do you...
12:19You see, ultimately, it's not just about flattery.
12:22It has to be about trust.
12:23How does one trust him?
12:25No, you're absolutely right.
12:26There is no trust with anyone dealing with President Trump.
12:29You have to deal with him on a daily basis.
12:32And you have to be prepared for the worst.
12:34And I think that's what the Iranians are doing.
12:36They've gone ahead with the MOU and there are 60 days of negotiations.
12:41Let's see what emerges from it.
12:43We'll first see on Friday what are the details of the MOU.
12:47So, essentially, with President Trump, what has emerged is either if you have leverage,
12:52like China has, you can stop him.
12:55Or you suffer whatever he has to do, like Iran, and you tire him out.
13:00You stop the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, and then he backs off.
13:05So, he backs off only when he knows he has no other option.
13:10And he is suffering politically, domestically.
13:12Otherwise, he's transactional.
13:14He'll be very nice.
13:15He'll shake your hands.
13:15He'll do all that.
13:17But, essentially, on substance, he will not compromise unless he sees he has something to lose.
13:24You know, let's come to specifics, Pramit Pal Jodhry.
13:27There's talk of, Trump made the point that we are ever so close to a trade deal.
13:33Let me play what he said, and I want you to respond to that.
13:36Because Donald Trump was asked the question about the trade deal.
13:39And he seemed to suggest that we are very, very close to inking a trade deal.
13:44The U.S. trade representatives are supposed to be here next week in India.
13:49Listen in to what he said, and then I'll get you to respond, Pramit.
13:53Prime Minister Modi is a friend of mine, but they don't do very much business in terms of business with
13:58us.
13:59They sell a lot to us, but we don't buy from them.
14:02You know why?
14:02Because the tariff is so high.
14:04They have one of the highest tariffs in the world.
14:06Now, they're willing to cut it very substantially.
14:08But we'll see what happens.
14:09We're talking to India now.
14:10We'll see what happens.
14:11And it doesn't matter too much whether we have a deal or whether we charge them a certain tariff.
14:16We had, in particular, some very good conversations with Prime Minister Modi, India.
14:22And we're doing trade deals.
14:24We're doing a lot of things.
14:25A lot of things are happening between the United States and India.
14:28The United States is doing the best we've ever done.
14:31We have over $19.2 trillion coming in.
14:35We're building factories.
14:36We're building everything.
14:38And the Prime Minister is building a lot in the United States.
14:41He's spending a lot of money in the United States.
14:43So we appreciate that job.
14:45But I just want to say he's been my friend for a long time now.
14:48And we've always had a great relationship.
14:50And it's great to be with you.
14:53Thank you very much.
14:54Great to be with you.
14:57You heard what he said in July 2025, Pramit, and now what he says in June of 2026.
15:03Do you believe that this is a reset?
15:06Are you seeing a reset, particularly through trade?
15:11It's not a reset.
15:12This has been going on for quite a while.
15:14Negotiations have been going on since March.
15:17We know that about six times now, India and the U.S. negotiators have come close to a deal.
15:22And each time, President Trump has basically killed it and said, the Indians are not giving me enough.
15:28He is a hard negotiator and a very hard-nosed believer in American interests on the economic side.
15:36As Ambassador Singh said, he is completely transactional.
15:39He is about pushing what he sees as America's core economic interests.
15:45We can't fault him for that.
15:47That's what all national leaders should be doing.
15:49And he's really hard about it.
15:51So what we seem to have now gotten is a cluster of deals coming together, for which we can possibly
15:59credit the new U.S. ambassador here,
16:02in which we have probably a set of energy deals coming through.
16:06Because one thing that has been a huge transformation over the past one year is that the United States is
16:12now the world's largest oil and gas producer.
16:16It is by far bigger than Saudi Arabia and Russia, for example.
16:21And as we wish to diversify away from the Persian Gulf, it kind of makes sense for us to buy
16:26some of that from the United States.
16:29Some defense deals, some of which have already been announced, as well as a trade deal, which incorporates some of
16:35the concessions that he has mentioned.
16:38And I point out what he said about India investing in America.
16:42As I think, again, the Americans have said, we expect a certain amount of investment from India into the United
16:49States.
16:50And we've achieved roughly that $20 billion target.
16:53That was pretty easy because the Indian private sector is very eager to buy technology from the United States.
16:59And we saw, for example, Sun Pharma's purchase of Organon in New Jersey for $11 billion virtually brought you halfway
17:06there.
17:07That cluster is basically where I see, is why I see the likelihood of an Indo-U.S. bilateral trade
17:16agreement coming through reasonably quickly.
17:19Craig Kafura, do you believe that could be a game changer once the trade deal is signed?
17:24That fits in with Donald Trump's objectives, as we all call him, transactional.
17:28He's spoken about, I mean, one of the, where the opposition is criticizing the Prime Minister here is that $500
17:35billion have been guaranteed to the United States
17:38that we will purchase from them in the next five years.
17:40Many are questioning whether the Prime Minister is going too far in, sort of, according to them, supplicating before the
17:48United States.
17:49How do you see it? Is it a win-win U.S. trade deal that will come?
17:52And should that become then the pivot around which the rest of the relationship now depends?
17:58I mean, it's going to depend on what exactly ends up in that deal.
18:02It might get signed next week with USTR Greer in India next week, this time, to sort of wrap some
18:08of those final specifics.
18:09And if anyone's going to look over that thing with the fine-tooth comb on the U.S. side, it's
18:13going to be Greer.
18:14Now, if that removes some of the irritants and obstacles in the relationship that, from Trump's perspective,
18:21yes, that could be a point at which, you know, U.S. interrelations can get onto a better track.
18:26That said, U.S. deals with other countries, including some very close allies like South Korea and Japan,
18:33have included these large-scale purchase requirements, investment requirements,
18:38with not a lot of transparency around them.
18:41They have caused domestic problems in those countries.
18:43I would expect that the same problems are going to face politicians in India who have to put their name
18:49for this deal.
18:50But if you think more broadly about the relationship, I do think there are some other positive signs.
18:55Americans broadly like India and think positively of India.
19:00And also, frankly, I think everyone's going to be happy if this ceasefire with Iran holds.
19:05And if you can get oil flowing again, if tankers do start passing through the strait,
19:10that will be a sort of relief for the global economy, for the Indian economy, for the U.S. economy.
19:16If we can just sort of not start any more wars in the Middle East, that would be, I think,
19:22a benefit for everyone.
19:23You know, Casey Singh, let me also give him the points of friction once again.
19:282025, Donald Trump imposed heavy tariffs on India where our trade ties were hit.
19:33Then he repeatedly claimed, as we say, mediated Indo-Park truce during Operation Sindhuur.
19:38In March 2026, a U.S. submarine torpedoed an Iranian warship returning from naval exercises in India.
19:44And then we've seen the Strait of Hormuz blockade hitting India's energy supplies.
19:49And now the U.S. strikes on merchant vessels with Indian sailors on board.
19:53Three Indians died in an attack.
19:55India summoned the U.S. diplomat and lodged a strong protest.
19:59But today, when the president was asked about Prime Minister Modi, this is what he said.
20:05And then I want you to respond, Casey Singh, to that.
20:07As you said, there was a lot of flattery on both sides.
20:10This is what the U.S. president had to say about Prime Minister Modi.
20:16He's very close.
20:17We've been there for a little while.
20:19He's a very tough negotiator.
20:21He's one of the toughest, actually.
20:23So you look at this man.
20:25I'll give you a lesson.
20:26He's the most beautiful looking man.
20:28He looks so nice.
20:29He's like an angel.
20:30But actually, he's as tough as he's a killer.
20:34I don't want to...
20:34He's a killer.
20:35He's as tough as they come.
20:37But he looks so good.
20:39So he gets you by surprise.
20:41There's few people like this.
20:43People say, he's such a nice man.
20:45I said, no, he's very tough.
20:47He's a tough negotiator.
20:50And he loves the Indian people.
20:52But he also loves the U.S.
20:53We had Howdy Moody in Houston, remember?
20:56And the stadium was full.
20:57Never stay tough.
20:59Right?
20:59Remember that?
21:00He didn't have a stay Trump in India.
21:01That was great.
21:02Then we'll be going to India.
21:05You know, at one level, he's a tough negotiator.
21:08He's a killer, as he calls it.
21:11At another level, he says, very calm and collected.
21:13He's my friend.
21:14I mean, Donald Trump keeps sending mixed signals.
21:16Today was, as you said, very warm in his response to the Indian Prime Minister.
21:21And going ahead, therefore, Casey Singh, how should we see this?
21:26Should we see this in the context of the fact that Donald Trump also needs good news around him
21:33after all that's happened in the last few months,
21:36with many even saying that the deal with Iran is a virtual surrender?
21:42Look, there's a lesson in that for us.
21:45Because you remember, Prime Minister was in Israel just before the war started.
21:49So, essentially, we were aligned very clearly with the UAE, Israel, U.S. camp.
21:56Now, what happens when Trump abandons all these guys and does a deal with Iran?
22:02Now, it's okay.
22:03It doesn't affect us.
22:04But what happens is that we really have UAE left.
22:07Because you've seen the other countries where not only Qatar was invited.
22:12Saudis were not there for the G7.
22:15So, therefore, you know, there's a division in the GCC.
22:18If we keep away from too much alignment with anyone,
22:22then you can play your cards however it ends.
22:25But if it ends like this, that you are left,
22:28now you don't know what's going to happen to Netanyahu.
22:30There's an election at the end of November.
22:32If he loses, then there's personalized diplomacy.
22:35See, Prime Minister likes personalized diplomacy.
22:38It's excellent if you have to get over hurdles.
22:41But on a constant basis, it depends on people.
22:44If a person loses the election, he's not there,
22:47then their personalized diplomacy doesn't help.
22:50Trump is not talking of India.
22:51He's talking of Prime Minister.
22:53So, he has to talk.
22:54We have to do India-U.S. relations.
22:57It's excellent that Prime Minister has the equation.
22:59But that equation has to be translated into a transaction.
23:03And I'm sure Prime Minister is being transactional.
23:06And that is the frustration that Trump is showing,
23:09that he doesn't bend.
23:11And therefore, when you put pressure, he doesn't bend,
23:14which is a good thing.
23:15Now, we will get to know what kind of a deal we get.
23:18Otherwise, November elections,
23:20probably President Trump will lose.
23:22The Republicans will lose.
23:24Certainly the House, maybe even the Senate.
23:27He gets weakened after that.
23:29So, we really have four or five months left
23:31in which Netanyahu may go.
23:34President Trump may be weaker.
23:35So, playing for time, there is no harm.
23:39After that, really, you have just two years of Trump left.
23:42It's good to keep him busy like this
23:44and keep him, etc.
23:46And you'll have to manage.
23:47But you hope the Ukraine war ends.
23:50Because then our relationship with Russia
23:52is not affected by sanctions.
23:54That is a bad thing.
23:55That Trump tries controlling you
23:57by imposing sanctions on a country
24:00that you're trading with,
24:01which has been an old friend.
24:03So, you can't be all the time,
24:06we're told that a condition for friendship with India is
24:09that you will go by.
24:10Because traditionally,
24:12we've always said we will accept UN sanctions.
24:14We will not respect sanctions from any single country.
24:18But we've been doing it with the US.
24:20And I think that is something we have to overcome.
24:23Very quickly, then, for Pramit Pal Chaudhry,
24:26a short-term horizon.
24:27Do you think things are getting better
24:28after what's been a very difficult year
24:31over the last 12 months?
24:33Yes, I think the trade deal
24:34has a very good chance of coming through.
24:36That'll stabilize the economic relationship.
24:39That's particularly important
24:40at a time when we need FDI into this country.
24:44And a lot of American manufacturers,
24:46in particular, are waiting
24:47for tariff stabilization, if you wish.
24:52That's one part of it.
24:54But keep in mind that Trump
24:55has a very different strategic view of the world.
24:59He does not see the Indo-Pacific strategy
25:02of his predecessors as important.
25:05He doesn't see containing China
25:08through a coalition of other countries.
25:11I see AUKUS as another organization
25:13that is basically on its deathbed.
25:16A lot of that will change.
25:18But keep in mind,
25:19we don't know how long that will survive
25:21because after Trump,
25:22we may see a progressive Democrat government,
25:24which may have a very different point of view.
25:27But nonetheless,
25:28no matter which government
25:29comes to power in America,
25:30they will be isolationist and transactional.
25:34On that note,
25:35I appreciate my guests joining us
25:37and giving us a few reality checks
25:39amidst all the warmth
25:40that was on display
25:41in that Trump-Modi meeting.
25:43Thank you all very much
25:44for joining me on the show tonight.
25:46Let me turn from there
25:47to the big story
25:48that's been making the headlines here back home.
25:52Days after the Trinamul Congress split,
25:55now it appears that the Uddhav Thakre,
25:58Shiv Sena, UBT,
25:59is also set to split in Parliament.
26:02According to sources to India Today,
26:04six Sena UBT MPs
26:06have sent a letter to the Lok Sabha speaker
26:08this morning seeking to merge
26:10with the Eknath-Shinde faction.
26:12The other MPs are denying
26:15any such letter being signed.
26:17But either way,
26:18the Shiv Sena UBT
26:19is also in crisis mode.
26:22Is the opposition being targeted now
26:25by the Modi government?
26:27Take a look.
26:33Maha drama is unfolding
26:35in the national capital.
26:37After TMC,
26:38there seems to be open rebellion
26:40in Uddhav Sena camp.
26:41Three years after the first Shiv Sena split,
26:44history seems to be repeating itself.
26:47Sources say
26:48six of Uddhav Sena's
26:49nine Lok Sabha MPs
26:51have reportedly sent a letter
26:53to the Lok Sabha speaker
26:54on Wednesday morning
26:56seeking to merge
26:57with Eknath-Shinde's Shiv Sena.
26:59Uddhav Thakre led Shiv Sena UBT
27:01has called it Operation Tiger.
27:04According to sources,
27:06six Sena UBT MPs
27:07flew into Delhi
27:08from Nandir, Pune and Mumbai
27:10in private planes
27:12early this morning.
27:13These MPs were accompanied
27:15by a senior Shinde Sena leader.
27:18In a bid to manage the crisis,
27:20Sena UBT has called
27:21a meeting of its MPs.
27:23Sena UBT Parliamentary Party leader
27:25Arvind Sawant
27:26has issued a whip
27:27directing all nine party MPs
27:29to attend the meeting
27:30on Thursday.
27:32Uddhav Loyalist Sanjay Rao
27:34alleged that their MPs
27:35are being lowered with cash
27:36and threatened with CBI
27:38and ED action.
27:39When we have ED, CBI,
27:42police will not be managed
27:44to be able to manage
27:44the other party's house.
27:48I will tell you.
27:49I don't want to tell you.
27:50This is no matter of government
27:52that we are breaking
27:53any party.
27:54You have all your
27:56protection.
27:59ED, CBI will come in front
28:01and come in front of us.
28:02We will see how much water
28:04is on the ground.
28:08SENA UBT MP Arvind Sawant wrote a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla urging him not
28:14to recognize any split.
28:17Sources and Speaker's Office say verification is mandatory in cases of split.
28:22They add that it is essential for the Speaker to speak with every MP who should substantiate
28:28their claims.
28:29Sources pointed out that the petitions of TMC MPs were accepted only after they met
28:35the Speaker personally.
28:38If the move of the rebel MP succeeds, it meets the two-thirds requirement under the anti-defection
28:43law and boost NDA members in the Lok Sabha.
28:47The opposition has hit out at the BJP, accusing it of breaking rival parties.
28:53I think it's a very serious charge, what Mr. Sanjay Rav is saying.
28:57It should be looked into immediately and the Speaker must act in an unbiased fashion.
29:02It is true that the current government is trying to create divisions within the opposition
29:06parties, breaking parties and to create a majority where none exists.
29:12In the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP got 240 seats, a minority government, a coalition government
29:16was formed.
29:17It did not get 400 seats.
29:18They want to pass bills that require two-thirds majority.
29:21That mandate they don't have.
29:24Eknash Shinde led Shiv Sena called the rebellion a result of ill-treatment of MPs within Udhav's
29:29party.
29:55Three years after the first split, the Shiv Sena war is playing out again.
29:59Ahead of the Shiv Sena's foundation day on June 19th.
30:04With Piyush Mishra and Himantra Mishra, Bureau Report, India Today.
30:08Okay, let me go to my newsmaker now.
30:11The leader of the Shiv Sena parliamentary party in the Lok Sabha, Arvind Sawan joins me.
30:16Appreciate your joining us, Mr. Sawan.
30:19It appears that your party is breaking apart.
30:22Six MPs reportedly writing a letter to the Speaker that they want to merge with the Shiv
30:27Sena Shinde group.
30:28Are you now effectively a minority even in the parliamentary party and who do you hold
30:33responsible for this breakup?
30:39I think, Manu, Rajdeepji, you have arrived to a conclusion assuming that they have left
30:45the party, a letter has been submitted, approval has been given by the Honorable Speaker of
30:51the House.
30:51It is not so.
30:53It is not so.
30:54The letter has not yet gone to the Speaker of the House.
30:56Secondly, we have met in precautionary measures, we can say preventive measures, we can say.
31:02When we heard that the news is happening for last week, just think of it, on the 14th of
31:07this month, 14th of this month, Honorable Udhavji conducted a meeting at Matoshti in Mumbai,
31:14where four were physically present and other four were there on the video conferencing.
31:19So, within two days, what has happened?
31:22No, you tell me, no, you tell me, no, no, you tell me what has happened.
31:25No, no, one minute.
31:26No, no, Arvind Savanji, you tell me what has happened in the last two days because Sanjay
31:30Raut is saying 15 crores have been offered to these MPs in advance and 50 crores allegedly
31:35is what is going to be paid.
31:37Now, there is no evidence of it, but if you are saying that only on Sunday they were with
31:42you and today they seem to be switching sides, something has happened in the last 48 hours.
31:48What has happened?
31:49What has changed?
31:52I don't know.
31:53See, these, these again, these are the, you know, informations you get, as you get the
31:58information, we too get information.
32:00None of these information are confirmed, one.
32:03But secondly, the fact is that what has happened in Maharashtra Assembly, you know it, you know,
32:09understand Marathi also very well.
32:11What is that slogan?
32:12Do you know it?
32:12Panna's Koke, Ek Dham Mukhe.
32:14What it means?
32:14The 50 crores were offered to every MLA who left the party and joined them.
32:18And that is, everybody knows in the, not only Maharashtra, in the world they know it.
32:23What is 50 Koke and Ek Dham Mukhe.
32:25So this is what the, you know, happened with the party which is taking initiative.
32:30No, but why is it so easy?
32:31Sir, I, you are saying Panna's, sir, you are saying.
32:33He must have said it.
32:34No, no, you are saying Panna's Koke, Ek Dham Mukhe.
32:37But why is it becoming so easy to break a party like yours?
32:41Trinamul Congress few days ago, now your party, all regional parties seem to be very easy to break.
32:47Why is it so easy?
32:48Ekna Chinde Brokka Party in 2022.
32:51I see.
32:51And now your parliamentary party seems to be breaking.
32:53Why is it so easy?
32:56Is it only money?
32:58See, let me tell you frankly again.
33:00This day, no, I don't think it has happened.
33:03I won't accept it till it happens.
33:05Right now, because we have issued a whip for a meeting which is to be conducted tomorrow.
33:14So let us see how many MPs remain present in that meeting.
33:19And after that, we can say, I don't want to, I mean, tarnish anybody's image or blame anyone right now.
33:25The fact remains that he, why somebody, because the news is appearing in the channel, why I should accuse my
33:32colleague that you are going to defect the party?
33:34No, no, you are not accusing, but Sanjay Raut is already abusing them.
33:38Sanjay Raut is already abusing them and calling them dhokhe baas and using abusive words.
33:43No, no, are we saying, are we saying that there are people in the Shiv Sena who have now decided
33:50that they want to be on the, with power.
33:53They want to be with BJP or with the government in the center.
33:56They want to have power.
33:58This is all about power.
34:04See, Shiv Sena is altogether a different party.
34:08We believe party, we look at the party, we honor at the party, we regard the party as a mother.
34:14And after the agony, if some words have come, it is not for any, any individual.
34:19What he said, if at all somebody is defecting, then naturally there was a reaction from the other one, Sanjay
34:26Raut ji.
34:27It is not that he has given, he has taken anybody's name.
34:30No, he said this is principally wrong.
34:34Why you are creating a share market of the political parties like this?
34:38If somebody is trying to purchase, if somebody is there to sell of you himself, people are standing in the
34:43market.
34:43I am ready to get, they're like IPL, they are saying the bargaining they meant, I'll pay you this price.
34:49Auction.
34:49This is an Indian political league auction.
34:52Is this a political?
34:53This is an Indian political league auction that is going on.
34:57No, no, but Arvind Savan ji, you have been a senior, you have been a senior leader of the, sir,
35:02sir, sir, you have been a senior leader of Shiv Sena.
35:04This is what is happening.
35:05Then do you feel?
35:07Are you disappointed?
35:08Are you feeling disappointed?
35:10Do you feel by being so?
35:14See, naturally, one is bound to get disappointed if such things are happening in the...
35:18Do you honor the constitution of India or not?
35:20Do you want to maintain the sanctity of the constitution of India or not?
35:24That is what the million dollar question right now.
35:27See, what has happened with us in the...
35:29Even if they have left, the defection, anti-defection clause, law, schedule says it should be two-third and they
35:36should join, merge with someone.
35:38Did they do?
35:39Did...
35:40Whether they were two-third?
35:41What the chief justice of India is doing for the last four years is not able to give a decision
35:46on this.
35:47What you...
35:48Where the democracy is?
35:49It is...
35:50It is not only auction, Devji, this is a criminalization of the politics.
35:56You know, you are...
35:57You accuse a person that you are a corrupt and next day you accept him and you make him a
36:01chief minister, it is a criminalization of the politics.
36:05And this is what BJP is doing it.
36:07And this other party, with the blessings of the BJP, with the support of the BJT, they too got the
36:13courage.
36:13We can do this thing.
36:14Nobody is going to object to us because the CGI is slipping.
36:18Who is going to take action against us?
36:20So nobody is going to take action against them.
36:22That confidence is given to the people who betray the party.
36:25No, I know that the...
36:27Sir, I know that the Supreme Court has been sitting on the judgment in the Shiv Sena case for the
36:31last three years and questions will be raised as to why they are.
36:34But I want to still ask you...
36:36More than that.
36:37No, no.
36:38Since 2023 and now we are in 2026.
36:40But do you believe, therefore, that this is part of a BJP plan for an opposition Mukt Bharat?
36:46That Narendra Modi ji's, Amit Shah ji's plan, particularly after they lost the delimitation bill in parliament, is opposition Mukt.
36:54Two-thirds majority opposition Mukt Bharat.
37:00This is the right question.
37:02This is what their intention is.
37:05And the reason behind this is that they want to modify the constitution of India.
37:13They want to amend the constitution of India.
37:15Not only the limitation bill.
37:17Don't think that their limit is something else.
37:20Their object is something else.
37:21Because they have some different ideas in their mind.
37:25Right now, even the West Bengal's Tribal Congress people, even if they are 22, it is again unconstitutional.
37:34I am telling you, the party chief, the Kundu, he himself once got shocked.
37:40Somebody is marching with me.
37:41I don't know.
37:42Without his consent, without his letter, the letter has not been retilted to the Speaker of the House that he
37:48has accepted these people in his party.
37:50You know, all things are going on anti-constitution.
37:53Do you also accept, sir, you are blaming, sir, you are blaming, sir, you are blaming.
37:57I say, it is a criminalization.
37:59You are saying criminalization, you are blaming the BJP, but what about the leadership of your own party?
38:04Many of these MPs privately say that they feel that Uddav Thakre is not able to inspire them.
38:08This is not Mara Sahib Thakre's party.
38:10You all broke away from the BJP, joint hands with the Congress that is against your Hindutva ideology.
38:16They give me these reasons.
38:21Rajivji, it is a very much Bala Sahib Thakre's party, 100%.
38:27I can tell you.
38:28And we are following the path of the Honorable Mandaniya Hindu Ruday Samrat, Shiva Senaproof, Bala Sahib Thakre.
38:35Uddav Ji is running the party.
38:39Whatever the aspirations, whatever the, I mean, the thoughts he has inculcated in us, imbibed in us, we are following
38:48the same path today also.
38:50Therefore, we don't have anything in mind that we are violating, only thing is that, you know it, these are
38:56the guys, what was the, you know, complaint, complaint was what?
38:59Because they are not being allotted money.
39:01The funds are not being allotted to the opposition parties, may it be MLA, may it be MP of any
39:07party.
39:07I mean, all Indian opposition parties are suffering like this.
39:11All opposition parties are not getting funds.
39:13You are making an important allegation.
39:15You are saying all opposition MPs and MLAs are not having denied funds.
39:23May I add to it further?
39:24Let me complete it.
39:25Yes.
39:26If, right, I said it the other day also, a day will come, CAG will have to take a cognizance
39:32of the funds allocated under the DPDC to the party, to the ruling parties, or even the, those who are
39:40not even the members of the assembly, not even the member of the council,
39:45the council, mensual council, he is being allotted a five crore fund, but not the MP, not the MP.
39:51This is a very, very serious charge you are making today on the show, Mr. Arvind Sawant, you are claiming
39:56that opposition MPs and MLAs are being denied their constituency funds.
40:01This is a charge.
40:03Yes, deny, yes, true, true, I am telling you.
40:05And this, their, this is their grievance, not the complaint.
40:09This grievance is genuine, we do accept it.
40:11This grievance was, what we were saying is that, under the circumstances,
40:15we have to keep a tolerance, and go ahead with the issues of the people.
40:18I am going to leave it.
40:19Go on the road, fight for the issues of the people.
40:22Okay.
40:23That is what Udawji was telling us, guiding us.
40:26Okay, I am going to leave it there, Mr. Arvind Sawant, you obviously are waiting to see what happens when
40:33your parliamentary party meets tomorrow,
40:35but for now it appears that the Shiv Sena could be the, Shiv Sena UBT could be the latest opposition
40:41party facing a divide.
40:44I am telling you, today, Rajdeep ji, today in the morning, we were three from the Lok Sabha.
40:50Yes.
40:50One Mr. Sanjay Patil was very much in Mumbai.
40:54He did not come to Delhi, nor did he sign any paper.
40:58So these are all fake news, that they were seven, and now it has come to where?
41:03Why, if at all they had so many numbers, why did they, did not go to the honorable speaker and
41:09took a photograph?
41:10That we have joined it?
41:12Has it happened that whole day?
41:14Okay, we'll wait and see.
41:15We'll wait and see whether they have the numbers or not.
41:17The fact is totally different.
41:18Sir, we'll wait and see whether they have the numbers or not.
41:20We'll know tomorrow.
41:21We too, we too are, we too are ready to wait and see.
41:25Thank you very much for joining me on the show tonight.
41:32Other top story today.
41:34Leader of the opposition, Rahul Gandhi, today kicked off a Congress protest campaign over exams to chaos and other issues
41:41related to education.
41:43Hundreds attended the rally held in Kota and Rajasthan, while the BJP has dismissed the protest and blamed the Congress
41:49for distracting students,
41:50for preparing for the neat retest.
41:53Rahul Gandhi and the Congress are saying they will now take their campaign nationwide to awaken the students over paper
41:59leaks and other education related issues.
42:03Take a look at my colleague Moshmi Singh's report.
42:10Rahul Gandhi launches nationwide protest over education system.
42:14The Congress held Chhatro ki Goonj, a rally of students at Kota, country's main coaching hub, where thousands come every
42:23year to join NEET tutorial.
42:25The leader of opposition lashed out at the Narendra Modi government for the troubles faced by the students due to
42:32exam fiascos, question paper leaks and high coaching fees.
42:59The education campaign will reach Delhi on July 14th.
43:04The Congress is demanding accountability for the miss.
43:30The BJP has hit back, accusing Rahul Gandhi of distracting neat aspirants
43:35at a time when they are preparing for the retest.
43:38On June 21st.
44:09The Congress campaign follows multiple exam fiascos that saw neat UG question paper leak,
44:15alleged student suicides and CBSA Class 12 digital marking scandal.
44:21The exam cures and flaws in government recruitment have led to anger among the youth, who have
44:27taken to streets in many parts of the country.
44:30The Dishara ground in Kota, the venue for Congress's protest on the issue of paper leak, the attempt
44:37has been to establish a direct connect with the youth of the country.
44:41Whether it helps Rahul Gandhi to establish communication with Gen Z and seek accountability from the
44:50government effectively or not is something which time can tell.
44:54With camera person Manish Devankun Wadhaavan in Kota for India today.
45:02Well, we'll see where that protest of Rahul Gandhi goes but that's where we have to take leave and go
45:08because it is the end of our show but I want to leave you with the greatest show on earth
45:14or the greatest sporting, one of the greatest sporting events on earth.
45:18The World Cup soccer which saw Argentina begin their title defense and when Argentina is there, well Lionel Messi is
45:25never too far.
45:27He's got his first ever World Cup hat-trick in that game against Algeria showing that Messi is still arguably
45:34the greatest player in the world at the moment.
45:39He's scored 16 World Cup goals now equaling the previous record held by Germany's Miroslav Klose.
45:46Those are the images of the day, thanks for watching, stay well, stay safe, good night, Shubhra 3, Jai Hind,
45:54Namaskar.
45:57His first World Cup hat-trick and it's a record-setter!
46:07Lionel Messi
46:08The United States
46:08One
46:08Five
46:08Three
46:08One
46:08Two