The Interview With Karan Thapar

Trump Has "Broken" India’s Trust in USA and Scepticism is Back: Navtej Sarna

Former ambassador to the United States of America, who also served in Washington during the first Trump presidency, says that President Trump has “broken” India’s trust in America and skepticism is back. Navtej Sarna says the optimism that used to prevail in the relationship, what he calls “the positive unquestionable narrative”, is no longer true and no longer holds.

SC Advisory on Governors Not Well Thought-out, Will Add Confusion Rather Than Resolve Problems

Both Justice Madan Lokur, a former judge of the Supreme Court, and Dushyant Dave, a well-known lawyer and a former President of the Supreme Court Bar Association, have strongly criticised the Supreme Court’s advisory opinion given in response to the presidential reference on how Governors and the President should handle legislation. Both believe that the advisory opinion is not well-thought through and will add to the confusion. Both gentlemen also believe that if Governors start taking interminable time to pass legislation, it will place India’s federalism in danger. Both men also believe that the Supreme Court should not have entertained the presidential reference seeking an advisory opinion.

Charges Against Kashmir Times “Absolutely False, Fabricated”; Modi Regime Intolerant of Criticism

Defending her paper, The Kashmir Times, its Executive Editor, Anuradha Bhasin, has said that the litany of charges brought against her paper by the Special Investigation Agency of the Jammu and Kashmir police, when it raided the paper on Thursday, are “absolutely false, absolutely fabricated”. She said reports that several arms and weapons were found in the newspaper’s premises are “completely fabricated”. She suggested that this claim has been trumped up to provide an excuse for the raid. Amongst other things the paper has been accused of disseminating terrorist and secessionist ideology; spreading inflammatory, fabricated and false narratives; disturbing peace and public order and challenging the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India. 

I Don’t Trust Election Commission and Its SIR; SC’s Advisory Opinion Is a Setback: P. Thiaga Rajan

In an interview to discuss both the Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls presently underway in Tamil Nadu as well as yesterday's Supreme Court advisory opinion on how Governors and the President respond to state legislation, Tamil Nadu's Minister for Information Technology and Digital Services, P. Thiaga Rajan, has said that he doesn't trust the Election Commission and has enumerated in detail why he has great suspicions and doubts about the Special Intensive Revision presently underway in Tamil Nadu. Thiaga Rajan has also said that the Supreme Court's advisory opinion of yesterday on how Governors and the President handle legislation is a setback for all state governments, particularly those of the opposition which serve under a BJP-appointed intrusive Governor.

My Encounters With Ghosts, Ghouls, Spirits and Voices From the Other World

Do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever seen a spirit? Do voices speak to you from the other world? If you were to ask me that question my answer would be an emphatic and resounding no. But that’s not the case with my guest. He’s just written a book, published by HarperCollins, about his many and varied experiences encountering ghosts, spirits, ghouls and other sorts of apparitions. It’s called ‘There’s a Ghost in my Room: Living with the Supernatural’ and the author is the Managing Director of Teamwork Arts, Sanjoy Roy.

Why Do BJP and Narendra Modi Keep Winning? Why Do Congress and Rahul Gandhi Keep Losing?

After the National Democratic Alliance's seemingly unbelievable victory in Bihar and the Mahagathbandhan's shattering defeat there are two questions that are crying out for an analytical answer - why do the BJP and Narendra Modi keep winning? Why do Congress and Rahul Gandhi keep losing? These are the key questions posed in this interview with Yogendra Yadav, one of India's well-known political analysts and a former psephologist who is today the National Convenor of the Bharat Jodo Abhiyan.

Pakistan's Constitutional Amendment Creates One Man Rule Under Field Marshal Munir

In an interview to discuss the recent constitutional amendment in Pakistan (called the 27th constitutional amendment) one of Pakistan's most senior diplomats, and its former Ambassador to USA, China and Russia and former High Commissioner to India, Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, has said it is "the blackest day" in Pakistan's constitutional history. He said it was "a serious setback to the rule of law and democracy", and it’s a "major attempt at substituting hybrid rule for civilian supremacy". Qazi said that the widespread criticism in Pakistan is that it will create one man rule, that of the present Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir.

India's News Channels 'Must Be Amongst the Worst in the World': Former Hindu Editor, N. Ram

In an interview to discuss and analyse the media coverage of the Bihar election campaign, the former Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of The Hindu, N. Ram, has said that India's news television channels "must be amongst the worst in the world".
"Broadcast television … has been awful. It must be amongst the worst in the world, whether you look at either the Hindi television sector or the so-called national TV news channels, they've been awful for the most part. Almost overwhelmingly."

Red Fort Bomb 'Could Be Start of Nationwide Terror Campaign but This Time We're Better Prepared'

In an interview to discuss critical questions thrown up by Monday's terror attack in the Red Fort area of Delhi, the Executive Director of the Institute for Conflict Management and the South Asia Terrorism Portal Ajai Sahni says that the Red Fort bomb "could be the start of a nationwide terror campaign" but, if it is, this time India is much better prepared. He adds: "The Red Fort blast demonstrates that a residual risk of Islamist terrorism will remain, and is, indeed, likely to grow.”

Is the BBC a Corporation in Crisis? Can It Recover Its Reputation?

The Director General of the BBC and its Head of News have resigned, raising the critical question: Is the BBC a corporation in crisis? Its flagship documentary Panorama has been accused by President Trump of 100% fake news. Internal documents have accused the BBC of a Hamas bias and believing the worst of Israel. And other critics say the BBC is guilty of what’s called gender ideology. It’s believed later today the Chairman of the BBC will issue a public apology. But is that sufficient? I’m joined from London by the former Secretary of State for International Development, former Deputy Foreign Secretary and former Shadow Foreign Secretary and now a Conservative MP for Sutton Coldfield Sir Andrew Mitchell.