Left, Right & Centre

Shah Rukh Khan is in the news again and today much of it for the wrong reasons. The superstar decided to promote his film while travelling on a train and the result was chaos and a stampede which killed one man in Vadodara. Why was a film promotion on a train necessary? Why was it even allowed? Separately, Shah Rukh has been targeted again by senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvarigya who made a dig about his new film 'Raees' and has even compared him to Dawood.

The Punjab campaign gets uglier as the Akalis and the Congress step up their attack on NRIs campaigning for the Aam Aadmi Party in the state. Is the attack fair? Should NRIs be campaigning in Indian elections?

After a day of violence, protests and chaos, the Tamil Nadu assembly passed a law legalising the bull-taming sport Jallikattu. Should popular sentiment override the law and court judgements? Has this set the right precedent or is this how democracy's should work - by listening to the voice of the people?

Amid praise for Priyanka Gandhi's role in the Congress campaign in Uttar Pradesh, we discuss if this is finally her foray into politics and will it make a difference to the party's fortunes in elections this time.

For the third night running, thousands of protesters are spending the night in Chennai's Marina beach, the epicenter of the pro-Jalikattu protests. Different people have now joined in from housewives, professionals, bankers, doctors, actors - only politicians have been asked to stay away. Meanwhile in Delhi, the chief minister met the prime minister this morning - the PM said he gives him full support but the case is sub judice. This as protesters have refused to leave the beach till there is a resolution.

Thousands of people, mostly students, gathered to protest at Chennai's Marina beach today, demanding that the ban on the bull-taming sport 'Jallikattu' be lifted. The Supreme Court had imposed the ban saying it causes considerable pain on the bull. But the thousands who are fighting for the right of Jallikattu to stay say it is a symbol of Tamil pride and culture. Is Jallikattu about culture or animal cruelty? We debate on Left, Right and Centre.

In a few days from now, the world will witness a historic transition of power when Donald Trump takes oath as President of the United States. The road ahead is uncertain, unclear and has repercussions not just for Americans but for people around the world. Even now, we are trying to understand the Trump phenomenon - what made him win, will he succeed and could he surprise us further. What is clear is that his victory has perhaps given a boost to the rising right-wing nationalism in Europe. There are key elections this year in France, Germany, Netherlands, and in all these countries, populist far-right parties could make significant gains. We look ahead at what a Trump presidency could mean and the rise of the right-wing.

When BSF jawan Tej Bahadur put up a series of videos on Facebook earlier this week, complaining about the poor quality food they get on the border. It stirred the country, the images of a soldier showing the pathetic conditions he had to live and work in, except perhaps for his own force that was quick to dismiss him as an alcoholic and raise disciplinary issues. Now another video, this time by a CRPF constable, is making headlines. Here the constable Jeet Singh is talking about the lack of medical and canteen facilities, he says government school teachers are paid better and wants parity with jawans from the army.

Over the last two months, as the country grapples with the effect of the notes ban, one of the things that has stood out has been the role of India's Reserve Bank. This has been an institution since 1934, whose independence and autonomy were said to be its hallmarks. And yet today, the RBI finds itself facing serious questions on its credibility. The government told us that the notes ban was announced by the Prime Minister after the RBI board took the decision. That is what union minister Piyush Goyal told the Rajya Sabha. Now it emerges that the RBI has in a note to parliamentary panel told them they decided on demonetisation after the government advised them to do so.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has dismissed reports of an economic slowdown after the November 8 notes ban, citing robust tax figures. However some reports are worrying. A new study by the the All-India Manufacturers Association, country's largest organisation of manufacturers, suggests that demonetisation led to 35% job losses and a 50% dip in revenue in micro & small scale industries in the month after the note ban. Will the effects of cash crunch last longer than expected, or as the Finance Minister argued today, is the period of pain and inconvenience already getting over with economic activity being restored?