Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast The Interview With Karan Thapar

Charging MDR on UPI payments could increase costs in many ways; it'll benefit Visa & Mastercard: Ajay Srivastava, Founder, Global Trade Research Initiative, to Karan Thapar for The Wire. ....................................... As things stand the government’s controversial decision to impose a merchant discount rate on specified UPI payments above Rs. 2,000/- will take affect from Thursday the 15th of October. Critics believe this is a serious mistake. First, it could increase costs across the board with an impact on the economy as a whole. They also believe it will benefit Visa and Mastercard, Google Pay and PhonePe at the cost of UPI. Third, they think it’s being done to please the United States Trade Representative. Joining me now to share his views is the Founder of the Global Trade Research Initiative, Ajay Srivastava.

The present Indian govt is one of the biggest committers of ecocide in the world today: Author and Blogger Avay Shukla to Karan Thapar for The Wire.

The recent environmental disaster in the Himalayas in Nepal was a clear sign we need to pay serious attention to issues of environmental and climate change. If not we are playing with our own future as a planet. There are clear limits to how far man can go to master and bend nature to his will. The truth is we know all of this but do we pay attention? My guest today has published a collection of essays on this subject. It’s called The Last Sky: Countdown for an Endangered Planet. Joining me now to talk about this major issue is the author, Avay Shukla.

Young Gandhi was racist, never had Ambedkar’s respect on untouchability but won the trust of Muslims: Ramachandra Guha to Karan Thapar on his new book ‘Arguments with Gandhi’ for The Wire

Ramachandra Guha’s latest book ‘Arguments with Gandhi’ raises key questions about the Mahatma. Was the young Gandhi a racist during his days in South Africa? Why did Gandhi never win the respect of B. R. Ambedkar? Was Gandhi’s pursuit of interfaith dialogue and religious pluralism a failure? And, finally, how much of his behaviour and thinking has influenced the country we have become? Joining me to help answer these questions is Ramachandra Guha himself.

PM Modi would have been told about the mess in Election Commission: Former CEC S. Y. Quraishi, former EC Ashok Lavasa and National Convener of Bharat Jodo Abhiyaan, Yogendra Yadav, to Karan Thapar for The Wire.

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Today we focus on the Indian Express expose of the functioning of the Election Commission. It raises fundamental issues. Was the Commission functioning as a one man operation? How much of this was known to the Modi government? Should the SIR exercise be scrapped and reversed? Did Election Commissioners Sandhu and Joshi do everything they could have or did they fall short? And is it time for Gyanesh Kumar to resign as Chief Election Commissioner? Those are some of the issues I shall raise with my guests. They are former Chief Election Commissioner S. Y. Quraishi, former Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa and the National Convener of the Bharat Jodo Abhiyaan, Yogendra Yadav.

In A. S. Dulat's first novel Kashmir is a tragedy and the Head of IB has a break down: A. S. Dulat to Karan Thapar for The Wire on his first novel 'Our Kind of Games'

I know that former foreign secretaries and former army chiefs have written novels but my guest is the first former Head of R&AW to do so. The book is called Our Kind of Games. Set in Kashmir, it’s the story of Ranjit Soni, the Head of IB in the territory, as well as about Kashmir itself and its impact on Soni. Dulat says 50 percent of Soni is modelled on himself.

In the book Kashmir emerges as a tragic place and Soni as an IB officer who becomes disillusioned with his job. Everyone who helps Soni dies. As Dulat puts it: “Working with Ranjit Soni was lethal. Being useful to him was fatal. Trusting him was suicide.”

The book ends with Ranjit Soni’s break down and he is replaced by an intelligence officer called Swamy who’s loosely modelled on Ajit Doval, the former Head of IB and presently National Security Advisor. But if he reads the book will Ajit Doval recognize himself? Dulat is not sure.

I will stop there. Let Mr. Dulat himself speak about his book. I certainly recommend you read it.

Disappointed, dismayed and worried by Supreme Court's functioning: Justice Madan Lokur, former Supreme Court Judge, to Karan Thapar for The Wire.

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Today our focus is on four critical issues concerning the Supreme Court. Should the Court give top priority to petitions questioning the way the SIR exercise has been conducted? Is the Chief Justice of India guilty of a casual and cavalier response to petitions seeking to advance the hearing of appeals in Nandigram and Rejinagar? Third, is Justice Sharma guilty of a serious impropriety whilst hearing the challenge to the law appointing Election Commissioners? Finally, has the Chief Justice raised worrying questions by the way the Medha Roopam case was listed? These are fundamental issues as you will soon discover. They are not technical or small matters. My guest is one of the most highly regarded former judges of the Supreme Court, Justice Madan Lokur.

The Tata crisis is a mess and no one comes out of it unscathed: Sucheta Dalal, Managing Editor, Moneylife, to Karan Thapar for The Wire.

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Today we focus our attention on the crisis that’s afflicted the Tata Group. Was N. Chandrasekaran’s appointment for a third term as Chairman legitimate or illegal? Is the RBI’s insistence on listing in the best interests of the company or could it threaten its future? And is the Modi government pulling strings from behind the scenes? Those questions lie at the heart of the issues I shall seek to raise today. My guest is the well-known and highly regarded Managing Editor of Moneylife, Sucheta Dalal.

Here is the link:

I hope Modi is defeated in 2029, like the PM in my first novel ‘The Actor’: Tavleen Singh to Karan Thapar for The Wire. ...................................... You probably know Tavleen Singh as a columnist and the author of serious political books. Today I shall introduce Tavleen Singh the novelist. Her first book, The Actor, was recently released. Set sometime in the future, it’s the story of India under an autocratic and dictatorial Prime Minister commonly known as Guruji. He’s a spellbinding speaker. He’s obsessed with himself. He’s ruthless towards his opponents and critics. And very conscious of his image in the media. Does that sound familiar? I suspect it’s meant to. Joining me now to talk about her book is Tavleen Singh herself.

Haaretz expose of Netanyahu believable, his behaviour was "criminal": Gershon Baskin, Middle East Director, International Communities Organisation and Israeli hostage negotiator, to Karan Thapar for The Wire.

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The Hamas attack on Israel on October the 7, 2023 traumatised the country. 1,200 people were killed and over 250 taken hostage. In response Israel carried out what many consider a genocide. Nearly 75,000 have been killed and the Gaza Strip decimated. But now the Israeli newspaper Haaretz has revealed that Israel had advance warning and ignored it. Prime Minister Netanyahu was informed by the President of the Emirates about ten days in advance but allegedly did nothing. Is this story believable? If it is what are its full implications? My guest is the Middle East Director of the International Communities Organisation and the well-known Israeli hostage negotiator, Gershon Baskin.

BAPS has created outrage in France, embarrassed Macron govt, damaged India's image: Christophe Jaffrelot, Professor of South Asian Politics at Sciences Po and Professor of Indian Politics and Sociology at King's College, London

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The decision to keep women away when a delegation from BAPS visited the Eiffel Tower recently has provoked outrage in Paris and headlines in India. That’s the subject I shall discuss today. The Mayor of Paris has called it unacceptable. Marine Le Pen, the French opposition leader, has demanded an inquiry. But has it also embarrassed the Macron Government? Has it damaged India’s image? And is it a result of the close relationship between BAPS, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Gujarat BJP? My guest is one of the world’s top authorities on Indian studies, Professor of South Asian Politics at Sciences Po in Paris and Professor of Indian Politics and Sociology at King’s College, London, Christophe Jaffrelot.

Mohan Bhagwat's speeches are confused and duplicitous, not proof Hindutva has changed: Suhas Palshikar, Chief Editor, Studies in Indian Politics, to Karan Thapar for The Wire.

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Several people have concluded after reading about Mohan Bhagwat’s speeches in America that he is genuinely celebrating diversity and even sounding like a new Jawaharlal Nehru. Is that the correct conclusion or is it misleading and even naïve? That’s the core issue I shall discuss today. My guest is the Chief Editor of Studies in Indian Politics, Prof. Suhas Palshikar.

Q1 GDP growth "difficult to accept" but S. C. Garg is "conceptually illogical" and completely wrong: former Chief Statistician, Pronab Sen, to Karan Thapar for The Wire.

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Today we focus on the recently released Q1 GDP figure. It’s created a storm of controversy. So we ask is the 7.8% figure credible or, as former Finance Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg has said, should it be 2.6%? Beyond that why do we frequently overestimate GDP growth? And how accurately are we calculating GDP? My guest is the one man who should know the answers to these questions, India’s former Chief Statistician, Pronab Sen.

In the interview, Prof. Sen suggests that for the next five years the government should issue GDP growth figures according to two separate series, one that uses the old series as the base and the second that uses the new series as the base. Prof. Sen says this will make for transparency.

As regards the general overestimation of GDP growth, Prof. Sen says that the government must by the middle of next year issue back series figures stretching all the way to 2011-12 on the basis of the new methodology for calculating GDP introduced in February this year. This is because he believes we have been overestimating GDP growth for the last decade and a half, which has been, hopefully, corrected by the new series and, therefore, issuing back figures is essential.

Finally, Prof. Sen says that in his opinion the C Grade given to India by the IMF for the way it calculates GDP is warranted and justified.

The shuddhikaran was "a crime"; Uttarakhand police behaved "bizarrely & inexplicably": Justice Madan Lokur, former Supreme Court Judge, to Karan Thapar for The Wire.

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The saga of the shuddhikaran carried out in Haldwani after Mallikarjun Kharge’s rally last month has taken a bizarre turn. Blatantly and repeatedly ignoring Rahul Gandhi’s demand that an FIR be filed, the Uttarakhand police have instead filed an FIR against Rahul Gandhi for promoting enmity and outraging religious feelings. So today we ask a fundamental question: what does this reveal of the Uttarakhand government’s attitude to crimes against Dalits? At the end of the day that’s the single biggest issue that is staring us in the face. My guest is one of India’s most highly regarded former judges of the Supreme Court, Justice Madan Lokur.

Penguin lacks spine, govt is nervous, we're not a democracy but electoral autarchy: former Cabinet Minister, Editor and Author, Arun Shourie, to Karan Thapar for The Wire.

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Reports that Penguin Random House India will not be publishing Sonia Gandhi’s memoirs whilst Alfred Knopf will publish them in America have raised worrying questions. Does this mean the book will be available abroad but perhaps not in India? Is this because of its references to Prime Minister Modi, the RSS and Chinese intrusions into India as reports suggest? What does this reveal about Indian publishers? More importantly, what does it reveal of the government in a country that boasts it’s the mother of democracy? Those are the key issues I shall raise today with my guest. He is a former cabinet minister and newspaper editor and renowned author, Arun Shourie.

Sugar situation "a fiasco", "total failure of policy", Govt has been "irresponsible": Ashok Gulati, Distinguished Professor at ICRIER, to Karan Thapar for The Wire.

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Why have sugar prices risen so sharply in recent weeks? Should imports have been permitted a lot earlier than the 20th of August? Was the delayed response negligent or even irresponsible? And how much of the blame lies with the government? Those are some of the key issues I shall raise today with a former Chairman of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices and presently Distinguished Professor of Agriculture at ICRIER, Ashok Gulati.

Yesterday (21/8) the police were wrong and Rahul Gandhi was right - two top lawyers: Salman Khurshid, former Law Minister, and Sanjay Hegde, Senior Advocate, to Karan Thapar for The Wire.

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There was great drama in the centre of Delhi yesterday when Rahul Gandhi staged a 7-hour dharna outside the Parliament Street police station. He went there to help Sahil Lochab file an FIR against whoever shot and seriously injured him with a pellet gun last month. For seven hours the police refused and that led to Gandhi’s dharna. In the end the police caved in and the FIR was registered. Today we scrutinise the police’s behaviour and ask how wrong was their initial refusal and reluctance. My first guest is former law and external affairs minister Salman Khurshid. My second guest is the well-known and highly regarded Supreme Court Advocate, Sanjay Hegde.

Imran Khan and Pak govt will come to "a deal" and he'll get "relief": Najam Sethi, Founding Editor, Friday Times, to Karan Thapar for The Wire.

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On Tuesday the Pakistan Supreme Court ordered that Imran Khan be shifted to a private hospital for medical examination and treatment. 24 hours later the Shehbaz Sharif government moved a review petition calling this discriminatory. Today that petition was returned by the court on the grounds its incomplete. The truth is even three years after his arrest Imran Khan remains Pakistan’s most popular politician and the strongest threat to the ruling establishment. But it’s also widely believed that he’s in poor health and could be in danger of losing sight in his right eye. So today we ask what is Imran Khan’s future? And how will the world respond to the Pakistan government’s treatment of him? My guest is the Founding Editor of The Friday Times and former caretaker Chief Minister of Pakistan’s Punjab Province, Najam Sethi.

Modi's dimaagi naxals charge is Orwellian but Gen Z will fight back: Mani Shankar Aiyar, former Cabinet Minister, to Karan Thapar for The Wire.

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In this interview, Mani Shankar Aiyar compares Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assertion that dimaagi naxals are a threat to India and must be identified and isolated both to George Orwell’s thought crime and thought police from 1984 as well as to the way Hitler identified and isolated jews in the 1930s and ’40s in Germany. Mr. Aiyar says the claim that dimaagi naxals need to be identified and isolated – which was made by PM Modi in his Independence Day speech – is ominous. Mr. Aiyar believes that vigilantes will be given this task just as they have been used to identify alleged love jihadis and alleged cow smugglers.

However, Mr. Aiyar is confident that Gen Z will fight back as will the older generation as well.

Mr. Aiyar also points out that India is very different to Germany in the 1930s. Germany had no real experience of democracy and it’s a much smaller country. India is very different on both counts.

Mecca defence pact gives Pakistan a greater profile in Mid East - no doubt about it: Shyam Saran, former Foreign Secretary, to Karan Thapar for The Wire. ....................................... Does the three nation Saudi-Turkish-Pakistani defence pact announced last week have serious and worrying implications for India? Does it strengthen Islamabad vis-a-vis Delhi? Does it raise questions about India’s relationship with Saudi Arabia and possibly also Israel? And how should the Modi government respond to this development? Those are some of the issues I shall raise today with one of India’s most highly regarded former foreign secretaries, Shyam Saran.

There’s growing apprehension that the government could bring the Foreign Contribution Regulation Amendment Bill to parliament in the last few days of the monsoon session. It’s silence on this matter is not reassuring. Meanwhile, the opposition and the Christian community in particular strongly oppose the bill. They’ve called it undemocratic, unconstitutional, dangerous and deeply alarming. Today we examine the bill and its impact on Christian institutions in India. Can its opponents succeed in ensuring the bill is withdrawn in its entirety or referred to a joint committee of parliament? Or given the government and its allies have a majority in both houses of parliament is that unlikely? My guest is DMK Rajya Sabha MP and Chairman of the Joint Action Forum on Minorities, P. Wilson.

The credibility of Modi govt depends on fulfilling its promise to restore statehood to J&K: Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, to Karan Thapar for The Wire.

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August the 5th was seven years since the abrogation of Article 370 and Jammu and Kashmir’s loss of statehood. Whilst most people have accepted that the abrogation is irrevocable, the Modi government has promised that statehood will be restored at the earliest. That was said to the Supreme Court three years ago but the government has failed to live up to its commitment. So today we ask how strong is the case for full statehood? And does the Union Government’s argument against it hold water? My guest is the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah.

Chief Minister Abdullah refutes at length the claim that statehood cannot be restored until terror is eradicated. This is a particularly forceful part of the interview and the arguments he makes are convincing and need to be heard from him directly.

In the interview, Chief Minister Abdullah also speaks in detail about how the Lieutenant Governor’s control of the administration, the police and many ministries has undermined the powers and effectiveness of his government. This will come as a surprise, if not a shock, to many people. Again, you should hear this for yourself.

Chief Minister Abdullah also speaks about the disappointment people in Kashmir feel about the loss of their statehood. He says his own credibility has suffered because he genuinely believed that if he established an amicable relationship with the Union Government it would facilitate the restoration of statehood. But despite his best efforts that has not happened.

I will stop there. This is a very forceful, powerful and informative interview. If you want to understand the position of the government of Jammu and Kashmir, not just vis-à-vis the Union Government and the issue of statehood but also in terms of the powers it has and how it is stymied by the Governor, then this is an interview you should see.

If restoration of statehood in J&K depends on BJP coming to power we could wait 100s of years: Radha Kumar, Co-chairperson, Forum for Human Rights in Jammu and Kashmir, to Karan Thapar for The Wire.

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Today, August the 5th, is seven years since the abrogation of Article 370 and Jammu and Kashmir’s loss of statehood. Whilst most people have accepted that the abrogation is irrevocable, the Modi government has promised that statehood will be restored at the earliest. That was said to the Supreme Court three years ago but the government has failed to live up to its commitment. So today we ask how strong is the case for full statehood? And does the Union Government’s argument against it hold water? My guest is a former member of the Group of Interlocutors and Co-chair of the Forum for Human Rights in Jammu and Kashmir, Radha Kumar.

Did "uncertainty and the meaninglessness of life" fuel student protests?: Prof. Suhas Palshikar, Chief Editor, Studies in Indian Politics, to Karan Thapar for The Wire.

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How should we assess the outcome of last week’s student protests? Is there a wider message that they have signalled? For the government? For the country? And how should we view the future of the Cockroach Janata Party and Abhijeet Dipke? Those are some of the key issues I will explore today with the Chief Editor of Studies in Indian Politics, Prof. Suhas Palshikar.

Prof. Palshikar argues that the student protests sent out two loud and clear messages to the government as well as the country. The first was about the education system. It has, as he puts it, become “boring time-pass” or a “creche for young adults”. It needs to be more than just overhauled. It needs to be re-thought through ab initio.

The second message is in a sense deeper. Prof. Palshikar argues that the protests and the striking energy behind them “represent the utter meaninglessness of life that confronts (India’s) youth”. Life has become precarious at multiple levels and that uncertainty has created angst, deep concern and a sense of hopelessness. As he puts it “life is precarious, irrespective of whether you belong to low-income groups or the so-called middle class”.

I will stop there. You should hear Prof. Palshikar directly. His analysis and understanding of the recent protests is both revealing and disquieting. It’s the second because we don’t have credible answers to the message the protesters sent out.

Here is the link:

Gen Z has lost its fear & will not be silent & helpless in face of Modi govt excesses & injustices: Neha Bora, National President, AISA, to Karan Thapar for The Wire.

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Is Saturday’s agreement between the Modi government and the Cockroach Janta Party secure or is it in danger of being breached? Will the Bihar government apologize for its police constable firing an AK-47 at the protestors? Is the BJP right to treat Dharmendra Pradhan as a hero? And has the pall of fear lifted for Gen Z forever? Those are some of the issues I shall raise with the National President of the All India Students’ Association who fasted at Jantar Mantar for nearly 23 days, Neha Bora.

Student protest success a personal defeat for Modi; his self-confidence will weaken: Aakar Patel, Author and Chairman Amnesty India, to Karan Thapar for The Wire.

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Today we focus on the outcome of the Cockroach Janata Party’s protest culminating in Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation. Was this a defeat for the government and how significant was it? Who deserves the credit? Abhijeet Dipke and the CJP or Sonam Wangchuk? What impact will this have on Prime Minister Modi’s image and confidence? And on Indian politics and next year’s state elections? Finally, is this a potential turning point? And how can we ensure history actually turns? My guest is the well-known and highly regarded journalist, author and Chairman of Amnesty India Aakar Patel.

Was Chief Justice's refusal to take up student case irresponsible? Dushyant Dave calls it "failure of constitutional duty": Dushyant Dave to Karan Thapar for The Wire.

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On Wednesday when a lawyer attempted to convince the Supreme Court to admit a case about how the fundamental rights of young students had been breached when they were beaten up by the police and miscreants the Chief Justice refused to take it up. He said don’t waste our time and don’t waste your time. Today we ask - What should we make of that response? Does it undermine our constitutional fundamental rights? Does it weaken the Supreme Court’s duty to protect those rights? Does it negate the power of Article 32, which was drafted to defend those rights? And how would Dr Ambedkar view all of this? Those are the issues I shall raise with one of India’s most highly regarded constitutional lawyers and a former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, Dushyant Dave.

In 1947 India came far closer to balkanization than we realize: Josy Joseph, Author, Birth of a Nation: The Twenty-One Days That Made India, to Karan Thapar for The Wire.

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How close did India come to balkanization in 1947? A recent book, based on previously unseen documents from the archives of India, suggests that the last 21 days before independence were critical. During that period several states like Travancore, Hyderabad, Kashmir, Jodhpur, Bhopal, Junagadh and Indore sought ways of becoming independent or, even, acceding to Pakistan. The book is called ‘Birth of a Nation: The Twenty-One Days That Made India’. It’s author Josy Joseph is my guest.

I stand with the protesting students; this is not the India I love; I don't take Modi seriously: Naseeruddin Shah to Karan Thapar for The Wire.

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My guest today is probably one of the greatest actors on the Indian screen. Many rightly consider him an actor’s actor. Earlier today he posted a video expressing his anguish and deep concern about the way protesting students have been treated in Delhi on Monday. In this interview I speak to Naseeruddin Shah about what’s happened, about the government that’s responsible, about the students who have been protesting and about the implications of all of this for India’s democracy. But I start by replaying his one minute fifty second video.

Sonam Wangchuk symbolizes the best of India; the Modi government badly mishandled his fast: Ramachandra Guha to Karan Thapar for The Wire.

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For 21 days Sonam Wangchuk has fasted to try and force Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign over the NEET issue. This morning the government forcibly took him to Safdarjung Hospital to end his fast. However, his wife, Gitanjali Angmo, has tweeted that nothing should be given to him orally or intravenously without her permission. Today we focus on Sonam Wangchuk’s fast, the political response it’s got and the role fasts play in the politics of India. My guest is the well-known historian, author and political commentator, Ramachandra Guha.

The cow belt has hijacked the future of India and is the curse of our politics: Author and Lawyer, Javed Gaya, to Karan Thapar for The Wire.

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Has the cow belt hijacked the future of India? Is its influence the curse of Indian politics? Is India in danger of being consumed by its past? And does the baleful influence of Uttar Pradesh dominate Indian politics? In his recent book ‘Heartland Rising: The Making of Majoritarian India’, the author and lawyer Javed Gaya suggests the answer is yes. In this interview he explains his thinking.

President Trump has tweeted that the ceasefire is over but talks with Iran will continue. Can such talks be credible? Does Trump face a dilemma? If he opts to renew the war, his hopes of resolving the Iran nuclear issue could be dashed. If he restrains himself to secure a peace deal, he will have to accept Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz. On the other hand, has Iran overplayed its hand? Under the Memorandum of Understanding it’s committed to allowing safe passage through the Strait. But Iran insists that ships can only use passageways under its control. Is that a breach of the Memorandum? In these circumstances could the war restart?

Listen to Karan Thapar in conversation with Iran Project Director of the International Crisis Group, Ali Vaez.

Claim passport only travel document serious mistake and government should apologize: Justice Madan Lokur, former Supreme Court Judge, to Karan Thapar for The Wire.

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One of India’s most highly regarded former Judges of the Supreme Court, who is presently Chairperson of the United Nations Internal Justice Council, says that the statement made by the government that an Indian passport is “only a travel document” and not proof of citizenship is “a serious mistake” and the government should apologize or, at least, clarify that this was an error.

Justice Lokur points out that The Passports Act of 1967 repeatedly refers to passports and travel documents thus clearly indicating that passports and travel documents are not the same thing but two different entities. He says that “passports are accepted (by the receiving country) because they embody the issuing state’s assertion that the bearer is one of its own nationals … when the Republic places its seal upon a passport it’s doing more than permitting international travel. It’s formally vouching for one of its own citizens before the world.” That’s the critical message an Indian passport embodies and conveys.

Justice Lokur also points out that if the government does not treat the Indian passport as proof of citizenship it could lead foreign embassies to deny visas to Indians until they can find some other way of proving their citizenship. This could create a major problem for Indian travellers and for those members of the Indian diaspora who retain Indian citizenship.

Finally, Justice Lokur points out that Section 20 of The Passports Act, which permits the government to issue a passport to a person who is not a citizen of India if that is deemed to be in the public interest, does not weaken the argument that passports are intended for citizens but actually strengthens it. As he says, this is the exception that proves the rule.

Justice Lokur also raises the question that if passports are deemed to be only travel documents then where does that leave diplomatic and official passports issued to ministers, government officials, ambassadors and, even, the Chief Justice of India and the Prime Minister of India? Are they just travel documents bearing a different colour and nothing more? If they are, on what grounds can ambassadors claim diplomatic immunity?

Andy Burnham’s emphatic victory in a bye-election in Makerfield has probably sealed Keir Starmer’s fate as prime minister of Great Britain. Initially Starmer refused to go. In fact he repeatedly said he would fight to keep the job. But now there’s speculation he could resign as early as later today. So this morning we ask what do the next few weeks hold for him? What sort of prime minister has he been? And what can we expect from Andy Burnham? My guest is a former Editor at Large at CNN Ashis Ray.

In a strong and passionate defence of Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee, the well-known and highly regarded Trinamool Lok Sabha MP, Mahua Moitra, has forcefully said: “The real Trinamool is Mamata Banerjee and she will return to power.” Mahua Moitra said: “The Trinamool Congress is a Party that was started by Mamata Banerjee and gets its legitimacy, gets its vote, gets its mandate from Mamata Banerjee. So any so-called rebel or split, whatever there may be, they are not the Trinamool Congress. As long as Mamata Banerjee is alive and she is still involved in politics the Trinamool is the Trinamool.”

On the day the Trinamool Congress Party split at the Lok Sabha level in Delhi, following its earlier split at the legislature level in Bengal, one of its most highly regarded Lok Sabha MPs, Saugata Roy, has said that the Party is in serious crisis adding that he is no defender of Abhishek Banerjee and accepting that in the ultimate analysis Mamata Banerjee is responsible for what’s happened. However, Dr. Roy said that he would not himself defect from the Party and that those who had, whether in Delhi or Bengal, have done so as part of BJP’s Operation Lotus under threat and attracted by money.

In a hard-hitting and unremitting interview, the former Law Minister and former Human Resource Development Minister, Kapil Sibal, who is also one of the leading lawyers presenting the Gymkhana Club’s case in Court, has said that the government is seeking to acquire the Gymkhana Club not on the grounds it has argued in its letter of May 22, 2026 but for three other reasons i.e. “Bureaucratic greed, lack of democratic instincts and destruction of institutions”.

Is the state of the Indian economy “near-crisis”? Is weak private investment the key problem? Despite the government’s well-intentioned reforms are its deeper instincts and habits putting off investors? And is the solution changing personnel at ministerial, technocratic and bureaucratic levels? And does that in fact mean it’s time to replace Nirmala Sitharaman as Finance Minister? Those are the views of my guest, former Chief Economic Advisor and Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, Arvind Subramanian.

In an interview to discuss how he views Rahul Gandhi as a leader of Congress and Leader of the Opposition, the well-known and highly regarded historian, author and political commentator, Ramachandra Guha, says Rahul Gandhi is a dilettante, who lacks commitment and certainly lacks charisma and is unlikely to ever make it to Prime Minister of India. Ramachandra Guha says: : “Rahul Gandhi may be a good fellow; nonetheless, those who wish for a successful pushback against the hate-filled regime of the BJP should perhaps stop looking to him as their principal source of hope.” Ramachandra Guha adds: “As a prospective prime ministerial challenger to Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi lacks discipline, gravitas and a curriculum vitae.”

In an interview to discuss the cumulative impact of the Gulf War on Indian agriculture, Ashok Gulati, Professor of Agriculture at ICRIER and arguably India's foremost authority on the subject, says: “The economy seems to be on the brink of a major crisis". Professor Gulati is particularly concerned about how the fertiliser subsidy is likely to surge this year. He believes that it could balloon from 1.71 lakh crore to 3.0 lakh crore. He also points out that the cost at which urea is imported is $935 per tonne but it's sold at $70 per tonne. Professor Gulati points out that the time has come to end such freebies and he proposes three reforms which would help reduce the fertiliser subsidy.

In a recent op-ed in the Financial Times, headlined ‘The Gulf crisis may just be starting’, the paper’s well-known and highly regarded Chief Economics Commentator, Martin Wolf, analyses the impact of an aspect of the Gulf crisis that so far hasn’t got the attention it deserves i.e. the shortages and how their impact could get worse the longer they remain and the greater the physical damage done in the Gulf. He believes the real Gulf crisis may only just be starting. And he ends his Financial Times article with the following sentence: ‘The US called its war Operation Epic Fury. But Operation Epic Folly would have been a more realistic name’.

The Chief Economist of Axis Bank and a Member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council says in his opinion the current account deficit and the falling rupee are the “most binding constraints” emerging out of the current Gulf crisis. Neelkanth Mishra also believes that the impact of the Gulf war and the oil crisis could be around 0.7%-08% of GDP growth. He says: “The sensitivity is that about $15 per barrel increase in oil price costs the economy about $40 billion or 1% of GDP. So if you take the average price of $70 a barrel of last year, if the oil price averages $85 a barrel, there’s a 1% of GDP impact. If it’s a $100 a barrel, it’s a 2% of GDP impact.”

President Trump is on a three-day visit to China. What is he looking for from Beijing? What is he prepared to offer in return? Might China be willing to help Trump secure peace in the Middle East? And what are the implications of this visit for India’s relationship with both China and America?

In an interview to discuss the election results that were announced yesterday (the 4th of May) as well as what they mean for India as a whole and what they suggest about the BJP’s hold over the country, Yogendra Yadav, the National Convenor of the Bharat Jodo Abhiyan, has said he is deeply concerned, adding he doesn’t believe the Indian Republic has reasons to celebrate the outcome. “As a democrat, as someone who thinks about the future of the Indian Republic, I am deeply concerned. I don’t resent the winners. They have every reason to celebrate. But does the country, does the Republic, have reasons to celebrate? I am not sure.”

Yogendra Yadav argues that the window that seemed to open with the Parliamentary election results of 2024, but was steadily narrowing thereafter, is now firmly shut. “The window of opportunity that opened in 2024 with the Parliamentary elections, suddenly a whiff of fresh air, suddenly the country looked more democratic than it appeared for a few years, and suddenly it seemed as if things could happen, could change, that window became narrower after Maharashtra and Haryana elections and particularly after the Bihar elections. I think it’s safe to say that the window is firmly shut today.”

In an interview to discuss the impact of rising oil prices – which yesterday touched $126 per barrel – on both the world economy and India’s economy, economist and former Chief Statistician of India Pronab Sen said that rising oil prices could reduce India’s expected GDP growth by up to 2.5%. He agreed that this was a fairly substantial fall.

Sen said he was particularly worried about India’s exports to the Gulf region which have presently been blocked by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. He said he was not confident that India could find alternate markets for what it sells to the Gulf countries and if it can’t this will have a direct impact on the concerned exporters leading, he agreed, to losses in jobs. This, he believes, will be a major component of the decline in GDP growth that he talked about.

Sir Keir Starmer the British Prime Minister’s real problem is that he has failed to transition from being a lawyer into a prime minister and senior politician and, as a result, lacks strategy and keeps going back on what he has said and done or acting inadvisably, such as with the appointment of Peter Mandelson as Ambassador to the United States. This is the verdict of former British Secretary of State for International Development and former Deputy Foreign Secretary Andrew Mitchell.

Sir Andrew says that Starmer is now a Prime Minister with serious question marks about his longevity and his capabilities, many of which are recognized by the Labour Party, but who may not be easily removable from office because there is no clear contender to take his place. This means that the prime ministership of Britain, the future of the Labour Party government and of the country itself is surrounded by uncertainty and doubt.

Abhishek Manu Singhvi, one of the foremost legal minds in the country, a Rajya Sabha MP and Congress spokesperson, has said that Vice President Radhakrishnan has “clearly, patently erred” in accepting the merger of seven Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MPs with the BJP.

Singhvi says that this decision by the Vice President can be challenged in Court and it’s quite possible that it will be overturned. Singhvi points out that in accepting the merger the Vice President has ignored what Singhvi calls “the preponderance of judgements” and instead allowed himself to be guided by “an awry judgement” in the Chodankar case.

The Editor-in-Chief of The Economist, Zanny Minton Beddoes, says the Iran war is a “strategic disaster” for President Donald Trump and the USA.

She said: “I think this is along the line of Suez for the Brits. A very big geo-strategic misstep where the US has, I think, unambiguously lost from this. And it’s in a weaker position in the Gulf and it’s in a weaker position internationally.”

Minton Beddoes said Trump should be thought of not as a conventional American President with a cabinet and advisors who speak their mind, debate and then come to agreed conclusions but as a King surrounded by courtiers who vie to tell him what he wants to hear.

Minton Beddoes believes that there is a good chance the war could resume because, at the moment, both sides believe they have the upper hand and they are waiting for the other to give in.

After the extension of the ceasefire we ask critical questions about the new situation in the Middle East. Is this an open ended and indefinite extension of the ceasefire? Who does it benefit more? Does Iran’s refusal to come to Islamabad indicate its feeling stronger? Or is the regime internally divided, as Trump has claimed? Now, whenever talks happen, how can the key differences be bridged? And is either side willing to make the compromises necessary? Those are the key issues Karan Thapar raises with the Co-founder and Executive Vice President of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, Trita Parsi.

As uncertainty about the talks that were supposed to happen between America and Iran continues, we ask can the Pakistan-brokered talks still happen? If they do how significant will that be? In these circumstances what can they deliver? What does the confusion of the last two days suggest about America and Iran? And where does the advantage lie? Those are the key issues Karan Thapar raises with the well-known and highly regarded Iran Project Director of the International Crisis Group, Ali Vaez.