- yesterday
On News Today, the Supreme Court has questioned the Election Commission's timing and Aadhaar exclusion in the Bihar voter list revision hearing but has not ordered a stay on the process. The court asked if the EC has the power to conduct a citizenship exercise and suggested de-linking the revision from the Bihar Assembly elections. The EC opposed the suggestions, stating it has the authority to revise electoral rolls and assured that no one will be deleted without due process. The court emphasized the need to preserve voters' rights and democracy. The next hearing is scheduled for July 28th. In an exclusive interview with India Today, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah addressed speculation about his tenure, stating he will complete the full 5-year term. He dismissed rumors of a power-sharing agreement with Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, saying there is no such arrangement. Siddaramaiah refuted claims of financial strain due to welfare schemes, asserting there is 'no dearth of money' for guarantees. He accused central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate of targeting only Congress MLAs and ministers in Karnataka. On the recent stampede during an RCB event, Siddaramaiah admitted regret over the deaths but denied any government failure. The Chief Minister also confirmed plans to conduct a new caste census in the state within 3-4 months.
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00:00Good evening, hello and welcome. You're with the news today, your primetime destination news,
00:06newsmakers, talking points. The Supreme Court has questioned the election commission,
00:11but there will be no stay on the contentious roll revisions of Bihar. We'll be looking at
00:17that big question. Are Indian elections now on test? Also the monsoon mess, India's crumbling
00:24metros, Gurgaon in a complete mess. We'll raise that question. Also why are our metros in a
00:31complete mess? And Siddharamaya exclusive. That's right, the Karnataka chief minister says his chair
00:38is there for five years. It's occupied. We'll have that and more. But first, as always,
00:45it's time for the nine headlines at nine.
00:48Supreme Court questions the election commission's timing and Aadhaar exclusion in Bihar's voter
00:56list hearing, but backs the EC's power to revise electoral rolls, refuses to stay the revision
01:03process.
01:06Amit Karnataka chief minister faced change. Siddharamaya in an exclusive interview tells India
01:13today he will stay chief minister for the full five-year term. Dismisses talks of a rift
01:19with his deputy CM, D.K. Shivkumar.
01:26Over 24 hours since the Sena, MLA's assaulted canteen staffers. No action taken against Thag
01:33Neta. MLA Gaikwan refuses to apologize, says we'll do it again if needed.
01:38Chipsena UBT now says it's open to an alliance with Raj Thakre's MNS for the BNC elections. Will
01:47Uddhav dump the Aghadi alliance?
01:53The Congress versus Tharoor mini battle rages on. Tharoor now questions the Congress over the
01:59emergency era, says emergency eroded freedom. Congress MP Manikam Tagore says Tharoor parrots
02:05the BJP's line. Tamil Nadu showdown over use of temple funds to build colleges. MK Stalin
02:13slams AIDMK for opposing the move, says MGR did it too. Accuses EPS of being anti-growth.
02:23Comedian Kapil Sharma's cafe attacked in Saray in Canada. Horrifying video of gunfire emerges.
02:29Calistani terrorist Ladi claims responsibility for the attack. A 25-year-old tennis player shot dead
02:37by her father in Gurugram, killed for uproading reels on Instagram. Father arrested by the police.
02:44Iran official issues a chilling warning, says Donald Trump could be hit with a drone.
02:49Trump mocks threat, says I don't sunbathe.
02:59But our top story tonight. The Supreme Court on Thursday took up the petitions challenging the
03:04special revision of voter list in Bihar. The court asked many questions, made some suggestions during
03:09the hearing, but it allowed the election commission then to carry on with the exercise. Many of those
03:15questions come at the heart of democracy in the country. Can the election commission take a
03:21citizenship test through a special revision? What was the urgency, the hurry, the timing? At the same
03:28time, the election commission maintains it has full powers to start a revision process of the
03:34electoral rolls just months ahead of the crucial Bihar polls. Here is a report by Anisha Mathur on a
03:41major Supreme Court hearing.
03:46The Supreme Court asked pointed questions, made suggestions, but did not order any stay on the
03:52special intensive revision of the voter list being carried out by the election commission in Bihar.
03:58The two judge bench of Justice Sudhan Shurdhulia and Justice Joy Malia Bakchi took up the petitions
04:04filed against the electoral roll revision on Thursday.
04:08The court asked if the election commission has the powers to conduct a citizenship exercise.
04:14The bench said it was not questioning the authority of election commission to revise voter lists.
04:21The judges asked if there is enough time for the extensive exercise and if documents like Aadhaar,
04:27ration card, voter ID card can be included. The court wanted to know how the election commission
04:33will ensure due process and give a hearing to those excluded from the list.
04:38It also asked why not delink the SIR exercise from the Bihar Assembly elections, giving a longer
04:45timeline for the revision and suggested that the draft rolls may not be published for now.
04:51The election commission vehemently opposed all suggestions.
04:57The court made many observations. During the hearing, Justice Sudhan Shurdhulia said,
05:02who has documents in this document-starved country, even I won't have birth certificate.
05:07The court said the Home Ministry deals with citizenship proof.
05:11It added that a disenfranchised person will be compelled to enter into a rigmarole of providing
05:17citizenship. The court observed that once the electoral rolls are finalised and the elections
05:22notified, no court will touch the petition of someone removed from the electoral rolls.
05:30The petitioners argued the exercise will affect the poor and marginalised.
05:35The law doesn't allow removal from voter lists without detailed objections and hearing.
05:41They claimed the election commission is forcing voters to prove rights while the law calls for the state
05:46or an objector to give proof. The petitioner said an en masse disenfranchisement can't be allowed.
05:54And that the government's own data showed that the most people don't have birth or school documents.
06:00On the ground, the situation was very different because the insistence was on to produce one of
06:04these 11 documents. And with the data that is coming from Bihar, a large number of people did not
06:10really have those kind of documents. So even though the SIR itself has not been stayed, but the basis
06:17on which we were saying that a large number of people could be excluded, that basis has today been
06:22to a large extent effaced by the Supreme Court.
06:27The election commission opposed the petitions. It said that almost 60% forms are already in and
06:34officers are going door to door. The poll body reiterated, Aadhaar is not proof of citizenship.
06:40It is looking at citizenship, identity, age and residence. There is no intent to deprive people
06:47of their right to vote. And claimed that the commission has power to revise voter lists.
06:52It assured that nobody will be deleted without hearing and due process.
06:56MPs are filing their petition, like Mr. Jha is MP of RJD. He is filing the petition here.
07:02But his political party has appointed 35,000 BLAs. So inappropriate. And I said to the court that
07:14I am seriously objecting to the maintainability of this petition for the reasons. Now the court has
07:20asked the election commission to consider certain documents. The commission will take an appropriate
07:27view on that. The court noting that it is the responsibility of the EC to conduct regular revisions,
07:34but also adding that there cannot be large-scale disenfranchisement of voters and that voters' rights
07:42and the roots of democracy must be preserved. With all of these questions and concerns, the hope is
07:48that on July 28th, the EC will return to the Supreme Court with some answers. In New Delhi,
07:55this is Anisha Mathur for India Today.
08:00What therefore are the constitutional issues at the heart of this major court hearing?
08:06Joining me now is Anisha Mathur, who covers the Supreme Court for us, and Vikas Singh,
08:11Senior Advocate Supreme Court. I'll come to you, Mr. Singh, in a moment. But Anisha,
08:16you were in the court. What is the central argument in this case? Why is this case become such a
08:24possibly landmark case?
08:27Well, Rajdeep, the basic questions that are being asked, whether it's by the petitioners or by the
08:32Supreme Court, are threefold. One, does the ECI have the power to conduct what is effectively a
08:38citizenship exercise? What happens if somebody is kicked off the electoral rolls? Is there a process,
08:46procedure and timing available for them to undergo that procedure and redress it? Thirdly, what the
08:52court has said is that the timeline that is there, since this has been linked to the Bihar elections,
09:00can you actually conduct the revision exercise and allow time for people to file their objections and
09:08file an appeal if they are kicked off the voter list? And therefore, the suggestion that had come from
09:13the Supreme Court is that, well, you can delink the process, the SIR process from the Bihar election that
09:20will give you time to conduct a thorough revision. Otherwise, the court also suggested that, well,
09:26you are, you've given a list of 11 documents, which according to the EC itself is not an exhaustive list.
09:33There are other documents that could be considered. And that is why the court said, well, you can
09:37consider adding Adhaar voter card and Russian card to that list for verification. So we'll have to see
09:44what the EC has to say now on July 28th, because questions about powers, about timeline, about
09:51verification process have been asked by the court. And the issue is also whether the court will ask
09:57for delinking or suggest delinking this process or the court will suggest that the roles should not
10:03be finalized or published. Those are big questions that we'll see what happens. At the heart of that are
10:09the powers of the Election Commission and the rights of individuals, the voting rights of individuals.
10:14Vikas Singh, on a constitutional question, Mr. Singh, what do you believe is at stake in this
10:20verdict or in this hearing? So if you ask me, Rajdeep, the main issue in my view is the timing.
10:29And nobody can deny the right of the Election Commission to revise the electoral roll on a regular
10:36basis. But to do it in this manner and do it just before the election is about to start is something
10:42which cannot be justified. I'll tell you why. Whenever the bureaucratic exercise of this kind
10:49on such a large scale starts, it is impossible, impossible to ensure fairness in the exercise.
10:58You know, small people, small voters, marginalized voters, if they are not able to, you know, give
11:06documents or if they have some difficulty in providing a particular document vis-a-vis the other
11:12document to disenfranchise them for that for this election will be a very, very, I would say,
11:19huge illegality. If you have been a voter for all these years to suddenly say that we'll do this exercise
11:26in a month before the election, I don't think it can be justified at all. If you want to do it...
11:32You're raising an important point because 2003, those registered on electoral rolls after 2003
11:40are the ones expected to supply these documents. Since 2003, five state elections and five general
11:46elections have been held in Bihar. You're saying that if someone has voted in this election, you cannot
11:52suddenly tell him you can't vote in this election because you don't have these documents. Am I correct?
11:56That in you believe in a way negates the right that an individual has to vote. What if they're
12:04according to the election commission, they are trying to purify the link at the electoral rolls, remove
12:09all the so-called non-citizens. So firstly, Rajdeep, that is not an exercise which the election
12:16commission has the power to do. As far as determining who is a citizen, who's not a citizen,
12:21this is something purely within the remit of the home ministry. And it is not a home ministry
12:27exercise. Now, you have conducted so many elections since 2003 and you can't say...
12:34If you had been doing this exercise since 2003 and you had been trying to weed out people who are,
12:40you know, not genuine voters on the basis of a rational, you know, exercise conducted over a period
12:47of time, nobody would have questioned you. But if you start this exercise just before an election,
12:53whatever be the purpose, nobody can say that this purpose will be sanguine because it's not as if,
12:59you know, the voters will be ultimately left out, will be actually voting for a political party or
13:05b political party. Everybody will be left out. The point is that a right to exercise your franchise
13:12will be taken away regardless of who will benefit in this exercise. It's not a question of election
13:18commission trying to favor anybody or not trying to favor anybody. But the larger question is that
13:23this exercise will result in, you know, depriving a huge section of the Bihar electorate from the right
13:31to franchise and in this hurried manner, which can never be justified. So I don't think this exercise
13:38can be, if they want to continue this exercise or go on with this exercise without linking it to the
13:44election, I don't think anybody can fault their voting of doing it. But if you want to do it for
13:50this election, I don't think it can be under any circumstances justified to a hurried exercise of
13:56such a large scale where every voter will have to prove all his documents. We are dealing with migrant
14:02laborers, you know, who may not be living in that state, who may have to come for this exercise to that
14:07state. And when they give a particular document and if they are finding their name not to be in the
14:12voter list, they'll have to come back again from wherever they are working. Now, if you imagine a
14:18migrant worker from Delhi goes to give his original document and he finds his name not there and again
14:23to go back again from Delhi or from Gujarat or from Jango in Kashmir where he's working to prove his,
14:29you know, bona fides of being a proper genuine electorate or a franchise will be completely unjustified.
14:38So I don't think this exercise.
14:39I'm going to leave it, I'm going to leave it there Vikas Singh because I think you've given us the
14:44practical difficulties. There are certain constitutional issues also which will be of course debated in the
14:50court. But the practical difficulties at the moment seem to overwhelm all else. Remember these are monsoon
14:56months and to expect every migrant labor of Bihar to be going back supplying the documents will not
15:03be an easy exercise. But what will the Supreme Court say? We'll wait till the 29th of July. Anisha Mathur
15:10and Vikas Singh ji for joining me. Thank you so much. Let me actually give you what is the ground report.
15:16Are voters in Bihar allowed to submit Aadhaar as proof of their citizenship? Now what we are finding is very
15:22interesting. In some areas Aadhaar is being allowed, in other areas it's not. How can you have different
15:28rules within a state? Shreya Chatterjee has tonight's ground report. Take a look.
15:33The electoral roll revision under way in Bihar has sparked fears of disenfranchisement.
15:50India today has reached the boots in the state for a reality check.
15:54In the narrow lanes of Hajipur and Muzaffarpur, Booth level officers are going door to door.
16:10We are here in Bihar right now. The special intensive revision process by the election
16:14commission of India is currently under its way. Now there are a lot of fear around this process
16:19because the opposition camp suggests this is a backdoor NRC. The marginalized community, largely
16:24the migrant community, will be suffered by this. To assess the ground reality, India Today team will
16:29be traveling length and breadth of the state of Bihar. Armed with voter registers and mobile apps,
16:36the first priority, ensuring people submit the emuneration forms. BLOs say the message is clear.
16:44Submit the form first. Documents can follow later.
16:49No. We are running.
16:53We have now provided.
16:57We have to provide the information to it.
17:03We are running.
17:07If you do not know.
17:10We are running.
17:13Interestingly, there has been no uniformity on Aadhaar use.
17:25In some cases, Aadhaar numbers were accepted.
17:28But in others, Aadhaar was not taken.
17:45The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Election Commission if Aadhaar, Ration Card and Voter ID Card can be accepted.
18:10Will the EC do a rethink now?
18:13Bureau Report, India Today.
18:43Radhika wanted to become an influencer, accused father has been arrested by the Gurugram cops.
18:48That's a shocker that's coming in there from Gurugram.
18:51Arvind Oja joins me.
18:52Arvind Ji, you tell me, what is being said?
18:56Are you going to kill real?
18:58Are you going to kill real?
18:59Are you going to kill real?
19:01Do you want to kill him?
19:31Do you want to kill him?
20:01Thank you very much for joining me on that.
20:03Okay, let me turn and stay with Gurugram because the national capital region, whether it's Delhi and Gurugram in particular, found itself once again on its knees after a spell of rains on Wednesday night and Thursday morning.
20:15As heavy rains flooded roads and underpasses, the city's drainage system or the NCR's drainage system exposed yet again.
20:23Once again evident that urban infrastructure is barely holding up.
20:26Failed drainage systems, collapsing traffic, showing how despite crores being spent, smart cities being announced, monsoon preparedness remains patchy yet again.
20:36It just seems every year the same question has to be asked.
20:41Why are our metros crumbling?
20:43That's the question that we are going to raise on the show.
20:46Why is urban infrastructure crumbling?
20:48How do you make metros monsoon proof?
20:51Why are the lessons not being learnt?
20:53Several people we are told have also died in the water logging in Gurgaon.
20:57Sudhir Krishna, former Secretary Ministry of Urban Development joins me.
21:01Dikshu Kukreja, urban planner joins me.
21:04Appreciate you are both joining us.
21:05Sudhir Krishna, let's start with Gurugram because in Gurugram even the slightest bout of rain in the so-called millennium city results in complete chaos.
21:15What explains this?
21:17A so-called new city of 21st century India can't handle the rains it appears.
21:22You are on mute, sir.
21:28You are on mute.
21:32Yeah.
21:33Can you on?
21:34Yeah.
21:34Yeah, go ahead.
21:36Thank you, Rajdeep.
21:37It's a pleasure to be here.
21:38Thank you for inviting me.
21:40And the challenge is also very serious, not only for Gurugram, but for many other metros also and even for tier two cities also.
21:48And I see the primary reason for this is inadequate vision, lack of vision about city's development.
21:58And the vision converted into actual approach is lack of regional planning.
22:05Regional planning is not there and we are doing incremental planning or localized planning, you know.
22:10You want to develop a structure.
22:11Gurugram, sir, Gurugram is a smart city. Gurugram has been designated a smart city. Gurugram has all the high per capita income dwellers there.
22:21When you say lack of planning, do you blame the state government, center?
22:25Who is responsible in your view? Is it the municipal civic level authorities who simply don't do enough?
22:30It is like, you say, regional planning is a responsibility of the state government and of course the government of India.
22:37See, the problem has come in a complicated manner.
22:40That the regional development is a local subject.
22:43The government of India introduced the smart city mission and they pushed for it.
22:48It was localized effort.
22:49So the smart city means smart gadgets, smart applications and so on.
22:53But what the cities require, first and foremost is drainage planning.
22:58Water must flow out systematically.
23:00That doesn't require so much of smartness, you know.
23:03It requires more of a calm, cool planning for which we have to use smart, you know, initiatives like satellite imagery and so on.
23:11But do some good drainage planning.
23:13Every city must have a fundamental requirement for any city is drainage plan, which is missing.
23:18Therefore, the water logs here and there.
23:20That is one and coupled with that weak local governance.
23:24You see, the Gupta Municipal Corporation is not the only body handling issues connected with the water flow.
23:30There is development authorities also there and GMDA and the municipal corporation.
23:35And there are many other authorities also operating, handling the area, roads and the water.
23:40So therefore, multiplicity of authority is also a challenge.
23:44So these two are, to begin with, I will say there are other issues also of issues of that we will discuss.
23:49But you've made a very important point.
23:51You have said multiplicity of authorities, the complete lack of focus on drainage.
23:55It's all very well to have smart cities, but you can't have smart cities which don't focus on drainage.
24:01Dikshu Kukreja, year after year, and this is probably the second or third year in a row you've come on the show,
24:06it simply seems to get worse.
24:08Last night, even an hour of rain was enough for complete water logging.
24:12It continued this morning as well.
24:13I've singled out Gurgaon, but look at Delhi itself, the national capital, unable to handle the kind of rain that perhaps Mumbai would treat as a normal day.
24:26Delhi just seems unable to handle even the slightest rainfall.
24:29Is there something seriously wrong with the system?
24:31Well, Rajdeep, first of all, let's both try and resolve that next monsoon, when you and I meet on this show,
24:40you know, the problems have been wished away and our cities are better.
24:44But on a serious note, I think, yes, it's a systemic problem, Rajdeep.
24:48And the problem here is that right from the way the master planning and the development of the city is done in a very ad hoc fashion,
24:57you know, unauthorized colonies are suddenly regularized.
25:00Well, fine, if they have to be regularized, but what about the infrastructure?
25:04They are not even having the capacities for which the habitation is there.
25:08And in the case of Gurgaon, if we stick to that, it's been a very sad state of affairs.
25:12When we talk about multiplicity of authorities in Gurgaon, MCF, GMDA, Huda, etc.,
25:17why couldn't we learn from the instance of Delhi?
25:21Delhi, we have perennially had this problem of multiplicity of authorities.
25:25And here we go about repeating the same mistake year after year and in city after city.
25:30As far as the aspect of topography is concerned, the soil strata is concerned,
25:35all these scientific aspects are completely ignored.
25:38So in Gurgaon, whether you look at how the Batshapur drain has been completely savaged
25:43and now there is no proper drain network there,
25:46if you look at Gulf Coast Road or you look at the southern peripheral road,
25:50Cyber City, another instance, yes, it might have glitzy buildings,
25:54but that's all it has, I guess, because it's completely impervious.
25:58When it rains, there's no percolation of water into the soil.
26:01So you see this kind of a situation.
26:04But is it because, is it because, Inesh, they're not taking care of it?
26:07Is it because, Dinesh, that here is a city which, as I said, was a 21st century.
26:12If you went to Gurgaon, even in the 1990s, much of it was very rural.
26:16You build on farmlands.
26:19You build these multi-story skyscrapers.
26:22But you don't focus on where is the water going to move into those traditional water outlets.
26:29You are building on some of those water outlets.
26:32Is this, therefore, a man-made tragedy above all else in cities like Gurugram?
26:37And in many other cities across the country.
26:39We are seeing it in Bengaluru.
26:40We are seeing it in parts of Mumbai.
26:42You are building over water bodies, lakes in Bengaluru.
26:44You are marshlands in Mumbai.
26:46And that really is causing havoc.
26:49And add to that Chennai, Pune and many, many more.
26:53Yes, it's absolutely that.
26:54That it's not a holistic planning.
26:57Particularly in the case of Gurgaon, if you see, you know, just land allotments have been done sporadically
27:02without a comprehensive master plan.
27:05So suddenly you see these high-rise buildings next to plotted development
27:08or next to just shanties and slum developments.
27:13Because everything has just come up in a sporadic manner.
27:16And as far as the infrastructure goes, for example, if we talk just about the rainwater
27:21or stormwater management, there should be a system that within these so-called islands of,
27:26you know, excellence that have been made, why is water management not happening at first
27:32that micro level and then at a city macro level?
27:35There needs to be a master plan which integrates blue and green.
27:40That's what's happened world over.
27:42That's how cities work.
27:43When I say blue and green, I mean that the water network of a city,
27:47whether it's the water supply system or the stormwater runoff system,
27:51it has to be comprehensively integrated into the master plan.
27:54And greens, unless you have soft areas, soft surfaces in a city,
27:58you can't go about concretizing everything.
28:01So is it too late?
28:01And if you do that, where will the water go?
28:03Is it too late? Is it too late according to you, Dikshu?
28:06Well, Rajneet, I'm a perennial optimist.
28:09I would never say it's too late.
28:10Yes, it's unfortunate because here we position Gurgaon, as you said, a smart city and, you know,
28:16the golden goose for Haryana.
28:18Here we position India aimed to becoming a Viksit Bharat.
28:22This is not the way we can get there.
28:24So yet I would say it's not too late.
28:26Like I said, strategies can be brought into place.
28:28Let's have a more unified authority when it comes to infrastructure development of Gurugram.
28:34Let's have a blue and green map and planning integrated into the master plan of Gurugram.
28:40Let's have all these low-lying areas, nanas, the paleo channels of water that were there,
28:46which have been just recklessly covered.
28:48Let's do a scientific evidence, a scientific research of seeing how the lay of the water is now when it rains.
28:56And all this can be repaired.
28:58All this can be improved.
28:59But there has to be, rather than political bickering, rather than transferring the blame from one authority to another,
29:06one party to another, there needs to be consensus.
29:08And one last point, Rajdeep, if we really want to fix it genuinely, let's get out of this culture of selecting people,
29:16technical experts or construction agencies on the lowest tender basis.
29:21I think this is the saddest thing that's happening in India at the moment.
29:25We think we are saving money, but the images on your screen tell us how much money and capital is getting,
29:31and human capital is getting wasted by these disasters year after year.
29:35So, we need to get into a system like the world over.
29:38They select the best technical consultants.
29:40They don't go just by the lowest fee.
29:42They select the best contractors.
29:44They don't go just by the lowest fee.
29:46So, let's fix it now.
29:47Let me therefore ask Sudhir Krishna in conclusion.
29:50Mr. Krishna, do you believe that there is a willingness to fix it?
29:54Or is it too late?
29:55Because as you said, multiplicity of authorities, no one is willing to give up their limited powers,
29:59whether multiplicity of authorities in Mumbai, Delhi, any city of this country.
30:03Do you need, every city needs an empowered authority that specifically deals with these issues like drainage, for example.
30:11Unless you have an authority which is fully empowered and is therefore accountable, nothing is going to change.
30:18Yes.
30:19We need an authority which is fully empowered.
30:21It has to be a representative body.
30:23It has to be a representative body because a singular authority, like if you make the development authority, Gurgaon Metropolitan Development Authority,
30:30as the authority, and we think that the chief executive officer can handle everything singularly very well.
30:36I don't think it is going to happen.
30:38It has to be a representative body.
30:40And that, see, our country is different.
30:42Other countries also have similar models.
30:44Regional authorities are there.
30:46But, I mean, I would like to ignore that and create our own model.
30:49We should have, just like municipality, we should have a representative regional authority.
30:54So, what is happening in our country, Delhi is also an example, so is Mumbai, MMRDA, so is the GMD.
31:02That, you know, they are doing planning and development both.
31:05You see, they are, the authority is doing planning and development.
31:07So, the development takes, overtakes, you know, they become developer.
31:10Development authority becomes developer also.
31:12That is a very big challenge.
31:13And planning goes in background.
31:15Sometimes they violate, see, DDA developed on the Yamuna flood plain.
31:19And they allowed and they developed also construction activities happened on the Yamuna flood plain by the DDA itself.
31:25Because they became developer come planner.
31:28And therefore, you know, money becomes so attractive.
31:30So, these are the governance challenges are there.
31:32We have to have, you know, the constitution and metropolitan planning.
31:37You make very, very solid points, both of you.
31:39I hope someone out there once again is listening.
31:42You can't have smart cities, first of all, without smart planning.
31:45And smart planning involves a complete revamp of the way urban governance is done in this country.
31:52But does anyone really have the time and energy and effort to do that?
31:57These are the questions that those in power across this country must ask themselves.
32:01For now, for my guests for joining me on this vital issue of public concern, thank you very much.
32:07Let me turn from there to another of our ground reports.
32:09Because a day after that Valodra bridge collapse in Gujarat, once again, there are many unanswered questions.
32:14Why were the authorities not aware of the condition of the bridge,
32:18especially since the state government had done an inspection of more than 400 bridges
32:22after the Morbi tragedy in Gujarat in 2022?
32:25More importantly, are there more bridges that are unsafe?
32:29Well, that's exactly what India today has found out.
32:32More bridges that could collapse.
32:35Take a look at our ground report from Gujarat.
32:44A day after the 40-year-old Gambira bridge that linked Valodra and Anand collapsed,
32:55killing 16 people, the question everyone is asking,
32:59how could this happen?
33:03Just three years ago, over 130 people had died in a bridge collapse in Morbi.
33:08Were lessons not learned?
33:13How could this happen when a Panchayat member had red-flagged this exact bridge back in 2022?
33:19Just about the Morbi tragedy.
33:22Why were warnings ignored?
33:26After the Morbi mishap, the state government informed the Gujarat High Court
33:30it had identified 461 bridges which would be inspected.
33:35Just three days ago, Chief Minister Bupendra Patel held a high-level meeting
33:41to review the condition of the state's roads, bridges and highways.
33:47Despite assurances, tragedies struck on Wednesday.
33:53Are there more unsafe bridges in the state?
33:57What an India Today reality check found is nothing short of alarming.
34:02In Surat, the Tapi River bridge could be an accident waiting to happen.
34:09What started as a one-foot iron plate to bridge a gap is now seven foot wide, say locals.
34:18Thousands of vehicles use the bridge daily.
34:21Despite multiple complaints and even a recent ministerial visit, there is no permanent fix.
34:32The bridge is a very important product, so it's not as a way to fix it.
34:38Now the bridge is very important.
34:39You don't have to be burnt here.
34:42The bridge is under the top of the plate the last time.
34:45The bridge we saw two roads are one-foot.
34:48It's happened to see just one way.
34:49As the bridge comes from here, the wind leave this grief.
34:53The hurts, it's a shame.
34:54There is no worry about that.
34:55In Amreli, the 70-year-old Shethrooji bridge, meant for light vehicles, is being pummeled by heavy traffic.
35:15The railings are broken.
35:18Makeshift rods barely hold things together.
35:22Locals fear the vibrations mean the bridge is in danger.
35:26We need to become a new bridge, which if we don't have any knowledge of knowledge, we need to become a new bridge.
35:37From Morbi to Vadodara, it isn't just Gujarat's bridges that are crumbling.
35:43It's the public trust that is fast eroding.
35:48With Sanjay Singh Rathod and Faruk Bhai Dada Mia Sayyad Kadri Bureau Report, India Today.
35:55And right through next week, we will do a series of programs looking at the state of bridges across this country.
36:06Let's turn to our political top story.
36:08The Karnataka power tussle has reached the Delhi high command of the Congress.
36:12Both Chief Minister Siddharamaya and his deputy D.K. Shiv Kumar have been parked in the national capital for the last two days amidst speculation that the two leaders will meet some central leaders and amidst reports that there could be either a cabinet reshuffle or certainly some effort to work out a solution to that leadership battle.
36:31But earlier today, in an exclusive interview to India Today, Mr. Siddharamaya broke his silence, reiterated he will remain Chief Minister for the entire five-year term.
36:40His message, kursi abhi khali nahi hain.
36:43Listen in to when I spoke to him earlier.
36:45All eyes in recent weeks in Karnataka in particular have been on Chief Minister Mr. Siddharamaya.
36:58And the big question that's being asked, will Mr. Siddharamaya complete a second five-year term, become the first Karnataka Chief Minister to do so?
37:07Joining me now is the man himself.
37:09Appreciate your joining us, Mr. Siddharamaya.
37:12Big question mark, is Mr. Siddharamaya going to complete his full five-year term or are you going to sometime later this year give up Chief Ministership and maybe D.K. Shiv Kumar takes over?
37:25That is the buzz.
37:27No, I already made it very clear that I am going to complete five-year term.
37:34I will be the Chief Minister for five years.
37:37I made it very clear on second of this month.
37:41I made this statement and I made this very clear.
37:48And Mr. D.K. Shiv Kumar was also there because on that day we were having a cabinet meeting.
37:58He was also there.
37:59So in front of you he said this, but since then Randeep Surjewala, General Secretary of Congress, has been meeting MLAs, both in Bangalore and Delhi, and some of those MLAs have called for a change in leadership.
38:13No, it is not correct.
38:15See, so far as leadership is concerned, Mr. Surjewala has not asked any question about the change of leadership.
38:25But some MLAs have openly spoken about it.
38:29That is there always.
38:31Some MLAs are there who are supporting D.K. Shiv Kumar.
38:37Of course, not much.
38:40Sir, there was reports that there was a commitment two and a half years Siddharamaya ji, two and a half years D.K. Shiv Kumar.
38:48Five years to be divided.
38:50This was decided in 2023, apparently with the blessings of Sonia Gandhi and possibly Rahul Gandhi as well.
38:57No, it is not correct.
38:59See, what the high command told us.
39:03Yes.
39:05What the high command told us, that whatever decision taken by the high command, you have to follow.
39:12See, that is what they said.
39:14What about the decision of the high command? Malik Arjun Kharge also said that, that whatever decision the high command takes will have to be accepted.
39:21So, suppose high command says that you have to step down.
39:24Our is a high command party.
39:28Whatever high command takes a decision, everyone has to follow the decision of the high command.
39:36I will also follow.
39:37Mr. D.K. Shiv Kumar would also follow.
39:39High command has given you any indication that you have to step down or that there will be a change.
39:44Malik Arjun Kharge has said anything to you?
39:46No.
39:47No.
39:48It is not correct.
39:51Therefore, then, what happens to all the MLAs who call for leadership?
39:57Will you all take disciplinary action against them?
39:59I mean, is the Congress party badly divided in Karnataka and is that affecting governance?
40:04Siddharamaya camp versus Shiv Kumar camp affecting governance in Karnataka?
40:08See, Surjavala asked all the MLAs that how these guarantee schemes are implemented in your constituency.
40:23That is the main question asked by Mr. Surjavala to the MLAs.
40:28And what are the developmental works that you have taken in the constituency?
40:37And what do you want from the government?
40:42That's what...
40:43Are these guarantees bankrupting Karnataka's treasury?
40:47You are the finance minister as well.
40:48Is that the big challenge your government is facing because of all the guarantees and the cash that you had to give out for those guarantees?
40:56I mean, guarantees are concerned.
40:59Guarantee programs are concerned.
41:01There is no dearth of money.
41:04No dearth of money?
41:05No dearth of money.
41:07I'm making it very clear.
41:10There is no dearth of money.
41:11We have sufficient money because...
41:17What about unpaid salaries then?
41:21See, one or two cases will be there.
41:24It doesn't mean that we don't...
41:25The government has no money.
41:29See, if one person has not been given a salary,
41:34it doesn't mean that the government has no money.
41:36Sir, the other issue I want to raise is the Enforcement Directorate in recent weeks has been raiding several Congress MLAs.
41:43Only today, one more MLA, Subha Reddy, has been raided.
41:47How do you see it?
41:48Is the Enforcement Directorate now focusing on Karnataka?
41:51You're an opposition-ruled state.
41:53Even you have been brought under their scanner.
41:55CBI, Enforcement ED,
41:59and all these things are targeting only Congress MLS, Congress Ministers.
42:07They're not targeting BJP or JDS MLS.
42:11Only Congress MLS.
42:13Because you are in power, because you are in...
42:15It belongs to Congress Party.
42:17Yes, because they are saying that the Congress Party has serious...
42:20The BJP says corruption is rampant in the Congress government.
42:25You called us 40% Sarkara.
42:27This is 60% Sarkara.
42:28How do you respond?
42:29They're saying that's why ED is targeting Congress.
42:32See, it's a political statement made by BJP people.
42:39Because we alleged that BJP government is a 40% commission.
42:46It is not that we alleged or we have alleged these slogans.
42:53The Contractors Association, they made this allegation
42:59that this Congress, I mean BJP government is 40% corrupt government.
43:07That is the statement made by one...
43:11What is his name?
43:12Contractors Association had made.
43:13One Kempanna, who is the president of the Contractors Association.
43:21Now BJP says those same contractors are making allegations against the Congress government.
43:25Never made such an allegation.
43:26So you're saying the entire ED is being used by the center to target your government?
43:32Yes, definitely.
43:33Including you yourself, because you have also been put under the scanner in that Mysore land case.
43:37Me and others, particularly the Congress ministers and the Congress MLS.
43:46Yes, recently ED raided Parmeshwaras, college premises.
43:53Yes.
43:54Let's see, they are doing like this.
43:59They are targeting only Congress MLS, Congress ministers.
44:05Why?
44:05Would you concede, though, that all of this is denting the image of your government?
44:10You had the stampede issue during the RCB celebration.
44:14That dented your image.
44:15You have ordered an inquiry into it.
44:17All these ED inquiries.
44:18Is all of this damaging your image?
44:20Did the stampede issue, for example, damage your image as a government?
44:23No, it is not correct.
44:27See, it is RCB and which one?
44:35Karnataka State Cricket Association.
44:37Karnataka Cricket Association.
44:39They requested me to hold a function near the Darsavna.
44:46So I permitted it.
44:49Do you regret that?
44:50Was it a mistake in hindsight?
44:52Definitely, see, 11 people have died.
44:57But Congress government, there is no, Congress government's mistake is there.
45:04There is no failure of the government.
45:06But still it is happening.
45:08You made a scapegoat of the police officer, sir.
45:11No, no, no, it is not correct.
45:13Because, see, they should have not properly arranged the police bondabasth.
45:20That is why the commissioner said, I went to the function, which was held near Vidanshavdha, by 4.15.
45:33Because the stampede was taken place before 4.15.
45:42The police people did not inform me at all.
45:44I didn't know.
45:46What does that say, sir, about governance, if the chief minister is not informed by the police of a stampede taking place?
45:53That is why he was kept in assessment, sir.
45:55You are turning 77?
45:57You are 77?
45:58Are you thinking of retirement at all?
46:00Or is a politician never tired or retired?
46:02Is Mr. Siddharamaya going to lead the Congress in the 2028 election?
46:07Normally, politicians are not retiring.
46:14See...
46:14Will you lead your party in the 2028 elections?
46:17Are you ready for that?
46:18Definitely I will lead.
46:19You don't think that if there is a change in government, anti-incumbency will be less?
46:24And therefore you need to give way to a newer, younger order?
46:27See, Shiv Kumarji is about 15 years younger than you.
46:30No, see, listen, listen.
46:34In Karnataka, the people of Karnataka, the people of Karnataka are not against this government.
46:44There is no anti-incumbency.
46:45No anti-incumbency.
46:47They are not against this government.
46:50And in 2028 also, you will come back.
46:53There is a belief that the caste census, as the way you wanted it, was not moved.
46:57In fact, you had to now reorder the caste census under pressure from the high command.
47:01Fresh caste census.
47:03Will that caste census come out in the next three months, as you are promising, or will
47:07it get further delayed?
47:09No, in three, four months it will come.
47:12And you will then...
47:13You will have reservations on the basis of that caste census?
47:17Karnataka Commission conducted survey in the year 2015 and 16.
47:24Ministers also of the cabinet also have the opinion that new survey is to be conducted.
47:30New enumeration is to be conducted.
47:32You are seen by many as one of the last mass leaders.
47:35You have a mass connect definitely in Karnataka.
47:38Do you believe, though, that that connect will, if I come one year from now, will I still
47:45see you in this chair or will I see you coming to Delhi, as some are saying, as the head of
47:51some OBC committee of the Congress?
47:53Will you move to Delhi?
47:54Is there a possibility of you moving to Delhi?
47:56I am not head of the OBC.
47:58No, there is a move to, there is some talk that you could be brought to Delhi as the,
48:03instead of being in Karnataka.
48:04Totally it is not correct.
48:06See...
48:06You will remain in Karnataka, same chair?
48:08Yes, I will remain in Karnataka, in the same chair.
48:13And I am one of the members of the Backward Class Commission, Backward Class Council.
48:20If Mr. Shiv Kumar was here watching this, what will you tell DK Shiv Kumar?
48:25What will you tell him?
48:26Say, I don't want to tell him, because, see, he is also one of the aspirants, but nothing
48:34wrong.
48:34He says he is Congress President, he has worked very hard for the party in Karnataka, he also
48:38deserves a chance, his supporters are saying.
48:40Yes, executed his duty.
48:45Every, see, anybody would have been in his place, would have worked like that only.
48:51So what would you tell DK Shiv Kumar then?
48:53To wait?
48:54Are you telling him to please wait?
48:56Kursi abhi khali nahi hain.
48:58Cherry thought...
48:59He himself said this.
49:01Kursi abhi khali nahi hain.
49:04Okay.
49:04Mr. Sidhar Maia, for joining me and speaking so plainly, thank you so much.
49:09Kissa kursi ka is what they call it, Karnataka and their kissa kursi ka.
49:20Let's turn to our good news today's story.
49:23A five-month-old dog's timely bark helped over 60 people escape just before floodwaters hit
49:30a village in Mandi in Himachal Pradesh.
49:32Rocky is our hero.
49:34That's right, Rocky, whose alertness saved lives.
49:38Our good news story is about Rocky.
49:41Take a look.
49:42Meet Rocky, the dog everyone is talking about in Siyati village in Himachal Pradesh.
49:50His loud barks alerted his master, Lalit Kumar, when flash floods hit the village on the night
49:56of June 30th.
49:58Sir, here at 12 o'clock, when the bed was closed, the door was closed.
50:03I was asleep.
50:04I was asleep.
50:05I was asleep.
50:06I was asleep.
50:07I was asleep.
50:08I was asleep.
50:09I was asleep.
50:10I was asleep.
50:11I was asleep.
50:12Lalit first woke up his family members and then the neighbors.
50:19I was asleep.
50:20I contacted them and said, my house is dead.
50:25You'll be asleep.
50:26You'll be asleep.
50:27You'll be asleep soon.
50:28There was a house on the front.
50:30Then he was asleep.
50:31He was asleep.
50:32He called everyone down.
50:34He was asleep.
50:35He was asleep.
50:36He was asleep.
50:37The dog was asleep.
50:38He was asleep.
50:39He was asleep.
50:40He was asleep.
50:41He was asleep.
50:42He was asleep.
50:43He was asleep.
50:44He was asleep.
50:45Rocky's timely warning saved 63 lives.
50:49Not a single person died that night.
50:52But the dog itself got caught in the landslide.
50:54When he was asleep, he ate the food for 2-3 days.
50:59He didn't even notice.
51:01He was asleep.
51:03Lalit says Rocky was gifted to him by his brother three months ago.
51:10Since the landslide, all the villagers are staying at a temple nearby.
51:14And Rocky is a hero to all of them.
51:17Bureau Report, India Today.
51:23Rocky, Mera Naam.
51:24Remember that old film?
51:26Of course, there was the boxing film Rocky as well.
51:29This is about Rocky the dog.
51:31Good luck to him.
51:32And thank God for such dogs.
51:34Okay.
51:35Just about enough time to tell you that we are going to have a new show coming up on this channel.
51:40My colleague, Piti Chaudhary, is going to bring out a new weekly podcast called Unpolitics.
51:47Unpolitics.
51:48That's right.
51:49Unpolitics.
51:50Casual, unscripted conversation where guests step out of their formal roles and speak candidly
51:55about life beyond their well-defined roles in public life.
51:59So, don't forget to tune in and watch the podcast of Unpolitics.
52:05That's it on the show tonight.
52:07Thanks for watching.
52:08Stay well.
52:09Stay safe.
52:10Good night.
52:11Shubratri.
52:12Ten.
52:13Namaskar.
52:14We begin Unpolitics, where we put the Un in politics.
52:19Our first guest, Mr. Nitin Ghatkarim.
52:22Who will be PGP Ghatkarim?
52:24What is your question?
52:26What is wrong?
52:27Politics is an instrument of socio-economic reform.
52:30I got from Delhi to traffic jam from Delhi.
52:33Our student leader was aggressive.
52:36100 km per day.
52:38Unachievable target?
52:39My dictionary is impossible.
52:41Do you have 72 liters of urine collected your urine?
52:46I have 72,000,000 km total roads.
52:50I have only 1,500,000 km.
52:53But you eat all of them?
52:54In the last years, people have trolled me.
52:56I took a horse and took a horse.
52:59Shubratri.
53:00I didn't do anything.
53:01It's been a cargo 500.
53:02That's nothing.
53:03I did.
53:04You work inside the car and we see a将.
53:05There are no harder.
53:06What did you say?
53:07I lead?
53:08You were mad.
53:09I followed.
53:10You have a soul moving max.
53:12I enjoy one girl, and on a mobile screen and roll.
53:17You really why you don't remember all forces reinforcing.
53:22You did the blame, and they miss you on the cable thing.
53:24You mean that?
53:25veramente i don't think so.