Left, Right & Centre

On day two of the big revelations on the Pegasus phone tap, the report names Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the new IT Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, poll strategist Prashant Kishor and many others, including constitutional authorities, such as former Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa. The investigation by a consortium of media organisations, including The Wire, says that mobile phone accounts of these people were listed as potential targets by an official client of an Israeli surveillance technology vendor, and Pegasus spyware may have been used to hack into their phones. The government says this is a conspiracy, but analysts insist that the phone taps constitute the biggest, most systemic effort at surveillance of citizens, destroying the right to privacy.

The Indian Medical Association warns the Kerala government against easing restrictions ahead of Eid, and says they'll be forced to move the top court if the state government doesn't withdraw their order. With several states cancelling pilgrimage yatras on account of COVID-19, will Kerala also follow suit?

After weeks of closure due to Covid, the Sabarimala temple in Kerala opened its doors to devotees. The temple will remain open from today till July 21. Some other states are reportedly planning to organise religious events. Tonight, we ask, what takes priority - religious sentiments or right to life and health?

India's champion wicketkeeper batsman Rishabh Pant has tested positive for COVID-19. He was spotted without a mask at the Wembley stadium on June 30. And there's more. A throw-down specialist and masseur has also tested positive. He has been quarantined along with bowling coach B Arun, Wriddhiman Saha and Abhimanyu Easwaran. We ask, shouldn't our cricketers have been more careful? Shouldn't BCCI have been more clear in making it strict - wear a mask and be smart.

Investing huge sums into top quality infrastructure will lead to a high trajectory of growth, but it is a difficult choice to make if resources are scarce, the Chief Executive of the government think tank NITI Aayog, Amitabh Kant, told NDTV. The government has been battling criticism over rising fuel prices and runaway inflation. Mr Kant, on whether the tax structure on these essentials needs to be rationalised to bring relief for people, pointed out that an ideal pace of tax collection must remain to ensure there are enough resources to be pumped into reviving the economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Supreme Court Wednesday took note of a report in the Indian Express newspaper on the Uttar Pradesh government allowing the Kanwar Yatra, an annual pilgrimage that attracts lakhs from across several states, this year amid the coronavirus pandemic. Why should states invite trouble by planning to go ahead with a potential super spreader event?

The question that everyone is asking - when will India enter a third wave of Covid? Will it? We look at the 'R number', which gives an indicator of where we may be. And the news is worrisome.

India has had a long military equation with Afghanistan. We may not speak about it, but it's been there. Tonight, an exclusive interview of the Afghan Ambassador to New Delhi, and his expectations on how India can help as the Taliban makes inroads.

The latest inflation numbers are out and sadly they remain a matter of huge concern. We will show you how prices of key commodities across sectors remain high. Also, how encouraging numbers of the Index of Industrial Production seem to be linked to a low base effect. In other words, they were up, but up from a huge low last year. How does it compare with 2019, that is what needs to be seen?

A stinging letter has been written by 74 senior retired officials, including Director Generals of Police, Secretaries to the Government and Ambassadors, Supreme Court lawyers and academics, making a point that there is a complete breakdown of governance and a blatant violation of the rule of law in Uttar Pradesh. We debate the contents of the letter with some of its authors and those defending the UP government.