The Interview With Karan Thapar
The Interview With Karan Thapar is a podcast featuring in-depth conversations with notable figures from various fields. Hosted by veteran journalist Karan Thapar, it focuses on probing questions and revealing answers. Each episode offers definitive interviews covering politics, current affairs, and society. The show is produced by The Wire.
Episodes
Mohan Bhagwat’s speeches are confused and duplicitous, not proof Hindutva has changed
Mohan Bhagwat's speeches are confused and duplicitous, not proof Hindutva has changed: Suhas Palshikar, Chief Editor, Studies in Indian Politics, to Karan Thapar for The Wire........................................Several people have concluded after reading about Mohan Bhagwat’s speeches in America that he is genuinely celebrating diversity and even sounding like a new Jawaharlal Nehru. Is that th
The credibility of Modi govt depends on fulfilling its promise to restore statehood to J&K
The credibility of Modi govt depends on fulfilling its promise to restore statehood to J&K: Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, to Karan Thapar for The Wire........................................August the 5th was seven years since the abrogation of Article 370 and Jammu and Kashmir’s loss of statehood. Whilst most people have accepted that the abrogation is irrevocable, the M
If restoration of statehood in J&K depends on BJP coming to power we could wait 100s of years
If restoration of statehood in J&K depends on BJP coming to power we could wait 100s of years: Radha Kumar, Co-chairperson, Forum for Human Rights in Jammu and Kashmir, to Karan Thapar for The Wire........................................Today, August the 5th, is seven years since the abrogation of Article 370 and Jammu and Kashmir’s loss of statehood. Whilst most people have accepted that the
First Came the War, Then the Blockade, Now the Shortages; Epic Fury Has Become Epic Folly
In a recent op-ed in the Financial Times, headlined ‘The Gulf crisis may just be starting’, the paper’s well-known and highly regarded Chief Economics Commentator, Martin Wolf, analyses the impact of an aspect of the Gulf crisis that so far hasn’t got the attention it deserves i.e. the shortages and how their impact could get worse the longer they remain and the greater the physical damage done in
Time has come to talk to Pakistan; Modi should take the initiative: Pravin Sawhney
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Current account deficit and falling rupee are biggest concerns of the Gulf crisis
The Chief Economist of Axis Bank and a Member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council says in his opinion the current account deficit and the falling rupee are the “most binding constraints” emerging out of the current Gulf crisis. Neelkanth Mishra also believes that the impact of the Gulf war and the oil crisis could be around 0.7%-08% of GDP growth. He says: “The sensitivity is that ab
What does Trump's China visit mean for India and the world?
President Trump is on a three-day visit to China. What is he looking for from Beijing? What is he prepared to offer in return? Might China be willing to help Trump secure peace in the Middle East? And what are the implications of this visit for India’s relationship with both China and America?
'I’m deeply concerned by the election results; the Republic has no reason to celebrate'
In an interview to discuss the election results that were announced yesterday (the 4th of May) as well as what they mean for India as a whole and what they suggest about the BJP’s hold over the country, Yogendra Yadav, the National Convenor of the Bharat Jodo Abhiyan, has said he is deeply concerned, adding he doesn’t believe the Indian Republic has reasons to celebrate the outcome. “As a democrat
Rising Oil Prices Could Reduce India’s GDP Upto 2.5% – A Fairly Substantial Fall
In an interview to discuss the impact of rising oil prices – which yesterday touched $126 per barrel – on both the world economy and India’s economy, economist and former Chief Statistician of India Pronab Sen said that rising oil prices could reduce India’s expected GDP growth by up to 2.5%. He agreed that this was a fairly substantial fall.
Sen said he was particularly worried about India’s exp
Keir Starmer is a Lawyer Not a Politician and That’s His Real Problem
Sir Keir Starmer the British Prime Minister’s real problem is that he has failed to transition from being a lawyer into a prime minister and senior politician and, as a result, lacks strategy and keeps going back on what he has said and done or acting inadvisably, such as with the appointment of Peter Mandelson as Ambassador to the United States. This is the verdict of former British Secretary of
Vice President Has 'Clearly, Patently Erred” in Accepting Merger of AAP MPs with BJP
Abhishek Manu Singhvi, one of the foremost legal minds in the country, a Rajya Sabha MP and Congress spokesperson, has said that Vice President Radhakrishnan has “clearly, patently erred” in accepting the merger of seven Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MPs with the BJP.
Singhvi says that this decision by the Vice President can be challenged in Court and it’s quite possible that it will be overturned.
Iran War a 'Strategic Disaster' for Trump and USA: Editor-in-Chief The Economist
The Editor-in-Chief of The Economist, Zanny Minton Beddoes, says the Iran war is a “strategic disaster” for President Donald Trump and the USA.
She said: “I think this is along the line of Suez for the Brits. A very big geo-strategic misstep where the US has, I think, unambiguously lost from this. And it’s in a weaker position in the Gulf and it’s in a weaker position internationally.”
Minton Be
Who does the ceasefire benefit more - Iran or the United States?
After the extension of the ceasefire we ask critical questions about the new situation in the Middle East. Is this an open ended and indefinite extension of the ceasefire? Who does it benefit more? Does Iran’s refusal to come to Islamabad indicate its feeling stronger? Or is the regime internally divided, as Trump has claimed? Now, whenever talks happen, how can the key differences be bridged? And
Where do things stand? What's the future of the Islamabad talks? And now what should we expect?
As uncertainty about the talks that were supposed to happen between America and Iran continues, we ask can the Pakistan-brokered talks still happen? If they do how significant will that be? In these circumstances what can they deliver? What does the confusion of the last two days suggest about America and Iran? And where does the advantage lie? Those are the key issues Karan Thapar raises with the
PM ‘lied’ Saturday; CEC should issue a notice, in fact, should’ve stopped his speech: Kapil Sibal
In an interview to discuss the Prime Minister’s address to the nation on Saturday and his own video response later the same night, former Law and Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal has said “Prime Minister knowing the facts of history deliberately made statements that are inconsistent with those facts … people know what I mean … I have stated what I have stated (which is) based on the
Is the Lack of Clarity About Delimitation Deliberate and Designed to be Deceptive?
There is confusion, concern and lack of clarity about the basis on which the government proposes to increase the number of seats in the Lok Sabha and the state assemblies. Will it be on the basis of the 2011 census, which is what the bills themselves suggest, or will it be a 50% proportionate increase in the Lok Sabha and all the state assemblies, which is what unnamed spokespersons have assured y
Govts Proposed Delimitation is “Motivated Gerrymandering” & Threatens India’s Political Integrity
In sharp criticism of the government’s proposed delimitation on the basis of the 2011 census, which was circulated yesterday (Tuesday), former Information and Broadcasting Minister, Manish Tewari has called it “motivated gerrymandering” and says the “preponderance of possibility” is that it would threaten India’s political integrity. He says the proposed seat changes in the Lok Sabha are designed
Trump Has Backed Off and This is Military Defeat for America but Pakistan’s Profile Has Risen
In an interview to analyse and help the audience understand the two week ceasefire announced by the US and Iran in the Middle East war and the prospects for talks, which are said to start in Islamabad on Friday, India’s former Ambassador to the USA, Navtej Sarna, says Trump has backed off and the truth is this is a military defeat for the USA.
Sarna said: “I don’t think Trump has pulled of anythi
If Eligible Adults Denied Vote in Bengal It’ll Be Unconstitutional, Deplorable & Vitiate Election
Former Chief Election Commissioners S.Y. Quraishi has said that if eligible adults in Bengal are denied the right to vote in the forthcoming elections later this month it would be unconstitutional and deplorable, it would vitiate the elections and be a black mark on our democracy. Dr. Quraishi was referring to newspaper reports that the fate of 23.4 lakh Bengali voters, who have reportedly been de
FCRA Amendment Bill is “Loot and Theft of Christian Institutions – A Sangh Parivar Agenda"
The President of the All India Christian Council and Primate of the Good Shepherd Church of India, Archbishop Joseph Dsouza, has called the government’s proposed amendments to the FCRA Act, which was yesterday, at the last moment, deferred to the next session of parliament, “loot and theft of Christian institutions and their property”. He says this is “a Sangh Parivar agenda”. If passed in the nex
Iran War Will Be Remembered as Trump’s Big Mistake, “A Grave Grave Miscalculation”: Shyam Saran
In a comprehensive interview which covers many aspects of the Middle East war, India’s former Foreign Secretary, Shyam Saran, says that the present Middle East war will be remembered as Trump’s big mistake. He called it “a grave grave miscalculation”. He called it “a grievous blow to the United States and it will take a long time for the United States to recover from this.”
Gender is Not Between the Legs, It’s in the Heart and Mind
n an interview to explain the deep and serious concerns India’s transgender community has with the recently introduced Transgender Persons Amendment Bill, Prof. Aqsa Shaikh, Professor of Community Medicine at Jamia Hamdard University, points out that the key error the government has made in the amendment bill is to assume that gender lies between the legs of an individual whereas, in fact, it lies
Iran’s New Supreme Leader Injured and Could Have Survived a Second Israeli Attempt to Kill Him
In an interview to The Wire, Prof. Foad Izadi, Associate Professor of American Studies at Tehran University, who spoke from Tehran, says that Iran’s new supreme leader is injured and he cited reports to that effect from within Iran. Prof. Izadi also said it could be the case that BBC reports that the new supreme leader has survived a second attempt by Israel to kill him whilst he was in hospital c
Mid-East War: Indian Foreign Policy Confused; We’re Not as Influential as We Used to Be: Former NSA
In strong and outspoken criticism of Indian foreign policy, a former National Security Advisor, M. K. Narayanan, has said that Indian foreign policy is confused and argues that we are not as influential as we once were. India may be internally and economically a more powerful country than it has ever been but our capacity to influence events around the world and win respect for our views is not as
“Trump is Netanyahu’s poodle, he plays him like a fiddle”: Avi Shlaim
Israeli professor of history and international relations Avi Shlaim says that Donald Trump is “Netanyahu’s poodle”, adding that Netanyahu “plays him like a fiddle”. Prof. Shlaim says that Donald Trump is the only American President who is gullible enough to become part of Netanyahu’s plan for regime change in Iran. However, Prof. Shlaim believes that regime change is almost impossible to achieve f
"Delusional, Unhinged, Sociopath” Trump Underestimated Iran; He Could Even Consider Nukes
Kanwal Sibal, a former Foreign Secretary and former Ambassador to Russia and France and now Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University, and Manoj Joshi, a Senior Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation and a highly regarded Strategic Affairs Analyst, discuss whether Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu have underestimated Iran’s resilience and its capacity to retaliate and fight on. In particular
India on the Side of Aggressors in Mid-East War & It’s Damaged Our Credibility as a Partner
The well-known historian, author and strategic affairs analyst Srinath Raghavan says “India is objectively on the side of the aggressors in this war”. He says what matters is not what India says but what it does and how its actions are perceived by others and, in this instance, India is perceived to be on the side of the aggressors. Speaking of the Prime Minister’s visit to Israel, 36 hours before
India’s GDP Overstated by Up to 2% Since 2011-12: Ex-CEA Arvind Subramanian
Whilst as yet it’s too early to say how good or how inadequate is the new methodology for calculating GDP, which came into operation last month, India’s former Chief Economic Advisor, Arvind Subramanian, has pointed out that the old methodology, which came into operation in 2015, overstated GDP growth between 2011-12 and 2023-24 by 1.5-2 percentage points and between 2004-05 and 2011-12 it underes
Sky-high Aspirations After Elections In Nepal Need Best Talent In Country To Deliver: Ranjit Rae
India’s former Ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae has called the performance of Balendra Shah and his Rashtriya Swatantra Party in Nepal’s recently held elections “an astounding victory”, the scale of which has taken everyone by surprise. He says Balendra Shah in his person bridged the traditional divide in Nepal between the hills and the plains. He presented himself in the Terai as the son of the soi
Mid-East War: India’s silences & action inexplicable; they diminish us; this isn’t Satyameva Jayate
In strong and outspoken criticism of the government’s refusal and failure to criticize the US-Israel strikes on Iran and the assassination of Ayatollah Khamenei, India’s former National Security Advisor and former Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon has said it is “inexplicable” and “sad”. He says this will not impress India’s BRICS partners and it “diminishes” the country’s reputation.
Menon, wh
Flummoxed by Nepal election results; not just a landslide but an upheaval: Kanak Mani Dixit
One of Nepal’s most highly regarded journalists, the Founder Editor of Himal Southasian, Kanak Mani Dixit, says he is “flummoxed” by the Nepal election results which he said are “not just a landslide but up upheaval”. The BBC’s assessment of the result suggests that Balendra Shah and his Rashtriya Swatantra Party could have won 182 out of 275 seats, which is a two-thirds majority.
Modi’s Refusal to Criticize US-Israeli Strikes and Killing of the Ayatollah Have Let India Down
India’s former Foreign Minister, Salman Khurshid, says that Prime Minister Modi’s refusal to criticize the US-Israeli strikes on Iran and the killing of Ayatollah Khamenei have let India down. The strikes are a clear breach of the United Nations Charter and India’s silence is a break with its well-established tradition of speaking out and take clear positions in the interests of its strategic auto
US-Israel-Iran: How Far Can the War Go? How Will it End?
With the US-Israel-Iran war becoming a regional crisis how much worse could the situation become? Can decapitation really lead to regime change in Iran? How long can Iran fight on? Will UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia retaliate? And what more does President Trump have in mind? Those are the key issues Karan Thapar discusses with the Defence Editor of The Economist, Shashank Joshi.
Nepal Elections: New Govt Will Be Unstable and Won’t Last Long; Sushila Karki’s Govt a Failure
The Editor of Desh Sanchar.com Yubaraj Ghimire says that the new Nepal government that will be elected by the polls to be held on the 5th of March is likely to be unstable and won’t last long. He also says that the interim administration under former Chief Justice Sushila Karki has been a failure and did not live up to the high expectation people had of it when it took over in September 2025. Ghim
By Refusing To Hear Case Against Assam CM, SC Made ‘Himalayan blunder...Let Down India'
In strong and stinging criticism of the Supreme Court’s refusal to hear the hate speech against Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Dushyant Dave, a former President of the Supreme Court Bar Association, has said the top Court has made “a Himalayan blunder” and “let down 1.4 billion Indians”. Dave said the Supreme Court “insulted each one of us” by refusing to take up the matter and, additio
India Should Walk Out of the India-US Interim Trade Deal: Ajay Srivastava
In an interview to discuss the implications and consequences of the United States Supreme Court striking down President Trump’s reciprocal tariffs and his decision to impose 15% global tariffs on all goods from all counties, the Founder of the Global Trade Research Initiative Ajay Srivastava says that India should now walk out of the India-US interim trade agreement. He said India should now invok
Andrew’s Arrest a Blow for British Monarchy; If Charged & Convicted It Will Be Very Serious
In an interview to discuss the arrest of former Prince Andrew on suspicion of misconduct in public office and its implications and consequences for the British monarchy, the former Editor of the Financial Times, Lionel Barber, has said this is a blow for the monarchy and it will become a very serious blow if Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is charged and convicted. However, Lionel Barber says that King
Was There Serious Mischief Behind the 2024 Andhra Pradesh Polls?
Relying entirely on official data made available by the Election Commission of India and the Andhra Pradesh Chief Election Officer i.e. entirely official data, the well-known economist and current affairs commentator Parakala Prabhakar has revealed there is reason to believe serious mischief took place in the Andhra Pradesh polls of 2024, both at the Assembly and the Lok Sabha level. He points out
Hardeep Puri Must Apologize and Resign Over Epstein or PM Modi Must Sack Him
The well-known and popular Trinamool Congress MP, Mahua Moitra, has publicly called for Petroleum Minister, Hardeep Puri’s resignation and apology to the nation over his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. “He owes it to the nation to apologize and resign”, she says. Mahua Moitra has also claimed that “Puri has lied repeatedly and brazenly about his relationship with Epstein.” Furthermore, his emai
IN Home Ministry Order on Vande Mataram is 'Constitutional Vandalism', 'It’s Executive Overreach'
In an interview to discuss the recent Home Ministry order directing all six stanzas of Vande Mataram to be played at official functions and that schools start the day with community singing of the song, Supreme Court lawyer Sanjay Hegde has called this “constitutional vandalism dressed up in national pride”. Hegde points out that there is no law that requires any Indian citizen to compulsorily sin
Bangladesh will seek “cooperative” ties with India, protecting Hindu community is “foremost” duty
In a wide ranging interview to discuss the outcome of the recent elections in Bangladesh and the new government that will be formed by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party with Tarique Rahman as the new Prime Minister, Zafar Sobhan, the Editor of Counterpoint and former Editor of the Dhaka Tribune, has said that Bangladesh is now a democracy, even if credible questions can be raised about an election
Indian Americans Are Very Afraid in a Way That They Haven’t Been Probably Since the Post 9-11 Era
With the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) picking up immigrants especially brown looking people, and even deporting them, a climate of fear has built up among the Indian community, says Sravya Tadepalli.
“Indians are the third most undocumented community in America,” says Tadepalli, deputy executive director of Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR). “Among Indians there is a perception that
Piyush Goyal lied or was ignorant when he said GM items won’t enter India
We present two separate interviews, packaged as one, with Ashok Gulati, Distinguished Professor at ICRIER, and Avik Saha, National President of the Jai Kisan Andolan, on the question has India been successful in ensuring that genetically modified produce or its derivatives are not given access to the Indian market? The government insists that is the case but could there be room for doubt? We explo
Ramachandra Guha on Why India is Becoming a Hindu Pakistan; He Calls It “Medieval Barbarism”
Historian, author and political commentator Ramachandra Guha, believes that India is becoming a Hindu Pakistan and that the treatment of Muslims is a form of “medieval barbarism”. He says: “India in 2026 is as close to being a Hindu Pakistan as it has ever been … in politics and in the law, in symbol and in substance, in word and in deed, India is … becoming ever more like Pakistan, except that he
IN If BNP Wins Bangladesh Elections Tarique Rahman Will Improve Relations With India
In exactly a week, on the 12th of February, Bangladesh will hold what The Economist calls its first proper elections since 2008. Foreign policy expert Shafqat Munir, a Senior Fellow at the Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies, says that if the Bangladesh Nationalist Party wins, as is widely expected, it’s 60-year old leader, Tarique Rahman, will seek to reset and improve the relation
PM wrong, this isn't an historic budget; it’s unremarkable and doesn’t tackle economy's problems
In an interview to discuss and analyse Sunday’s budget, economist, former Chief Statistician and former Country Head of the International Growth Centre Pronab Sen says the prime minister’s description of the budget as historic is not correct.
Instead, Sen described this as “a business-as-usual” budget which he called “unremarkable”. Asked how well the budget has tackled the problems the economy f
Ajit Pawar Was Secular but Ran With the Hare and Hunted With the Hounds; His Legacy is Development
In an interview to discuss the politics, personality and legacy of the former Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Ajit Pawar, who died yesterday in an air crash, political analyst Suhas Palshikar says he was secular and did not indulge in the Hindu-Muslim “bashing” associated with the Pawar’s ally the BJP. However, Prof. Palshikar says that Pawar’s style of politics was akin to “running with the
BCCI’s Ego Responsible for Crisis Facing T20 World Cup; ICC is Damaged
Sharda Ugra, who is widely considered India’s foremost sports journalist, says the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s ego is responsible for the potential crisis facing the T20 World Cup due to start on the 7th of February. As she put it: “The ICC is basically just the Dubai office of the BCCI”.
The crisis facing the T20 World Cup emerges out of Pakistan’s threat to boycott this event. Mohsi
Police Treatment of Journalists in J&K A Direct Attack on Freedom & Democracy; Extremely Distressing
Former judge of the Delhi high court Justice Rekha Sharma has said that the police treatment of journalists in the Kashmir Valley is “a direct attack on our freedom, an attack on our personal liberty … and an attack on democracy itself.” She says its “extremely extremely distressing”, adding “it’s totally without jurisdiction” and is in “disregard of the law”.
Justice Sharma was referring to the
For Trump Might is Right and the Rest of the World Has to Adjust to That Reality
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ISRO’s Rocket Failure a Major Setback & It’s Chairman is Adding to the Problem
The Science Editor of The Hindu says that Monday’s failure of ISRO’s PSLV rocket is a major setback and a very big blow to the organization. He agrees that it raises worrying questions about the reliability of the PSLV rocket which is ISRO’s workhorse. In an interview to Karan Thapar for The Wire, Vasudevan Mukunth raised questions about the functioning of ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan and ISRO’s lac
India Must Moderate the Anti-Bangladeshi Fury Fueled by the Media: Jawhar Sircar
In an interview where he seeks to explain the many reasons why Bangladeshis have reservations about India as well as the historical character of Hindu-Muslim relations within Bangladesh, the former CEO of Prasar Bharati and former Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP, Jawhar Sircar, has called for India to moderate the anti-Bangladeshi fury sweeping through the country and to “refrain from reacting t
Trump’s Venezuela Action Was “Brilliantly Executed; Venezuela Caught Flat-Footed”: Yashvardhan Sinha
India’s former Ambassador to Venezuela, who has also served as High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom and, subsequently, as Chief Information Commissioner, says that Trump’s action in Venezuela to kidnap and spirit away the country’s President and his wife was “a brilliantly executed military operation”. Yashvardhan Sinha adds that “the Venezuelan military was caught flat-footed”. H
Denial of Bail to Khalid & Imam “Completely Wrong”; Judges Committed “Many Errors”: Dushyant Dave
In sharp criticism of the Supreme Court’s decision to deny bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, lawyer and former President of the Supreme Court Bar Association Dushyant Dave has called the decision “completely wrong”.
Dave says its “really flawed both in facts and law”. He says the two judges have done a disservice to themselves as well as to the Supreme Court. He says increasingly in India, j
New Law Completely Demolishes Concept of a Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme
In sharp and focused criticism of the government’s new rural employment scheme, which he says is mistaken and misleadingly called a guarantee, Nikhil Dey, a founder member of the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan, says it has “completely demolished the idea of a rural employment guarantee scheme”.
Bhakt Banerjee Grills Karan Thapar in This Year's Revenge Interview
It's time for our end-of-year tradition, an interview where Karan Thapar is the interviewee and is toughly or teasingly questioned by an interviewer we have invited on the show. On this occasion the guest interviewer is the highly popular YouTuber, journalist, radio jockey and political satirist Akash Banerjee, in the avatar of Bhakt Banerjee.
Indigo Too Big to Regulate, DGCA Won't Do It, Nothing Will Change
Chairman of Cerg Advisory and economist Omkar Goswami has said that IndiGo, which controls nearly 66% of domestic air travel and on many routes is the only airline flying, has become too big to regulate. As Goswami put it: “When one player accounts for almost two-thirds of the passenger market and when it’s often the only carrier to many airports, the shoe is firmly on IndiGo’s foot. Not the gover
Modi Was “Economical With the Truth” in His Vande Mataram Speech in the Lok Sabha: Mridula Mukherjee
Professor of history Mridula Mukherjee, who taught at Jawaharlal Nehru University and is a former director of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, says Prime Minister Modi was “economical with the truth” in his Vande Mataram speech in the Lok Sabha on Monday when he accused Jawaharlal Nehru of removing stanzas from Vande Mataram under pressure to appease Jinnah and thus put the country on what t
Putin a Monster, Tyrant, Despot; Modi Damaged by His Effusive Welcome; India Undermined Its Values
Author and columnist Tavleen Singh has said that Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is “a tyrant, a dictator, a despot and a monster”. She called his invasion of Ukraine “evil”. She says Prime Minister Modi has damaged his image with the gushing and effusive welcome he accorded President Putin last week. She also said that by welcoming Putin as a hero, India has let itself down and undermined what
Trump Has "Broken" India’s Trust in USA and Scepticism is Back: Navtej Sarna
Former ambassador to the United States of America, who also served in Washington during the first Trump presidency, says that President Trump has “broken” India’s trust in America and skepticism is back. Navtej Sarna says the optimism that used to prevail in the relationship, what he calls “the positive unquestionable narrative”, is no longer true and no longer holds.
SC Advisory on Governors Not Well Thought-out, Will Add Confusion Rather Than Resolve Problems
Both Justice Madan Lokur, a former judge of the Supreme Court, and Dushyant Dave, a well-known lawyer and a former President of the Supreme Court Bar Association, have strongly criticised the Supreme Court’s advisory opinion given in response to the presidential reference on how Governors and the President should handle legislation. Both believe that the advisory opinion is not well-thought throug
Charges Against Kashmir Times “Absolutely False, Fabricated”; Modi Regime Intolerant of Criticism
Defending her paper, The Kashmir Times, its Executive Editor, Anuradha Bhasin, has said that the litany of charges brought against her paper by the Special Investigation Agency of the Jammu and Kashmir police, when it raided the paper on Thursday, are “absolutely false, absolutely fabricated”. She said reports that several arms and weapons were found in the newspaper’s premises are “completely fab
I Don’t Trust Election Commission and Its SIR; SC’s Advisory Opinion Is a Setback: P. Thiaga Rajan
In an interview to discuss both the Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls presently underway in Tamil Nadu as well as yesterday's Supreme Court advisory opinion on how Governors and the President respond to state legislation, Tamil Nadu's Minister for Information Technology and Digital Services, P. Thiaga Rajan, has said that he doesn't trust the Election Commission and has enumerated
My Encounters With Ghosts, Ghouls, Spirits and Voices From the Other World
Do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever seen a spirit? Do voices speak to you from the other world? If you were to ask me that question my answer would be an emphatic and resounding no. But that’s not the case with my guest. He’s just written a book, published by HarperCollins, about his many and varied experiences encountering ghosts, spirits, ghouls and other sorts of apparitions. It’s called ‘T
Why Do BJP and Narendra Modi Keep Winning? Why Do Congress and Rahul Gandhi Keep Losing?
After the National Democratic Alliance's seemingly unbelievable victory in Bihar and the Mahagathbandhan's shattering defeat there are two questions that are crying out for an analytical answer - why do the BJP and Narendra Modi keep winning? Why do Congress and Rahul Gandhi keep losing? These are the key questions posed in this interview with Yogendra Yadav, one of India's well-known political an
Pakistan's Constitutional Amendment Creates One Man Rule Under Field Marshal Munir
In an interview to discuss the recent constitutional amendment in Pakistan (called the 27th constitutional amendment) one of Pakistan's most senior diplomats, and its former Ambassador to USA, China and Russia and former High Commissioner to India, Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, has said it is "the blackest day" in Pakistan's constitutional history. He said it was "a serious setback to the rule of law and
India's News Channels 'Must Be Amongst the Worst in the World': Former Hindu Editor, N. Ram
In an interview to discuss and analyse the media coverage of the Bihar election campaign, the former Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of The Hindu, N. Ram, has said that India's news television channels "must be amongst the worst in the world".
"Broadcast television … has been awful. It must be amongst the worst in the world, whether you look at either the Hindi television sector or the so-called nat
Red Fort Bomb 'Could Be Start of Nationwide Terror Campaign but This Time We're Better Prepared'
In an interview to discuss critical questions thrown up by Monday's terror attack in the Red Fort area of Delhi, the Executive Director of the Institute for Conflict Management and the South Asia Terrorism Portal Ajai Sahni says that the Red Fort bomb "could be the start of a nationwide terror campaign" but, if it is, this time India is much better prepared. He adds: "The Red Fort blast demonstrat
Is the BBC a Corporation in Crisis? Can It Recover Its Reputation?
The Director General of the BBC and its Head of News have resigned, raising the critical question: Is the BBC a corporation in crisis? Its flagship documentary Panorama has been accused by President Trump of 100% fake news. Internal documents have accused the BBC of a Hamas bias and believing the worst of Israel. And other critics say the BBC is guilty of what’s called gender ideology. It’s believ
Charging MDR on UPI payments could increase costs in many ways; it’ll benefit Visa & Mastercard
Charging MDR on UPI payments could increase costs in many ways; it'll benefit Visa & Mastercard: Ajay Srivastava, Founder, Global Trade Research Initiative, to Karan Thapar for The Wire. ....................................... As things stand the government’s controversial decision to impose a merchant discount rate on specified UPI payments above Rs. 2,000/- will take affect from Thursday
The present Indian govt is one of the biggest committers of ecocide in the world today
The present Indian govt is one of the biggest committers of ecocide in the world today: Author and Blogger Avay Shukla to Karan Thapar for The Wire. The recent environmental disaster in the Himalayas in Nepal was a clear sign we need to pay serious attention to issues of environmental and climate change. If not we are playing with our own future as a planet. There are clear limits to how far man c
Young Gandhi was racist, never had Ambedkar’s respect on untouchability but won the trust of Muslims
Young Gandhi was racist, never had Ambedkar’s respect on untouchability but won the trust of Muslims: Ramachandra Guha to Karan Thapar on his new book ‘Arguments with Gandhi’ for The WireRamachandra Guha’s latest book ‘Arguments with Gandhi’ raises key questions about the Mahatma. Was the young Gandhi a racist during his days in South Africa? Why did Gandhi never win the respect of B. R. Ambedkar?
PM Modi would have been told about the mess in Election Commission
PM Modi would have been told about the mess in Election Commission: Former CEC S. Y. Quraishi, former EC Ashok Lavasa and National Convener of Bharat Jodo Abhiyaan, Yogendra Yadav, to Karan Thapar for The Wire........................................Today we focus on the Indian Express expose of the functioning of the Election Commission. It raises fundamental issues. Was the Commission functioning
In A. S. Dulat's first novel Kashmir is a tragedy and the Head of IB has a break down
In A. S. Dulat's first novel Kashmir is a tragedy and the Head of IB has a break down: A. S. Dulat to Karan Thapar for The Wire on his first novel 'Our Kind of Games'I know that former foreign secretaries and former army chiefs have written novels but my guest is the first former Head of R&AW to do so. The book is called Our Kind of Games. Set in Kashmir, it’s the story of Ranjit Soni, the Hea
Disappointed, dismayed and worried by Supreme Court’s functioning: Justice Madan Lokur
Disappointed, dismayed and worried by Supreme Court's functioning: Justice Madan Lokur, former Supreme Court Judge, to Karan Thapar for The Wire........................................Today our focus is on four critical issues concerning the Supreme Court. Should the Court give top priority to petitions questioning the way the SIR exercise has been conducted? Is the Chief Justice of India guilty o
The Tata crisis is a mess and no one comes out of it unscathed
The Tata crisis is a mess and no one comes out of it unscathed: Sucheta Dalal, Managing Editor, Moneylife, to Karan Thapar for The Wire........................................Today we focus our attention on the crisis that’s afflicted the Tata Group. Was N. Chandrasekaran’s appointment for a third term as Chairman legitimate or illegal? Is the RBI’s insistence on listing in the best interests of t
I hope Modi is defeated in 2029, like the PM in my first novel ‘The Actor’
I hope Modi is defeated in 2029, like the PM in my first novel ‘The Actor’: Tavleen Singh to Karan Thapar for The Wire. ...................................... You probably know Tavleen Singh as a columnist and the author of serious political books. Today I shall introduce Tavleen Singh the novelist. Her first book, The Actor, was recently released. Set sometime in the future, it’s the story of
Haaretz expose of Netanyahu believable, his behaviour was “criminal”: Gershon Baskin
Haaretz expose of Netanyahu believable, his behaviour was "criminal": Gershon Baskin, Middle East Director, International Communities Organisation and Israeli hostage negotiator, to Karan Thapar for The Wire........................................The Hamas attack on Israel on October the 7, 2023 traumatised the country. 1,200 people were killed and over 250 taken hostage. In response Israel carrie
BAPS has created outrage in France, embarrassed Macron govt, damaged India’s image
BAPS has created outrage in France, embarrassed Macron govt, damaged India's image: Christophe Jaffrelot, Professor of South Asian Politics at Sciences Po and Professor of Indian Politics and Sociology at King's College, London .......................................The decision to keep women away when a delegation from BAPS visited the Eiffel Tower recently has provoked outrage in Paris and headl
Q1 GDP growth “difficult to accept” but S. C. Garg is “conceptually illogical”
Q1 GDP growth "difficult to accept" but S. C. Garg is "conceptually illogical" and completely wrong: former Chief Statistician, Pronab Sen, to Karan Thapar for The Wire........................................Today we focus on the recently released Q1 GDP figure. It’s created a storm of controversy. So we ask is the 7.8% figure credible or, as former Finance Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg has said
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