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EC dissent over SIR triggers political battle after Rahul Gandhi attack
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00:00Good evening, you're watching India First. I'm Gaurav Savan.
00:03Political shots have been fired. The opposition now closing ranks and demanding the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh
00:11Kumar.
00:12The political battle over the Election Commission has escalated and how.
00:17The India bloc is now coming together and preparing a fresh impeachment motion against Gyanesh Kumar in both houses of
00:26Parliament.
00:26The draft motion is going through the paperwork, being finalized by lawyers, notice expected to be submitted as early as
00:35next week.
00:36The opposition move comes in the backdrop of a report that alleged a serious rift within the three-member Election
00:44Commission.
00:45Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, he launched a frontal attack, not just on the CEC,
00:51but on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and on Home Minister Amit Shah and then of course the Chief Election Commissioner
00:58Gyanesh Kumar.
00:59He said the BJP has stolen the entire electoral process using Gyanesh Kumar and this is how they're defeating anti
01:09-incumbency.
01:09Rahul Gandhi demanded the resignation of the CEC and investigation against the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister.
01:16The BJP hit right back, rejecting the opposition's charges, they defended the electoral process in the country.
01:24The BJP says, differences of opinion are part of any institutional deliberations.
01:29The BJP insists final decision of the poll panel were unanimous.
01:34But exactly, did the Indian Express report say so in as many words?
01:39According to the report, Election Commissioners Subbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi recorded objections at least 14 times over 10
01:46months
01:46to the decisions and orders taken in the name of the Election Commission.
01:50Their objections covered critical issues including adding new voters, deleting and restoring names during the special intensive revision,
01:59the SIR process of the electoral rolls, changes to Form 6 and annexure,
02:03and concerns over centralisation and custody of the electoral roll database.
02:09The two election commissioners also raised concerns over the access to the EC's voter database.
02:14They approached the Cabinet Secretary over the integrity of the system and the software, according to reports.
02:23But the Election Commission has strongly rejected any suggestion of a split.
02:28The ECI says, there may be deferring views, written observations are made, technical suggestions are made,
02:35and all of that is a part of normal institutional decision-making process.
02:41The poll panel says these concerns were raised during the draft stages as part of internal systems of checks and
02:48balances.
02:49The ECI's key defence, all decisions taken by the Commission, including those related to the special intensive revision of the
02:57electoral rolls,
02:58were ultimately unanimous decisions and approved by all three, the Chief Election Commissioner and the two Election Commissioners.
03:07The poll panel also insists that focusing on selected internal notes over a 10-month period only gives you a
03:14part of the picture.
03:16Today, another report has put the Election Commission in the spot once again.
03:20The report says 97 voters in Goa were flagged for logical discrepancies during the SIR process in Goa.
03:29After being given an opportunity to submit documents and after being heard,
03:33the electoral registration officers or the EROs found 97 to be eligible to be included in the final roll.
03:41But the ECI net system did not permit officials in Goa to reverse the earlier deletions.
03:49The Goa Chief Electoral Officer's office sent eight emails to the Election Commission to the IT cell information technology in
03:59Delhi over seven days,
04:01seeking the facility to restore names.
04:03The Election Commission's Deputy Election Commissioner also reportedly asked the IT wing to facilitate this action.
04:10But when the final electoral rolls were published on the 21st of February,
04:14these 97 names were still missing as on the 20th of September.
04:20The opposition has got fresh ammunition to level the vote-jury charge against the government.
04:28The BJP has hit back.
04:30They've defended the Election Commission.
04:31They've insisted decisions are unanimous.
04:34But with reports of this alleged rift within the poll panel and fresh questions emerging from Goa,
04:40the battle over India's electoral process has now entered a critical phase.
04:46Our Political Bureau brings you our top story on India First.
04:52I want you to listen to these videos carefully.
05:20A big charge by the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha.
05:24Now, BJP wants to stay in power for 50 years and Gyanesh Kumar is helping them do the same.
05:30Congress MP Rahul Gandhi says Indian elections since Gyanesh Kumar took charge have been rigged.
05:35Suddenly anti-incumnalcy disappears.
05:37This is not just some small rigging of an election.
05:41This is an attack on the Constitution of India.
05:44This is an attack on the legal structure of our country.
05:47And you are the man who is supposed to ensure that the vote was protected.
05:57He has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of protecting Gyanesh Kumar.
06:03Rahul also said Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah will be investigated for election fraud and call them
06:10all Desh Durohis.
06:14For the vote not existing in India, Mr. Gyanesh Kumar has been appointed by the Prime Minister of India.
06:23And the reason nothing happened to all their letters was because there was a protector of Mr. Gyanesh Kumar or
06:34protectors of Mr. Gyanesh Kumar sitting on top of Mr. Gyanesh Kumar.
06:39He asserted that Gyanesh Kumar has acted against the nation and his time is up.
06:46Is Mr. Gyanesh Kumar must resign immediately?
06:56And I would add to Mr. Gyanesh Kumar, please understand, you are a highly educated person, please understand what is
07:06going on here.
07:11This thing that you have done is an act against the Indian nation.
07:19As Rahul leads the opposition's charge, the opposition is also preparing to move a fresh impeachment motion against CEC Gyanesh
07:27Kumar.
07:28Congress sources have told India today the notice for the motion is being drafted and could be submitted in Parliament
07:34as early as next week.
07:37I have come today to the Parliament Street Police Station and given a complaint to the police station here against
07:45Chor Gyanesh Kumar, Gyanesh Chor Kumar, the sorry figure who is the chief election commissioner of this country.
07:52And apparently he enjoys immunity under the CEC Act of 2023, section 16, which says that the election commissioners enjoy
08:03immunity from civil and criminal prosecution in the discharge of their duties.
08:33Gyanesh Kumar is the biggest anti-national of this country.
08:56Remember, Gyanesh Kumar has come under fire over an Indian Express report which revealed repeated objections from two election commissioners
09:05over the SIR exercise, raising questions over changes to Form 6, control of electoral roll data and the way the
09:13voter deletion appeals were filed in Bengal.
09:1814 objections in 10 months, a political storm outside and a denial of any internal rift within the election commission.
09:27EC says it views differing opinions as a normal part of its internal checks and balances.
09:34The BJP, which is also in the eye of the storm, has backed the poll panel.
09:38The BJP said there is anti-incumbency against the Congress and rejected the opposition allegation that Gyanesh Kumar's appointment as
09:46CEC has been advantageous to the Safran Party.
10:12Earlier, BJP had cited how past election commissioners in UPA era were given prestigious awards and top positions,
10:19alleging those who were meant to benefit the Congress, from KVK Sundaram to RK Trivedi, from MS Gill to Naveen
10:27Chawla.
10:27The party cited many names to target the Congress.
10:30There was a headline headline that Sonia Gandhi appointed Naveen Chawla as the Chief Election Commissioner.
10:59The Express Report has opened up a Pandora's box and the war of words have just begun and will continue.
11:07Bureau Report, India Today.
11:10Sonali.
11:14There are more details that are coming in from the Election Commission, sources in the Election Commission,
11:19especially on the issue of voter verification system.
11:24On the centralized voter verification system, they say,
11:27point one, ECINET is a decentralized platform.
11:32It's designed in accordance with the RP Act 1950 and 51
11:38and instructions issued by Election Commission of India from time to time.
11:44As per the Representation Act, BLOs, AEROs, EROs and DEOs and of course the Chief Electoral Officers,
11:55they perform their statutory functions on this platform on the basis of a unique ID and password each official has.
12:05Nobody else, nobody else, nobody else can perform their statutory function on this ECINET including any other officer of the
12:14Election Commission of India.
12:15So the system is designed in such a way only the officer concerned can operate that system for the task
12:23that he's authorized to.
12:25In order to ward off any malicious attempts to hack the ECINET, which were to the tune of 68 lakh,
12:3368 lakh attempts were made
12:36just on the counting day of the general elections and to the legislative assemblies conducted earlier this year,
12:41the cyber security of the ECINET again is provided by the Election Commission of India.
12:47So the report that claimed two Election Commissioners, Subbir Singh, Sandhu and Vivek Joshi,
12:53primarily warned against centralization of ECINET and cutting out state ground-level officials,
13:00the ECINET's clarification says there is a system that is laid out and that system was followed.
13:07But the opposition continues to raise very critical questions.
13:12One, has the position of the Chief Election Commissioner become untenable now?
13:19Opposition has sought his resignation.
13:21BJP is telling the Congress to look at what happened when the Congress was in power.
13:26Congress says democracy is being subverted now.
13:29So I have a very powerful panel of experts joining me on this special broadcast.
13:34I have Salman Soz, National Spokesperson of the Congress Party representing the Congress.
13:39I have Pradeep Bhandari, National Spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party on this broadcast.
13:44Dr. Mohamed Ameen is former Joint Director and Chief of Protocol of the ECI.
13:49Anand Ranganathan is an author.
13:51He is also consulting editor Swaraj.
13:53He joins me on the show.
13:55But Pradeep Bhandari, since the BJP is also in the line of fire along with the Election Commission,
13:59I want to understand from you.
14:01Rahul Gandhi says the problem is with the sanctity of the vote.
14:05The protector of the vote, the CEC, has failed in his responsibility.
14:10He has quit.
14:11How can there be no anti-incumbency?
14:14He is blaming the Prime Minister, the Home Minister and the Chief Election Commissioner,
14:18calling for the CEC's resignation.
14:19Sir, respond.
14:21Well, Gaurav, the first charge which Mr. Gandhi has put forward,
14:26that the concept of pro-incumbency did not exist,
14:30and he has not heard the concept of pro-incumbency.
14:33So, is he telling the people of the country that when the Congress Party won three successive elections,
14:4062, 67, and in fact, during the time of Indira Gandhi also,
14:44was it vote-chori or was it Lok-tantra ki-chori at that time?
14:48Charge number one.
14:49If he would have read a bit of history,
14:51and allow me to just cite three examples,
14:55he would know that whether it is Pawan Kumar Chambling,
14:59who has won 94, 99, 2004, 2009, 2014 assembly elections in Sikkim,
15:05whether it is Jyoti Basu who has won 97, 82,
15:08sorry, 1977, 82, 87, 91, and 96,
15:12the list is endless.
15:13We have seen in the past also pro-incumbency has been a trend.
15:17So, is he denying the fact that this historical fact existed
15:21or is he saying that the Congress Party did vote-chori
15:23when Nehru won successive elections?
15:26So, first of all, the Congress is fact-checking Mr. Rahul Gandhi,
15:29point number one.
15:30Point number two,
15:31if his entire argument is based on dissenting notes
15:35of two election commissioners,
15:37and even the decisions which were taken unanimously,
15:40it's like saying that in a judge,
15:42Supreme Court three-judge bench,
15:44if there is a 2-1 judgment,
15:46so you will ultimately go with the judgment of the court.
15:49And here in the election commission,
15:51as per the article 326, 324,
15:53any judgment, any decision of the ECC
15:57is by unanimity or by the majority of the vote.
16:01So, the decisions have been taken with that consonant.
16:04Now, 10 seconds and I'll end my point.
16:05If dissent is something which decides the tenability
16:09or untenability of an election commission,
16:12then I have with you on February 1st, 2009,
16:15it was not about dissent,
16:16it was then Chief Election Commissioner Mr. Gopal Swami
16:20who wrote to the President
16:21that his colleague,
16:22which is the Election Commissioner Mr. Naveen Chawla,
16:25should be sacked.
16:26Rather than the President at that time
16:28sacking the then Election Commissioner,
16:30you had Mr. Naveen Chawla been promoted
16:32as the Chief Election Commissioner.
16:33So, is Mr. Gandhi saying that Sonia Gandhi
16:36and the Congress in the time,
16:37because Congress won the 2009 election,
16:39did Congress Party did vote chori with this argument?
16:42So, Mr. Gandhi is being fact-checked
16:44by the history of the Congress Party
16:46and he is being looked as a leader
16:47who is disgruntled
16:48that he has not got the support
16:50of the people of the country.
16:51So, he comes with an issue
16:52without any merit or fact.
16:55Salman Sos, you want to respond,
16:57Gyanesh Kumar as CEC,
16:59the Congress also
17:00and the India Alliance,
17:02they've won elections.
17:03Take, for example,
17:04the Kerala election,
17:05the Congress Party won it,
17:07TVK,
17:08Vijay won the Tamil Nadu elections
17:09and if you go back in history,
17:11I'm not even going back to
17:12Pandit Jawaharlal, Nehru,
17:1352, 57, 62,
17:15I'm just talking about
17:16post-2014 elections,
17:19opposition has won multiple states.
17:21Delhi, 2015 and 20,
17:23won by the Aam Admi Party.
17:25Punjab, 2017, 22,
17:27you know,
17:28won once by the Congress,
17:29won by the Aam Admi Party.
17:31Karnataka, 18, 23,
17:33won by the Congress Party.
17:34So, is the system subverted then?
17:37Is the system subverted now?
17:39Or is the system subverted
17:40if the BJP wins,
17:42not when the India Alliance wins?
17:45Gaurav, I'm not going to get into all of this.
17:47I'll just respond once to Pradeep Bhandari.
17:51I think the example he used
17:53is quite frankly a very poor one.
17:56Maybe you should have thought it
17:57a bit more carefully.
17:58You know, whenever they talk about Nehru,
18:00they get very excited,
18:01the BJP types and the Hindutva types,
18:02because they obviously had nothing to do
18:04with the freedom movement.
18:05When one of the tallest leaders
18:07of the freedom movement
18:07led the Congress Party,
18:10he was the most popular leader
18:11in the country.
18:12No wonder the Congress Party
18:13kept winning.
18:14So, I think he should have used
18:15a different example
18:16so it doesn't really do justice
18:18to his point.
18:20Look, this is not about
18:22the BJP versus the Congress Party.
18:24I don't know why the BJP
18:25is getting so excited
18:26about this issue.
18:26This is about what happened
18:30because of an Indian Express report
18:32about what was happening
18:34inside the election commission.
18:37So, I don't know.
18:39You know, the BJP
18:39should not get very excited.
18:41In fact, the BJP
18:42should be joining us
18:43to make sure
18:44the sanctity
18:45of the election commission
18:47and our electoral process
18:48is preserved.
18:50The expose,
18:52we've been talking about this
18:53for a long time,
18:54as you know.
18:55We asked,
18:56for example,
18:57this was before the SIR process,
18:58we asked,
18:59how did
19:0040 lakh plus voters
19:01get added
19:02to the Maharashtra rolls
19:04between the Lok Sabha election
19:05and the Assembly election?
19:07And now,
19:08less than,
19:09and by the way,
19:10that was in four months,
19:11four to five months.
19:11And now,
19:12less than one and a half years later,
19:15two crore voters
19:15have been left out
19:16of the rolls,
19:18out of which 75 lakh
19:20are supposedly,
19:21they've moved out of Maharashtra.
19:23Another 75 lakh voters
19:25they cannot find.
19:26Okay.
19:26And 38 lakh voters are dead.
19:28This is Maharashtra.
19:30This is post-SIR.
19:32We want to ask,
19:34was that a genuine election then?
19:37Where are those voters?
19:38Two election commissioners.
19:40we are not,
19:41we are not the ones
19:42complaining here.
19:43Two election commissioners,
19:45they,
19:45you know,
19:46Pradeep Vinayani talked about
19:47dissent and things like that.
19:50Two election commissioners
19:51are raising questions
19:53about the functioning
19:54of the election commission.
19:57We did not raise those questions.
19:58That's what the Indian Express
19:59reporting is.
20:00What we would like
20:01is for the election commission,
20:03no,
20:03what I want
20:04is for the election commission
20:06to come forward
20:07and say that the
20:09Indian Express reporting
20:10is wrong,
20:11it is false,
20:11these are lies,
20:13that it has never happened,
20:14forget 14 times,
20:16it's not even one time.
20:16So on the basis
20:17of that Indian Express report,
20:19Rahul Gandhi just did
20:20a big press conference
20:21where he targeted
20:22the Prime Minister
20:22and the Home Minister
20:23and the CEC,
20:25therefore this political debate,
20:28you're saying he did not.
20:29Just to clarify,
20:29just to clarify.
20:30Okay,
20:31no,
20:32Pradeep Bhandari wants to
20:33respond to what you've said.
20:34Pradeep Bhandari,
20:36I was just on your point
20:38that Rahul Gandhi came
20:39because there's an
20:40Indian Express report.
20:41Rahul Gandhi has been
20:42raising this issue
20:43for a long time.
20:45Indian Express
20:45is the latest
20:46in these findings
20:47and by the way,
20:48more findings
20:48which is where
20:49my question came in
20:50that Rahul Gandhi
20:51has been raising
20:52these issues
20:53and Rahul Gandhi
20:54or his party
20:55has won
20:56certain elections.
20:57They may not have won
20:58in Lok Sabha,
20:5914, 19 and 24
21:00but their seat tally
21:02has gone up
21:03in 2024.
21:04I wanted,
21:05the elections
21:06that you won in states,
21:07that was my point raised.
21:08So is it virtually
21:09then or now
21:10but Pradeep Bhandari
21:11wants to respond,
21:11I want to bring in
21:12Anand Ranganathan
21:12and Mr. Ameen.
21:13Well, Gaurav,
21:14a propaganda
21:15has to be tested
21:16on facts
21:17and I'm just
21:18putting forward facts.
21:20The fact is
21:21that even before
21:22the appointment
21:23of the current
21:24CEC in 2025,
21:26the BJP
21:27has won
21:2741 elections.
21:28The fact is
21:30that since 2014
21:31there are 20
21:32assembly elections
21:33which the BJP
21:34also has lost.
21:35That is what
21:36a true democratic
21:37process reflects.
21:38The only issue here
21:39is that Rahul Gandhi
21:41is unable to get
21:42the support
21:42of the people
21:43of the country
21:43and is sitting
21:44in opposition
21:45for the third
21:45consecutive time
21:46and he is trying
21:47to find one
21:48or the other
21:48alternative way
21:49in order to
21:50come to power
21:51by creating
21:52a situation
21:53of discontentment
21:54which is not happening.
21:55My charge
21:56only is the following.
21:57A. He spoke
21:58about Maharashtra.
21:59It's a settled cause
22:00in Bombay High Code.
22:01It was rejected.
22:02B. I just mentioned
22:03that if he is
22:04pointing towards
22:05the tenability
22:05of an institution
22:07based on a
22:08political charge
22:09by a party
22:09or a dissenting note
22:11not even a dissenting
22:13note of two
22:14election commissioners
22:15then with that logic
22:16does the congress
22:17agree that when
22:18the chief election
22:19commissioner in 2009
22:20asked for the
22:21sacking of the
22:22colleague which is
22:22Mr. Naveen Chawla
22:23then government
22:25of Mrs. Sonia Gandhi
22:26did not sack
22:27but promoted it.
22:28So was the 2009
22:29elections rigged
22:30by the congress party
22:31if they admit
22:32this charge
22:33then the debate
22:34is settled.
22:35Okay.
22:36You want to
22:36quickly respond
22:37to that particular
22:38point that the
22:39BJP is raising
22:40on promotion
22:41of you know
22:42late Naveen Chawla
22:43as CEC
22:43despite that letter?
22:45I will say
22:46this about the BJP.
22:47The BJP is just
22:48not interested
22:49in the current
22:50problems of this
22:51country.
22:52It's the same
22:52argument I'm
22:53taking forward.
22:54Look, look,
22:54Pradeep, I did not
22:55interrupt you.
22:56Interrupt each other.
22:58Their whole thing
22:59is that we will
23:00not talk about
23:01our time.
23:02We will not
23:02talk about our
23:03record.
23:04We will not talk
23:04about what we are
23:05doing to this
23:05country.
23:06We will not
23:07talk about
23:07that Generation
23:08Z kids
23:09are not
23:10able to
23:12register for
23:12votes
23:14since 2024
23:15properly because
23:16of problems
23:17in their system.
23:18They will not
23:19talk about that.
23:20And I will
23:21quickly bring in
23:21Anand Ranganathan
23:22into this conversation
23:23and Mr. Ameen.
23:24Anand Ranganathan,
23:26Rahul Gandhi
23:26says there is no
23:27democracy on the
23:29planet where there
23:29is no
23:30anti-incumbency.
23:32He argues that
23:33the apparent
23:34absence in states
23:35such as Haryana,
23:37Gujarat,
23:38Maharashtra,
23:38Uttar Pradesh,
23:40you know,
23:41raises certain
23:42questions.
23:43According to him,
23:43anti-incumbency did
23:45not exist in
23:46Saddam Hussein's
23:47Iraq or in
23:48North Korea.
23:49Your reading of
23:50these elections,
23:51do repeated
23:52victories in
23:53itself establish the
23:55integrity of an
23:55election, sir?
23:57Good evening,
23:58Gaurav, and good
23:59evening to my
23:59fellow panelists.
24:00I want to stick
24:01just on facts
24:02because I think
24:02what is happening
24:03right now is a
24:05mockery of logic
24:06and rationale and
24:07indeed of
24:08democracy.
24:09And yes,
24:10there is a point
24:11in saying I do
24:12not trust the
24:12Congress, I do
24:13not trust the
24:14BJP, but I
24:15want to trust a
24:17constitutional body.
24:18So my questions
24:19need to be answered.
24:20One should not go
24:21back to saying,
24:22oh, look, this
24:23tragedy was happening
24:24even during the
24:25Congress era.
24:25Of course it was.
24:26Of course it was.
24:27But that's not the
24:28point out here.
24:29Point is, does the
24:32explanation satisfy
24:33the common man?
24:34And that is where
24:35I want to come in
24:36because frankly,
24:37it is a circus
24:38because it is
24:40cowardly for the
24:41two election
24:41commissioners to
24:43not come out
24:43and rebut these
24:45claims themselves.
24:46Why is the BJP
24:46doing it?
24:47Why are we doing
24:47it?
24:48Why is everybody
24:48else talking about
24:49it?
24:49Where are they?
24:50Do they agree
24:51with Jhanesh Kumar
24:52or do they not?
24:53Do they not have
24:54the guts to come
24:55out and say that
24:56yes, we agree
24:57with these claims
24:57or no, we deny
24:58these claims?
24:59Did they ever refuse
25:00to sign on any
25:01official EC order?
25:02Was any official
25:04EC order on SIR
25:05not agreed upon
25:06unanimously?
25:07Where are they
25:07hiding?
25:08Why don't they have
25:09the guts to come
25:09out?
25:10Look, but I do
25:11agree with Rahul
25:12Gandhi.
25:12Jhanesh Kumar
25:13should be impeached.
25:15Why?
25:16Because he refuses
25:17to sue Rahul Gandhi.
25:18He continues to
25:19stay a silent
25:20spectator, even as
25:22every Tom, Dick and
25:22Harry walks past
25:24and spits on the
25:25integrity of the
25:25election commission.
25:27Thereby, Rahul
25:28Gandhi is leader of
25:29opposition in
25:29Lok Sabha.
25:30You know, if some
25:31Tom, Dick and
25:31Harry had done it,
25:32you could still
25:33understand.
25:33Here is leader of
25:34opposition raising
25:35very pertinent
25:36points.
25:36So you're saying
25:37that Jhanesh Kumar
25:38should come out
25:38and either sue Rahul
25:39Gandhi or EC should
25:41clarify or the two
25:42ECs should speak up?
25:44Gaurav, he should
25:44have done that six
25:45months ago.
25:46When Rahul Gandhi
25:47was saying that the
25:48things are wrong
25:48where BJP is winning
25:49because of duplicate
25:50votes and it turned
25:51out and why not
25:52in Raib are really
25:53very sister one,
25:54there were 11,000
25:55and 20,000 duplicate
25:56votes.
25:57They are still
25:58member of
25:58parliaments, aren't
25:59they?
25:59Look, let's just
26:00come back to the
26:01fact that we are
26:02being insulted, a
26:04billion Indians are
26:05being insulted by
26:06casting doubt on our
26:07elections integrity.
26:09And I hold
26:09Ghanesh Kumar and
26:10his cowardly less
26:11responsible for this.
26:12Where are these guys
26:13hiding?
26:13Now let me come to
26:14the claims because
26:15they need to be
26:16rebutted factually and
26:17objectively.
26:18There are three main
26:19Indian Express claims.
26:20Number one, Express
26:22insinuates form six
26:23was altered, unauthorized
26:25and illegally.
26:25So the new voter
26:26enrollment is invalid.
26:27Well, it was a
26:28portal tweak.
26:30Statutory eligibility
26:31does not change.
26:32A person is still
26:33entitled to enrollment
26:34if a citizen, if 18,
26:36if resident.
26:37The extra field is a
26:38mapping question against
26:39the last SIR baseline
26:402002, not a new
26:42grant for disqualification.
26:43It was obvious.
26:44In May 2026, the
26:46Supreme Court upheld
26:47the Bihar SIR.
26:48Form six itself was
26:49not amended.
26:50An extra D, an
26:51additional declaration
26:52was required by the
26:5324th June 2025 SIR
26:55instructions and also
26:56by 14 May 2026 SIR
26:57order.
26:58Porter merely stitches
26:59form six and that
27:00annexure into one
27:01flow.
27:02Paper form six and the
27:03ERO's decision still
27:04exist.
27:05Treating a portal
27:06declaration as a
27:07clandestine amendment of
27:08the representation of
27:09People's Act is
27:10specious then.
27:11Express treats 14
27:13internal notes by
27:14election commission
27:14Subbir and Vivekji as
27:16proof that chief
27:17election commissioner
27:18Gyanesh Kumar ran the
27:19special intensive revision
27:20behind their backs.
27:22Tell me, did any
27:23commissioner record
27:24formal dissent on any
27:25of the adopted
27:25decisions?
27:26Their notes were
27:27observations that were
27:28in fact carefully
27:29examined.
27:29Differing views are a
27:30routine in a
27:31multi-membered
27:31democratic body.
27:32Did these express
27:33journalists never attend
27:34their own editorial
27:35meeting?
27:35Every week, Gaurav,
27:37do you not come
27:38together, all your
27:39editors, and you air
27:40for half an hour?
27:41What goes on?
27:42I dare say all of you
27:43disagree with one
27:44senior journalist of
27:45yours.
27:45Is that dissent?
27:46Is that not
27:47democracy?
27:48This is what
27:49democracy is.
27:50But I guess these
27:51chauti-fei leftists
27:52and dharmaris don't
27:53get this anyhow.
27:54Now the final
27:54point is very
27:55important.
27:56Express insinuates
27:57the fact that
27:58ECINET centralised
28:00the role in Delhi.
28:01So statutory
28:02electoral registration
28:03officers no longer
28:04control who is on
28:04the list.
28:05Well, the statute
28:06never gave the
28:07ERO an unguided
28:08personal database.
28:09Section 22 already
28:10says the ERO
28:11amends, transposes
28:12and deletes subject
28:13to directions given
28:14by the election
28:14commission.
28:15ERO NET was
28:16launched in 2017
28:17long before the
28:18CEC, the statute.
28:20That's inclusion
28:21and delusion of
28:21the ERO under
28:22section 13b
28:2322-23.
28:24So ECINET did
28:25not transfer legal
28:26control.
28:27The question is
28:28IT access rules
28:29now stop some
28:30EROs from
28:30recording the
28:31order.
28:31They don't.
28:32Look, treating
28:33every…
28:34However, they
28:34were unable to
28:35do so is the
28:36point.
28:36They were unable
28:37to do so is the
28:38point.
28:39And on this
28:39technicality, I
28:40want to bring in
28:40Mohammed Amin of
28:42the election
28:42commission, formerly
28:43of the election
28:44commission.
28:44Sir, has the
28:45election commission
28:46failed?
28:47If there was
28:47dissent, should it
28:49have been duly
28:49noted on file?
28:51And is the
28:52CEC riding
28:54roughshod over
28:55the other two
28:56election commissioners,
28:57sir?
29:01Gaurav, in commission
29:03there is a system
29:04of all commissioners
29:07are the equivalent
29:08right, maybe the
29:09chief election
29:10commissioners or the
29:11commissioners, all
29:12have the three
29:12equal rights.
29:14If this is the, if
29:16they are agree for
29:16any order or passing
29:19out in the commission,
29:20that comes out for
29:21the implementation
29:22with the three.
29:23If they disagree, one
29:26disagree, two is
29:27agreed, like we have
29:29seen the Indian
29:30Express report, so
29:31they can go to the
29:32president of India.
29:34Why the commissioners
29:35have written the
29:36letter to the
29:37cabinet secretary?
29:38That is not the
29:39protocol.
29:40They can write to
29:41the cabinet secretary.
29:50Yeah, of course, they
29:51have broken the
29:52system.
29:52They can meet the
29:54president of India
29:55in this regard, and
29:56they can complain to
29:57the president in
29:58writing, not to the
30:00press here and there.
30:01They are defaming the
30:02election commission's
30:04image now.
30:05The world wide, we
30:05have the image of the
30:06election commission of
30:07India.
30:08You can come here.
30:09Pradeep Bhandari, you
30:10must respond to this,
30:11sir.
30:11There are two issues
30:12here.
30:13Dr. Anand Ranganathan
30:15says the CEC should
30:17come out and clarify or
30:19sue Rahul Gandhi in
30:21his words for
30:22defamation, for
30:23insulting the electorate
30:26of this country.
30:27But Rahul Gandhi says
30:28our elections are
30:30fundamentally broken.
30:31People on top are
30:33conspirators, the
30:34PM, the HM and
30:36the CEC.
30:37They will be
30:38investigated, he
30:39says, sir.
30:40Well, Gaurav,
30:41we cannot pick and
30:43choose the arguments
30:44that we make.
30:45So if Mr. Rahul Gandhi
30:46believes that the
30:47elections are broken,
30:49then he should apply
30:50that test and not
30:52take oath when the
30:53Congress government is
30:54formed in Kerala or
30:56Congress Alliance
30:57government is formed in
30:58Tamil Nadu or a
30:59sweeping Congress
31:00government is formed in
31:01Tilangana or a
31:02Congress government is
31:03formed in Karnataka
31:04under the same commission,
31:06under the same election
31:07machinery, under the same
31:09entire vivaastha and the
31:12same SIR is being
31:13supported by the Congress
31:14government in Karnataka,
31:15has been declared legal and
31:17constitutional by the
31:18Honorable Supreme Court.
31:19So we cannot pick and
31:21choose and cannot be
31:22half-baked in statements
31:23which we make.
31:24And with the same
31:25commission, with the same
31:27election commissioner in
31:28charge, Mr. Rahul Gandhi
31:29is a member of
31:30Parliament, his sister is a
31:31member of Parliament and
31:32with the same vivaastha,
31:34Rahul Gandhi and the
31:35Congress party has won
31:36rivalry 16 times.
31:38The only issue is that
31:38today Gandhi Valtra family
31:40has been associated with
31:41a national anti-incumbency.
31:43They have not come to
31:43power for third
31:44consecutive time.
31:45There is a party which
31:46has defeated them for
31:47the third consecutive
31:48time and they have
31:49understood in their
31:49internal survey that they
31:50may not be able to come
31:51to power in the future
31:52because they are not
31:53working for the people.
31:55This is why the Congress
31:56has become an anti-
31:56incumbency and since
31:582011, let me tell you,
32:00not since 2014, Gaurav,
32:02since 2011, the Congress
32:04has not given a single
32:05repeated state government
32:06and just another data
32:08point.
32:08In 2014, the chief
32:10election commissioner was
32:11not appointed by a
32:12committee.
32:13It was only chosen by
32:14the government.
32:15The BJP got 282 seats.
32:16When it was appointed by
32:17a committee which is
32:18under Prime Minister
32:19Narendra Modi and the
32:21election and one of the
32:23cabinet ministers and the
32:24LOP, you had our seats
32:26coming down.
32:27So Rahul Gandhi's
32:28rational does not add.
32:30He is acting like a kid
32:31who is not winning the
32:32election and always trying
32:34to fight one or the
32:35other alibi for not
32:37winning an election.
32:38Salman Sos, you must
32:39respond to this.
32:40How are our elections
32:41fundamentally broken if
32:43the opposition continues
32:44to win elections?
32:46Telangana 2023, Himachal
32:48Pradesh 2022, Jharkhand
32:492019 and 24 or does it
32:53get broken if the
32:55Congress does not win
32:56or the India Alliance
32:57does not win, sir?
32:59Gaurav, if you are a very
33:00strategic player, you are a
33:01long-term player, I think
33:03there are ways you manage
33:04these things and you can
33:05see where you win and
33:07where you let it be.
33:09Let me just get to
33:11Pradeep Bhandari.
33:11That's an interesting point.
33:12Sir, elaborate.
33:13That's a very interesting
33:14point to make.
33:15Sir, are you saying that...
33:17Can I just finish my point?
33:19Because Pradeep Bhandari
33:21wants us to believe that
33:22the people of India are so
33:23happy with the BJP for
33:25giving us 0%.
33:270% real wage growth
33:29in this country.
33:300% for the last 10
33:31years, annual growth in
33:32incomes has been 0%.
33:34Real.
33:35Complation adjusted.
33:36So this guy wants us to
33:38believe that the people
33:38of India love that.
33:40That is...
33:41They love Modishi for
33:42that.
33:42And that is why he
33:43keeps winning.
33:44Living in Alice in
33:45Mandirah.
33:45I want to talk to...
33:46Look, Pradeep, I did not
33:47interrupt you a single
33:48time.
33:49I'm not.
33:49I'm not.
33:49No, for a moment, can I
33:50have Salman Sos and
33:52Pradeep on air to, you
33:54know, for point,
33:54come to the point.
33:55I want to actually talk
33:56about Anand Ranganathan
33:58because, you know, we
33:59may be on opposite sides.
34:01He's not speaking on
34:01the topic.
34:02But I actually want to
34:04commend him for asking
34:07the Chief Election
34:08Commissioner to either
34:10resign or come forward
34:12with a rebuttal to what
34:14we are saying.
34:15Now, I remember the
34:16Chief Election
34:17Commissioner...
34:17Because I really don't
34:18think this is a BJP
34:19conversation.
34:20What is he saying today?
34:20This is a democracy
34:22that is at stake.
34:23The Chief Election
34:24Commissioner had asked
34:25my leader Rahul Gandhi
34:26to file an...
34:27to basically apologize
34:28or prove...
34:30or prove our
34:32allegations of vote
34:33churi, which we've
34:33now been doing
34:34regularly.
34:35We've been doing
34:36things.
34:36Now...
34:37Wait, wait.
34:38Okay, so Pradeep
34:40Bhandari wants to
34:40respond to you.
34:41Pradeep Bhandari wants
34:42to respond to you.
34:43Let's take this point
34:44by point.
34:44Sir, there are two
34:45very crucial points
34:46you've made.
34:47One, you're saying
34:48that the BJP is
34:49letting Congress
34:49win strategically
34:50or worse to that
34:51effect.
34:52Can I just finish
34:52my point about
34:54the Chief Election
34:54Commissioner?
34:55In five seconds.
34:56Go on, sir.
34:57The Chief Election
34:57Commissioner wanted
34:58Rahul Gandhi to
34:59either prove the
35:01allegations or
35:02apologize.
35:03I'm now asking
35:04the Chief Election
35:05Commissioner that
35:07you either file an
35:09affidavit in the
35:09Supreme Court
35:10saying, proving that
35:12what the Indian
35:12Express, you know,
35:14expose is, it's
35:15all rubbish or
35:16sir, you resign
35:19and we are
35:20suggesting to you
35:21that you turn
35:22an approver for us
35:24so that we go
35:25after the real
35:26conference.
35:26Can I answer
35:26that now?
35:27Pradeep Bhandari
35:27wants to respond
35:28to you, sir.
35:29Three points you've
35:29raised.
35:30Pradeep Bhandari,
35:30please respond, sir.
35:31See, first of all,
35:32being verbose does
35:33not mean that you
35:34are logical and
35:35have common sense
35:36and making sense.
35:37Let me go step
35:38by step.
35:39He's saying that
35:39the Congress is
35:40winning the election
35:41because of the BJP.
35:42So, Gaurav, is
35:43the, is Salman so
35:45saying that Rahul
35:46Gandhi is BJP's
35:46agent?
35:48Did he win
35:48rivaly because of
35:49BJP?
35:50Is he saying that
35:50Rahul is our
35:51agent?
35:52I'm asking him.
35:53You're, you're
35:53just saying things,
35:54you're just saying
35:55these things because
35:56you think you look
35:56smart.
35:57You only said
35:57that it is
35:58strategically that
35:59we look like a
36:00fool.
36:01No, no, no.
36:01Hold on, hold on.
36:03I'm saying that
36:04any, any government
36:05that wants to be
36:07in power long time
36:08can basically say
36:10we will take
36:11these things and
36:12we will not
36:12disturb these things.
36:13Tell us how?
36:14Is he saying
36:17that strategically
36:17we let Rahul
36:18Gandhi win?
36:19Can you win in
36:19Kerala?
36:20Can you win in
36:20Tamil Nadu?
36:21Be logical.
36:22I'm asking you
36:23strategically, are
36:24you telling me
36:25that Rahul
36:26Gandhi or
36:26Congress is
36:27winning because
36:27of us?
36:29He's calling
36:30Rahul a B
36:31team of BJP.
36:31He's calling
36:32Rahul Gandhi
36:32an agent of
36:33BJP.
36:34Sir, are you
36:34saying, no,
36:35hold on, Salman
36:36Sos, that's a
36:36very interesting
36:37point to make
36:37and I want you
36:38to elaborate on
36:39it.
36:39Are you saying
36:40that BJP lets
36:41Congress win
36:42some elections
36:43so that that
36:44facade of
36:44democracy remains?
36:46I'm saying,
36:47is that what
36:48you're saying?
36:48Let me tell you
36:49what I'm saying.
36:50I'm saying that
36:51if you take a
36:52state like Kerala
36:53or if you take
36:54a state like
36:54Tamil Nadu,
36:55BJP has zero
36:55chance there anyway.
36:57Zero chance.
36:58What about a state
36:58like Bengal for
36:59example?
37:00They can't make
37:00change on the
37:01world.
37:01where the BJP
37:03apparently had
37:03zero chance
37:04for a very
37:05long time.
37:05The BJP has
37:07in Bengal.
37:08I'm shocked
37:09that he's
37:10insulting his
37:11chief ministers
37:12like Revan Threddy
37:13who are here
37:14claiming that
37:14the Congress
37:15will be in
37:15power in
37:16Telangana
37:16in 2033
37:18or a man
37:18like DK
37:19Shiv Kumar
37:19who comes
37:20on India
37:20today and
37:21says that
37:21he's working
37:22for the people.
37:23Today the
37:24representative
37:25of the
37:25Congress
37:25has said
37:26he's a
37:26marmare
37:27jade.
37:28I'm happy
37:29that you
37:29have admitted
37:29this.
37:30These people
37:30have been
37:31cheating
37:31the people
37:31of India.
37:32If Rahul
37:32Gandhi
37:32is listening
37:33to you
37:33today
37:34he would
37:35be shocked
37:35to see
37:36that you
37:36are telling
37:36Congress
37:37is the
37:37team of
37:38BJP
37:38and Gandhi
37:39Badra
37:39family
37:40doing
37:40exactly
37:40what
37:41we
37:41tell.
37:41You
37:41see
37:42this
37:42is
37:42what
37:42is
37:42happening
37:43right
37:43now.
37:44Okay.
37:44This
37:44is what
37:44is happening
37:45right now.
37:46Gentlemen
37:47one by
37:47one.
37:48Congress
37:48win in
37:49the next.
37:49Okay.
37:50Let us
37:51go for it.
37:51There is
37:51UP,
37:52Punjab,
37:53one by
37:53one by
37:54My
37:54simple.
37:55Okay.
37:55Let's
37:55take his
38:01can't do
38:01anything.
38:02Okay.
38:02According to
38:03you.
38:03According to
38:04you.
38:04According to
38:05Let's
38:05take this
38:05forward.
38:06Okay.
38:07But
38:07but
38:08you
38:09He
38:09lost
38:10it.
38:10Uttar Pradesh,
38:11Punjab,
38:12Manipur,
38:13Goa.
38:13Do you
38:13know
38:14Can he
38:15tell us
38:15which
38:16strategic
38:16elections
38:16will we
38:17let him
38:17win?
38:17Can he
38:18tell us
38:18that?
38:18He knows
38:19it.
38:19No.
38:20But sir
38:20that's a
38:20very big
38:21announcement
38:21you've
38:22made on
38:22India
38:22today.
38:23Ask
38:23him.
38:23Prime
38:24Minister.
38:25You're
38:25saying
38:26on
38:26India
38:26today
38:27you're
38:27saying
38:27that
38:27BJP
38:28lets
38:28opposition
38:29win
38:29some
38:30states.
38:31Congress
38:31win.
38:31So
38:32again
38:32basically
38:34he's
38:35taken
38:35every
38:35credit
38:36away
38:36from
38:36Rahul
38:36Gandip.
38:37Okay.
38:38The
38:38Prime
38:38Minister
38:38was
38:38losing
38:39his seat
38:39in
38:40Varanasi.
38:40And
38:41even
38:41Rendi.
38:42And
38:42Sukhinder
38:43Sukku.
38:43Pradeep
38:44Bhandari
38:44is it
38:44true
38:46that
38:46the
38:46Prime
38:47Minister
38:48was
38:52trailing
38:53in
38:53Varanasi?
38:54Is it
38:54true or
38:54not?
38:56No.
38:57It is
38:57not
38:57true.
38:57Obviously
38:58it is
38:58not
38:58true.
38:59He's
38:59won it.
38:59It is
38:59true.
39:00It is
39:00absolutely
39:01not
39:01true.
39:01Now
39:01you
39:02tell
39:02me
39:02is
39:02it
39:03true
39:03or
39:03not?
39:05So
39:05is
39:05DK
39:06Shivkumar
39:06BJP's
39:07agent?
39:07Salman
39:08Sosa
39:08called
39:09DK
39:09Shivkumar
39:10as
39:10BJP's
39:10agent?
39:11He's
39:11called
39:11Rahul
39:12Gandhi
39:12as
39:12BJP's
39:13agent?
39:13He's
39:14called
39:14Priyanka
39:14Wadra
39:15as
39:15BJP's
39:15agent?
39:16Let me
39:17quickly
39:18bring in
39:18Mohammed
39:18Amin
39:19for
39:19closing
39:19comments
39:20on
39:20this.
39:20I'm
39:21amazed.
39:22Can he
39:24tell on
39:24your show
39:25which
39:25strategic
39:26elections
39:26will
39:27the
39:27opposition
39:27lose
39:28according
39:28to
39:28him
39:29in
39:29the
39:29upcoming
39:29elections?
39:3130
39:32seconds.
39:3330
39:33seconds.
39:33Mohammed
39:34Amin
39:34lost his
39:35mental
39:35semblance
39:36today.
39:36What is
39:36he saying?
39:37Hold on.
39:37Hold on.
39:38Let's all remain
39:40civil.
39:41What is
39:42he saying?
39:42Is he saying
39:42that Revan
39:43Triti has
39:43not won
39:44the election?
39:44Is he
39:45saying that
39:45he should
39:45resign?
39:46What is
39:47he saying?
39:48I'm saying
39:49that the BJP
39:50deploys
39:51the
39:52BJP
39:53deploys
39:53if I come
39:55back to
39:55that
39:55substantive
39:56point.
39:56Only
39:56Mohammed
39:57Amin
39:57for two
39:57seconds.
39:58If
39:58two of
39:59the
39:59three
39:59election
39:59commissioners
40:00reportedly
40:00recorded
40:0114
40:01objections
40:02in
40:0210
40:02months.
40:04Including
40:04four in
40:05one
40:05day.
40:06Now
40:06should
40:07there
40:07not
40:07be
40:07a
40:07clarification
40:08from
40:09the
40:09election
40:09commission
40:09in
40:10greater
40:10detail?
40:11What is
40:11normal?
40:12If there
40:13are 14
40:14objections
40:14in
40:1410
40:15months?
40:18It's
40:19better.
40:20All
40:21what
40:21mission
40:21we have
40:22the
40:22who
40:22and
40:22cry
40:22and
40:23everybody
40:25is
40:26billing
40:26each
40:28other.
40:29That's
40:29why it's
40:29better.
40:30The
40:30chief
40:30commission
40:31and
40:31both
40:31the
40:32commission
40:32have
40:32come
40:32out.
40:33The
40:33press
40:34conference
40:34to the
40:35public.
40:35That's
40:36everything
40:36being
40:36clarified.
40:37Absolutely.
40:39We must
40:40know as
40:40citizens,
40:41as
40:41voters,
40:42as
40:42Indians,
40:43it is
40:43our
40:44right to
40:44know
40:44facts.
40:45And one
40:45expects
40:46the chief
40:47election
40:47commissioner
40:47to sit
40:50down and
40:50clarify on
40:51all the
40:52points that
40:52have been
40:53raised to
40:54the
40:54satisfaction
40:55of this
40:56country.
40:57Because we
40:57are very
40:58proud of
40:59a democracy.
40:59We're
41:00proud of
41:01the effort
41:02that's
41:02made.
41:02And nobody
41:03should question
41:05a challenge
41:06that based
41:06on verified
41:08information.
41:09I want to
41:09thank Salman
41:10Sors,
41:10Pradeep
41:11Bhandari
41:11and
41:11Mohamed
41:12Ameen for
41:12joining me
41:12here on
41:13this India
41:14first special
41:14broadcast.
41:15Laying out
41:15the red
41:16carpet,
41:16a 21-gun
41:17salute and
41:18a fly
41:18pass by
41:19the B-1B
41:20bombers
41:21flying overhead.
41:23US President
41:24Donald Trump
41:24went out
41:26of his
41:26way as
41:27he received
41:28the Chinese
41:28President Xi
41:29Jinping at
41:30the Joint Base
41:30Andrews outside
41:32Washington,
41:32D.C.
41:33Now, this is
41:33highly unusual
41:34for a US
41:35president to
41:36personally receive
41:37a foreign
41:38head of state.
41:39Visiting state
41:40leaders normally
41:41receive a formal
41:42welcome at the
41:43White House.
41:44In fact, this is
41:44the first time
41:45since 1962 that
41:47a sitting US
41:47president has
41:48personally welcomed
41:49a foreign
41:49leader at the
41:50airport.
41:51Now, Donald
41:51Trump's
41:52elaborate welcome
41:52for Xi
41:53Jinping featured
41:54a 100-foot
41:55red carpet,
41:56a 21-person
41:57honor cordon,
41:58ceremonial cannon
41:59fire and a
42:00fly pass by
42:01two B-1B
42:02bombers.
42:03After a brief
42:04interaction with
42:04President Xi,
42:06President Trump
42:06told reporters
42:07Iran and
42:08tariffs would be
42:09among the
42:10top issues
42:11discussed.
42:12Listen in.
42:14There was a
42:14great little
42:16meeting,
42:17a great
42:17greeting and
42:18I think they
42:19appreciated
42:20tremendous
42:21people.
42:22Also, it's
42:23very nice to
42:24land on what
42:26they consider
42:26to be the
42:27most beautiful
42:27helipad ever
42:29built by far.
42:31They've been
42:31waiting for that
42:32for about 30
42:34years.
42:34We've got it
42:35done.
42:35It's beautiful.
42:36On Iran,
42:37what are you
42:38going to be
42:39talking about
42:39with President
42:40Iran?
42:41Well, we'll
42:41see.
42:41We'll see.
42:42I'll be talking
42:42about that and
42:43many other
42:43subjects.
42:44We'll see.
42:45But it's all
42:45coming along
42:46well, including
42:46that.
42:50US Secretary
42:51of State
42:52Scott Besant
42:52had announced
42:53that Washington
42:54DC and
42:54Beijing have
42:55agreed to
42:56extend their
42:56trade truce
42:57by two
42:58months.
42:59They've
42:59pushed the
43:00deadline from
43:00November 10
43:01to January
43:0210 next
43:03year.
43:03This is
43:03President Xi
43:04Jinping's
43:04first state
43:05visit to the
43:06United States
43:06after 2015
43:08second summit
43:09with President
43:09Trump in
43:10less than
43:10six months.
43:11Will there be
43:12a meeting of
43:12the hearts?
43:13I quickly
43:13want to
43:14cut across
43:14to Washington
43:15DC.
43:16Joining me
43:17from Washington
43:17DC is
43:18India Today's
43:19Rohit Sharma.
43:21Also joining
43:21me on this
43:21special broadcast
43:22with our
43:22Foreign Affairs
43:23editor,
43:24Geetha Mohan.
43:24Rohit, to
43:25you first.
43:26Is there
43:27forward movement?
43:28Rohit, there
43:29was some
43:29conversation that
43:31that big
43:31Boeing order
43:32that America
43:33was expecting,
43:34that big
43:35Boeing order
43:36is unlikely
43:36to happen?
43:39Well, I
43:39think we'll
43:40have to wait
43:40and watch.
43:41As we are
43:42talking, I
43:43am hearing
43:45the US
43:46band play
43:47a loud music
43:48here, the
43:48welcome
43:49ceremony is
43:49still on.
43:50We heard
43:50from both
43:51the leaders,
43:52we heard
43:52from President
43:52Xi Jinping
43:53in his
43:54opening remarks,
43:55we heard
43:55President Trump
43:55in his
43:56opening remarks,
43:56and both
43:57are very
43:57optimistic,
43:58both are
43:59trying to
43:59set a
44:00very optimistic
44:00tone.
44:01Xi Jinping
44:01saying,
44:02we want to
44:03be able to
44:03have this
44:04US-India
44:05relationship,
44:06so US-China
44:07relationship,
44:08this big
44:08ship, we
44:09should be
44:09able to
44:10guide it
44:10towards peace
44:11and prosperity.
44:11Something
44:12similar to
44:12what President
44:13Donald Trump
44:13has said.
44:14So we'll
44:14have to
44:14wait and
44:15watch.
44:15Gaurav, we
44:16have been
44:16told that
44:16there could
44:17be a big
44:17announcement
44:17coming, we
44:18do not
44:18know what
44:18that is.
44:19There was
44:19one big
44:20development
44:20that happened
44:20yesterday when
44:21the Secretary
44:21President said
44:22that the
44:22ongoing cruise
44:23that was
44:24announced in
44:24Busan with the
44:25Doxer
44:25trade has been
44:26extended until
44:27January of next
44:28year.
44:29But now after
44:30this ceremony,
44:31I think that's
44:31where the real
44:32test begins of
44:33the relationship.
44:34The Americans
44:34want to talk
44:35about everything,
44:36everything is on
44:36the table,
44:37that's why the
44:37Americans are
44:38concerned, but
44:38there are red
44:39lines issued by
44:40the Chinese.
44:41The Chinese have
44:42said that there
44:43are things they
44:44do not want to
44:44talk about that
44:45includes Taiwan.
44:47And I think
44:47there is some
44:48sense, at least
44:49on the Hill,
44:50that the Chinese
44:51should be
44:51confronted about
44:52security challenges.
44:53The Hill, the
44:54senators have also
44:55made concerns about
44:56intelligence that
44:57the Chinese have
44:58provided to the
44:58Iranians.
44:59and leading to
45:01the killing of
45:01some Americans
45:02in the ongoing
45:03Iran and U.S.
45:04war.
45:05Give me a moment,
45:06these are live
45:07visuals that are
45:09coming in.
45:11Okay, U.S.
45:12President Donald
45:12Trump, Chinese
45:13President Xi
45:14Jinping with
45:15Melania Trump,
45:17with President
45:17Trump and
45:18Ms. Peng,
45:21let's for a
45:21moment listen in.
46:24So, President
46:25Trump, President
46:26Xi Jinping, Peng
46:27Liu Yan,
46:28Xi Jinping's
46:29wife and
46:29Melania Trump
46:30standing there
46:31together, the
46:32red carpet laid
46:33out.
46:34Geeta Mohan
46:34getting their
46:36hearts to meet
46:37easier said than
46:37done.
46:38Both realize if
46:39the two greatest
46:41economies, you
46:43know, if they
46:43come together,
46:44it will help.
46:45However, there
46:46are tremendous
46:47suspicions also,
46:49especially on
46:49intelligence given
46:50to Iran that
46:51led to U.S.
46:52casualties.
46:54Well, absolutely,
46:56they come not
46:57with trust
46:59building, they
46:59come with
47:01relationship
47:01building based
47:04on pragmatism.
47:06This is a
47:06pragmatic
47:07relationship that
47:08we're looking at.
47:08The fact that U.S.
47:09and China are
47:11willing to talk
47:12and take trade
47:13conversations forward,
47:14despite the kind
47:17of leaks we've
47:18seen, despite the
47:19kind of stories of
47:20espionage, look
47:21Gaurav, they're
47:22meeting at a time
47:23when every newspaper
47:24today has carried
47:25stories about an
47:28F-35 components of
47:29an F-35 being
47:31found in China or
47:33having landed in
47:34Chinese hands.
47:35How did it get
47:36there?
47:37Australians were
47:37sending it back to
47:38America either for
47:39disposal or for
47:40repair.
47:41And it suddenly
47:42reroutes itself,
47:45the aircraft to
47:46Hong Kong and now
47:47is under Chinese
47:48possession.
47:48That's a big story
47:49and it's coming
47:50at the back of
47:52President Xi
47:53Zipin landing and
47:54despite that, look
47:55at the visuals.
47:55We're looking at a
47:56welcome ceremony
47:57that is absolutely
47:59not comparable with
48:01any other world
48:02leader who's landed
48:03in Washington in
48:04the recent past.
48:06President Xi
48:06Zipin and the
48:07first lady.
48:08Give me a moment
48:09Gita, we're just
48:09getting a reaction
48:10from moments ago.
48:12Right now the
48:12ceremony that you
48:13watch is live but
48:14just moments ago
48:15President Trump
48:15spoke to journalists
48:17on what his
48:17expectations from
48:18this meeting.
48:19I'll listen in.
48:22Just as our people
48:23worked together to
48:25win that war,
48:26President Xi and I
48:27will continue working
48:28together to forge a
48:29better future for both
48:31of our nations.
48:32President Xi,
48:34Madam Peng,
48:35thank you once again
48:36for making this
48:37historic visit.
48:38If we focus on our
48:40common interests,
48:41I'm confident there is
48:42much we can achieve
48:44throughout history.
48:45Pursuit of those
48:46common interests has
48:48connected our people
48:49across the vast oceans,
48:51those big, tremendous
48:53distances and many
48:55differences and even
48:56made us allies in World
48:59War II.
49:00Look at the greatness
49:01that we had together
49:03fighting in World War II.
49:05Brave American pilots
49:06volunteered to come to
49:07China and fight for the
49:09very survival of the
49:10legendary country and that
49:13legendary Flying Tigers
49:16group.
49:16They were just
49:17unbelievable.
49:19Okay, I once again
49:20want to bring in
49:21Rohit.
49:21Rohit, supply of
49:23rare earth minerals.
49:25That's something that the
49:26United States is very
49:27keen on.
49:28China has 76 to 80%
49:30control over rare earth
49:31material.
49:32China wants access to
49:33high-end technology.
49:35They don't want any
49:35restrictions on that.
49:36So how much of give-and-take
49:38and forward movement can
49:39we truly expect?
49:42And that's the question
49:43everybody is asking.
49:44Remember, you know, when
49:45the Americans had
49:47withdrawn the tariffs on
49:48China, one of the
49:49reasons they did that is
49:50because they wanted
49:51access to earth minerals,
49:52which they haven't really
49:54gotten.
49:54Anybody who's looked up at
49:56the reports could tell you
49:57that.
49:57So we'll have to see.
49:58As I've been saying since
50:00last two days, there's a lot
50:01of pop, there's a lot of
50:02show.
50:02You know, we're seeing all
50:03these great things.
50:04But when the leaders
50:05actually get into the
50:06meeting, that's when we
50:08will know exactly what's
50:09going on.
50:10There are a lot of
50:10expectations going into
50:12the meeting that there
50:12could be, you know, some
50:13understanding when it comes
50:15to trade.
50:15There could be some
50:16understanding in terms of
50:17tariffs.
50:17President Trump two days
50:18ago threatened putting
50:20100% tariffs on oil
50:22importers, but the top of
50:24the list is China.
50:25So there's a lot.
50:26You know, you pick any
50:27area, Gaurav, across the
50:28globe, and you will not
50:30find synergy between these
50:31two nations.
50:32And yet we're looking at a
50:33very positive tone from
50:35these leaders.
50:36So we'll have to wait
50:36and watch how many
50:38deliverables can we get,
50:39how much understanding
50:40these leaders have.
50:41And this is not the last
50:42time they are meeting.
50:43Possibly they're also
50:44going to be meeting in
50:45December.
50:46So this could be a
50:47midway meeting.
50:48They met in May.
50:48They're meeting now in
50:49September.
50:50They might meet again in
50:51December.
50:52And that 100% tariff
50:54that you spoke of,
50:55Gita, that's a big
50:57leverage.
50:58Yes, that 100% tariff
50:59is a big leverage that
51:01President Trump wants a
51:03weapon to negotiate
51:04with China.
51:06Well, I mean, if you
51:08look at it that way, but
51:09the fact that there's a
51:10Jan 10th trade truce
51:13deadline extension itself
51:15goes to show that it's
51:17the Chinese president who's
51:19walking into the White
51:20House with a lot of
51:21leverage over here.
51:22But not the other way
51:23around because the trade
51:25truce extension would not
51:27have happened unless and
51:28until they really wanted
51:29this 3-2 meeting to be
51:31a grand success.
51:32And so, yes, they're
51:33moving forward.
51:34For now, it's a truce.
51:35For now, they're just
51:36going to keep things
51:37calm.
51:39There is no official
51:40announcement of the
51:42100% tariff on countries,
51:45particularly India and
51:46China, importing Russian
51:49energy.
51:51India certainly is at the
51:52receiving end, but China
51:54not so much and not so
51:55far.
51:57Geeta and Rohit, for the
51:58moment, many thanks for
51:59joining me.
51:59They'll keep tracking the
52:00story very closely.
52:01For a moment, I want to
52:02leave you with these
52:02visuals.
52:03As I slip into a quick
52:04break, we leave you with
52:05these images from
52:07Washington, D.C.
52:16All right, over.