Left, Right & Centre

No one perhaps seriously doubts that Pakistan and terrorism are synonymous. Now, in one of the most brazen displays of its link with Haafiz Saeed, the 26/11 mastermind, Islamabad has managed to get the United Nations Security Council to allow the terror mastermind access to his bank accounts - funds he apparently needs for the upkeep of his family.

Two children, one just 10, the other 12, are murdered in Madhya Pradesh. Their fault? They defecated out in the open. How could something like this happen and what about the entire rhetoric of India being almost defecation free.

The UP rape survivor is dragged out of her home and put behind bars for extortion. The man who is accused of raping her, Chinmayanand, a former Union Minister, is still recovering we are told in hospital. He is clearly not behind bars and there is still no custodial interrogation. Apparently, the BJP has chosen to distance itself from Chinmayanand. But when asked when this decision was taken, there is no answer and what about other BJP leaders at the centre? Why have they been silent when confronting this reality - a rape survivor is behind bars. The man who allegedly raped her is not.

There's a major terrorist threat to 30 cities, to airbases, to airports as more details come in of how terrorists are smuggling in weapons into the Punjab using drones from Pakistan. Why is this such a serious security threat and how is it different from the terror alerts that we get this time of the year ahead of the festive season, we discuss on the show.

Donald Trump offers mediation between India and Pak for a third time, speaks about the Prime Minister's aggressive' statements in Houston and has called Iran, not Pak, the epicentre of terror. Should India trust Donald Trump? This on a day when the Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan made a bizarre admission - Pakistan trained both the Al-Qaeda and the Taliban on their soil.

The independence of the judiciary from the demands of the government is back in sharp focus with the Supreme Court making it clear that the interference of the government in the process of appointments doesn't augur well for the institution. The hearing was about the appointment of Justice Akil Kureishi. He was recommended as the Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, but the government didn't approve and the Supreme Court Collegium then decided to post him to Tripura instead but that decision too is pending with the government.

The Army Chief says that Pakistan has restarted the terror training camp in Balakot. He also says that India has all options before us in the event of a terror attack. This as news comes in of 500 odd terrorists in position either at terror launch pads or at terror training hubs. On the show tonight, the man who conducted the surgical strikes, Lt Gen DS Hooda, joins me as we debate Balakot being reactivated.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump delivered quite a spectacle in Houston on Sunday where the two world leaders addressed 50,000 Indian-Americans at the massive 'Howdy, Modi!' event. Did PM Modi and Donald Trump have a broader message?

BJP eyes a second term in both Haryana and Maharashtra in the first election since PM Modi's government pushed through several key pieces of legislation in Parliament's Monsoon Session. The question is will these legislations prove to be influential with the voter or will the condition of the economy be a rallying point?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi says it is time to embrace the people of the state who have suffered for decades and turn the Valley into "Jannat" or heaven again. He was speaking at a rally in Nashik where he also said the decisions which have been taken on Kashmir will help people realise their dreams and aspirations. On the show, is this outreach by the Prime Minister a sign that normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir will follow sooner rather than later? Remember, it has been nearly a month and a half since political leaders in the state were placed in preventive custody. All political dissent in the state has been put on hold.

Three days after she filed a statement in front of a magistrate alleging rape by the BJP leader Chinmayanand, there is still no justice for the young UP law student, who has been fighting from pillar to post. She now says that she will set herself on fire if there is no action being taken. The SIT investigating the case say they will not be influenced and are investigating the case closely but if that's the case, why have they not at the very least filed an FIR. All this on a day when the UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath says the "safety of women and girls is our priority."

"Howdy, Modi!" is being billed as a once in a lifetime cultural program on Sunday. That's when Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be Houston attending an event being attended by 50,000 of his fans. The cultural programme is called "Woven: The Indian-American Story", a 90-minute cultural program that is a celebration of Indian-Americans and their contributions to the cultural, intellectual, and social landscape of the United States. This happens at 8 pm IST Sunday night. (Video courtesy: howdymodi.org)

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman bans e-cigarettes. Many would say that it is a welcome step - the presence of nicotine in e-cigarettes can cause addiction. This was becoming possible for children among others. But then, there are those who believe that this step is entirely regressive since e-cigarettes are safer than cigarettes and the government hasn't done anything to reduce tobacco consumption.

Superstar Rajinikanth weighs in on the language debate - On Amit Shah's suggestion that Hindi become a compulsory second language, the Tamil superstar-turned-politician says "No language can be imposed. Southern states will not accept a common language." On the show, with such fierce opposition from parts of the country, is the centre's drive to push Hindi impossible to achieve?

If you are an NGO and get funds from outside the country, then, among other things, you need to declare that you aren't involved in religious conversion, sedition or advocating violent means. The Home Ministry's changes in the Foreign Contribution Regulations Rules, 2011, which guides the operations of these NGOs seems designed to prevent the operations of many groups. Among other things, each and every member of the NGO's office bearers need to certify that they will not create communal tension and disharmony or advocate violent means. Where do these moves leave honest hardworking NGOs which work to protecting the rights of citizens or on environmental, health or social issues?