- 6 weeks ago
A multi-storey building collapse in south Delhi's Satya Niketan has resulted in seven fatalities, prompting the arrest of the building owners under charges of culpable homicide and negligence.
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00:18Hello and welcome. I'm Sonal Mehrotra Kapoor. This is 5 Live. On the program today, 3 Stories
00:23in Focus. We continue to keep the spotlight on the situation in Delhi's PGs. Your rent,
00:32well, it's completely not just the money that's going away. These are profits on peril as well.
00:40India Today, Rent Undercover to understand that what happened at one of the colonies here in
00:45the National Capital is not an isolated incident. It's something, perhaps a tragedy that was waiting
00:50to happen and how this has not been an eye-opener for several other places which continue to operate
00:56the same way. So, we've got that hidden camera investigation going for you. Also, on the
01:02program today, who is allowing floors of greed? Now, we were there at the area at the collapse site
01:10yesterday in the neighborhood to actually understand that it was not unknown that these
01:17entire buildings are unsafe. So, who ignored the warnings and who went in for greed? That
01:23break-up is very important to fix responsibility. So, we've got to address that story. And then,
01:28there's a story that has come to us on the Gen Z obsession, this time of the Prime Minister himself.
01:34But before we get into all of those, first up, a look at all the headlines on Top of 5.
01:41Proven to Delhi Police Collapse, the Delhi Building Collapse gather space. The FIR alleges forefloors
01:48were illegal, adding to generate additional rental income despite the owner being aware of the
01:54building's old foundation and its inability to bear the extra load. It also alleges that construction
02:00continued despite the risks. And the three accused in this case, Hariram Gupta, Urmila Gupta and their son,
02:07Mahesh Gupta, have now been arrested.
02:11Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta today met with the victims and families of the
02:16Satya Niketan Building Collapse at Ames and said that two students are out of danger. Two are likely
02:21to be discharged today, while one remains in the ICU. The CM also said that the government is in touch
02:26with the families of the deceased students. Meanwhile, the five MCD officials have been suspended
02:31and the adjacent building is set to be demolished tomorrow.
02:37Prime Minister Modi, meanwhile, has launched and inaugurated the rail and road project worth
02:4235,000 crores and dedicated three new sections of the dedicated freight corridor in Vadodara today.
02:48He also addressed the young people and hit out at the opposition using his Naraswaji jibe
02:54while speaking about concerns over the freight corridor.
03:01A security scare has been reported ahead of Prime Minister Modi's event in Mumbai. Two suspects were
03:06detained at the Neetamukesha Mbani Cultural Centre in PKC. Sources say one of them claimed to be a PMO
03:12official and was found carrying a fake PMO identity card. His accompanying bodyguard was also
03:18reportedly carrying a gun. A case has been registered against the Wisdom Islamic
03:25organisation leader Dr. Abdullah Bazil following a complaint by the Big TV anchor Aparna Khurub.
03:34Khurub has alleged that Bazil circulated misleading videos and messages, distorted facts and tarnished
03:41her dignity and reputation.
03:46Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay's remarks in the Assembly on the emergency have triggered a political
03:51row now. During a debate on the 1975-1977 emergency, Vijay referred to MK Stalin's arrest under MISA and
04:00allegedly made a hand gesture appearing to mimic someone being stuck. CPM accused Vijay of body
04:06shaming Stalin and using a painful chapter of his past for political attacks.
04:14Weeks ahead of the Durga Puja, the Bhaageshwar Dham Chief Dherendra Shastri has sparked a political
04:20controversy. Speaking in Howra's Leeloo, Shastri appeared to people and went on to appeal to them
04:27as well to keep non-vegetarian food away from Durga Puja Pandals. His remarks have come days after the VHP
04:35issued a similar advisory.
04:42PGP MP and actor Kangana Ranaut has come out in support of actor Trisha Krishnana made a political
04:47row in Tamil Nadu. Kangana referred to alleged derogatory remarks against Trisha by Tamil Nadu
04:53leader of opposition Udenadi Stalin saying attacking a woman's character is an old tactic to discredit
04:59women. His comments come a day after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay said no one would be
05:05spared for targeting or disrespecting women. A deadly assault on a Manipuri musician in Delhi has
05:13sparked concern amongst a northeastern community, 54-year-old. Vikram Singh, a musician and music
05:19teacher allegedly confronted delivery workers and dhava staff over shouting and nuisance outside his
05:25residence before he was assaulted. Police have now arrested eight accused including a juvenile.
05:31A man's death by suicide in Punjab over allegations linked to the drug Venice has triggered now political
05:37controversy. Gulzar Singh died by suicide after allegedly consuming poison. His family has alleged
05:43that local ruling party leaders sort of pressured him to apologize after questioning the Punjab finance
05:51minister Harpal Singh Chima over the supply of chitta or synthetic drugs in the village. BJP has demanded
05:57investigation and accountability from the Man government.
06:05I want to keep our focus on the story that is unfolding right here in the national capital,
06:10a disgrace to say the least. The latest updates is this, that seven people are dead and the building
06:15collapse and yet just meters away the business of student housing that continues. In a today's special
06:22investigation has found a disturbing gap between what the rule demands and what students are actually
06:29being offered on the ground. Our reporters went undercover and found that PG is operating in the
06:36buildings with dampness, seepage, questionable construction rooms being rented with six-month lock-ins and
06:44landlords and brokers openly discussing demands as students scramble for accommodation. The chilling part,
06:52as you will see in this investigation, that students have very few alternatives. With hundreds of PG's packed
06:59into the area, the question is no longer just where will the students live. The question is how long
07:05will they continue to live like this? Take a look.
07:32India today's reality check found that the rules on paper and the reality on the ground are worlds apart.
07:45Just 100 meters from the collapsed site is Sai properties. A five-story PG operates inside the building.
07:56Meet Dhandraj, the broker renting out rooms.
08:02Do you notice that a room?
08:06Drugs-Car-Ram, the house.
08:11Drugs-Car-Ram, a Prodigal-Ram.
08:20How will I get?
08:21I'm going to get a phone number.
08:23Just a few minutes.
08:24Do you have AC?
08:28I also get 18,000 pounds.
08:3018,000 pounds.
08:3118,000 pounds.
08:3118,000 pounds.
08:3218,000 pounds.
08:3318,000 pounds.
08:3518,000 pounds.
08:3718,000 pounds.
08:38And one day, I was crying out.
08:38One day I was crying out, one day I had a great deal.
08:41And I was crying out and have a strong deal.
08:42It's not the same.
08:42I was crying out for 12 days.
08:43We're crying out.
08:4515 days.
08:47And someone has an agreement in this room.
09:01One month's rent. Six month lock-in. And then we walked inside where even in broad daylight darkened
09:10stairs greet us, along with seepage, dampness and filth.
09:49Meanwhile, Dhanraj revealed that after the building collapsed, students have been coming
09:54to him looking for rooms.
10:32And it gets worse. Next door in Motibag village, a house on a barely passable lane, a 50 square
10:40yard plot. New rooms have been constructed right up to the fifth floor.
11:30Three rooms on every floor. No clear agreement requirement. We spoke to Veerwati on the phone.
11:39She quoted a rent of 14,000 rupees for the room on the fifth floor.
11:47She said on a check.
11:49She said on a checklist.
11:50She said it, sheель, her family, one child?
11:53Yes.
11:56She, her family, won't be here.
12:02She was a granddaddy and he and a child.
12:05She's got the girl at the top of her.
12:07She was a granddaddy.
12:13She died on a daily basis.
12:13She died on a daily basis.
12:20We met Om, just a few steps away from the accident site, who gave us a glimpse of the
12:26scale.
12:50Seven dead, families torn apart, but the hunt for profit from
12:55student housing continues.
12:59The PG racket stands and one question remains.
13:04The question is, for how long?
13:08An India Today Special Investigation Team report by Nitin Jain.
13:17Deaths have been reported, buildings have collapsed and the business however of the
13:22PG housing continues as usual.
13:26But meanwhile, let's give you an update.
13:27Seven lives have been lost in a building collapse and the FIR now points to a series of alleged
13:31construction violations that preceded the tragedy.
13:34This was not a new structure.
13:35It was a 40 to 50 year old building, standing in a densely packed locality.
13:41Yet over the years, the structure had grown into a basement and five floors.
13:46The upper floors were being used as PG in around 10 rooms, housing students while a medical
13:51shop operated in the ground floor.
13:53And at a time of the collapse, renovation work was underway.
13:57Workers were digging up the basement while a load bearing pillar was being dismantled.
14:02Then came heavy rain and structure gave way.
14:06The FIR also alleges that four floors were added illegally with the additional construction
14:11allegedly driven by the prospect of higher rental income.
14:14It further alleges that owners were aware of the building's old foundation and knew it
14:19was not designed to carry the additional load yet.
14:22The work was on.
14:23Despite that, the FIR alleges construction continues.
14:26The investigation has now invoked charges including culpable homicide, rash acts, endangering
14:33life and negligence in construction.
14:35And the building owner, Hariram Gupta, named in electricity documents connected to the property,
14:40he has been sent to 14 day judicial custody.
14:43His wife, Urmala Gupta, named also in the property documents.
14:45She too has been sent to 14 days of judicial custody.
14:47And the son, Mahesh, that allegedly ran the PG with his father, has been remanded to two days
14:53of police custody as the investigation moves forward.
14:56The government is also looking beyond this one building.
14:59Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has met with the injured and their families at Ames.
15:03The Chief Minister says the building safety and PG regulations were discussed and the government
15:07has ordered structural audits of existing PG's with a focus on stricter safety checks.
15:12Delhi's PG rules are also set for review and with thousands of students sort of dependent
15:17on private accommodation, the government says it is exploring more housing options for students
15:22including the possibility of using the vacant DTA housing.
15:25But this is not the first building collapse to hit Satana Ketan, remember.
15:29Around four years ago, an under construction building collapsed in the same area, killing
15:33two workers.
15:34And the distance?
15:35Barely 200 meters from the latest collapse site.
15:38All of this was not enough to ring alarm bells.
15:41Now the deaths, still not enough to shake up others into action.
15:47You can clearly see as to how when this building had collapsed around four years back, the debris
15:53had come down and debris is still lying here.
15:56We can still see the remains of debris which is still lying here.
15:59And under the same debris, two workers had died while they were taking part in construction
16:07activity of this building.
16:08This building was under construction.
16:10In fact, it was half constructed and while the construction was going on, the building
16:14had collapsed due to which two workers had lost their lives.
16:18So, now the kind of incident which has happened in Satya Niketan telling us that despite this
16:23incident, no lessons were learnt by the authorities and this building, when it was being constructed,
16:28it had completed almost two floors and during the construction itself, it got collapsed and two workers had died.
16:37Now, the point here is that why no actions were taken by the authorities.
16:42In fact, as we are reporting, we also found an interesting, you know, board here, interesting
16:48notice here right in front of this collapsed under construction building where it is mentioned
16:53that if you want to take some property on rent, you can contact on the given numbers.
17:00So, this shows the irony here in Satya Niketan that A, A, no lessons were learnt, B, despite
17:08such incidents, no actions were taken, C, had actions been taken around four years back,
17:14then incident of this scale where seven people have lost lives in Satya Niketan would not have
17:19happened.
17:25And Piyush is live with us as well to get a perspective on the story.
17:28Piyush, the reality of Delhi is that it's not just Satya Niketan, it is not just that one building.
17:36If you walk across Delhi, there will be thousands if not lakhs of buildings built exactly to the same quality.
17:42These are all ticking time bombs.
17:45These are all collapses just waiting to happen.
17:49So while this case has come to light and the government says that they will now take action,
17:55the clear issue here remains that permits are given for a price.
18:01That's the issue here in the national capital, which is the issue at several places across
18:05the country as well.
18:06That's the reality of our times, that if you have the right price, you can construct whatever
18:10you want, doesn't matter if you are international capital, doesn't matter what the law says.
18:15To overcome that, is there a strategy?
18:19Do you get a sense that the government has woken up and they will actually do a proper audit
18:25and hold all these people accountable?
18:27Because from what I understand is that even if an audit is ordered today, even if the audit
18:31is done in time, how will they give replacement?
18:35Where will these people go?
18:37How is this to become a practical answer?
18:42Well, absolutely correct.
18:43The government will have to take some concrete steps.
18:47Yes, government is now promising that they are going to audit all the buildings, not only
18:51in Satya Niketan, but also in other educational hubs like Lakshmi Nagar, Malavi Nagar, Hoskhas,
18:57Mukherjee Nagar.
18:58But the point here is that every time, whenever such incident happens, the government comes
19:03up with promise.
19:04And every time we have seen all these promises have been eyewashed.
19:08Why?
19:08Because actions, strong, strong, tough actions are not taken.
19:13Had these actions taken, then such scale of incident would not have happened in the areas
19:19like Malavi Nagar or also in Satya Niketan, every time the Saipasen government makes another
19:25fresh promise.
19:26But this time, what we are learning is that government in late night meetings yesterday
19:30decided to do audit of not only buildings in these areas, but also across Delhi.
19:36In 10 days, a report has to be submitted by the zone officers to the MCD commissioner.
19:43After that, government is also going to make some rules and regulations for the PGA competitions
19:47and public space givings.
19:49So, the government seems to be in a very action mode.
19:55It remains to be seen what kind of action the government is now going to take.
19:58Once again, this raises the kind of pictures which we are showing from Satya Niketan and
20:03from other parts of Delhi shows that so far, despite the rampant failures, the government
20:09was failed to take actions.
20:11Had actions been taken, then these incidents would not have happened.
20:15What we can tell to our viewers right now is that as we are speaking, the buildings, those
20:20are adjacent to the collapsed buildings, are being vacated.
20:24These buildings, existing buildings have developed cracks.
20:28These buildings are now moving to some other areas.
20:30As they are moving to other areas, they are still in a lot of fear as to where they would
20:36go, where they are going to have their accommodation.
20:39Yes, it is a complete failure and this is certainly wreaking havoc on the students who are living
20:46there in the Satya Niketan area of Delhi.
20:49Sure.
20:50Sure.
20:50Pyush, they are bringing out the details and the ground reality of how it stands here in the
20:54national capital.
20:55Not just that one building, not just Satya Niketan, the stories of crumbling infrastructure
21:00like this exists all across Delhi, the national capital of the country.
21:04But speaking about which, let's give you a bigger picture now.
21:07What exactly was the building like that collapsed?
21:10How were the students or residents there really living?
21:13And what led to the actual collapse here?
21:16My colleague Akshita explains what led to the tragic incident with AI-generated images depicting
21:22the incident.
21:23Take a look.
21:33This is the Satya Niketan area of Delhi.
21:36The PG is right here.
21:38Along this narrow, busy stretch, buildings all packed closely on either sides.
21:45And as you can see, there are homes, there are shops, there are small establishments all
21:50opening onto the street.
21:51Vehicles are there, people are moving through this particular lane and the PG behind me,
21:56the building that collapsed, is one of several buildings, standing almost wall to wall in
22:01the supremely crowded neighborhood.
22:03There's very little space between any of the buildings.
22:07So this is what the stretch looked like.
22:13Now let's transport you inside the building, inside this PG.
22:18Again cramped.
22:19Rooms lined up on both sides of this narrow corridor.
22:23It's one after another.
22:24And within these rooms, very small rooms, a large number of young residents staying, all
22:30accommodated within this limited space.
22:33Even the common areas beyond this corridor, the passageways that I'm in, all tightly packed,
22:38giving you a sense of just how crowded this building, this PG is.
22:44But here's what was happening.
22:46Down in the basement, while all of those students are living above, construction work is underway.
22:52Workers are moving around their exposed pillars clearly in the basement.
22:58And that's supporting the entire structure above.
23:02Look at how much of the building actually stands on these few concrete supports.
23:07There are multiple floors as I showed you before.
23:10Rooms, all of the weight of all of those floors, those rooms, it comes onto these pillars.
23:15The pillars are relatively narrow.
23:17And amid that, these workers continuing to work.
23:20The spaces between them are very tight.
23:22They're not spaced out.
23:24And yet they're carrying the load of all of the floors above.
23:28The construction incomplete.
23:30So work is going on.
23:32The entire support structure is clearly visible here.
23:36And that gives you a closer look at exactly what's holding the building up.
23:40The warning signs are there.
23:41Nobody cared.
23:43Nobody did anything about it.
23:45It was ignored.
23:48A weak basement, a weak base, pouring rain.
23:51In a matter of seconds, it's all gone.
23:54It just takes seconds for the entire building to come crashing down.
23:57The structure suddenly gives way.
23:59The upper floors began collapsing into each other.
24:04And then the whole building just falls in on itself.
24:08The concrete slabs crash down.
24:10There's nothing left of the walls.
24:12And a huge cloud of dust shoots into the air.
24:17Completely engulfing the entire structure.
24:20What I showed you before versus now.
24:22Floor after floor disappears in front of us.
24:25And the building is reduced to nothing.
24:27There's just a heap of concrete and debris left behind.
24:31I've brought you this rooftop view because that gives you a sense of the sheer speed.
24:37The sheer scale of the collapse.
24:40That multi-storied building with so many rooms, with so many youngsters disappearing even before you can blink.
24:52And talking about that, another kind of problem has now surfaced because of the Satana Ketan building collapse.
24:59Students are now left with no faith in the buildings that they do live in.
25:04Those who survived are facing a new crisis.
25:07Cracks in adjoining buildings are forcing residents to move out, while some students allege that they are being denied their
25:13security deposits as well.
25:15With limited hostel space in Delhi University, the exodus is also spotlighting the shortage of safe, affordable student accommodation.
25:36Seven lives lost buried beneath the rubble of a building that collapsed in Delhi's Satana Ketan.
25:45For those who've survived, the nightmare continues.
25:50Students living in adjoining buildings are now being forced to leave.
25:55Fleeing and fearing for their lives as cracks appear in buildings around them and with fear of another building giving
26:05way.
26:09Students allege landlords are refusing to return their security deposits if they leave before the 11-month rental agreement ends.
26:21How much do you tell us?
26:22The landlord is now at home.
26:22Right now, we can't help here yet.
26:26We can't get back to our side building.
26:28We do not make this building anymore.
26:28We will get paid for 50,000 to the building.
26:31We have worked with security.
26:32You have to get married a month and a month.
26:34How many of you do?
26:36Everyone?
26:37How many of you do have to pay for the room?
26:38How much do you offer it?
26:39My 13000 was in 13000 and I have a little bargaininge for the remaining two.
26:43And we have no maintenance charges.
27:09students say their agreements are typically for 11 months
27:14and leaving midway may mean losing the security deposit unless another tenant replaces them.
27:45In the building adjacent to the one that collapsed, the MCD is moving students' belongings out
27:50flow by flow and one student says Sunday changed everything.
28:26Behind this departure is a much bigger problem. Delhi University has limited hostel capacity.
28:34Most Delhi University colleges do not have hostels, leaving students dependent on PG accommodation
28:41and rented rooms in cramped by-lanes and the anger is spilling onto the streets.
28:51Student organizations from the left groups to the NSUI and the ABVP are all protesting.
28:58Their demand? Hostel for students and compensation for the families of those killed.
29:08Forced out of unsafe homes, fighting to recover their deposits and with nowhere left to go.
29:17They came to Delhi to build a future. Today, they are simply fighting to save their present
29:24and to have a safe place to stay.
29:27With Piyush Mishra and Amit Bharadwaj, Bureau Report, India Today.
29:37So that's the situation, the latest one coming in from the National Capital, but let's move away from that and
29:41take you to West Bengal.
29:55Now, Shastri's appeal from Houda, whom West Bengal Chief Pinesis Vendu Adhikari, also attended earlier, added fuel to the raging
30:11controversy sparked by the festival.
30:12So how exactly is the story unfolding and will the Bengali culture be able to stomach this one? Take a
30:20look.
30:30Durga Pujo is near and the excitement is already in the air.
30:35Lights, drum beats, pandal hopping and delicacies.
30:40But this time, their festivities have been marred by a political row over food and faith.
30:51A comment by Bageshwar Dham Chief, Direndra Shastri, during a three-day Hanumanth Katha in Havra, has stoked a massive
30:58controversy.
30:59Direndra Shastri appealed to devotees to keep away from non-vegetarian during Durga Puja.
31:06Direndra Shastri is a part of the Shastri Pinesis Vendu Adhikari.
31:07Now when the Nauratri comes, the Durga Panda is placed in Durga Pandal.
31:10When the Durga Pandal is placed in Durga Pandal, or the Atwa Takat, under the U.S.
31:16Direndra Shastri, is a non-vegetarian during the fire.
31:17The Shastri Pinesis Vendu Adhikari has been made huge, huge, heavy, huge, heavy breathing.
31:20We don't like this.
31:31In a state where fish and mutton are almost staple diet, the pushback was immediate.
31:37Bengal BJP chief Shamik Bhattacharya declared food habits can't be dictated by a religious preacher.
31:52However, dissenting voices surfaced within the BJP.
32:05On the other hand, the Trinamul congress asserted that people of Bengal did not have to learn from the BJP
32:17about Durga Puja celebrations.
32:37The Subindu Adhikari government has announced a set of new directions for this year's Durga Puja.
32:43There will be no liquor sales on Mahashtami, no DJ music during immersion processions and no Durga Puja carnival which
32:51was first introduced in 2017.
32:54Even as devotees eagerly wait for Durga Puja, politics over festivities has started.
33:01Bureau Report, India Today.
33:06Food preferences aside, let's take you to Paris where another controversy is unfolding.
33:12A visit meant to showcase faith and culture at one of Paris' most iconic landmarks ended with women employees reportedly
33:19being asked to step out.
33:21Staff protesting and the Eiffel Tower being shut.
33:24A BAPS delegation had arrived at the monument when the controversy erupted over how women staff were treated during the
33:32visit.
33:32The incident has now triggered a response from the highest levels of Paris administration.
33:37The Paris mayor has backed the protesting employees saying their discontent is legitimate and the reported conditions are unacceptable.
33:44He said everyone must be able to move and act freely without distinction between men or women and announced that
33:50an investigation will be launched into establishing the full facts of the case.
33:56BAPS, meanwhile, the issue has issued its own response.
34:00The organization said that it understands the concerns and takes them seriously while maintaining that the visit was organized with
34:06the authorities scheduled to minimize inconvenience.
34:10BAPS has also said no one was denied access to Eiffel Tower and apologized to anyone who felt hurt in
34:16the incident.
34:40So our job is the neutrality.
34:44And what has caused a lot of emotion is that, in the passage of this delegation, we asked women to
34:53quit their job post to place for women to place their jobs.
34:56So that, it doesn't happen to be auprès of the salariés.
34:59Déjà, women, évidemment, who are all humiliated by what happened, by the way some of them were treated.
35:13All right, around that story, a statement is coming in from the Ministry of External Affairs, which has distanced itself
35:19from the Eiffel Tower Rao.
35:21They say, and I quote here now,
35:22We are aware of the opening of the temple by the Bapsis Sanatana in the Paris area.
35:27As the particular issue pertaining to the tower, this is a matter purely between the entities concerned.
35:33The Ministry of External Affairs, they're distancing themselves from the entire matter,
35:38saying that it was not something that they would like to comment upon.
35:46We are aware of the opening of a temple of the Bapsis Bapsis Sanatana in the Paris area.
35:53As to the particular issue pertaining to the tower, this is a matter purely between the entities concerned.
36:01All right, moving on.
36:03Now, the Prime Minister, Rendra Modi's Gen Z outreach has taken centre stage one more time, this time in Varodara.
36:10The Prime Minister walked into a specially-built Y-shaped ramp as young crowds shared.
36:15Phones out with the song, We Will Rock You and R.E.R.E. playing in the background.
36:20The event also saw online registration through Book My Show for the first time,
36:24with seats filling within an hour and 42,000-plus people wait-listed as well.
36:30Now, this comes days after Modi's SRCC speech, where he said and used the term Gen Z,
36:37known terms like Flex and OG.
36:40From the stage to social media, here's a look at Prime Minister's changing Youth Connect.
37:01Forget the podium.
37:03Forget the usual political stagecraft.
37:06In Varodara today, Prime Minister Modi walks straight into Gen Z territory.
37:14A Y-shaped ramp.
37:16Young crowds armed with mobile phones.
37:20And a soundtrack that went from We Will Rock You to R.E.R.E.R.E.
37:25We will, we will rock you.
37:36This wasn't your regular government event.
37:39This was Modi on the ramp.
37:44Working the crowd as thousands of phones turn the Prime Minister into a live campus reel.
37:50The message, if Gen Z is on their phones, politics wants to be there too.
38:01And here is perhaps the biggest Gen Z twist of them all.
38:05For the first time at a government event, entry went online.
38:09No traditional registration desk.
38:12You booked a spot and booked my show.
38:15And clearly, Gen Z was ready to book.
38:18The seats were gone within just an hour.
38:21Registration had to be stopped while 42,000 plus people were left on the waiting list.
38:30This is in Modi's first attempt at speaking at Gen Z.
38:34Just days ago at Delhi's SRCC,
38:37Prime Minister was dropping words straight out of the Gen Z dictionary.
38:41From Flex to OG.
38:47SRCC's alumni are also very special.
38:52If I say it in your language,
38:56then the alumni of here is OG.
39:11And the makeover isn't limited to the stage.
39:18Since July, Modi's Instagram has increasingly looked
39:22like a direct line to India's youngest voters.
39:30On July 23rd,
39:31a late night selfie video
39:33amid the neat paper leak controversy.
39:59On July 24th,
40:01another reel,
40:02this time asking young Indians for their suggestions.
40:19Then, education reforms, followed by youth issues.
40:24And even a message of forgiveness after the Jantar Mantar protest.
40:58When the political temperature rose, Prime Minister's
41:01digital strategy was not to crash out.
41:04It was to stay online, stay conversational.
41:12The stage has changed.
41:14The language has changed.
41:17Even the soundtrack has changed.
41:21But behind the reels, ramps and Gen Z slang, is a Prime Minister trying to win over a generation
41:27that lives on its phones.
41:32We are a report, India Today.
41:34We will, we will rock you.
41:41Let's move on now.
41:43Comedian Rahul Dua is in news for his comments on chemotherapy.
41:47And the entire medical fraternity is not amused.
41:51They are not laughing.
41:52And before I get into his comments, everything, we need to understand this, that we are not
41:57saying at any point, or we are not supporting cancer culture, but somebody's personal experience
42:01with cancer treatment, with what worked for their body, well, that's theirs.
42:07It's individual.
42:08It doesn't scale.
42:09It was never meant to.
42:11Having understood that, let me just tell you what the entire controversy is all about.
42:16The exact problem with what Rahul Dua put out is this.
42:21He took something that sits in his personal experience bucket and sold it like universal
42:25truth.
42:26That's the line.
42:26And once you cross it on a subject like cancer, doctor verified stops being optional.
42:32So today we are not doing outrage or even outrage sake.
42:35We are doing a fact check that he himself had skipped.
42:39Claim number one.
42:40Let's talk about that.
42:41That is made by Dua.
42:42Dua frames immunotherapy as a better farmer suppressed alternative to chemo.
42:47He says it's cheap, ignored and a 50 rupees fix companies won't push because there's no money
42:55in it.
42:55Now, what exactly is he talking about?
42:57Here's the actual medicine.
42:59Immunotherapy and chemotherapy aren't rivals.
43:01They're different tools for different jobs.
43:03Chemo kills faster, dividing cells directly.
43:07Immunotherapy trains the patient's own immune system to go after the cancer cell.
43:11Immunotherapy isn't universally better, remember.
43:13It works well for maybe 15 to 20 percent of patients who get it and it's approval for
43:18specific cancers, certain lung, skin, blood, kidney, bladder, head to neck kind of cancers.
43:24It is not approved or effective for most cases of prostate, colon or even breast cancer,
43:29some of the most common cancers that there are.
43:31Then there is the eligibility issue.
43:34Eligibility depends on cancer type, the stage, the biomarker testing, all of that, kidney
43:38function, even genetics.
43:41There is no in medicine.
43:43There is no one size fits all.
43:47Better option.
43:48Oncologists choose per patient, not per the ideology.
43:52Then there was the claim about the 50 rupee cure buried by the farmer, framing it as the
43:57oldest trick in the misinformation book.
44:00It doesn't require Dua to prove anything really.
44:02It just requires you to distrust the system and that's not medicine, that's just narrative
44:06device.
44:07And this is the part that should worry you, honestly, because it's not new.
44:11It's a recycle myth with a body count of bad decisions behind it.
44:14The drug in question over here is Fen-Bendazel, a veterinary anti-parasite sold for drops and
44:24you know, sold for cattle, horses, dogs as well.
44:28The story traces back to one man and we dug it up.
44:32Joe Tepins, the American with small cell lung cancer, who in 2019 claimed that the dog
44:38D-wormer cured him.
44:39It went viral, especially in South Korea, where patients started self-medicating with
44:44it.
44:44Now, what actually happened is a story that most people have never heard about.
44:49While this man was taking this D-worming tablet, he was also simultaneously enrolled
44:56in a clinical trial for Keytruda, a real approved immunotherapy drug known to produce traumatic
45:04remissions in lung cancer.
45:05Nobody can separate what the D-worm, you know, did from what the actual cancer drug did.
45:12And that's not the cure story.
45:14That's a confound.
45:16Since then, no completed human clinical trials exist for this particular D-worming tablet
45:23to prove that it has any link in helping cancer treatment.
45:26Lab, dishes, mice is yes.
45:28Some anti-cancer activity also, yes.
45:31But in humans, zero control data.
45:33The U.S. National Cancer Institute has said it has no evidence supporting the claim and
45:38the FDA has never approved it for this use.
45:40So, when Doha repeats a version of this, saying it's cheap, it's hidden, they don't want you
45:47to know, he's not, you know, being edgy or contrarian.
45:50He's reheating a five-year-old piece of health misinformation that has already caused real
45:55patients to self-medicate with veterinary drugs instead of alongside actual oncology care.
46:02And, you know, that's where things begin to get really tricky because unlike the D-wormer,
46:07there's real kernel of science buried in it.
46:10And that's exactly what makes it dangerous when it gets oversimplified.
46:14The internet is not happy.
46:15Doctors are not happy with the comments of Doha.
46:18Abby Phillips, known as Liver Doc, went online, mocked Doha's version of it directly, paraphrasing
46:24his logic as something like, sulphur binds it, kills it.
46:28There was a full footage that went viral.
46:30Some garbled diet explanation, he says, for how food supposedly takes out cancer cells.
46:38And here's where things get really complicated because in the same podcast, Doha went on to
46:45talk about certain vegetables that help in cancer cure.
46:51And this is where it's actually real and when it stops being, you know, just some information
46:58floating around because yes, there are certain vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower,
47:04kale, brussel sprouts that do contain sulphur-based components and even compounds which break down
47:10into things like sulphate and sort of, you know, when you chop it or chew them, all of these
47:16compounds genuinely have been studied for anti-cancer activity, but in animal models.
47:23Some population studies link higher intake of these vegetables to modestly lower risk of
47:29certain cancers, particularly colon, lung and prostate.
47:31Now, that's chemo prevention research, not a cure.
47:37Very important to get the difference between the two.
47:40It's about long-term risk reduction in general population at the population study level.
47:45It is not evidence that eating broccoli treats or reverses cancer someone already has.
47:52Bodies like Cancer Research in UK, US National Cancer Institute explicitly say on this that
47:57no food, you can call it super or whatever, or otherwise, treats cancer on its own.
48:03And there's no clinical trial showing a particular vegetable, sulphur diet substitute for oncology care.
48:10It's the same pattern, if you'll remember, as Navjot Singh seduced turmeric, neem, lemon,
48:14water claim for his wife's cancer last year.
48:17A real anti-inflammation ingredient, yes, stretched for maybe help as part of a balanced diet, not beat cancer.
48:26There's a difference.
48:27Tata Memorial Oncologist, who actually treated her in this entire story, had publicly corrected her on this one.
48:34So the honest version for this segment is this, he, Dua over here, is not making it up from nothing.
48:40He's taking a real published area of nutrition research, skipping the 15 qualifiers and that say it's separate shows,
48:47promise in lab studies from will treat your tumour.
48:50That gap is exactly where people get hurt.
48:53Someone delays or maybe skips real treatment because they think the diet alone is doing the job.
48:58So this is the problem that we have with this story.
49:00And we really hope Dua does rectify it because all three of these things that he said put together,
49:08it's not that Dua, as a comedian, should not be talking about cancer.
49:13Of course he can.
49:14Comedians can talk about anything.
49:16It's that he wrapped a personal anecdote structure around claims he pitched as suppressed medical truth.
49:22That's the exact inversion of what Dr. Verified content is supposed to really protect against.
49:27And we really hope that not just him, celebrities all over who propagate a certain diet, a certain drug,
49:35a certain doctor or perhaps in certain cases a cure, a magic cure or a superfood cure
49:41are really able to differentiate between what is personal, what works for everybody
49:45and take responsibility for the space and the influence that they command.
49:56All right, with that, it's a wrap on today's edition of Five Live.
50:01We really hope we've been able to bring you stories that matter.
50:03And we also hope that we've been able to bring you stories that take you,
50:07spread across the length and breadth of the country to give you an overall perspective.
50:18It's the best part about the job.
50:22Did you guys know that you're supposed to store butter?
50:24Not like this, but like this.
50:27And with that, let's start the video.
50:30So in the last two videos, we told you all about different kinds of butters.
50:34And by now, you know that some fat at least is good for your body.
50:37Today, we will look at the fat in nuts, which is monounsaturated fat.
50:432009 made Harvard study with me that tracked about 6,300 women
50:47with type 2 diabetes for two decades.
50:50And those eating five servings a week of nuts or peanut butter
50:54had 44% lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
50:58Now, that's as clear as it gets.
51:00And today, we are comparing peanut butter with almond butter.
51:04For this video, we've spoken with dietitian Ritika Samadar.
51:07At Mac Super Speciality Hospital in Saakhet.
51:09Let's start with calorie.
51:10Two tablespoons of either is roughly the same hit on your calorie count.
51:15Peanut butter mein hoti hai around 188 calories.
51:18Almond butter mein hoti hai 196 calories.
51:20That's the difference of maybe one biscuit ka calorie.
51:24On the calories count, both are a tie.
51:26Let's look at protein then.
51:28So if you're eating it for muscle or to stay full longer,
51:32peanut butter gives you a bit more bang for the spoon.
51:35It's about 7 to 8 grams of protein.
51:38Versus almond butter which is just about 6.7 to 7 grams.
51:42Now, make sense because remember peanut butter comes from a legume like dal.
51:47Legumes just like naturally richer in protein than the nuts like almond.
51:51So protein ke mambule mein your winner is peanut.
51:54But now, let's talk about fiber ki.
51:56It's a very important thing for your gut.
51:57So if your gut needs the help, think like bloating, irregular motions or just feeling full longer.
52:04Almond butter is a better pick for you because it gives around 3 to 3.3 grams of fiber for
52:092 tablespoons.
52:10Almost double what you get from peanut butter.
52:13So when it comes to fiber, your winner is almond butter.
52:17So on the shelf, peanut butter will cost you about 300 to 450 rupees a kilo.
52:22Almond butter can run anywhere from 900 all the way to 2000 or even more.
52:27Almond is far more expensive to grow, process than peanut butter.
52:31If you need a cheap, cost-effective butter, then peanut butter is your winner.
52:35The most important thing that you need to buy peanut butter or almond butter, you need to have a label
52:39on it.
52:40In your butter box, only one ingredient should be a peanut.
52:43If it is peanut, it should only say peanuts.
52:45And if it is almond, it should say 100% almonds and nothing else.
52:50It should not have additives, it should definitely not have added sugar.
52:53But what is the health wealth verdict?
52:54Given the price gap, unless you have a real preference for almonds or you are allergic to peanuts,
52:59peanut butter is an excellent healthy choice.