Left, Right & Centre

Shashi Tharoor's new book on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as he looks back at the PM's four and half years in power. Is he a paradoxical prime minister as Shashi Tharoor says - who has failed on key promises? Or is he still proving to be a tough contender for the Opposition in 2019?

The Enforcement Directorate chargesheets former finance minister P Chidambaram in the Aircel Maxis case, while the CBI Director Alok Verma prepares to fight it out in the Supreme Court tomorrow over the government's decision to divest his powers. Have India's agencies become political tools or can we still have faith that there will be fair investigations?

In a midnight strike, the government swooped in and sent on leave CBI Director Alok Verma. This comes after a very public battle the Director has had with his Number 2, Special Director Rakesh Asthana, a man who is known for his proximity to the Prime Minister and Amit Shah. The order to send Mr Verma on leave came after 1 am, and at 1:45 am, the interim CBI chief, Nageswar Rao was escorted by police to the CBI headquarters in Delhi. Alok Verma in turn has moved the Supreme Court against the government move. His petition will be heard on Friday.

Former Union Minister Arun Shourie speaks out on the war within the CBI, and why the government has been upset with the Director for taking a complaint on the Rafale deal. Mr Shourie says the CBI still has not registered an FIR, as it should. So what happens to the Rafale complaint lying with the CBI Director?

Arun Shourie joins us as we debate the turf war within the CBI. It was his complaint to the CBI director on Rafale that angered the centre, which was furious that the CBI director gave him time. So now, could the CBI chief order an inquiry into the Rafale deal? We look at the political ramifications of this story.

In a major ruling, the Supreme Court has banned all highly polluting crackers and restricted their use to between 8 and 10pm on festivals like Diwali. It effectively bans almost all firecrackers that are sold in the market today, but is this order going to be implemented effectively on the ground?

Kerala Priest's Death: Blow To Fair Probe?

Has CBI Fight Hit Agency's Credibility?

An all out political slugfest is on, days after 61 people were crushed by a speeding train in Amritsar on Dussehra. The Akali Dal has accused the Congress government led by Captain Amarinder Singh of a massive cover-up. After the FIR is filed against unknown people, the organiser of the event Saurabh Mittoo Madan, the son of the local Congress Councillor, is seen going somewhere in an SUV. He and his family have been missing since then. The spotlight is also on Punjab Minister Navjot Sidhu and his wife Navjot Kaur. Navjot Kaur was at the Dussehra event, and she says she left before the train accident but CCTV footage clearly indicates otherwise. A probe headed by a magistrate is set up by the Chief Minister. Tonight on Left Right and Centre we ask, could it bring closure for victims' families or is it just an eyewash?