Podcasts about Newslaundry

This week on Hafta, Newslaundry's Abhinandan Sekhri, Raman Kirpal, Jayashree Arunachalam, and Shardool Katyayan are joined by senior journalist Nirmalya Mukherjee and NewsX editorial director Priya Sahgal. The panel first discusses communal unrest in West Bengal's Murshidabad, where protests against the Waqf Amendment Act turned violent this week. Nirmalya says, “This is the first time that Bengal is going to face a situation where religion has become a very important issue.” On the West Bengal CM's response to the violence, he says, “Mamata first blamed the riots as a Congress conspiracy. Then, the blame shifted to the BSF, and now [it's an] international relations conspiracy.”“No riot can happen without the complicity of the state,” Jayashree notes.The panel then talks about Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi being named in the Enforcement Directorate's chargesheet in the National Herald case. Raman says, “If you dissect the case, it's extremely vague right now. And misappropriation doesn't carry a strong criminal connotation.” Priya mentions that it is important to take into consideration the timing of the ED chargesheet. “Most of the battles in India are perception,” she says. This and a lot more. Tune in!We have a page for subscribers to send letters to our shows. If you want to write to Hafta, click here. Check out the Newslaundry store and flaunt your love for independent media. Download the Newslaundry app. Contribute to our latest NL Sena here.Timecodes00:00:00 – Introductions and announcements00:03:09 – Headlines 00:13:24 – Murshidabad violence00:45:38 – National Herald case01:18:53 – How are Trump and Modi similar?01:25:58 – Letters01:43:47 – RecommendationsCheck out previous Hafta recommendations, references, songs and letters Produced and recorded by Priyali Dhingra and Ashish Anand. Production assistance by intern Pragya Chakroborty.This episode is outside of the paywall for now. Before it goes behind the paywall, why not subscribe? Get brand-new episodes of all our podcasts every week, while also doing your bit to support independent media. Click here to subscribe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Hafta, Newslaundry's Abhinandan Sekhri, Raman Kirpal, Manisha Pande, and Shardool Katyayan are joined by Semafor's business reporter Rohan Goswami and political consultant and federalism expert Tara Krishnaswamy. On Trump's flip-flop on tariffs and the escalating trade war with China, Rohan says: “Trump created tremendous panic. He got what he wanted. World leaders are calling and begging him... but a 90-day pause is not enough.” He highlights that, unlike the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2008 financial crisis, America's current market chaos is a “self-inflicted situation”.Manisha analyses the common threads between Narendra Modi's demonetisation policy and Trump's tariffs. Shardool adds, “Trump is famous because he is funny. He should be made the TV-President because he understands TV best.”The panel also discusses the Supreme Court's scathing remarks about the Tamil Nadu Governor earlier this week. Tara remarks,“The time has come to either define the Governor's role – starting from appointment to powers – in a bilateral manner, or abolish the position and assign its duties to the appropriate authorities.”Raman adds, “The battle between chief ministers and governors has increased tremendously since 2014.”This and a lot more. Tune in!We have a page for subscribers to send letters to our shows. If you want to write to Hafta, click here. Check out the Newslaundry store and flaunt your love for independent media. Download the Newslaundry app. Contribute to our latest NL Sena here.Timecodes00:00:00 – Introductions and announcements00:04:48 – Headlines 00:15:34 – Trump's tariff flip-flops01:05:29 – Supreme Court on TN Governor01:32:12 – Letters01:48:08 – Recommendations Check out previous Hafta recommendations, references, songs and letters Produced and recorded by Priyali Dhingra and Ashish Anand. Production assistance by intern Pragya Chakroborty.This episode is outside of the paywall for now. Before it goes behind the paywall, why not subscribe? Get brand-new episodes of all our podcasts every week, while also doing your bit to support independent media. Click here to subscribe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, host Anmol Pritam is joined by Newslaundry's Shivanarayan Rajpurohit, independent journalists Ashfaque EJ and Saurabh Kumar. Shivnarayan talks about his report that uncovers how an Adani subsidiary gained access to its controversial power plant site in Uttar Pradesh's Mirzapur through a forest department road – without obtaining the required forest clearance that would precede such arrangements. “Experts say that the project and road leading up to it will cause a lot of damage to the surrounding flora and fauna,” he says.Saurabh and Ashfaque's documentary follows five of the 18 anti-CAA activists accused of orchestrating violence during the 2020 Delhi riots.“Through our documentary, we wanted to show that the Delhi police, to cover up its inefficiency in containing the violence during the 2020 Delhi unrest, booked these activists,” says Saurabh. He adds that the FIRs against the activists is not based on “concrete proof” and has “several loopholes”.Tune in. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While discussing Empuraan: Abhinandan: Why is it called L:2 Empuraan? Manisha: The second!Jayashree: Yes, so the first one was Lucifer. But this L is a thing. Something would be happening casually in the movie and a rock will fall in the shape of an L. Or Mohanlal will be walking past a tree which will catch fire in the shape of an L.Abhinandan and Rajyasree: Why?Jayashree: Because he is L for Lucifer, guys. Rajyasree: (cracks up) I'm not going to watch this one. This and a whole lot of awful and awesome as Abhinandan Sekhri, Rajyasree Sen, Jayashree Arunachalam and Manisha Pande discuss the TV series The White Lotus and The Studio, the movie L:2 Empuraan, and their favourite Val Kilmer roles. Have something to say? Write to us at newslaundry.com/podcast-letters.Timecodes00:00 - Introduction02:21 - The White Lotus 19:42 - Letters26:50 - L:2 Empuraan36:12 - Letters40:00 - Favourite Val Kilmer roles47:30 - Letters52:45 - The StudioReferences & RecommendationsThe White Lotus S3The StudioL:2 EmpuraanThe PittJubilee RekhachitramClick here to download the Newslaundry app on Android. And here for iOS.Produced by Priyali Dhingra, edited by Umrav Singh. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Hafta, Newslaundry's Abhinandan Sekhri, Raman Kirpal, and Manisha Pande are joined by The News Minute's Sudipto Mondal and Supreme Court lawyer Talha Abdul Rahman.On the controversial Waqf Amendment Bill, passed in Parliament this week after long fiery debates, Talha says: “Every Waqf that is now created will have to register themselves with the central depository.” He adds that the statute is “a translation of a WhatsApp forward.”Sudipto questions the motivation behind bringing in the legislation and the manner in which it will be used. He says that the new bill will now “weaponise” bulldozer demolitions, which are increasingly becoming the norm. Manisha puts focus on the misinformation being spread in mainstream media about the bill. She mentions one anchor claiming that the new bill will ensure “no one can stop the Prime Minister's plane from taking off because Waqf can no longer claim the airport.”The panel also discusses the student protests in University of Hyderabad against tree felling on 400 acres of forest land. Commenting on the Supreme Court taking suo-moto cognizance of the case, Sudipto says, “It's a great victory for people's movements, students' movements.” This and a lot more. Tune in!Hafta letters: Uncle behaviour, patriarchy, the right to existWe have a page for subscribers to send letters to our shows. If you want to write to Hafta, click here. Check out the Newslaundry store and flaunt your love for independent media. Download the Newslaundry app. Contribute to our latest NL Sena here.Song: Tanha Tanha Yahan Pe JeenaTimecodes00:00:00 – Introductions and announcements 00:04:34 – Headlines 00:13:17 – Waqf bill 00:58:34 – HCU protests 01:11:06 – Letters01:32:40 – Recommendations Check out previous Hafta recommendations, references, songs and letters Produced and recorded by Priyali Dhingra, Saif Ali Ekram, and Anil Kumar. This episode is outside of the paywall for now. Before it goes behind the paywall, why not subscribe? Get brand-new episodes of all our podcasts every week, while also doing your bit to support independent media. Click here to subscribe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Hafta, Newslaundry's Abhinandan Sekhri, Raman Kirpal, Jayashree Arunachalam, and Anand Vardhan are joined by comedian and screenwriter Anuvab Pal.The panel first discusses the Kunal Kamra controversy. Jayashree lays down the timeline of incidents and Abhinandan highlights the Supreme Court's comments on free speech in the Imran Pratapgarhi case.Anuvab says: “We [comedians] take very special care of the names we mention, especially if the video is supposed to go up online…I don't see any mobs in defense of Kunal Kamra – just the mobs that vandalised the venue in Mumbai.”“It's always the sidekicks who want to please the master”, Anand remarks. “Now we know who the real Shiv Sena is!” says Jayashree on the vandalism by Eknath Shinde's followers at The Habitat.The panel then digs into the mystery of burnt piles of cash found at Justice Yashwant Varma's official residence last week and the subsequent inquiry into the matter. “There are too many inconsistencies in how it played out”, Jayashree says.Raman then briefly summarises the Delhi government's recently announced budget for the 2026 financial year. On how the center has now “started doling out money” for Delhi, he says: “This year, Rs 24,000 crore more was provided by the centre. This shows that the previous government was gagged.”This and a lot more. Tune in!We have a page for subscribers to send letters to our shows. If you want to write to Hafta, click here. Check out the Newslaundry store and flaunt your love for independent media. Download the Newslaundry app. Contribute to our latest NL Sena here.Timecodes00:00:00 – Introductions and announcements 00:04:47 – Headlines 00:14:37 – Kunal Kamra controversy01:06:27 – Justice Varma cash row01:23:48 – Delhi budget 01:26:50 – Letters01:48:06 – Recommendations Check out previous Hafta recommendations, references, songs and letters Produced and recorded by Priyali Dhingra, Ashish Anand, and Anil Kumar. This episode is outside of the paywall for now. Before it goes behind the paywall, why not subscribe? Get brand-new episodes of all our podcasts every week, while also doing your bit to support independent media. Click here to subscribe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, host Shivnarayan Rajpurohit is joined by Newslaundry's Sumedha Mittal and independent journalist Anand Mangnale.Sumedha and Anand break down their investigation on Kiran Bedi's use of public resources for surveilling her daughter. They say the decorated IPS officer not only “misused her powers in doing so”, but also covered up her alleged misdeeds by presenting herself as a “helpless, concerned mother”.Kiran Bedi left “no room for differentiation between helping somebody and breaking the law for them,” they add.Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:01:39 - Kiran Bedi Tapes00:25:35 - RecommendationsRecommendationsAnandDoppelganger: A Trip Into the Mirror WorldSumedhaAfter NL-TNM story, Kiran Bedi makes ‘concerned mother' claims, silent on Swiss diplomat's rapeShivnarayanThe RSS: A Menace to IndiaProduced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While discussing Emergency: Abhinandan: The only person who said ‘let me try to act in this' was the actor who played Sanjay Gandhi. Manisha: Not Kangana? Abhinandan: No, her acting was terrible. Her look was perfect. Rajyasree: No! There was Kangana and there was Kangana's nose. Indira had a long nose but it wasn't like Pinocchio!This and a whole lot of awful and awesome as Abhinandan Sekhri, Rajyasree Sen and Manisha Pande discuss the TV series Adolescence, the movie Emergency, and the Kunal Kamra controversy. Have something to say? Write to us at newslaundry.com/podcast-letters.Timecodes00:00 - Introduction03:19 - Headlines09:50 - Adolescence 30:50 - Emergency51:00 - Kunal Kamra controversy References Adolescence EmergencyNaya Bharat | A Comedy SpecialClick here to download the Newslaundry app on Android. And here for iOS.Produced and edited by Priyali Dhingra. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, host Sumedha Mittal is joined by Newslaundry's Prateek Goyal and Drishti Choudhary.Prateek explains the Nagpur violence that resulted in the damage of several vehicles and shops, the injury of 33 police officers, and a division among the communities. He says the violence was “just a sample of radical mindsets” and that extremists fueled by “ego” mobilised the mob.Drishti talks about the phenomenon of AI anchors in Indian newsrooms, and why this model “is not working”. She also explains how these anchors are ‘stereotyped'. Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:00:38 - Nagpur violence00:11:52 - AI anchors in the newsroom00:22:44 - RecommendationsRecommendationsDrishtiThe Palace of Illusions: A NovelPrateekChhavaSumedhaThe costs of Reliance's wildlife ambitionsProduced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Hafta, Newslaundry's Abhinandan Sekhri and Manisha Pande are joined by The News Minute's Dhanya Rajendran and The Wire's Seema Chishti.The panel first discusses the recent crackdown on pro-Palestine student protests in US campuses and deportation of two Indian students, Ranjani Srinivasan and Badar Khan Suri. Dhanya says, “Ranjani insisted that she was not a huge part of the protest, but Indian newspapers had already labeled her a Hamas supporter”.As the panel draws parallels between what is happening in the US and the clampdown on student protests in India, Manisha says: “I always thought that in American universities, despite their issues, there was a certain freedom to voice your opinions. For that to go away is quite something to see."Abhinandan then moves to discussing if the concept of patriotism can be considered primitive. He says: “Patriotism is love for your country, but your country may be pursuing values based on whichever government is in power. And that value system may not align with yours.” As the panel debates what it means to be a patriot, Seema adds, “True patriotism should be about wanting better lives for fellow citizens, not blind devotion to the government."The panelists then talk about how the English news media gets to set the narrative in India. On regional media's limited influence compared to its English counterpart, Manisha says: "English newspapers still have an outsized influence because bureaucrats, judges, and policy-makers read them”. However, English news channels, she points out, “are losing relevance”. “Politicians now prefer giving interviews to local YouTubers and regional media because that's where the numbers and voters are”.This and a lot more. Tune in!We have a page for subscribers to send letters to our shows. If you want to write to Hafta, click here. Check out the Newslaundry store and flaunt your love for independent media. Download the Newslaundry app. Contribute to our latest NL Sena here.Timecodes00:00:00 – Introductions and announcements00:04:26 – Headlines 00:21:16 – US campus crackdown00:34:40 –Defining patriotism 00:46:48 – English media's dominance01:08:55 - Letters01:44:02 - RecommendationsCheck out previous Hafta recommendations, references, songs and letters Produced and recorded by Priyali Dhingra, Ashish Anand, and Anil Kumar. This episode is outside of the paywall for now. Before it goes behind the paywall, why not subscribe? Get brand-new episodes of all our podcasts every week, while also doing your bit to support independent media. Click here to subscribe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Hafta, Newslaundry's Abhinandan Sekhri, Manisha Pande, Raman Kirpal, Jayashree Arunachalam and Anand Vardhan are joined by writer and podcaster Amit Varma. The panel first discusses pre-Holi communal concerns, including a Sambhal cop saying Muslims should stay inside this Holi if they don't want to be smeared with colour. Jayashree says communal provocations during Holi have become normal: “We have this delusional idea of Hindus and Muslims holding hands and celebrating Holi. But that is not the country we live in now.” Anand explains the history of Bhojpuri Holi songs and the evolution of vulgarity. “The sexualised space has been taken into account by the pop music industry for its titillation value…These songs were not always vulgar, some even represented female desire.”The panel then moves on to the controversies around the recently concluded Champions Trophy. Abhinandan says, “There was nothing offensive about the Indian team not wanting to go to Pakistan due to security issues. Look at what has happened with the Balochistan train hijack this week.” Amit explains the tariff wars with the US: “Of all that Trump is doing, tariffs are the most bizarre. They are a disaster, period, and this has been the economic consensus for the last 200 years.” This and a lot more. Tune in!We have a page for subscribers to send letters to our shows. If you want to write to Hafta, click here. Check out the Newslaundry store and flaunt your love for independent media. Download the Newslaundry app. Contribute to our latest NL Sena here.Timecodes00:00:00 – Introductions and announcements 00:03:22 – Headlines 00:19:33 - Holi and communal narratives00:26:41 - Holi and vulgar songs00:42:52 - Introduction to tariff wars00:45:37 - Champions Trophy and cricket controversies01:01:08 - Tariff wars01:39:38 - Amit's recommendations01:42:17 - Panel recommendationsCheck out previous Hafta recommendations, references, songs and letters Produced and recorded by Priyali Dhingra, Hassan Bilal and Anil Kumar. This episode is outside of the paywall for now. Before it goes behind the paywall, why not subscribe? Get brand-new episodes of all our podcasts every week, while also doing your bit to support independent media. Click here to subscribe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Hafta, Newslaundry's Abhinandan Sekhri, Manisha Pande, Raman Kirpal, and Anand Vardhan are joined by Dr Sumeet Mhaskar, professor of sociology at Jindal School of Government and Public Policy, and Ajoy Bose, veteran journalist and author of Behenji: The Rise and Fall of Mayawati.The panel first discusses the controversy triggered by Samajwadi Party legislator Abu Azmi's remarks on Aurangzeb while addressing the Mughal emperor's portrayal in the film Chhava.Sumeet provides historical context to the interpretation of Aurangzeb and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj's legacies in Maharashtra. Explaining how they are shaped by competing narratives, he says: “Much more communalised interpretation is projected through movies, history textbooks, and plays”. The return of Aurangzeb to headlines shows that we are using the present to judge the past, rather than letting history inform our present, he notes.Commenting on Aurangzeb's legacy, Manisha adds, “When you look at the Mughals, I would say Aurangzeb was the worst of them...He's an odd hill to die on, especially for current politicians.”The panel then analyses the “political decline” of Mayawati, and her decision to suspend nephew Akash Anand from the Bahujan Samaj Party.Ajoy terms the suspension as a “significant moment”. Commenting on Mayawati's “disruptive” thinking, he says: “If Kanshiram was the strategic genius who thought of using Dalits to become a political force, Mayawati was the person who delivered”. On where things went wrong for Mayawati, he remarks, “She got quite distracted by her prime ministerial dream being thrashed and made fundamental mistakes in handling the social alliance which brought her to power.”As Abhinandan and Sumeet point to BSP's cadre being the strength of the party, Anand underlines Mayawati's “lack of political agility” as one of the reasons for BSP's decline. This and a lot more. Tune in!We have a page for subscribers to send letters to our shows. If you want to write to Hafta, click here. Check out the Newslaundry store and flaunt your love for independent media. Download the Newslaundry app. Contribute to our latest NL Sena here.Timecodes00:00:00 – Introductions and announcements00:03:09 – Headlines 00:03:09 – Was history always controversial?00:17:24 – Aurangzeb's return to headlines 00:53:19 – Mayawati and the future of BSP01:32:03 – Sumeet's recommendation01:39:30 – Ajoy's recommendation01:51:06 – Letters 01:59:40 – Recommendations Check out previous Hafta recommendations, references, songs and letters Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, host Basant Kumar is joined by Newslaundry's Prateek Goyal and Avdhesh Kumar.Prateek talks about two big stories he reported on last week. The first is allegations of rape against prominent industrialist Shyam Sunder Bhartia. He explains why there was a delay in the police registering an FIR, and how a court had to get involved. The second, part of the Hindu Rashtra Project, details how Hindutva groups in Madhya Pradesh target interfaith couples – even if they're protected by the court. Avdhesh talks about his follow-up story from Sambhal, where communal violence broke out last year. While the police have made several arrests, he says this doesn't quite add up. Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:02:28 - Rape case against Shyam Sunder Bhartia00:12:09 - Police ‘action' in Sambhal00:26:04 - ‘Love jihad' in Madhya Pradesh00:33:26 - RecommendationsRecommendationsPrateekMaster SaabAvdheshWalk The Talk with Mayawati (Aired: May 2005)Aap Ki Adalat | Mayawati In Aap Ki Adalat | Golden Moments Of Aap Ki Adalat | Rajat SharmaBasantIn Madhya Pradesh, ‘love jihad' crusaders overrule high court orders to target interfaith couplesCrime BeatProduced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While discussing the headlines:Rajyasree: In better news, Kangana has said that Javed Akhtar has promised to write a song for her next film…Abhinandan: Very nice. I wonder what that song will sound like. (Breaks into song) Ek ladki ko dekha to aisa laga…I will not say anything more. Rajyasree: Yeah, don't say. I can still get away. You can't. This and a whole lot of awful and awesome as Abhinandan Sekhri and Rajyasree Sen discuss the second season of Apple TV's Severance, the 97th Academy Awards, the trailer for Salman Khan's Sikandar, and the movie The Honeymoon Crasher. Have something to say? Write to us at newslaundry.com/podcast-letters.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:02:34 - Headlines00:08:13 - Letters 00:16:23 - Severance S200:29:03 - Letters00:30:27 - Oscars00:38:15 - Letters00:54:09 - Sikander trailer References Subscribe to NL-TNMSeverance S297th Academy AwardsSikanderHoneymoon CrasherThe costs of Reliance's wildlife ambitionsAn open letter to Anupam Kher: ‘Where were you when…' is a lazy argument to makeAnA's review of Black Warrant Click here to download the Newslaundry app on Android. And here for iOS.Produced and edited by Priyali Dhingra and Hassan Bilal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Hafta, Newslaundry's Abhinandan Sekhri, Raman Kirpal, Jayashree Arunachalam, and Shardool Katyayan are joined by Nitin Pai, director of Takshashila Institution, and The News Minute's Shabbir Ahmed.The panel first discusses the inception and functioning of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) – a new department set up by the United States government and headed by tech billionaire Elon Musk.Nitin says the reason behind something like DOGE “is not just efficiency.” “The ideological reason is to create a government full of people who will act according to the rules of Donald Trump,” he says, adding that federal government employees were laid off en-masse to create fear and uncertainty in the minds of rank and file civil servants. On the importance of “small governments,” Shardool says that any system meant to be working fairly working for citizens will be complex. “Mandates given to governments are not for them to run in a fiscally efficient manner, but to run fairly and independently,” he adds. Jayashree then delves into the ongoing “language wars” between the Tamil Nadu government and the union government over the National Education Policy's three-language formula. “The implication that Hindi means the extermination of a local language is true,” she says. Shabbir adds that the union government demands the NEP to be accepted in its entirety: “The problem the TN government has is that NEP is a uniform policy on education, but education is in the concurrent list. States were not consulted before forming it.”This and a lot more. Tune in!We have a page for subscribers to send letters to our shows. If you want to write to Hafta, click here. Check out the Newslaundry store and flaunt your love for independent media. Download the Newslaundry app. Contribute to our latest NL Sena here.Timecodes00:00:00 – Introductions and announcements 00:04:01 – Headlines 00:11:23 – DOGE00:54:49 – Language row: Tamil Nadu vs Centre01:28:20 – Letters 01:48:40 – Recommendations Check out previous Hafta recommendations, references, songs and letters Produced and recorded by Priyali Dhingra and Ashish Anand.This episode is outside of the paywall for now. Before it goes back behind the paywall, why not subscribe? Get brand-new episodes of all our podcasts every week, while also doing your bit to support independent media. Click here to subscribe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, host Pratyush Deep is joined by Newslaundry reporters Avdhesh Kumar and Basant Kumar.Avdhesh reported on how voters in Delhi's 12 reserved seats voted in the recent polls. He explains that despite the AAP's massive defeat, a large section of Dalit voters continued to vote for the party.Basant was on the ground in Prayagraj reporting on the stampede at the Mahakumbh. He says the Uttar Pradesh government wasn't being transparent about the actual death toll, and that it failed to manage the crowds that day. Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:01:17 - Delhi's reserved seats00:16:06 - Death toll in Kumbh00:38:57 - RecommendationsRecommendationsAvdheshDelhi के जेबकतरे कैमरे पर क्या बोले? सुनिए नशे और चोरी की कहानी, कैसे करते हैं पुलिस से डील?BasantSanam Teri KasamPratyushScam Inc from The EconomistJailed for ‘kidnapping' her own child, a homeless woman's long road to justiceProduced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Hafta, Newslaundry's Abhinandan Sekhri, Manisha Pande, Raman Kirpal, Jayashree Arunachalam, and Anand Vardhan are joined by former Chief Election Commissioner Dr SY Quraishi and cartoonist Rachita Taneja. The show starts with a detailed discussion on the controversy surrounding the USAID funds allegedly released to “increase voter turnout in India” and an Indian Express fact-check that found that the said amount was meant for Bangladesh, never India.“The Election Commission is allergic to the thought of taking money from anyone outside India…We had enough funds and enough self-respect,” says Dr Quraishi, adding that he is also “very confident” about his successors.On Donald Trump cancelling USAID funding for several projects, Jayashree says, “What he's doing is terrible…but there is a tendency to paint US aid as US generosity.” The US has used aid programs as part of its foreign policy, she points out.The panel then moves to discussing the midnight notification issued to appoint Gyanesh Kumar as the new Chief Election Commissioner. “If you need to be bipartisan, you have to have someone who is not a politician,” Raman says about Kumar's appointment. On the selection process, Dr Quraishi says that India has the “most defective system of appointment” despite having the “most powerful election commission in the world.” The panel also discusses the Indian government blocking Tamil news website Vikatan after it published a critical cartoon depicting PM Narendra Modi and Trump.Rachita, who runs the popular page Sanitary Panels, says: “I don't know where to draw the line between censorship and self-censorship. If you are being given threats or being told that you can land up in jail, is that not part of censorship itself?”This and a lot more. Tune in!We have a page for subscribers to send letters to our shows. If you want to write to Hafta, click here. Check out the Newslaundry store and flaunt your love for independent media. Download the Newslaundry app. Contribute to our latest NL Sena here.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introductions and announcements 00:02:57 - Headlines 00:09:19- USAID controversy00:34:30 - CEC appointment process00:53:06 - Blocking of Vikatan website01:30:14 - Recommendations Check out previous Hafta recommendations, references, songs and letters Produced and recorded by Priyali Dhingra and Ashish Anand. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While discussing a subscriber letter about Rajyasree's obsession with Sukesh Chandrasekhar:

Abhinandan: When you're at Newslaundry, there's a chance you may go to prison owing to the several income tax notices we get. If I do go to prison, I will set Rajyasree and Sukesh up!Rajyasree: But you have to go to Mandoli jail. He is not in Tihar...I know everything about Sukesh. Abhinandan: How do I go to Mandoli?Rajyasree: You'll have to put in a request. They'll ask why. You say I want to hang out with Sukesh. Abhinandan: Then you can also get a private jet (like actor Jacqueline Fernandez). Keep 70 percent and donate 30 percent to Newslaundry. This and a whole lot of awful and awesome as Abhinandan Sekhri, Rajyasree Sen and Manisha Pande discuss the movies Anuja and Mrs., the TV show The White Lotus, and the controversy surrounding influencers Ranveer Allahbadia and Samay Raina. Have something to say? Write to us at newslaundry.com/podcast-letters.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:03:31 - Headlines00:06:48 - Anuja 00:11:33- Letters00:13:09- Mrs.00:21:45- India's Got Latent controversy 00:43:09 - Letters00:46:44- The White Lotus S355:23:00- LettersReferences and recommendations Subscribe to NL-TNMNL Sena - The Hindu RashtraAnujaMrs. The White Lotus S3Subscriber letter link Click here to download the Newslaundry app on Android. And here for iOS.Produced and edited by Ashish Anand and Hassan Bilal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Hafta, Newslaundry's Abhinandan Sekhri, Manisha Pande and Anand Vardhan are joined by The Caravan's Hartosh Singh Bal and Delhi University professor Tanvir Aeijaz. The panel begins the show by discussing Narendra Modi's meeting with Donald Trump which Manisha terms “a test of statecraft” for Modi. The discussion then moves to the Delhi election result, which saw the BJP returning to power after 27 years. “This is a new BJP. It has gained strength since the 2024 Lok Sabha elections,” says Hartosh. “...These elections were not fought on Modi's back. The party now has organisational strength. Even if Modi falls to the wayside, it does not make a difference to the BJP.” As the panel discusses the AAP and Congress's performance, Abhinandan says, “One thing BJP has pulled off well is that they won Delhi without a [chief ministerial] face.”Tanvir talks about the controversy surrounding the new UGC draft guidelines that give state governors a prominent role in selecting vice-chancellors. “This regulation comes in the backdrop of the idea that we need to have one curriculum, one education system across the country,” he says. “But education is a concurrent subject…everything in a monastic form creates a problem for federalism.”This and a lot more. Tune in!Hafta letters: Economies and ‘police states', the question of ads, courts and paroleWe have a page for subscribers to send letters to our shows. If you want to write to Hafta, click here. Check out the Newslaundry store and flaunt your love for independent media. Download the Newslaundry app. Contribute to our latest NL Sena here.Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/9Az11BtCKQ8Timecodes00:00:00 - Introductions and announcements00:04:57 - Headlines00:11:48 - Modi in America00:18:20 - Delhi elections 00:45:13 - Manipur developments00:51:20 - UGC guidelines 01:22:16 - Tanvir's recommendation01:29:55 - Hartosh's recommendation 01:33:17 - Letters01:46:01 - Recommendations Check out previous Hafta recommendations, references, songs and letters Produced and recorded by Priyali Dhingra and Ashish Anand.This episode is outside of the paywall, just for the week and just for you. Before it goes back behind the paywall, why not subscribe? Get brand-new episodes of all our podcasts every week, while also doing your bit to support independent media. Click here to subscribe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode discusses the severe battering received by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the Delhi Assembly polls. Beyond the AAP's electoral loss, it is notable to watch the unhinged meltdown of sections of the Indian media which had acted as the cheerleaders of the AAP. Veteran journalist Rajdeep Sardesai's open support -- and tears -- for the AAP saw him plumb another new low. The same was the case with Pierre Omidyar-funded Newslaundry's apology for the AAP's defeat. Join the conversation!An Appeal: Please Support our Sacred WorkIf you enjoyed this episode, please consider supporting The Dharma Dispatch podcast so we can offer more such interesting, informative and educational content related to Indian History, Sanatana Dharma, Hindu Culture and current affairs.It takes us months of rigorous research, writing and editing and significant costs to offer this labour of love.Your support helps us keep our content free!Ways you can Support The Dharma Podcast:* UPI: dharmadispatch@axl* Wallets, Netbanking, etc: http://tinyurl.com/3xvzk7sn* Scan the QR Code below: Get full access to The Dharma Dispatch Digest at thedharmadispatch.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Hafta, Newslaundry's Abhinandan Sekhri, Manisha Pande, Raman Kirpal and Anand Vardhan are joined by Supreme Court advocate Mihira Sood and journalist Govindraj Ethiraj.The panel discusses the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code in Uttarakhand. Mihira says, “There are many peculiarities of the law, but the strangest is that registration of live-in relationships is more cumbersome than a marriage…The penalty for not registering a marriage is nothing, but the penalty for not registering a live-in relationship can be imprisonment.” Commenting on the backlash to inter-faith relationships in the state in the recent past, Manisha adds, “What we know from newspaper reports is that registrations will be scrutinised by the Bajrang Dal…What the Uttarakhand government wants to do here is just police people who are living together.”On the new budget announced for 2025-26, Govindraj says there's “nothing really landmark” in the budget but the “benefits offered to the middle class are a good thing”. “It is correcting a problem of the recent past – the pressure of inflation on households and incomes not growing as they did before,” he says.The panel also discusses the continuing depreciation of the rupee against the dollar, and the ‘unease' of doing business in India. This and a lot more. Tune in!We have a page for subscribers to send letters to our shows. If you want to write to Hafta, click here. Check out the Newslaundry store and flaunt your love for independent media. Download the Newslaundry app. Contribute to our latest NL Sena here.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introductions and announcements 00:02:12 - Headlines 00:13:37 - Uniform Civil Code00:44:08 - ‘Unease' of doing business00:49:57 - Budget 01:11:05 - Depreciation of the Rupee01:23:27- Letters01:45:00 - Recommendations Produced and recorded by Priyali Dhingra and Ashish Anand, edited by Hassan Bilal. This episode is outside of the paywall, just for the week and just for you. Before it goes back behind the paywall, why not subscribe? Get brand-new episodes of all our podcasts every week, while also doing your bit to support independent media. Click here to subscribe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While discussing the headlines:Abhinandan: In good news, Udit Narayan returned to the headlines after a long absence. In bad news, it was for a viral video where he was seen strangely kissing a fan on her lips…Uditji! Rajyasree: Now lots of videos have come out of him trying to kiss Shreya Ghoshal, Alka Yagnik. It must be terrible to have to work with him. Abhinandan: His lips are a permanent kiss face.Rajyasree: So scary. Just think, I've gone to listen to Udit Narayan and he smooches me. Abhinandan: It's scary that you're going to listen to him! This and a whole lot of awful and awesome as Abhinandan Sekhri and Rajyasree Sen discuss the movie I Want To Talk, the documentary series American Manhunt: OJ Simpson, the short film Next, Please, and the Cadbury 5 Star ad on Valentine's Day. Have something to say? Write to us at newslaundry.com/podcast-letters.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:02:47 - Topics00:05:20 - Letters00:12:24 - Headlines 00:14:35 - Next, Please 00:20:41 - I Want To Talk 00:26:10 - American Manhunt: OJ Simpson00:37:30 - Letters 00:48:50 - Cadbury 5 Star Ad References and recommendations Subscribe to NL-TNMNL Sena - Delhi PollsI Want To TalkNext, PleaseAmerican Manhunt: OJ SimpsonCadbury 5 Star ad Click here to download the Newslaundry app on Android. And here for iOS.Produced and edited by Priyali Dhingra and Hassan Bilal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Hafta, Newslaundry's Abhinandan Sekhri, Manisha Pande, Raman Kirpal and Shardool Katyayan are joined by senior advocate Indira Jaising and independent journalist Saurabh Sharma. The discussion starts with tax authorities axing The Reporters' Collective's non-profit status. Indira says the I-T department's action against the investigative news outlet is part of a “strategic and calculated crackdown by the government on independent media and journalism”. She says everyone should stand up for the fundamental right of freedom of speech and expression and ensure it is not eroded.The panel also talks about the tragic stampede at the Mahakumbh in Prayagraj. Saurabh breaks down all that went wrong leading up to the tragedy. “There was absolute radio silence from the government for nearly 19 hours about how many people died,” he says. Saurabh adds that he believes the death toll is higher than the official government figure: “I went to the morgue and counted at least 59 bodies.” Raman blames Uttar Pradesh's VIP culture for the chaos at Kumbh. Abhinandan and Manisha take note of how legacy media attempted to drown out the news of the stampede. On the government's PR push, Manisha says, “All you are trying to do is show the good news, but that is not going to get you good global coverage.” This and a lot more. Tune in!Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/5o8WY9UVKGkWe have a page for subscribers to send letters to our shows. If you want to write to Hafta, click here. Check out the Newslaundry store and flaunt your love for independent media. Download the Newslaundry app. Contribute to our latest NL Sena here.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introductions and announcements00:03:35 - Headlines00:13:55 - The Reporters' Collective loses non-profit status00:43:16 - Indira's recommendations00:44:32 - Kumbh stampede01:01:38 - Saurabh's recommendations01:02:25 - Mismanagement at Kumbh, VIP culture in UP01:25:43 - Letters01:43:08 - RecommendationsCheck out previous Hafta recommendations, references, songs and letters Produced and recorded by Priyali Dhingra, Tista Roy Chowdhury, and Anil Kumar. Production assistance by Hanshul Mohan. This episode is outside of the paywall, just for the week and just for you. Before it goes back behind the paywall, why not subscribe? Get brand-new episodes of all our podcasts every week, while also doing your bit to support independent media. Click here to subscribe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, host Basant Kumar is joined by Ranchi-based independent journalist Anand Dutta and Newslaundry's Drishti Choudhary.Anand talks about his IndiaSpend report for which he trekked for several hours in remote areas of Jharkhand to understand how it is like for vulnerable sections to access healthcare. Across India, people have to cover an average distance of 13.55 km to reach a community health centre, and the problem is not limited to Jharkhand.Drishti, meanwhile, spoke about her reportage on the Delhi elections, including her video report on what voters feel in Asia's largest unauthorised colony of Sangam Vihar.Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00:00 - Introduction00:04:30:00 - Jharkhand's Healthcare Access Report00:23:31:09 - Delhi Elections Reports00:32:44:18 - RecommendationsRecommendationsDrishtiThe Midas touch of Ashwini VaishnawBasantWhat a four-hour trek reveals about Jharkhand's healthcare accessAnandDavanal: Maovad Se Jung by Nandini SundarProduced by Hassan Bilal, edited by Samarendra Kumar, recorded by Anil Kumar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Hafta, Newslaundry's Abhinandan Sekhri, Manisha Pande, Jayashree Arunachalam and Anand Vardhan are joined by author and political analyst Sanjaya Baru. The discussion begins with Donald Trump being sworn in as the 47th President of the United States of America. The panel analyses the fears of a second Trump presidency. “He will do a lot of damage, yes, but the fear of Trump is greatly exaggerated,” Sanjaya says, adding that India, and the world, historically, has shown the ability to withstand imperialist powers. Jayashree adds, “Trump comes off as unhinged, but he is the essence of what America is like.” The panel also addresses the Indian media's exaggeration of Foreign Minister S Jaishankar's presence in the ‘front row' at Trump's swearing-in ceremony. Commenting on India-US relations, Manisha says, “The Joe Biden administration was kind to Narendra Modi's administration…if Trump is not accommodative, it will affect BJP's ‘vishwaguru' politics domestically.”The panel also discusses how the CBI and TMC government are appealing for the death penalty in the RG Kar case, and catches up on all the subscriber letters we've received so far. Tune in!We have a page for subscribers to send letters to our shows. If you want to write to Hafta, click here. Check out the Newslaundry store and flaunt your love for independent media. Download the Newslaundry app. Contribute to our latest NL Sena here.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introductions and announcements 00:03:04 - Baru on his book ‘India's Power Elite' 00:08:12 - Headlines 00:20:28 - The return of Donald Trump 00:40:43 - Economic impact of a second Trump presidency 00:55:27 - Baru on Manmohan Singh 01:02:43 - Baru's recommendations01:04:43 - Death penalty 01:16:44 - Letters 01:59:46 - Recommendations Check out Hafta recommendations, references, songs and letters Produced and recorded by Priyali Dhingra and Anil Kumar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While discussing the headlines:Rajyasree: I read multiple news reports claiming that Saif's alleged attacker came into Bengal, but had to move to Bombay because there were no job opportunities in the state. Why is a dig being made at Bengal even when…Abhinandan: Even when you're discussing the attack on Saif? Yes. The Aadhaar card he used also apparently was from Bengal. Rajyasree: I read he had no Aadhaar card! See, at the moment, the best fiction writing is being carried on in these newsrooms. This and a whole lot of awful and awesome as Abhinandan Sekhri and Rajyasree Sen discuss the series Paatal Lok S2 and Black Warrant. Have something to say? Write to us at newslaundry.com/podcast-letters.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introductions00:01:00 - Headlines 00:05:12 - Announcements00:06:42 - Topics00:09:08 - Black Warrant 00:29:31 - Letters00:34:16 - Paatal Lok S200:46:03 - Interview with the cast of Black Warrant 01:10:04 - Closing thoughtsReferences and recommendations Subscribe to NL-TNMNL Sena - Delhi PollsAbhinandan's interview with Sunil Gupta and Sunetra ChoudharyBlack WarrantPaatal Lok S2Click here to download the Newslaundry app on Android. And here for iOS.Produced and recorded by Ashish Anand and Prashant Kumar; edited by Priyali Dhingra. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Hafta, Newslaundry's Abhinandan Sekhri, Jayashree Arunachalam and Shardool Katyayan are joined by journalist Nidhi Razdan and economist and writer Vivek Kaul.The panel begins with the Delhi polls, and Abhinandan says the BJP's USP is primarily centred around portraying Kejriwal as a horrible politician. Shardool points out that the BJP is “organisationally strong” but doesn't have a face in Delhi. Nidhi talks about the AAP's shortcomings and Kejriwal's struggle to hold onto his image as an aam aadmi. She also says the Congress is entirely missing from the conversation.The conversation shifts to the current state of the media and the lack of accountability in newsrooms. Nidhi says, “Things that we thought were just shocking or immoral or unethical or unconstitutional – everything is being normalised. And part of the reason is because the media doesn't ask difficult questions.”Vivek then unpacks the rupee falling against the dollar and its repercussions. He emphasises that this isn't a crisis, saying, “The rupee will keep depreciating against the dollar for the simple fact that inflation in the US is usually lower than inflation in India.” He also explains the downfall of the Indian economy in the last few years. Tune in!We have a page for subscribers to send letters to our shows. If you want to write to Hafta, click here. Check out the Newslaundry store and flaunt your love for independent media. Download the Newslaundry app. Contribute to our latest NL Sena here.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introductions00:00:20 - Announcements and appeals00:01:54- Special message00:03:28- Panel introduction00:04:38- Headlines00:10:58 - Delhi elections00:37:50- Current media landscape01:12:34 - Rupee crash01:55:44 - RecommendationsCheck out previous Hafta recommendations, references, songs and letters Produced and recorded by Prashant Kumar and Priyali Dhingra.This episode is outside of the paywall, just for the week and just for you. Before it goes back behind the paywall, why not subscribe? Get brand-new episodes of all our podcasts every week, while also doing your bit to support independent media. Click here to subscribe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Hafta, Newslaundry's Abhinandan Sekhri, Jayashree Arunachalam, and Manisha Pande are joined by author Amitava Kumar and academic Joyojeet Pal.The panel discusses Amitava's new book The Green Book: An Observer's Notebook, and Amitava explains the role that journaling plays in his life. “Journaling is a means of self-discovery and a tool to document our times. Personal narratives can preserve truths and challenge erasures of history,” he says. He also says journaling helps counteract misinformation since it's “about creating a record that endures beyond fleeting news cycles”. Manisha adds that reading her own journals from her childhood “makes me cringe at times, but they're a reminder of how far I've come”.The conversation shifts to Meta's decision to terminate its fact-checking partnerships. Joyojeet warns, “Abandoning fact-checking opens the floodgates for radicalised communities to define their own truths.”Jayashree says, “ A lot of this is about changing things that are associated with liberalism. And that's exactly what that revised policy says. It says that you can now make allegations of mental illness or abnormality based on gender and sex. You're allowed to compare people to faces and filth based on protected characteristics.”The panel also explores Elon Musk's controversial claim that social media is the new media, how algorithms shape narratives, and a lot more. Tune in!We have a page for subscribers to send letters to our shows. If you want to write to Hafta, click here. Check out the Newslaundry store and flaunt your love for independent media. Download the Newslaundry app.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introductions00:00:44 - About Fight To Breath Campaign00:01:50- Panel introduction00:05:08- Headlines00:09:57 - The Green Book and journaling00:30:47- Announcements00:32:10- Meta's fact-checking decision01:02:02 - Social media as news01:23:03- Special message01:25:50 - Subscriber letters01:40:51 - RecommendationsCheck out previous Hafta recommendations, references, songs and letters Produced and recorded by Prashant Kumar and Priyali Dhingra. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A reporters' podcast about what made news and what shouldn't have.NL TeamThis week, host Shivnarayan Rajpurohit is joined by Sumedha Mittal.Sumedha's series for Newslaundry, Broken Ballots, tracked curious deletions and additions of voters to the electoral rolls. Based on data and fieldwork, she found an odd pattern, which she says places a question mark on the Election Commission. She also cautions that this could be “used as exploitation”, regardless of whoever is in power. Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:02:18 - The Broken Ballots series00:50:20 - RecommendationsRecommendationsSumedhaA day with AAP volunteers who reflect the party's convoluted social-justice politicsShivnarayanVajpayee: The Ascent of the Hindu Right, 1924–1977Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While discussing the topics:Rajyasree: We have Juror #2, which is Clint Eastwood's latest film. Which Abhinandan has not watched…Why? Because you thought I was talking about the judicial system? Abhinandan: I haven't even watched Juror #1. Rajyasree: I'll take that Nataraj pencil and put it through your eye. Abhinandan: Juror #2 is not a sequel to Juror #1? Has Juror #1 got Govinda? (proceeds to dance to a made-up Govinda-esque track)This and a whole lot of awful and awesome as Abhinandan Sekhri and Rajyasree Sen discuss the movies All We Imagine As Light and Juror #2, and the Golden Globe Awards.PS: Abhinandan also recommends his top five favourite podcasts. Have something to say? Write to us at newslaundry.com/podcast-letters.Timecodes00:00 - Introductions and announcements02:14 - Happy new year, with the same old A&R05:55 - Headlines 08:27 - NL Sena 09:25 - Subscriber letter10:19 - Topics14:35 - Parinda16:41 - All We Imagine As Light26:33 - Subscriber letters28:46 - Juror #238:47 - Subscriber letter44:06 - Golden Globes45:51 - Abhinandan's top 5 podcast recommendations References and recommendations Subscribe to NL-TNMNL Sena - Hindu RashtraAll We Imagine As LightJuror #2Demi Moore Wins Best Female Actor Parinda Click here to download the Newslaundry app on Android. And here for iOS.Produced and recorded by Priyali Dhingra and Ashish Anand. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Hafta, Newslaundry's Abhinandan Sekhri, Jayashree Arunachalam, Raman Kirpal and Shardool Katyayan are joined by The News Minute's Pooja Prasanna.The panel begins with protests in Bihar against a ‘paper leak' in the Bihar Public Service Commission preliminary exam. Jayashree explains, “The normalisation process for exams has been rejected outright by the BPSC, but it's a standard procedure in other competitive exams.” Shardool emphasises systemic delays and negligence, stating, “Students are aging out of eligibility because of these recurring delays – it's a vicious cycle.”The conversation turned to the lynching of a Muslim man in Moradabad over allegations of cow slaughter. Shardool calls it an “economic issue as well as a social issue” since “most victims of lynchings are from the lower economic strata, unable to defend themselves legally or socially”. Jayashree criticises the media's reportage of such incidents: “We don't report these as murders; they are contextualised as actions driven by allegations – almost a justification.” Abhinandan adds, “It's telling that the prime minister and government are quick to comment on global issues but remain silent on hate crimes within the country.” Pooja highlights the impunity enjoyed by repeat offenders: “In Karnataka, a hate offender live-streamed attacks and continues to engage in hate speech, even while out on bail.”The panel closes with predictions for 2025. Raman predicts worsening economic conditions, saying, “Public sentiment is unlikely to favour large-scale protests despite growing discontent.” Abhinandan sums it up, “If we want systemic change, citizens need to harness collective power to push politicians to act. Protests alone won't be enough.”This and a lot more. Tune in!We have a page for subscribers to send letters to our shows. If you want to write to Hafta, click here. Check out the Newslaundry store and flaunt your love for independent media. Download the Newslaundry app.Video timecodes00:00:00 - Introductions00:01:39 - Announcements00:06:36- Headlines00:18:54 - Bihar paper leak protests00:30:58- Moradabad Murder00:41:51 - Hindutva's growing influence and economic motivations00:53:26 - Panel's predictions for 202501:10:11- Special Message01:12:46 - Subscriber letters01:32:24 - RecommendationsCheck out previous Hafta recommendations, references, songs and letters Produced and recorded by Prashant Kumar and Priyali Dhingra. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In November last year, there were a flurry of reports in the Indian media on a waste-to-energy plant in Delhi's Okhla that causes significant health risks to people living nearby. All these reports cited the same source – an investigative piece in The New York Times by journalist Maria Abi-Habib. Currently based in Mexico, Maria spent five years, between 2019 and 2024, to report on the story. She found the plant, operated by a subsidiary of the Jindal Group, pumps “as much as 10 times the legal amount of dioxins” into Delhi's skies, and that its workers say it was “never regulated”. In this special episode of Reporters Without Orders, Newslaundry's Pratyush Deep talks to Maria about how she stumbled upon this story. Her husband had been working on a series on air pollution in India – what Maria describes as “the biggest topic of concern, or should be, for most families and the government”. During the course of it, he met residents of Sukhdev Vihar, where the plant is located.“They said they have been living there for a while and once the plant started, that is when their health problems started,” Maria says. “So, we decided to take a look and what we found was pretty incredible and also a little bit horrifying.”Maria also explains the challenges she faced in reporting the story, and why she thinks Delhi's air pollution crisis persists. “It is up to the government to take a look at the story and say why this plant is continuing to get the permission to expand its operations, why this Jindal family subsidiary continues to get more plants,” she says, adding that the group has “seven across the nation”. “If they can't responsibly manage this plant, then why should they be given others?”Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the New Year special episode with all the Newslaundry reporters in the studio. They talk about the best stories of 2024 and what happened behind the scenes during those assignments.Produced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Newslaundry's Abhinandan Sekhri, Manisha Pande and Raman Kirpal were joined by former Supreme Court judge Justice Madan Lokur and political journalist Neerja Choudhury.Neerja describes Dr Manmohan Singh, who died this week, as a “gentleman politician and a unifying figure” who will be remembered for his “decency in politics” and landmark contributions such as the RTI Act, MGNREGA, and the Indo-US nuclear deal. Justice Lokur says, “He was a great man and a great loss for the country.” Manisha reflects on the media's role during Singh's tenure, saying, “Back then, leaders were judged critically but fairly, without fear of retribution.”Abhinandan adds, “Manmohan Singh's leadership taught us that decency is not a weakness but a strength in politics.”On the media and judicial accountability, Justice Lokur acknowledges the increased public scrutiny on courts. “There must be ways to check judges without undermining the institution,” he says, referencing the need for mechanisms beyond impeachment. Neerja criticises the sensationalism that's come to define election coverage, saying the media's role “is to hold power accountable, not amplify divisive rhetoric”.The panel also reflects on key events of 2024. Neerja cautions that the “challenge to Modi's leadership might come from the extreme right within the BJP itself”. Manisha points out the troubling rhetoric in election speeches, adding, “The prime minister's speeches targeting minorities were demoralising and crossed a line.”Raman highlights the year's highs and lows, saying, “The coalition government formation was a relief for democracy, but the political language this year hit new lows.”This and a lot more. Tune in!We have a page for subscribers to send letters to our shows. If you want to write to Hafta, click here. Check out the Newslaundry store and flaunt your love for independent media. Download the Newslaundry app.Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/k8HF_V5_RG8Audio timecodes00:00:00 - Introductions00:02:49 - Headlines00:09:53 - NL Sena announcements00:11:18- Manmohan Singh's legacy00:34:52 - Media, judiciary, and key events of 202401:03:06 - Announcements01:11:46 - Subscriber letters01:19:14 - RecommendationsCheck out previous Hafta recommendations, references, songs and letters Produced & recorded by Prashant & Priyali. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Abhinandan: Rajyasree, not today, but I will review this show soon...I think I watched it a little late...Made In Heaven.(producer cracks up)Abhinandan: (stares) Our producer just laughed...What's so funny? Rajyasree: Why did you watch Made In Heaven? Abhinandan: It was recommended. Rajyasree: Yes, four years back!This and a whole lot of awful and awesome as Abhinandan Sekhri and Rajyasree Sen discuss the movies Woman of The Hour, Girls Will Be Girls, and Heretic, Shyam Benegal's cinema, and the new Kim Kardashian music video for Santa Baby.PS: Abhinandan also recommends a new Punjabi song, so do tune in to the full episode. Have something to say? Write to us at newslaundry.com/podcast-letters.Timecodes00:00 - Introductions 03:22 - Announcements 02:57 - Headlines 07:04 - Woman Of The Hour11:56 - Subscriber letters22:49 - Shyam Benegal nostalgia30:00 - Heretic 38:07 - Subscriber letters41:20 - Girls Will Be Girls45:02 - Kim Kardashian's new music video References and recommendations Subscribe to NL-TNMNL Sena - Hindu RashtraSubscriber Sandeep Banik's ‘fun ad'Takeaways from CNN's Investigation: How Airbnb fails to protect its guests from hidden camerasThe Vegetarian by Han KangWhat Went Wrong With Capitalism Kalyug by Shyam BenegalJordan Sandhu | Bottle FreeNewslaundry's Broken Ballots series Click here to download the Newslaundry app on Android. And here for iOS.Produced and recorded by Priyali Dhingra and Anil Kumar, edited by Umrav Singh. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Newslaundry's Abhinandan Sekhri, Manisha Pandey, and Jayashree Arunachalam were joined by parliamentary affairs expert and journalist Meghnad Saha. On the debate on the One Nation, One Election bill, Jayashree says that “the proposal reflects a strong anti-federalism stance.” She pointed out that while the bill may reduce costs, “it could strip states of their power”. Manisha says, “In terms of organising this it could be a mammoth task, especially with the inclusion of panchayat elections, making it an expensive exercise.” Abhinandan asks, “Is Modi the right leader to bring about such changes?” The panel then discusses the row over scuffle in parliament between the opposition MPs and those in the governing parties. Meghnad says, “It's like a WWE match in Parliament.” Abhinandan questions its media coverage, “Do you feel any shame or guilt about the way you work? How do you face your children?” This and a lot more. Tune in!We have a page for subscribers to send letters to our shows. If you want to write to Hafta, click here. Check out the Newslaundry store and flaunt your love for independent media. Download the Newslaundry app.Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/rayJQarf4SkAudio timecodes00:00:00 - Introductions00:00:27 - Announcements00:08:20 - Headlines00:15:42 - NL Sena Announcement00:17:55- One Nation, One Election00:46:49 - Parliament: Scuffles, allegations, and theatrics01:10:37 - Subscriber's letters01:50:08 - RecommendationsCheck out previous Hafta recommendations, references, songs and letters Produced & recorded by Prashant & Priyali. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Newslaundry's Abhinandan Sekhri, Raman Kirpal, and Manisha Pandey were joined by journalist Faye D'Souza.On the BJP's narrative against George Soros, Abhinandan says, “Adani money is good, Soros money bad? No sensible discussion has happened around it.” Faye says, “We are living in a post-truth world where ridiculous claims take root and attention spans have shrunk too much for nuanced conversations.”On the Congress's response to allegations about links with Soros, Manisha says, “Their communication is stale. You can't keep repeating the same thing without innovation.” She points out that news channels have been quoting dubious sources like “nancho.net” to accuse Sonia Gandhi of collusion with Soros.The panel then discusses the misuse of dowry laws and the tragic case of a techie's suicide in Bengaluru. Anand says, “Lawyers often weaponise these cases, and the Supreme Court has already intervened to mandate preliminary investigations before arrests.” Faye emphasises the need for balanced discourse. On media coverage of the issue, Abhinandan says, “The TikTokisation of news has taken over.” On the Kapoor family's meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Manisha says, “The event was supposed to honour Raj Kapoor, but it ended up being all about praising Modi.”This and a lot more. Tune in!We have a page for subscribers to send letters to our shows. If you want to write to Hafta, click here. Check out the Newslaundry store and flaunt your love for independent media. Download the Newslaundry app.Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/BL8HPSF9NFsAudio timecodes00:00:00 - Introductions00:0:00 - Headlines00:18:00 - Adani vs Soros00:34:28- Special Message 00:35:27 - Dowry law misuse debate00:56:12 - Bollywood's Modi moment01:06:43 - Subscriber letters and recommendationsCheck out previous Hafta recommendations, references, songs and letters Produced & recorded by Prashant & Priyali. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Newslaundry's Abhinandan Sekhri, Raman Kirpal and Jayashree Arunachalam are joined by author Chetan Bhagat, academic Sarthak Bagchi, and journalist Dhiren A Sadokpam to discuss the Maharashtra government formation, the increased violence in Manipur, and the ‘foreign hand' allegations against OCCRP. On BJP's campaign in Maharashtra, Chetan says, “A little bit of humility has come to the BJP. The whole talk of building a larger than life image – the party feels that the voters don't need it right now.” Sarthak explains how the BJP may absorb Shiv Sainiks in the state, saying the party “wants to establish hegemonic dominance”. Moving on to the BJP's ‘US propaganda' allegations and primetime outrage against OCCRP, Abhinandan says, “I just find it fascinating that Indian media that is surviving on sarkari patronage is outraging about another media surviving on sarkari patronage.” Dhiren then explains the spike in violence in Manipur and what it's like to live in a state of war. “We need to understand the intersection between insurgency, ethnic violence, poppy cultivation, and national security,” he says. This and a lot more. Tune in!We have a page for subscribers to send letters to our shows. If you want to write to Hafta, click here. Check out the Newslaundry store and flaunt your love for independent media. Download the Newslaundry app.Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/PIiK-K8fbQ0Audio timecodes00:00:00 - Introductions00:04:36 - Announcements00:15:00 - Headlines00:19:00 - OCCRP controversy00:32:41 - Maharashtra government formation01:20:00 - New wave of violence in Manipur?00:49:38 - Maharashtra election results01:57:30 - Letters02:06:30 - RecommendationsCheck out previous Hafta recommendations, references, songs and letters Produced & recorded by Priyali Dhingra and Prashant Kumar, edited by Hassan Bilal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, host Anmol Pritam is joined by Newslaundry's Avdhesh Kumar.Avdhesh reported on the nexus of middlemen and Delhi police officials allegedly facilitating the plying of illegal vehicles in the capital. He explains the workings of the network and the organised crime happening in broad daylight. He also reported on how Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was stopped from going to Sambhal, where clashes over a mosque's survey killed five locals. He gave a blow-by-blow account of the aftermath of the Sambhal violence.Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:02:38 - Rahul Gandhi detained on the way to Sambhal00:02:38 - Aftermath of Sambhal violence00:25:45 - Delhi police and the middlemen00:33:20 - RecommendationsRecommendationsAvdheshRajat Sharma & Sudhir Chaudhry Talk Sense on Sambhal! Is TV News Changing? TV Newsance 276AnmolSambhal हिंसा का पूरा सच: परत दर परत | Ground ReportProduced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While discussing Kal Ho Naa Ho's re-release:Nikhil: There's a moment where Shahrukh comes on screen. You just see his back, and the entire auditorium started hooting!Abhinandan: No one has had the kind of screen presence Shahrukh has since Amitabh Bachhan. Rajyasree: How about Akshay? (Abhinandan gives a pensive stare to Rajyasree) This and a whole lot of awful and awesome as Abhinandan Sekhri, Rajyasree Sen, and this week's special guest Nikhil Taneja discuss the series Freedom at Midnight, and the films The Substance and Kal Ho Naa Ho. Have something to say? Write to us at newslaundry.com/podcast-letters.Timecodes00:00 - Introduction06.52 - Topics 07:30 - Announcements 10:00 - Headlines18:00 - Mike Tyson- Jake Paul bout & boxing as a sport26:40 - Nikhil Taneja's Be A Man Yaar!38:05 - Freedom At Midnight01:06:00 - Letters01:08:20 - Kal Ho Naa Ho ReferencesSubscribe to NL-TNMSubrata Roy Sahara figures ‘Life Mantras' from TiharBe A Man Yaar!Kal Ho Naa HoFreedom At MidnightClick here to download the Newslaundry app on Android. And here for iOS.Produced and recorded by Priyali Dhingra and Aryan Mahtta, edited by Samarendra K Dash. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Newslaundry's Abhinandan Sekhri, Manisha Pande, Raman Kirpal, and Anand Vardhan to discuss the violence in Sambhal and the Maharashtra-Jharkhand assembly election results.Check out the Newslaundry store and flaunt your love for independent media. Download the Newslaundry app. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Newslaundry's Abhinandan Sekhri, Manisha Pande, Jayashree Arunachalam, and Raman Kirpal are joined by environment and air pollution expert Sunil Dahiya.Check out the Newslaundry store and flaunt your love for independent media. Download the Newslaundry app. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, host Pratyush Deep is joined by Newslaundry's Avdhesh Kumar and Sumedha Mittal.Avdhesh reported on the violence that erupted amid protests against the archaeological survey of Mughal-era Shahi Jama Masjid in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal. He delved into how the clashes between police personnel and locals led to the death of six civilians.Sumedha's report was on the odd dip in voter turnout in the recently concluded by-polls in UP's Kundarki assembly seat. She found out that of the 435 booths in the constituency, 154 saw a dip in voter turnout amid allegations of voter suppression, especially in the Muslim-dominated areas.Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:01:20 - Sambhal violence00:06:22 - Odd dip in voter turnout00:25:43 - RecommendationsRecommendationsAvdheshMaqboolJaun EliaSumedhaALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHTPratyushBlinded by the Stars: A Gov't Rating Scheme is Helping Coal Miners Pat Their Own BackProduced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Sumedha Mittal is joined by Newslaundry's Tanishka Sodhi and Shivnarayan Rajpurohit.Tanishka reported on the Ladki Bahin scheme, launched recently by the Maharashtra government for women in the poll-bound state. She explains whether this scheme, the Mahayuti's biggest bet this election, holds currency for voters. to multiple women and tries to make out that the newly minted scheme is Mahayuti's biggest bet this election.Shivnarayan talks about his deep dive on Rahul Gandhi's formula to win on YouTube and social media. He says Gandhi's team uses strategies that are no different from those used by Narendra Modi. He also explains how Gandhi's team is sidelining mainstream media, since they believe the media played a huge role in establishing Gandhi's image as “Pappu”. Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:00:59 - Ladki Bahin scheme00:11:33 - Rahul Gandhi's YouTube channel00:44:01 - RecommendationsRecommendationsTanishkaImbalance of power: Women at international climate negotiationsShivnarayanWho was behind the NCP split? Ajit Pawar's BIG REVEAL to Sreenivasan JainProduced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, recorded by Anil Kumar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While discussing The Sabarmati Report's trailer:Rajyasree: Good news is, Coldplay has announced a fourth show in Gujarat. The bad news is, you can't have cold beers before the concert because it's a dry state. Abhinandan: But you can have fafda, khakra, and dhokla.Rajyasree: So there will be a lot of hot air at Coldplay.Abhinandan: You can top up with a lot of chaas! This and a whole lot of awful and awesome as Abhinandan Sekhri and Rajyasree Sen discuss the films Zwigato, The Buckingham Murders, the documentary Martha, and the trailer for The Sabarmati Report. Have something to say? Write to us at newslaundry.com/podcast-letters.Timecodes00:00 - Introduction01:51 - Topics02:18 - Letters05:38 - Headlines 08:32 - The Sabarmati Report17:02 - Zwigato 23:51 - Letters27:28 - The Buckingham Murders37:37 - Letters 40:14 - MarthaReferencesAna 373 - Interview with Shalini PassiZwigatoThe Sabarmati Report trailer The Buckingham Murders Martha Click here to download the Newslaundry app on Android. And here for iOS.Produced and recorded by Priyali Dhingra and Prashant Kumar; edited by Hassan Bilal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Newslaundry's Manisha Pande, Jayashree Arunachalam, Raman Kirpal, and Anand Vardhan are joined by Newslaundry reporter Prateek Goyal.On the revealing interview of Ajit Pawar with Sreenivasan Jain, Manisha says, “It has always been implied that Adani was present at these meetings and that he plays an important part in Maharashtra politics. Ajit Pawar also very casually says this.” She then asks, “Could he have said all this without thinking of repercussions?” Raman says, “Adani is a dirty word in politics. Congress also keeps talking about Adani. They always weaponise it to tarnish the image of the BJP. I think he [Ajit] just wanted to have a dig at his uncle [Sharad Pawar] who at this point of time is supporting Congress.”This and a lot more. Tune in!We have a page for subscribers to send letters to our shows. If you want to write to Hafta, click here. Check out the Newslaundry store and flaunt your love for independent media. Download the Newslaundry app.Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/7Uk0pno0EKAAudio timecodes00:00:00:00 - Introductions00:00:34:03 - Announcements00:04:32:08 - Headlines00:10:27:11 - Maharashtra Elections00:21:03:25 - Pawar's Interview00:32:48:10 - Jharkhand Elections01:09:39:06 - Letters01:31:10:01 - RecommendationsCheck out previous Hafta recommendations, references, songs and letters Produced by Priyali Dhingra, Edited by Prashant. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Newslaundry's Manisha Pande, Jayashree Arunachalam, Raman Kirpal, and Anand Vardhan are joined by Newslaundry reporter Prateek Goyal.Check out the Newslaundry store and flaunt your love for independent media. Download the Newslaundry app. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Newslaundry's Abhinandan Sekhri and Raman Kirpal are joined by Supreme Court advocate Shahrukh Alam and senior journalist Sreenivasan Jain. Check out the Newslaundry store and flaunt your love for independent media. Download the Newslaundry app. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, host Shivnarayan Rajpurohit is joined by Newslaundry's Anmol Pritam and Basant Kumar. Anmol reported on the increasing encroachment and concretisation of the Yamuna River floodplains, which has heavily contributed to the river's degradation. He throws light on the consequence of arbitrary construction by the Delhi Development Authority. Basant's report was on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official visits, which often comprise activities focused on promoting the BJP. He delves into the details of his official visits from January to October and the lack of transparency about the PMO billing the BJP for these unofficial expenses. Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:01:22 - Yamuna river pollution 00:08:30 - Modi's trips00:45:10 - RecommendationsRecommendationsAnmol Yamuna is choking in Delhi. Is floodplain encroachment to blame?BasantSharda Sinha's Chhath songsProduced and edited by Hassan Bilal, recorded by Anil Kumar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Newslaundry's Abhinandan Sekhri, Manisha Pande, and Raman Kirpal are joined by Washington-based columnist Seema Sirohi.Check out the Newslaundry store and flaunt your love for independent media. Download the Newslaundry app. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.