Left, Right & Centre

The grounded Indian airline Jet Airways is almost unbelievably set to emerge out of the ashes to soar in the sky again. On the show, we are joined by the man leading the effort to save the airline, Murari Lal Jalan, the lead member of the Jalan-Kalrock consortium. Also, on the show: So many have been outraged across India after a video of a man mercilessly thrashing a Muslim boy who had gone to a temple to drink water, was widely shared on social media. We revisit this story to ask one basic question, is it a crime for anyone to drink water at a place of worship?

So many have been outraged across the country after a video of a Muslim boy being mercilessly thrashed by a so-called Mandir 'sewak' for entering a temple to drink water, was widely shared on social media. The man has been arrested from Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. We revisit the story to ask one basic question: Is it a crime for anyone to drink water at a place of worship?

Jet Airways can return to the skies as early as in six months, Dubai-based entrepreneur leading the efforts to save the airline Murari Lal Jalan told NDTV on Monday, bolstering hope for one of the biggest turnarounds in the aviation industry anywhere. "I am expecting to fly Jet Airways in next six months, which is dependent on NCLT (National Company Law Tribunal) clearance," Mr Jalan said.

Mamata Banerjee today held a roadshow in Kolkata on her wheelchair, days after she was hurt while campaigning in Nandigram. She says an injured tiger is more dangerous. BJP calls her injuries staged. Will having her foot in a cast put Mamata Banerjee on the front foot? Top debate on Left, Right and Centre.

In this episode of Left, Right and Centre: Is Yashwant Sinha preferring Trinamool over Congress a sign that the West Bengal election is a major front in the national battle against BJP? Sarah Jacob discusses.

A video from Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's visit to Nandigram on Wednesday, offers some clarity on what happened moments before she was injured. The injury has become a matter of huge political debate as the BJP and the state's ruling Trinamool Congress blame each other. The ruling party has accused the BJP of engineering the incident. The BJP has brushed off the allegations, accusing the Chief Minister of staging a "drama" for sympathy votes in a losing battle. The Election Commission today reacted sharply to the allegations by Mamata Banerjee's party that she had been attacked at Nandigram just a day after the Bengal police chief was removed and that the poll panel had failed to protect the Chief Minister despite reports that she may be attacked.

The Centre is 'very worried' about the upsurge in coronavirus cases in Maharashtra, NITI Aayog member Dr VK Paul said on Thursday, adding the virus cannot be taken for granted if the country has to remain Covid-free. The remark comes on a day when the Maharashtra government announced a week-long lockdown - from March 15 to March 21 - in Nagpur, which reported over 1,800 cases in 24 hours. Six states - Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu - have been reporting over 85 percent of total cases for the last few days.

The Union Health Ministry today said eight of the 10 cities with the highest number of active cases belong to Maharashtra. Balram Bhargava, head of Indian Council For Medical Research, on being asked whether mutants could be the underlying cause behind the surge, said, "The surge in Maharashtra is definitely not connected to mutants. It is due to large gatherings and lack of Covid-appropriate behaviour."

A day after alleging an attack, Mamata Banerjee on Thursday released a video message from a hospital bed. She appealed to everyone to be calm and maintain restraint. Her leg in a cast, Mamata Banerjee spoke about her injuries and said she would have to resume her campaign for the Bengal election in a wheelchair. In a memorandum, the Trinamool Congress had said the Election Commission could not shrug off its responsibility in the episode as it is in charge of law and order in poll-bound Bengal. In an interview to NDTV, Trinamool MP Derek O'Brien tells NDTV: "Election Commission is an honourable body, but today we have to stand up to protect the great institutions of our country. Elections will come and go but what kind of legacy are we leaving behind?"

The Trinamool Congress has accused the BJP and the Election Commission of having a role in Mamata Banerjee's injuries. The party said an attempt was made on the Chief Minister's life "within 24 hours of the removal of the Bengal police chief" by the Election Commission. Within half an hour of the incident in which Mamata Banerjee was badly injured, the BJP alleged she was faking it for sympathy. The Election Commission responded today, saying in a strong letter that the Trinamool memo questioned the "very basis of formation and functioning of the Election Commission".