The DeshBhakt With Akash Banerjee

Prevention of Money Laundering Act - A law that was brought in to hack illegal drug trafficking, money laundering & to put a stop to legitimising Black Money has gradually moved on from being a law to a political tool in the hands of the ruling government…be it Congress who politisized it - to BJP that weaponised it. A brilliant article in Scroll - https://scroll.in/article/1027571/how-the-modi-government-has-weaponised-the-ed-to-go-after-indias-opposition - highlights how in the ED has become a force to reckon with & a weapon to intimidate the opposition by the party in power - be in Congress or the BJP. Do watch the episode to understand how powerful ED has become after the 2019 amendment & to understand if the PMLA stands constitutionally correct ? ************************************************************************************

Download the fleek app here https://getfleek.onelink.me/MDpg/rnkuj14j (Special offer for subscribers! The first 1000 people who sign up on Fleek using the link above get Rs 100 off on subscription of their choice! ****************** As communal flames threaten to burn brighter each day - it's important to ask - what happened to India's rapid economic growth story ?? Did the Communal Bulldozer derail the Bullet Train of Vikas? Most importantly - it's not international rankings that is showing our decay & emergency - OUR OWN GOVT. numbers show how bad the situation is. Here are just 8 hard Govt numbers that show the sad truth & why its critical for us to get back on track!

From SEVEN members of a family controlling the economy & polity of a country to now running away from that very country. How did the Rajapaksas (who had such mad following in Sri Lanka) - lead the country into ruin? How were the warning signs not heeded to? How did Democracy fail in the Island Nation? How were the people of Lanka fooled for so long? - What can we learn from this debacle??? That and a whole lot of your questions....

Kanhaiya Lal's killing in Udaipur shows how deep islamic extremism has seeped in this country. How did it get so bad - we never had such an instance before - what is the international connect and what can the Govt do to ensure that further religious radicalisation is stopped?? An earnest plea from team Deshbhakt

After the initial shock - it seems that Uddhav & his men are digging in for a long fight. Shinde & his men are trying to claim the legacy of Balasaheb Thackeray - but who has the upper hand if things go to court and who will win this standoff? That and a whole lot of your questions....

Even as Assam was battled one of the worst floods in recent memory - it was getting flooded with Rebel Shiv Sena MLAs who were landing in Guwahati by the dozens. By evening it was clear that a Political Tsunami has hit Shiv Sena and that the party could be heading for a split. Either that or the BJP engineers a fall of the Govt now. What will it be? End of the road for Uddhav?

Even after a massive nationwide protest by army aspirants - the Govt made some superficial changes and is now pushing through the Agnipath Scheme for recruitment into the armed forces. However there are MANY unanswered questions that are staring us in the face - despite the best efforts of the Govt. these questions will continue to cause confusion and unrest. If not answered and solved - they will result in Agnipath becoming a masterstroke like Notebandi. Here are 8 MAIN questions about the Agniveer Scheme and some solutions that might reduce the pain. (Else we will find out in 3 - 4 years anyways)

Nupur Sharma's comments were globally condemned - leading to her sacking as Spokesperson & Suspension from the BJP - but over the last 24 hours we got to see the worst. After Friday prayers - some peaceful protests turned violent - there was stone pelting as well - calls were made for Nupur Sharm's hanging. In a reaction - we saw the full force of the Police doing out and using live bullets. Resulting in 2 casualties. now the whole narrative has changed - with support for Nupur actually growing - Who did the violence benefit? That and a whole lot of your questions....

Achieve your UPSC Mission 2023 with PrepLadder's high yield content at just Rs 6900 for 12 months. (Use my code DSBKT to get an additional discount of Rs 500) Download the PrepLadder app, your Gateway to UPSC success: https://prepladder-temp.onelink.me/GrFR/uatop0rb ************************************ In Ep.6 of Deshbhakt की खुदाई - we dig into the most requested issue that hardly get any media attention - the plight of the youth in India. While “YUVA JOSH” is celebrated and cheered by politicians - yet nothing is being for them since the last 8 years. From shrinking jobs, limited opportunities, corrupt exam system, brain brain, lack of skill training - the youth seem to have little besides unlimited data and WhatsApp University. Here's 8 basic points that dig into the truth of youth in India . *************************************

Download KukuFM! - https://kukufm.sng.link/Apksi/tx71/fnbi Use Coupon Code - DB50 ****************** There is a new sort of fear in the valley and Kashmiri Pundits are exiting in droves - some even calming that the situation is like the 90's. But what is driving this new Kashmiri Pundit Exodus? Why cannot the Govt not stop the hybrid terror attacks on them and are we starting to see the real fallout of Article 370 abrogation now? Kashmir has never been a simple place - and when you try to give it sock treatment - the results are not that great. We explore more.

Busy week at the Deshbhakt where we dug into Aadhaar Scam / The Great Unicorn Bust and Kashmiri Pundits being targeted in the valley. This week also saw 100 days of Putin's war on Ukraine - and a nation standup to the most powerful dictator on the planet. But can Ukraine keep holding on and will Putin ever back down? That and a whole lot of your questions!

What is the truth about Aadhaar security? Is it really safe and foolproof as the Govt has been telling us for so many years ?? Or has it become a digital tool in the hands of hackers and criminals ??? A govt press release warning citizens about the dangers of Aadhaar is withdrawn within 48 hours - but even the withdrawal notice makes it clear that Aadhaar is in a mess and the Aadhaar frauds are only growing by the day. In Episode 3 of Deshbhakt की खुदाई we get to the bottom of how unsafe Aadhaar really is.

Kangana's latest 100 crore flop just sold 20 tickets nationwide - making Dhaakad her 9th flop. Aryan Khan gets a clean clit and NCB / BJP a massive egg on the face. That and a whole lot more that went down this week... + your questions!

Massive HALF _ STEP by the SC of India to 'pause' the Sedition Law - but the jury is still out there if this is the end... ofcourse there is still the UAPA and NSA that the Govt can fall back on! lets discuss! - + tons of your questions!

Can SEVEN members of a family controlling the economy & polity of a country ever be good news? How did the Rajapaksas who had such mad following in Sri Lanka - lead the country into ruin? How were the warning signs not heeded to? How did Democracy fail in the Island Nation? How were the people of Lanka fooled for so long? - What can we learn from this debacle??? PuNsTeR™ writes for the Deshbhakt and tries to draw some lessons - before it is too late. Follow PuNsTeR™ on twitter - @Pun_Starr ******************************************

An Indian Express Exclusive by Anisha Dutta has proved what we at Deshbhakt have been saying for the longest time. That the rise of bigotry, authoritarianism, minority bashing & ridicule of law & order will cost our economy dear - already it has dented our Sovereign Ratings. Now it turns out that the Govt at the highest levels knew that India was risking growth for all the hate it was adopting - but even then it did not do more than 'image management'. ******************************* Indian express Exclusive on Ratings - https://indianexpress.com/article/india/worried-india-rating-may-turn-junk-govt-pushed-narrative-management-strategy-7907161/ Follow Anisha Dutta on Twitter - @A2D2_

Rahul Gandhi was in the news this week - again - this time because he was spotted in a Pub in Nepal. The Opposition had a field day - claiming that Rahul was there with the Chinese Ambassador. While none of that was true - what is sadly true is that Rahul continues to be the gift for the Govt and instead of counterbalancing the Govt - he's helping with the rise of an authoritarian government. Here's 14 reasons why Rahul is Modi's best and biggest weapon to stay in power. The Congress IT cell can bring in the fireworks now! *********************************

The Narendra Modi Govt has set an ambitious target of making India the Number 1 nation by 2047 - when we celebrate our 100 years of independence. Is this tall task possible? Given how low we rank on so many global parameters like per capita GDP, employment, hunger, press freedom, etc? - The short answer is - YES - but only if our leaders take inspiration from our past and use the concepts of Darshan & Seva - while staying away from getting trapped in a Mayajaal *********************************

RBI says it will take 12 years for India to recover the economic loss due to Covid. We at Deshbhakt say it will take 24 years if things progress the way they are going + your questions as always!

Is Hindi India's National Language? - Ajay Devgn seems to think so while Kiccha Sudeep certainly had another view on this while asserting that the 'South' will not be living with the 'regional' tag anymore ... especially when they are beating the living daylights out of Bollywood movies on a national / international level. Did Ajay Devgn assert Hindi as a national language for publicity, or was it illiteracy, or simple insecurity because fact is Bollywood is fighting for relevance at this point of time. More in this episode. *********************************

From the Opposition, to the Judiciary, to the Media - NOW EVEN THE ARMY - it seems that all institutions that were supposed to fight fascism have either given up or have retreated back - but even in this dark hour there is light that is being shone by a few brave. What should you be doing in such a situation??? - we discuss that and more + your questions as always !!! PS - sorry for the beak in SNL - was travelling! Will discuss that too!

The Bulldozer Politics of the Govt. is almost a policy now against any voices of dissent & towards a particular community. The provocation by a mob in Jahangirpuri and the unfortunate violence after that has seen Bulldozer Politics being unleashed in the capital. But on the contrary can bulldozers be used for good - for construction and not destruction? - we find out.

In the second episode of The DeshBhakt Takeover - we hand over the microphone to Khushboo Mattoo to talk about the history of Kashmiri Pandits, her deeply personal story of her family, why The Kashmir Files has evoked such a strong reaction & finally after the movie - what will the Govt now do to ensure long term rehabilitation for Kashmiri Pandits? Follow Khushboo Mattoo on Twitter - @MattLaemon

A lot is being made out of India's loss in happiness Index - now close to Afghanistan in being happy... But sadly we have slipped in a whole lot more things! Lets see what you have to say! + your questions !!!

The scale of BJP's victory and the rout of the opposition cannot be explained by one or two factors (and certainly not only with the argument of Polarisation only) The Ruling party has used many tricks and strategies - that even after years has not been appreciated by the opposition or enacted. Maybe they would have still lost - but the rout would not have been so devastating. + your questions !!!

Elections 2022 was supposed to be the 'mid-term' election - a referendum of sorts for the BJP as 5 states went to polls together. The result that emerged had two major national headlines - 1. BJP's massive win showing how it controls hearts and minds of citizens 2. Even bigger - the Congress' virtual decimation in the polls and dwindling fortunes. In this episode we take a look at the states that went to polls - the results and why congress crashed everywhere and why this self-destruction has been in the making for some time. ************************************************* Download KukuFM! - https://kukufm.sng.link/Apksi/tx71/fnbi Use Coupon Code - DB50 (50% off for first 250 people to DOWNLOAD KukuFM!) **************************************************

The situation in Ukraine continues to be tough - with Russia's plan of 'easy takeover' foiled - Putin's forces have now threatened for a decisive push. The West is mounting pressure - question is - who will blink first? Will take you though all the latest and why thousands of our students are still stuck in Ukraine .... + your questions

Barkha Dutt is out with her new book - but this one is not just a work of journalism & reportage... this is far more deeper & painfully personal. During her award winning reportage Barkha travelling thousands of kilometres into the interiors of India and for her Covid deaths became more than numbers - they were stories of human beings with names and faces. That pain got more personal when she lost her father to Covid. In this fireside chat with Barkha we discuss her book - the state of the media - politics and what next for her... You can order - TO HELL AND BACK : Humans of COVID here - https://www.amazon.in/dp/9391165575/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_BF4V0MMBABFN3G1VVVBY via @amazonIN The 'controversial' Scroll Interview that I did with her many years ago. https://scroll.in/article/748990/the-barkha-dutt-interview-people-say-news-has-become-tamasha-but-dont-stop-watching-it

It was supposed to be quick & swift victory - Putin was supposed to ride into Ukraine as a 'liberator' & the west would just be stunned into silence. Putin planned and justified his war well - but he never thought that Ukrainian leadership & her citizens would mount a credible defence....now 4 days after the war started Putin stares at International Sanctions / Isolation & a tsunami of financial costs slapped on his nation. Putin - even if he wins Kiev now ... has lost the great game of reunification. **************************************************** Thanks to Kuvera for making this episode possible. Download the free Kuvera App here - https://bit.ly/3qXAoYa ****************************************************

Busy week at the Deshbhakt as we return to action after a brief pause. 2 massive scams covered earlier in the week - #NSE being run by a 'Yogi' and #BharatPe co-founder Ashneer Grover's wife sacked .... The situation in Ukraine continues to be tough - with Russia's plan of 'easy takeover' foiled - Putin's forces have now threatened for a decisive push. Will take you though all the latest and why thousands of our students are still stuck in Ukraine .... + your questions

It's the biggest act of war in Europe after World War 2 ... how has Putin managed to Justify the Invasion & keep the World powers away?? 8 reasons why Putin knows the West / NATO will not attack .... and with friends like China, he is super confident ... Question is - will India take this as a warning early on??? In today's age of three superpowers - America / Russia & China - it is a development / economy / military - that should really worry India....not petty fights over dress / food & religion. ************************************************* Download KukuFM! - https://kukufm.sng.link/Apksi/tx71/fnbi Use Coupon Code - DB50 (50% off for first 250 people to DOWNLOAD KukuFM!) **************************************************

There is a corporate war that is on at Bharat Pe ... one of India's best known unicorn companies. After an internal investigation showed clear wrongdoing - Madhuri Jain was sacked ... but that is just the tip ... there is a bigger investigation that is underway against her husband and company cofounder Ashneer Grover ... he could be next in the firing line. But what is amazing in this most sordid saga is how hi-profile and the rich manage to break the law and not pay the price ... like they have another set of rules ... even if caught - they will fade away and not be punished. Manjul teams up with Deshbhakt to understand this saga and how things went SO BAD for Mrs. & Mr. Grover and what next.

It's turning out to be one of the most bizarre scams in the history of the markets .... India's prestigious National Stock Exchange - was being run by a 'Yogi' from the Himalayas ... his directions and orders were being followed to the T - by CEO Chitra Ramakrishna, including the absurd appointment of Anand Subramanian as CSO and finally as GOO with a salary of 4 crore plus. Despite numerous reports of mis-governance - why was Chitra allowed to resign with a fat pay packet? Will the CBI now be able to track who this mysterious Yogi is????

When it comes to border disputes - we have been very vocal about Pakistan in the past - but every possible indicator says that China poses the biggest threat to India - both militarily & economically. Yet instead of taming the dragon we have been importing 100 billion dollars worth of goods from them and refuse to name and shame their aggressive moves on the border. As the international community also wakes up to the dangers of China - the question that must be asked - who will take the lead in taming the dragon? There is only one nation - but that is bust ripping itself apart - giving China more chances to repeat a Galwan. ************************************************* Download KukuFM! - https://kukufm.sng.link/Apksi/tx71/fnbi Use Coupon Code - DB50 (50% off for first 250 people to DOWNLOAD KukuFM!) **************************************************

In the latest edition of Deshbhakt Raw Conversations - we catch up with a rather Serious Kunal Kamra and discuss everything besides comic punchlines. From Modi, Arnab, Democracy and standup comedy coming under fire - everything is on the table .... clearly its not all fun and games and Kunal never was the one putting up a fake smile. enjoy this one hour of pure / unadulterated / raw Deshbhakt conversation.

Budget 2022 has been a mixed bag for many, while it clearly aimed at growth (which is good) it also has an ugly side while it ignored the battered middle & poor classes - did nothing to revive mass employment or manufacturing and did not even acknowledge that the economy is in deep crisis. In Part 2 of our Budget Special - we unbox what this budget means. Thanks to Kuvera for making this episode possible. Download the free Kuvera App here - https://bit.ly/3qXAoYa ****************************************************

Why is there is a massive debate brewing over Marital Rape? Is the case of abuse over use valid to not make this a criminal offence in India? Why are we amongst the 32 nations that allow for this legal rape and what can be done to ensure justice and not misuse? PuNsTeR™ writes for The Deshbhakt, explaining why is it CRITICAL to update colonial era laws and why some of the concerns about abuse of the law are very real. Follow PuNsTeR™ on twitter - @Pun_Starr

BJP is saying that SP is running scared of opinion polls - SP is saying that powerful parties are trying to influence people will opinion polls. Good call to ban this scam?? DO YOU trust these polls??? + tons of your questions!

Virat Kohli stepping down / being sacked as Team India Captain could have far reaching consequences for Indian Cricket. Already we are seeing a painful transition being done under a new Captain. This will not be easy. What caused this unceremonious exit of Virat & just how much politics has entered the BCCI? Have Ganguly and Jay Shah been transparent to the media about events and did Kohli's ego score a hit-wicket with his claims??? Manjul writes for the Deshbhakt and explains this pot-boiler that could actually become a movie very soon.

Total confusion as to what is happening on the Covid front - some experts say that numbers are going down - others are saying that a lot more is to come - next is rural india. Some parts of India, restrictions being eased - even when numbers are going up!!! - does anyone have clear answers??? How much more do we stay locked up!

There was full on drama this Sunday in political circles - with Mulayam's 'bahu' all set to join BJP and on the other hand Chandrashekar getting emotional on TV and saying that he'll come to help SP - if Akhilesh called him 'younger brother' once. What happening in all other states? - a quick live recap!

Once again there is uproar over AFSPA - this time after the incident at Oting Village in Nagaland where 14 civilians lost their lives. It is time to realize that the Armed Forces Special Powers Act is doing as much damage as solving a problem?? It is time to let go of a law that stinks of British colonial oppression and has no place in a modern democracy? Was AFSPA even meant to be imposed for a DECADES? - in this Deshbhakt DeepDive we look at the history / logic and utility of Afspa in today's India Follow PuNsTeR™ on twitter - @Pun_Starr

A wave of exits from the BJP seems to have queered the pitch for Akhilesh Yadav suddenly - but that does not change the fact that on the ground BJP's mega machinery is very much on the job. How much can things change by 10th of March? 00:00 - Yogi In Trouble (Really?!) 15.00 - SNL - your questions 59:00 - Missed questions and more

As 5 states go to polls - it will be a test of BJPs winning streak & also decide if ANY regional party like AAP or TMC can expand their footprint .... but these elections will also prove if Marketing Muscle is EVERYTHING or do concepts like Data / Performance / Numbers have some role in the voting preference. In this episode of the DeshBhakt we take a look at all the times when the Govt seems to have run out of data because it was just inconvenient, but FOUND data when it suited them. NDA has been called 'No Data Available' - and for good reason....while it DOES make for a good political / electoral strategy....what does the death of data mean for democracy? Follow PuNsTeR™ on twitter - @Pun_Starr

Never have assembly elections been more critical in India - the fate of democracy as it were - is in balance. Adityanath has a fight of his life - trying to retain UP as CM for the first time, AAP too has to win Punjab or risk being stateless for some time. Congress hopes for some comeback after a string of disasters and TMC hopes to open its account in Goa. But if all opposition parties fail - then its more authoratanism coming our way.

First came Sulli Deals where Muslim women were put up for an online ‘auction' - there was outrage, but sadly no action - as a result we have Bulli Bai - another online auction that aims to degenerate and silence Muslim voices by virtually ‘auctioning' them. Will this auction - lead to strong action from the authorities?? Or will this go unpunished in the court of law as well? Will this manange to silence Muslim Women who are now being heard internationally??? In this special DESHBHAKT TAKEOVER - we hand over the microphone to RJ Sayema - one of India's best RJs and a prominent voice who also found her name in the ‘auction' …. Sayema has a thing or two to say to the authorities and the women who have been named. Do listen up. Follow Sayema on Twitter - @_sayema Instagram - /mirchisayema/

After being in Beta testing for the last few years - India's 'New Democracy' project is ready to go live in 2022 and may become a global template for other 'democracies' to follow. What is this New Democracy and how does it fit well with New India.... ??? what happened to Old Democracy - where did it fail and how are citizens taking to this new format of Democracy?

Shock in the medical fraternity after resident doctors were manhandled by the Delhi police - they join the long of characters who have received special treatment from Delhi Police (including Students and Farmers) ... what enables this Govt aggressiveness against almost every section raising their voice ??? - Could you be next ??? Did we allow this to happen???

Not just politicians / movie stars / sportspersons - our men in black made news too! Here are five highly controversial remarks that came from the courts and generated a lot of heat. From "Skin to Skin" contact to "Respect the PM" directive ... but since it's the spirit of Christmas - we end on a positive note - with perhaps the most brilliant order of the year...one that takes a look at the Holy Cows we have around us and why it's our DUTY TO LAUGH. Download KukuFM! - https://kukufm.sng.link/Apksi/tx71/fnbi Use Coupon Code - NY50 (50% off till 31st Dec only) Follow Livelaw for the most in depth legal coverage - YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/livelawindia/videos Twitter - @LiveLawIndia

A large section of Indian News Media was left frothing in the mouth when @Rahul Gandhi asked them to stop sucking up to the Govt and ask their own questions. Why did Rahul lose his cool and does Dalal even begin to describe what a large section of the Indian Media is doing??? On the DeshBhakt we think he got the world - it should have been a little more direct. Also - has the @Indian National Congress finally understood what the Godi Media is upto?

It was a Stock Market Meltdown that was expected - but we had been wishing it away .... pumped up with the quotes from Big Bill Rakesh Jhunjhunwala and the media ...we were looking at 75,000 on the Sensex when a crash to 55,000 was lurking. What caused this crash and what lessons should retail investors dram from it????? Thanks to Kuvera for making this episode possible. Download the free Kuvera App here - http://bit.ly/3skNa0J ********************************************