- 7/4/2025
This episode of To The Point covers significant political developments in Tamil Nadu, where actor-turned-politician Vijay has been declared as the Chief Ministerial candidate for TVK. The party has announced it will not form an alliance with BJP or DMK, with Vijay labeling the BJP as their 'ideological enemy' and accusing them of attempting to spread harmful ideologies in the state. This decision is seen as a major setback for the BJP, which had suggested potential talks with TVK. The episode also discusses the Maharashtra Chief Minister's address on language violence, backlash faced by Congress in Bihar over a controversial photo, and the controversy surrounding the Kawar Yatra involving identity checks and religious profiling. Additionally, the Prime Minister's cultural diplomacy efforts in Trinidad and Tobago are highlighted. Political analysts provide insights into Vijay's stance and its implications for Tamil Nadu's political landscape, along with speculations on his long-term strategy.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Good evening, you're watching To The Point. I'm Treeti Chaudhary.
00:04Before we get into our two big debates of the evening, allow me to take you through the headlines.
00:12Big decision by TVK. Vijay to go solo in Tamil Nadu polls.
00:17TVK declares actor-turned-politician Vijay as its CM face.
00:21For the upcoming polls, Vijay confirms no alliance with BJP or DMK.
00:27Doesn't name AIDMK.
00:30Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis LAM's language violence hits out at M&S and Sena UBT.
00:40Says they don't have exclusive claims to being Marathi, assures police action.
00:44Congress' mahala outreach in Bihar backfires.
00:57Congress' mahala outreach in Bihar backfires.
01:07Rahul's photo and sanitary pad pack triggers Rao.
01:11Congress hits back, says BJP wanted to put Prime Minister's photo on sindoor boxes.
01:16Jairam Thakur versus Kangana Ranaut over Mundi floods.
01:25Former Himachal Chief Minister says Mundi MP does not care about the deluge.
01:29Prime Minister invokes India's cultural roots in Trinidad and Tobago, gifts the water from Mahakum and a replica of the Ram Mandir to the President.
01:41China-Pakistan collusion during Operation Sindoor exposed.
01:54Indian Army-Size China gave info on Indian vectors to Pakistan during DGMO-level talks.
02:15The Kavad Yatra, an annual pilgrimage to Haridwar by Lord Shiva's devotees, is mired in controversy.
02:34While the Yatra is set to start after more than a week, it has already hit headlines with allegations of identity checks, segregation and intolerance.
02:45A controversy erupted in Uttar Pradesh after a Muslim man named Tajamul was discovered working at a dhaba in Muzaffar Nagar using the name Gopal.
02:56Tajamul claims the dhaba owner had advised him to take a Hindu name for protection from possible backlash.
03:02After protest, the dhaba was shut down.
03:18Now a campaign by Hindu group is underway to verify names, religions and identities of people working at shops and dhabas along the Kavad Yatra route.
03:30Uttar Pradesh
04:00In Muzaffar Nagar, people claiming to be Shiv Sena workers took to streets
04:13and began scanning UPI apps of Dhaba owners to confirm which religion they belonged to.
04:21They justified their actions, citing a viral video and accused Muslims of disrespecting their faith.
04:27But when asked whether Muslims should be allowed to run Dhaba's, they dodged the question.
04:57The identity checks are not new.
05:07Since 2024, there have been reports of roadside eateries being monitored,
05:12names being scrutinized and ownerships being questioned.
05:17Despite the Supreme Court's intervention to stop this practice,
05:20calling it a violation of fundamental rights.
05:24As preparations pick up pace, Dhaba owners on the Delhi-Haridwar route are repainting their shops,
05:31putting up rate cards, saffron flags and even their own photos declaring their identities.
05:37While some Kavadiyas say they prefer eating only at Hindu-owned shops that serve only Sattvic food,
05:45others say fate is very personal.
05:48As long as the food is good and vegetarian, the religion of the cook should not matter.
05:53On the ground, pressure is mounting.
06:16Muslim shopkeepers are preparing to shut down during the yatra.
06:19Year after year, they receive unofficial instructions to close or cover their signs.
06:27What follows is quiet compliance in the face of growing fear.
06:31What I am being told by these workers, that administrative officials, the police,
06:36food and safety departments often taking stock of the situation, taking visit,
06:41checking their supplies, ensuring hygiene for the pilgrims,
06:46but more importantly also questioning the identities, the people, the workers that are working here,
06:51their identities are being checked.
06:52And more importantly, these kind of scanners that are placed all over these eateries,
06:58they are also scanning these scanners to get the identities checked, who does it belongs to.
07:06Is the Kavad Yatra being used to tear the social fabric of India?
07:10The Kavad Yatra, once a spiritual journey, is now becoming a reflection of the polarization in society.
07:19With Ashitosh, Miro Report, India Today.
07:23All right, so what's happened at the back of it is also massive political commentary coming in.
07:32Listen in to the former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.
07:35This is the Kavad Yatra.
08:05This is the Kavad Yatra.
08:35This is the Kavad Yatra.
09:05This is the Kavad Yatra.
09:35The Kavad Yatra.
09:36What were the Kavad Yatra doing here and what were the DMSP commissioners, chief, secretary, DGP.
09:40What were the financial minister doing here?
09:42What were they doing here?
09:43They weren't doing so much money like,
09:44The days of those so kilometer case so we don't know sort of shit
09:48As I say Joe coveted us a up next to those a yotra card second
09:54All right, we as before we cut across to our panelists this evening the questions that we are asking
10:00Making shopkeepers display their names is it in complete violation of the Supreme Court order of
10:062024 not just display their names viewers
10:09Display the names of the workers the staffers the waiters the cooks as well of the particular eatery
10:17The second question we ask is this blatant religious profiling conducted in the name of food safety department checks
10:25Because that is what the administration is stating while allowing a practical free hand to fringe groups coming in and
10:33Doing random checks
10:35Along the Kavadiya route and finally is this all an attempt to normalize
10:40Discrimination in the name of faith let's cut across to our guests this evening joining us. Dr.
10:46Kaushal Kant Mishra spokesperson Marathi Ajamta party Dhancham Tiwari spokesperson Samajwadi party
10:52Ashutosh author political analyst Shantanu Gupta political analyst and author all of you will get two minutes each to put your points forward
10:59I want to begin with the BJP spokesperson sir the sheer fact that not just that an individual was asked to remove his trousers
11:08but that there are
11:10A reporter has been on ground for the last 24 hours
11:13So I speak out of context where he encountered not one not two, but multiple
11:18In the tens self-proclaimed vigilante groups that are hopping from one dhabha to the other and checking identity of
11:27Not just the names of the owners of that particular eatery, but those who cook there those who serve there. How is it correct?
11:35Preeti first of all we have to understand
11:40There are certain constitutional rights provided to every citizen of the country which includes article 25 26
11:47That is right to free and fair religious practice
11:50Food safety standard Act 2006 right to information Act 2005
11:56PUCL versus government of India choice of food is a fundamental right
12:00These are the constitutional right provided to every citizen of the country
12:04So every citizen has full right and legal right to know what he is eating
12:09What is the purity? What is the sanctity?
12:12Whether the religious faith is triggered by that food or not? This is one to everybody is asking there are fringe groups
12:20acting and checking
12:22The food quality there are multiple NGOs working on the environment on the river on
12:28On the multiple things on the childbirth on the female literacy rate education
12:35In the same way if the few religious group are practicing
12:39It is a fundamental duties
12:42Under our constitution after 40 cent can amendment in 1976 article 51 a part for a which
12:51Section F I am telling everything quoting why they can check section F the value of
12:59Value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture
13:03So they can they can check whether their religious culture is pleasure or not second to develop the scientific temper
13:10humanism and spirit of inquiry and
13:14reform
13:15So everything by the constitution anybody can go and check what he is eating what is their fundamental right everybody is free to exercise their duties
13:24But yes, if somebody is putting having the name Abdul but name plate is Gopal
13:31It is it is it is it is a clear violation if the name is Kana Sham and
13:36The owner is Salman Qureshi
13:38It may be a controversial issue
13:40Your time is up your time is up and I'll circle back to you
13:44But it's really interesting because you try to give a full classic class on the Indian Constitution and the guarantees it gives
13:50Not just fringe players these are thugs dr. Kushal Kant Mishra who are not going and checking where the food is correct
13:57These are thugs who are forcing their way into eateries to check the names of not the owner and even why the owner of the establishment?
14:07The waiters who are serving the people there the cooks who are cooking the food there what part of the Constitution gives them the right to do?
14:15So you're a doctor, you know, I'm sure you know better, but I'll you know come around and have this conversation with you later
14:23I want to bring in Gansham Tiwari spokesperson Samajwadi party Gansham Tiwari
14:29The contrarian view in all of this is that you know, this is a pious time of faith and everybody should be allowed and not be tricked into
14:37Eating a particular meal which they did not bargain for
14:41Good evening Priti to you my fellow co-panel co-panelists and the viewers there are three important things one the backdrop
14:50We have our chief minister who prior to becoming chief minister had hateful charges against him
14:57He himself led a vigilante group that is his claim to frame
15:01We have a government that is for that was formed in 2022 with the backdrop of 80-20 election
15:06We have a party where the prime minister stands up and and calls the opposition campaign as Mujra
15:12That we have a party where the prime minister wants to identify people by
15:16their clothes
15:17We have a party where the chief minister has created a new spirit in the party saying butting a cutting a this is the backdrop
15:25Part 2 BJP has has far too long used the word jihad
15:29With so many different identities from food to kalava to so many other things as if you know the J in BJP stands for jihad not janta
15:38Point number three
15:39This is a complete violation of the supreme court order
15:42It is a complete violation of the constitution the spirit where the BJP leaders today want the vigilante group to visit a dhaba
15:50Which is typically sustaining the livelihood of five ten poor people not the crony capitalists that BJP serves
15:57But these poor people and they want to know their religion
15:59What if if the dhaba was invested by a foundation that is run by azim premji who is the leader of who is the entrepreneur behind
16:08So in that scenario would you say that this dhaba is a muslim dhaba?
16:12How does the identity of of an individual who owns a share in an in an enterprise become the religion of that particular enterprise?
16:20And how does the religion of those who work there impact somebody's sattvic nature?
16:25BJP is so particular in sattvic nature then by now in the trains that we have and the aeroplanes that we have the food should be marked sattvic
16:32Kaushal and Shantanu and many other people have traveled to flights not once have this this is their hypocrisy
16:38Not once they have they pointed out that the food is not sattvic the hypocrisy is to to ensure that the poison and this disease continues in society
16:46And enables vigilante to trouble
16:47So your time is up i'll circle back to you
16:50I just want to hark back to mr
16:51Kaushal and i'll before and you know answer i'll come back to you with it
16:54But in the meanwhile, maybe you'd like to check article 15 paragraph 1 where the indian constitution prohibits on any ground
17:02Discrimination based on religion where economy and economics is concerned
17:06I just want to i'll hug back to you
17:08I want to bring in our other panelists shantanu gupta political analyst and author shantanu gupta
17:13You know all of this played out last year exactly at the same time where the supreme court had to say
17:18Step in with multiple pils that were found and we'll give out the you know
17:22Exact wordings of what the supreme court said because if you actually read that it's very clear
17:27Uh where the food act is concerned you're allowed very clearly that each and every eatery needs to have a license
17:36The license of course will have a name other than the food license to ask for names of restaurant owners
17:43To ask for names of cooks of waiters
17:45How do you think that flies?
17:47Do you not think it's discriminatory?
17:50Uh Preeti i'm sure your viewers know that how pious a yatra kawar yatra is
17:56Kawar yatris walk miles and miles together bare feet in most of the cases carry very heavy kawar in their hands
18:02And in the process they want to eat the food they want to eat
18:06In sanathan tradition there is a very very nuanced and finer distinction among food
18:12What's a sattvic food?
18:13What's a rajasic food?
18:14And what's a tamasic food?
18:15It seems it's said that when a person is sick when the person is not in good mood even the person should not cook food
18:21Even if you see bhagavad-gita chapter 18 you have nuances of how the food should be cooked
18:26And at least when they are in a vrat or in a in a in a in a yatra like kawar yatra they want to eat a food
18:32They just want a choice that don't be imposter if you are abdul put a abdul dhava
18:36Don't call me a vashna dhava and you are i want maybe i do
18:40As you also shown some people may be fine with it. Just give me a choice. Don't be imposter
18:45Which we see in the love jihad case also by the name chintu pintu you you you marry a hindu girl
18:50Later the girl realizes that he's a muslim here also. I enter a dhaba vashna dhava shift dhaba thinking in mind
18:55It's it's done using the hindu tradition then you realize oh my god that the the owner is a muslim cook is a muslim
19:01I don't want to eat the food that my choice you can't force my choice
19:04In the similar case i am sure you know what halal is right halal is when a muslim has to cut the meat
19:10Reading the kalma and that's fine even in a mcdonald that's fine
19:14But when a hindu wants okay, I want that as I should know the cook
19:18That's a problem. Just just give him a choice. Just put your name. Don't be imposter. That's all
19:22Whatever your name just just display. What is the problem in hiding the entity in shops and establish and back in gst
19:27And anyway, you have to put gst and owner's name
19:30And the proprietor's name in if it's a proprietor form so I know why and and one last thing the claim to fame of yogi
19:36Aitanath is if gansham doesn't know because he's a five-time member of parliament
19:41His attendance is 80 85 percent when akhilesh adhar attendance of 33 percent in the parliament
19:46He's he's winning exponential exponential margin when even bjp is not winning election properly in 2004 and 2009
19:52Right, that's his claim to fame and he's the only chief
19:55Your time is up and i'll circle back to you
19:57But before that without the timer i want to just ask you one question mr
20:00Gupta because you give a very detailed
20:03Point of view of what a sanatuni really means are you a sanatuni mr
20:06Gupta is it a personal question that I can ask you i'm saying
20:10I may have my own choice, but I also I also want to know I also want to know the where I'm eating who's the cook
20:15So so mr. Gupta when you walk into a five-star hotel a restaurant or a haldiram
20:20Do you actually ask the waiter's name and who's cooked your food? It's a question
20:23If I have any doubt, I may not end up eating the food
20:26I'm asking you a question. Do you ask for the name of the man who's serving you or who's cooked the food in a restaurant
20:32or or a haridwa or a haldiram where you go for maybe a navratra thawin
20:37Change the change the maki over the shantanu gupta's food habits. I will come to answer that
20:42We are talking no, sir, it's not i'll tell you what i'll tell you no, no, no
20:45Let me let me give a larger perspective to our viewers. No, it's not about shantanu gupta's
20:49No, sir, it's not about shantanu gupta's or xy and z's food habits or preethe's food habits
20:54You're fine with a mcdonald's showcasing. No, no, no, no one second sir. One second. Don't don't divert the topic
21:00The topic is this is the politics of the this is politics played on the poor
21:05Because those today who continue to propagate how these names should be put
21:09Then you don't even know just walk into restaurants
21:11Who will sit in haldiram eat those
21:15Without caring on who has cooked that food or who is serving that food try asking that name
21:20Of that waiter in a five-star hotel, sir. This is politics of the imposter
21:25Don't be an imposter. This is politics of the poor
21:30Most people today who are pushing the cause of asking the name of a waiter a poor man
21:36Who's coming and serving you the food or the person who is cooking the food or where it's coming from
21:41Will dare not ask the name of a waiter or a cook at a five-star hotel or a regular restaurant?
21:46You know, you know if you go to any good cafe, you go to any good cafe, they put their names also
21:50In five-star hotel, they put their names
21:52You know, sir, it's it's it's it's it's it's rather amazing, but fine. I want to bring in Ashutosh into this conversation
21:57You do not get the point. Ashutosh many would
21:59That's your IQ. That's that's I'm fine with
22:00Sir, you can comment on my IQ. I I refuse to do that. You're free to do it. You are my guest
22:05But it's a very basic it's a very basic analysis, sir
22:09It is a very basic analysis
22:11The likes today who are propagating the cause which is an abomination which is religious discriminatory profiling
22:17Are the ones who will not say a not a word will come out of them when they sit in restaurants or in five-star hotels
22:22They will never ask for the name of the waiter or the person who's cooked the food
22:26This is politics played in the name of poor you can give it to my IQ, but that is what it is, sir
22:30I want to bring in Ashutosh into this conversation. Allow me to come back to you
22:34Allow me to come back to you. You're free to you're free to grade my IQ, sir. You're free to do it
22:38You're my guest you're free to do it
22:40Ashutosh to bring you in on this debate
22:42There is a cause for concern which has led to what we see right now on the coward route where
22:51Of what Shantanu said the point he made on imposters
22:54You were calling yourself a Vaishno Dhabha, but you're not a Vaishno Dhabha
22:58Therefore it has allowed that gap where you have not just the fringe players
23:03But now a very open accepted line of bigotry
23:10You see pretty I I challenge these so-called Hindutva leaders
23:16To go to a five-star hotel and do the same thing
23:20They have no guts to do that
23:22They dare not enter any good restaurant
23:27They will not go there
23:31Because they are getting easy victims
23:33And through them they are doing their politics in the name of Sanatan as if they are the owner of the Sanatan religion
23:39Probably they do not know in the ABCD of the Sanatan
23:41Probably they have never read a good book on
23:45on Gita and other things
23:47But they have become the owners of the Sanatan religion. I pity on them
23:52And don't bother about the IQ check
23:54Because those who check other's IQs their IQ is the whole world knows
23:59The fact of the matter is the state has withered away in UP
24:02And that is why these these forces they have taken the task of the of the state and they are doing what they should not be doing
24:09And this is an open violation of the supreme court order
24:12And ideally supreme court should have hold up and should hold up the UP government and should take them to the task
24:20And the content proceeding should move against him not only him
24:23But also I was really amazed that somebody who is a lawyer and claims himself to be the lawyer and giving all kinds of things
24:31Probably knowing nothing, not a word of legal, not a word of L about the legal
24:37This is a clear cut case of clear cut case of using religion
24:42victimizing poor
24:44And giving all kinds of names
24:48And don't talk about that five times he has won elections
24:51I also know somebody who is called Syed Shahabuddin
24:54How many times he won election?
24:56I also know somebody who cried in the parliament on the floor of the parliament with tears rolling through the eyes
25:03I know that gentleman I don't want to name him
25:06But the fact of the matter is
25:08You were also what one point of time victimized
25:11Your time is up
25:12I am going to go back to the BJP spokesperson and I will give you all your two minutes again
25:16Dr. Kushalkant Mishra, you know I want to take you back to
25:21Well, he is a Baba or again I will say whatever you might want to call him
25:25But Yashvir Maharaj is what he is titled himself
25:28He is the man with him and his other followers went
25:32And practically coerced to disrobe a waiter who of course had a different name
25:38And they actually asked him to disrobe to take his pants off
25:42Where is this man right now?
25:44Nothing has happened to him, he tried to actually cross over to Uttarakhand to do the same
25:48My colleague Ashutosh, who is our correspondent on ground
25:52Spoke with him
25:53And he says he has done absolutely nothing wrong
25:55Because this is his fight for sanatan dharma
25:57When people like that get away, the messaging is very clear, Dr. Mishra
26:02It is not about what he is
26:04He may be Swami, he may be Baba
26:06But he is an Indian citizen
26:08And he is exercising his constitutional duties and rights
26:12One second sir, I am going to hold your timer
26:14Yes, please
26:15He is exercising his constitutional duties to disrobe someone to tell them to take their pants off
26:19No, no, I am not saying that
26:21Checking the food, quality, standard, safe
26:24You just said that sir, I am holding your timer, I will give you equal time
26:27Priti
26:27I will give you more time
26:29But allow me to ask you this question
26:30Yes, please ask
26:31Should he be asked to take out his dhoti to prove he is Hindu?
26:34No, not at all
26:35I am not
26:36Then, by what account is he exercising his constitutional duty to ask somebody to disrobe
26:42Even if he has given a false name
26:44I am not saying this act is defendable
26:49No, not at all
26:49But checking the food quality is right, is duty
26:54What is the problem in that?
26:56And you are quoting me, Ashutosh is quoting me the supreme court order
27:01Please check the supreme court order
27:03Point number three
27:04Until the reasonable date we seem, we deem to appropriate to pass entry order
27:08Prohibiting the enforcement of impulse directive
27:11In other words, the food seller
27:13Including dhaba owners, restaurants, food and vegetable sellers, hawkers, etc. may be required to display
27:22Their kind of food and what they are serving to the kaveriyas
27:27What is the problem in that?
27:28It is direct to
27:29I am reading from the supreme court order
27:31But what is the point of this sir, I will hold your timer again
27:34I will ask you two questions because it is troubling with what you said
27:36I am holding it so you will get equal time
27:38And I will give you more time
27:40I will ask you one question
27:41You said he has exercised his fundamental right
27:44Right?
27:45Yes
27:45By taking some
27:46What action has been taken against Baba, whatever his name is
27:50Whatever that man is
27:51Whosoever he may be
27:52What action has been taken by the administration sir
27:54F.I.R has been lost
27:55He is on record admitting
27:57On record admitting that he asked a man to disrobe himself
28:01To prove that he was Hindu
28:03Has the administration till now taken any action against him?
28:06Yes or no?
28:06Preeti, Preeti, F.I.R has been filed
28:09It hasn't been filed against him sir
28:11I don't think you know
28:13It hasn't been filed against him
28:14Dr. Kushal Kant Mishra understand
28:16Please sir
28:17It hasn't been filed against him
28:18It's been filed against his followers
28:20Why not him?
28:20He was on ground
28:21Listen, I am not a person who has filed the F.I.R
28:25The media report that F.I.R has been filed
28:28You are quoting a wrong report
28:30You are quoting a wrong report
28:31Get your facts right Dr. Kushal Kant Mishra
28:34Listen, I have said the F.I.R has filed against these activists
28:38Who are checking this
28:39So what is the problem in that?
28:41What is the problem?
28:42I will tell you what the problem is
28:45Dr. Kushal Kant Mishra
28:46The person who was
28:48The reason why a man was disrobed
28:52There is no F.I.R against him
28:53That is the problem
28:54I am not saying
28:55Preeti, Preeti
28:55First of all
28:56You are pointing out one point only
28:58His illegality that he has disrobed somebody's roti
29:02It is unconstitutional
29:03It is wrong
29:03I am against that
29:04I am clearly saying that
29:06But
29:07What is the cause?
29:08Why Mr. Abdul, what is his name?
29:11Gopal
29:12Abdul is putting his name as Gopal
29:14And Preeti
29:15The same question
29:16We have never asked about halal food
29:20I am not talking about halal food itself
29:22Preeti, listen to me
29:23There are halal India
29:24Halal certifying council
29:26Jamaite ulama
29:27Muslim personal law board
29:28And what is their basic requirement?
29:32Processing, packaging, storage, leveling, supply
29:35Chain and delivery by the Muslim person
29:38And it is not only to the
29:39I am not saying halal meat
29:41Preeti
29:42I am very clear
29:43I am not talking about the halal meat
29:45I am talking about cosmetic
29:46Medicine
29:47Pharma
29:48Leather
29:49Paper
29:49Body care
29:50Housing society
29:51Even hospital
29:53They are asking for halal
29:55And nobody is saying
29:56Kushalkan, Michra
29:57Do you know
29:57Sir, one second
29:58Do you know somebody
29:59Do you know
30:01Mr. Soam and his business
30:03He is in your party only
30:05Comes from your same state
30:06Do you understand
30:08The kind of packaging
30:09His meat
30:10Which goes abroad has
30:11So what is the problem in that?
30:13Do you know the name of that?
30:15Does it go with Mr. Soam or is there
30:16A
30:17Whosoever may be
30:18A Muslim name on it?
30:20Listen to me
30:22If my name is
30:24Okay, I just
30:25I am going to let it be
30:25I am going to let this be
30:26I will circle back
30:27Allow me to bring in the others
30:28Let me complete
30:29No sir, allow me to bring in the others
30:30Because this is an absurd conversation
30:32I will come back to you
30:33And I promise you
30:34I will give you your last say
30:36But I will come back to you
30:37I want to bring in
30:38Gansham Tiwari into all of this
30:39Gansham Tiwari the fact is
30:41Because things have been so polarized right now
30:43And there is a sense
30:46Because it's not just the administration
30:49There is a fear where
30:50Even the cowards who are coming in
30:52Of course they are going to come in
30:54From the 11th of this month
30:55But a few who are already coming in
30:57My colleague on ground did speak to them
30:59And we had exactly the same playbook last year
31:02Most of the cowards also echoed the same sentiment
31:05So there is a popular sentiment on ground
31:07You can't deny it
31:09Riti, there are three things
31:11One is that this popular sentiment
31:14Built on propaganda
31:15Built on Batenge Katenge
31:17Built on vigilante
31:18Built on these thugs
31:21Who go on and ask somebody to disrupt themselves
31:23This popular sentiment is the power of BJP politics
31:27This is why the man championing Batenge Katenge
31:30Is the chief minister
31:32This popular sentiment doesn't come into force
31:35When they want to know
31:37Go to the next level
31:38What did the Supreme Court say
31:39If I speak about the imposter syndrome
31:42Somebody talks about it
31:43I'll tell you what imposter syndrome is
31:45Imposter syndrome today has a face
31:47That face is a man named Kiran Riju
31:50Kiran Riju is the minority affairs minister of India
31:52The man is missing
31:54The man has not said a word
31:56Every time minorities in India are threatened
31:58The imposter syndrome gets a face
32:00Called Kiran Riju
32:01Who goes missing
32:02He has all other pravachan
32:03To give on different things
32:04Where he goes missing
32:05Point number three
32:07That this model
32:09By which you want to ensure that people become untouchable
32:13Is not a new model
32:14The entire model of RSS
32:16Manu Smriti
32:17The Samanti Soch
32:18The chief minister saying
32:20That he is proud to practice the politics of Thakur
32:22And he is a Thakur himself
32:23Telling the jatis of various gods
32:25This model of untouchability has been there in the same corridors of power
32:32And they are extending this model of untouchability
32:35To Muslims, other minorities
32:37Because they can, they have powers
32:39Now by this model they will say that
32:40If a Muslim has touched your food you should not eat
32:43If they have produced your clothes you should not eat
32:45I wonder if a person is injured on the road
32:48And they need blood donation
32:50Would Shantanu or Kaushal ask
32:52Tell me the religion and then I will give you blood
32:54What a shame it is
32:55It is a disease
32:56Which is heinous
32:58It is worse than a pandemic
33:00That BJP is propagating
33:02That poisons the livelihoods of the poor
33:04And poisons the harmony of India
33:05And if the
33:06Whether Prime Minister is today in the
33:08Batenge Katenge camp
33:09Or Sapka Saath Sapka Vikas camp
33:10I don't know
33:10But he should
33:11Sir your time is over
33:12I am going to go on to the other guest
33:13But Dr Kushalkant Mishra
33:15Just do something to Malon
33:16I will come back to you in the end
33:17Because maybe you think you haven't got your time
33:19Mr Sangeet Soh had a meat processing unit
33:24It was called Al Dhuwa and Al Anam
33:27Right
33:27We will just just ponder over it
33:28I don't think there is anything wrong with that by the way
33:30But just ponder over it
33:31I just I want to bring in Shantanu Gupta back into this conversation
33:34Shantanu Gupta is it the reason
33:36There is a present fear
33:39In that context you are correct
33:41The cowards who come in and take this long journey
33:43Lot of them have voiced and echoed that fear
33:46Where they don't want to eat in certain eateries
33:49And is that what is now being clearly exploited at a very different level?
33:55It's not exploited
33:56I think that's the choosers of word
33:57That's the choice of word
33:58It's being facilitated for them
34:00If you can go to Aajtak archives or India Today archives
34:03Before 2017
34:04There are multiple fights that happened on the street
34:07Because of this imposterness
34:08That okay
34:09And those days this was not the days of pay tms
34:11You will realize only later in the day
34:12Okay that the cook is a muslim
34:14And which cowards never agreed to
34:16So government is there to cater to what public demands
34:19And it's not something very illegal the demand
34:21When we go to a mcdonald's and ask for a halal certificate
34:24That's perfectly fine
34:25When I go to even a cement factory and ask for a halal certificate of a cement
34:29That's perfectly fine
34:30They want to ask I only want a meat cut by a muslim reading kalma
34:35Otherwise I'll not eat that
34:36That's also saying the same
34:38I know what it's the same equivalence
34:40I'm not even doing what about exactly for food muslims have a preference
34:43That only muslims should cut it
34:45And that to in a certain manner
34:46Hindus are also saying the same
34:48At least in coward time
34:49Okay I want to I want to eat and food in a certain way
34:52Just provide that don't be an imposter
34:54If you have a dish, tell me
34:55You don't have a name
34:56What do you want to hide?
34:58What do you want to hide?
34:59Just tell the name
35:00That's all they want to ask
35:01That's all
35:02And you know I'll tell you one more point
35:04These cowards that they're carrying they're made of wood
35:06Lot of muslims of Jalapur made these cowards
35:08They don't have a problem with that
35:09Only the food which goes inside
35:11They have this neatness
35:13Piousness about the food
35:14Just give them what they want to eat
35:15And through whom they want to get it cooked
35:17Don't be an imposter
35:18That's all
35:19It's not a big demand they're asking for
35:20All right you seem to have been done
35:24Ashutosh is that the main problem?
35:26Because you know there is a popular consensus
35:31Where the people who take this yatra are concerned
35:34And one can call it the politics of poor
35:36And you only prey on you know their fears
35:39But it is there
35:41So how do you counter something which does get popular support?
35:45See Preeti this whole politics is
35:50It's a little bit bigger,
35:51It's a little bit bigger than the subject of the whole
35:53What is the whole politics?
35:55This is the whole politics of the politics of the politics
35:57Sometimes they exclude Muslims,
35:59sometimes they exclude Dalit,
36:00sometimes they exclude people
36:02You know that a new leader of the Rajasthan
36:05is called Ahuja
36:07There was a leader of opposition there,
36:09he was Dalit
36:10He came to get rid of it from Ganga Jalapur,
36:12This is the politics of Mahatma Gandhi, when he went back to the village,
36:23then he got a good deal. This is the politics. The question is that what he can do,
36:28he can do the biggest responsibility of Hinduism in you. There can't be anything more inimical than this.
36:36You understand human beings. You understand human beings. When the Khilash Yadogji left his home,
36:45he goes to the village to the village. Who did this village? Which party was there?
36:51Which party was there? What was the need for this?
36:54That's why it was because Khilash Yadogji doesn't come to the village,
36:58which people understand the village. So, here the village of the village is only one village.
37:04The rest of the village is not the people of the village.
37:06And these people want to take their own responsibility to the village.
37:09That they are just keeping their bodies.
37:11The absurd thing is that if you go to a shop,
37:14there is no person who goes to the village,
37:15they ask if they eat their food. And they say that it is constitutional right.
37:18I mean, I've never heard this from this.
37:21I've never listened to my life.
37:23Yesterday, there is a Muslim who goes to the village,
37:25and asks if they make food, tell me.
37:27Then you see what happens in this village.
37:29The Hindus go and they don't have to take the village.
37:32What is the government doing?
37:34Now, just imagine.
37:35Yesterday, there is a Muslim who goes to the village and asks,
37:37what is your food?
37:38What is your name?
37:39What are you doing?
37:40Give him a pint.
37:41What will happen in the village?
37:42The fire will burn.
37:44This is what they are doing.
37:46I don't understand what they are doing.
37:48I am going to give all our panelists 30 seconds each to make their point forward.
37:51I will be closing that debate thereafter.
37:53We will begin with the BJP spokesperson, Dr. Kushal Kant Mishra.
37:58Go ahead, sir.
37:5930 seconds. Your time begins now.
38:00You need to answer your questions.
38:01I want to answer your question.
38:02I want to answer your answer.
38:03I want to answer your question.
38:06Every Muslim person for this meeting is asking
38:09if you are hungry for that,
38:10or not.
38:11Ashton Miya,
38:13You have to say more than this.
38:14Please.
38:15I don't know about that.
38:17I'm saying to you.
38:19Yes, you gave a license to go to someone with a woman.
38:21So, theатve is going to go to my house.
38:22You will get your time, sir, please allow him, sir, allow the same courtesy that your guests are extending, come on, Dr. Kushalkant, Mishra, make your point, 30 seconds, sir, we'll go by the clock, go ahead.
38:44You have to say extra time.
39:14You have spoken for more, sir, you have spoken for more, 30 seconds.
39:39Sir, I'll come to you in the end, allow, you know what, okay, let Ashutosh go first, let his 30 seconds come and then I'll go to, yes, go ahead.
39:52Okay, sir, let's not argue now, you're doing the same thing which he did.
39:59See, Avdhesh Pasi is a problem with the general category, sir, is a Dalit Umidwar, you have a problem with Dalit, so you have a name of Avdhesh Pasi.
40:10You will do them today.
40:11You will do them today.
40:13What is the problem with Avdhesh Pasi is a problem with Avdhesh Pasi.
40:17All right, sir, your 30 seconds are over.
40:19I want to go back right now to Shantanu Gupta.
40:26Shantanu Gupta, closing comments, sir, your time starts now.
40:29I think I can't even imagine how you guys live with such hypocrisy and double standards.
40:34None of you and Preeti, you are also a panelist almost the way you talk, that how you address halal.
40:40I think it's exactly the same equivalence.
40:42And the way Ashutoshji talked about exclusion, you know, the Khatik community, the Kasai community, which is into Khatik Maath, the Hindu community, they are out of business because halal, which is very prevalent in the last 20 years.
40:55So, I don't know how you live with such double standards in your life.
40:58I think, yeah, congrats to all of you.
41:01All right, sir.
41:02Well, if you're done, if you're asking me, these are not double standards because there's a huge difference on what halal is and what's going to be taking place across the corridor of the Kavadi Yatra.
41:10What is taking place in out and out discrimination, where, out and out discrimination, where waiters who are on daily wagers are being attacked on the basis of their name and religion.
41:2430 seconds, Gansham Tiwari.
41:26Gansham Tiwari, 30 seconds start now, sir, make your point.
41:30To your viewers, I want to state that one, the halal example has a fundamental fallacy.
41:36The fallacy is you are equating things with people.
41:40It is the people who has been disrobed.
41:42It is the people whose livelihood is in danger.
41:44It is people whose minds have been poisoned.
41:46That's one.
41:47Point number two.
41:48Hello Kiran Raju.
41:49Are you in India?
41:50Are you in this world?
41:52Please get up, smell coffee and do your thing.
41:55Otherwise, get off the chair.
41:57It is not something that you got at your birth.
41:59Point number three.
42:00Point number three.
42:01That this poisoning of India must be stopped by the Supreme Court.
42:05Okay.
42:06Prime Minister may be non-biological.
42:07Sir, your time is up.
42:08Your time is up.
42:09I am going to leave it at that.
42:10You know, everybody has an opinion.
42:11We are going to allow our viewers to make theirs.
42:13But, maybe something to ponder about.
42:15What is discrimination and what is not.
42:17You have had everybody put out their point of view.
42:20As Tamil Nadu gears up for yet another high stakes election.
42:33One man is making headlines.
42:41Actor turned politician Vijay has shut down all speculation.
42:45No alliance with the BJP.
42:47Not now.
42:48Not ever.
42:49In fact, the TVK Supremo has hit hard at the BJP,
42:54insisting that the Safran party is their ideological enemy.
42:58In fact, the TVK Supremo has hit hard at the BJP,
43:01insisting that the Safran Party is their ideological enemy.
43:04Bajakavudan koodi koolaindu kootteni poga, thimu kabo, atimu kabo illai, nam thamunaga vettrikkalagam.
43:23Koolgai yedirikal matruum pilaovaad sakttikal uudan, enraikku mneeradiyagavu maraymugamagavu kootteni illai enbathil.
43:31Tamunaga vettrikkalagam miga urudhi ageri kiradhu.
44:01A silver screen persona may just strike a chord with the Tamil voter.
44:07Taking a sharp dig at BJP, Vijay alleged that it was trying to sow seeds of poison in the state
44:14and also asserted that the BJP will never be able to win in Tamil Nadu
44:19by doing politics against the ideologies of Periyar and Anadurai.
44:24With Camera Person Bidesh, Amiga Keshiv reporting for India Today from Chennai.
44:28All right, cutting across to our panelists this evening, Dr. Suman C. Raman, political analyst,
44:34T.S. Sudhir, political analyst, beginning with Dr. Raman.
44:37Dr. Raman, what do you make of the recent developments and what impact would it have on Tamil Nadu politics?
44:44Look, first of all, Priti, it looks to be an absurd call.
44:49You know, to say that he is not contested a single election, his party has not fought an election,
44:56his political outfit is hardly a year old and he wants to be the chief minister of the state.
45:01He has zero political experience.
45:03I mean, there is a limit to taking the people of Tamil Nadu for a ride or to be fools.
45:11So, I don't know where this is coming from.
45:13Perhaps, you know, there are pressures on him to become a vote cutter.
45:19Certainly, the fact that he is contesting alone is a setback to the BJP-AIA-DMK alliance
45:24because the anti-DMK vote would now get split.
45:27Though, you know, the way Vijay spoke today, also there is a possibility that some of the anti-BJP vote
45:33which could otherwise have gone to the DMK may go to him.
45:35But overall, it's definitely a setback for the AIA-DMK-BJP combined.
45:41Why he is doing this?
45:42He is not going to gain anything out of it.
45:43He may get a vote share of 10% or 12%, but he is not going to win anything.
45:47There is no way he is going to become chief minister.
45:49So, what is in it for him is the million-dollar question.
45:53Unless this is just posturing to drive a harder bargain before the election.
45:58But I don't think so.
45:59Because he says this is a final decision and there is no way that it is going to change now or ever.
46:08So, if he does this and does a somersault in 6-7 months, it's not going to reflect very highly on him.
46:14But having said that, the BJP actually made an open invitation.
46:21This was not something which there was a wheeled, behind-the-scenes attempt.
46:25The state leaders are actually saying we would welcome him to the alliance.
46:29We would like him to come with us and so on.
46:32So, it's a snub in some ways for the BJP.
46:35But why he is doing it, it's also a move that means Vijay's political, immediate political ambitions are not going to go anywhere.
46:44By the way, he wants to stop the Parandur airport, the new airport expansion for Chennai.
46:49He wants to stop the expansion of Sipkot, which is an industrial park.
46:53So, all of this is regressive politics which the people of Tamil Nadu will certainly not appreciate or vote for.
47:00T.S. Sudhir, that million-dollar question on why he said what he did, can you answer that?
47:06Well, I mean, I don't think anyone knows Tamil Nadu better than Suman S. Raman.
47:09But I would just want to add to what Suman spoke about.
47:14It is positioning, it is also posturing.
47:16I think Vijay is not really looking so seriously at the 2026.
47:21He is very fond of meeting students who do very well in the board examinations, felicitating them.
47:26So, to use an education metaphor, I think 2026 is like the pre-board examinations.
47:31The real examinations will come only in 2031.
47:34And I think he is preparing for a political life in Tamil Nadu post-MK Stalin.
47:39And I think that is where he thinks he will have a better chance.
47:43What does he really gain by contesting this election?
47:45I think those people who would know that he is not going to become the chief minister of Tamil Nadu in the summer of 2026,
47:52but would still appreciate the novelty factor, are tired of the Dravidian brand of politics.
47:57The women vote, the youth vote, his fan vote would go for him.
48:01He is still pretty much a one-man party.
48:03We don't know of anyone else prominent enough in his party.
48:06So, in that sense, it may not translate into significant number of seats.
48:09But I think he just wants to make a splash, to make a point.
48:13And he is willing to bide his time when it comes to him versus someone prominent within the Dravidian regime.
48:19So, as far as Vijay is concerned, if I were to look from his point of view, I think he is positioning himself.
48:25Otherwise, why would he, easily one of the most bankable stars in Tamil cinema on date,
48:31why would he leave such a big purse to come and take part in the absolute uncertainties of Tamil Nadu politics?
48:39So, obviously, he has a plan in place, but I think that's more with another six years on the horizon, not immediately next summer.
48:46Dr. Raman, would you then reckon, because there's still a lot of time, there are multiple, you know, events that can take place.
48:54The distance between the lip and the cup is quite a bit where elections are, you know, to come in.
48:59Do you think things can change?
49:00This kind of posturing over time is just plain posturing because he named only DMK and BJP.
49:06The BJP might be with the AIDMK, but he didn't name the AIDMK.
49:10No, he didn't, but he did have words of criticism for the AIDMK, which has been missing until today.
49:16The point is, Preeti, that, look, had he thrown in his lot with the BJP AIDMK,
49:24the general consensus was that would have become a winning alliance.
49:27And Vijay could have found himself as a Pawan Kalyan of Tamil Nadu, right?
49:31He could have found himself within, and though Pawan Kalyan did put in the hard yards for several more years than Vijay has,
49:39still he could have found himself in potentially a deputy chief minister's post in 2026.
49:45So, if he's throwing that away and he's choosing to sort of contest alone or with some small minor parties,
49:52what is the game?
49:53And I honestly, there are no guarantees in politics.
49:56Vijay Khan in 2010 announced himself as a chief ministerial candidate and we all know where that ended up.
50:02So, I don't think there are any certainties.
50:04You want to weigh in on that very quickly?
50:07Absolutely.
50:07I think announcing himself as a chief ministerial candidate is much more of a messaging to his cadre base and his fans
50:12that he means business, that he's here for the serious all.
50:15Just as Sumanth mentioned Vijay Khan, Chiranjee announced himself as a chief ministerial candidate in 2009 elections.
50:22He did not win many seats and within a few years he merged his party with the Congress
50:26and happily went on to become the Union Tourism Minister.
50:29So, staying power is important and whether Vijay has that kind of staying power
50:32would really dictate whether he's really relevant in Tamil Nadu politics.
50:36Well, we'll know that sooner than later, but I appreciate both you gentlemen for joining us.
50:40Apologies, we came to you a little late, but thank you for taking the time out.
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