The Big Story

By The QuintSociety & Culture News

The Big Story episodes

April 21, 2022 How Jahangirpuri Demolitions Went On Despite Supreme Court Orders
Hit by communal violence just days before, Delhi’s Jahangirpuri on 20 April saw seven bulldozers roll into the neighbourhood accompanied by heavy police deployments as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led North Delhi Municipal Corporation razed parts of shops, carts, tin sheds, homes, and the gate of a mosque.

The demolition, which started around 10 am, went on for over an hour till 12:15 pm despite the Supreme Court’s directions at 11 am that the status quo be maintained.

And taking notice of the disregard of its order, an apex court bench of Justices L N Rao and B R Gavai heard a clutch of petitions on 21 April, where it extended its status quo order for two more weeks and said that it would “take a serious view of all demolitions that took place after the court's decision was communicated to the mayor.”

The demolition drive has left behind a trail of despair in Jahangirpuri, due to the lack of due process followed by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), with many vendors and shopkeepers asserting that they were not given any notice of the demolition drive and more so, were not even given a chance to move their carts and stalls.

In today’s episode, we take a look back at what happened in Jahangirpuri on 20 April and the impact of the demolitions through The Quint’s ground reports and also take a look at the arguments made in the supreme court with The Quint’s Legal Editor, Vakasha Sachdev.

Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram

Editor: Somya Lakhani

Interviews: Eshwar Gole and Samarth Grover

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

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16 min
April 20, 2022 Will Congress Give Prashant Kishor The Mandate Over Election Strategy?
It’s been a busy few days at 10 Janpath with political strategist Prashant Kishor meeting Congress president Sonia Gandhi and other senior party leaders, with the former reportedly looking to join the party full time.

With three high level meetings since 16 April, Kishor reportedly gave a detailed presentation on the roadmap to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to party leaders like Priyanka Gandhi, Mukul Wasnik, KC Venugopal, Randeep Surjewala, Digvijay Singh, Ambika Soni, and Kamal Nath.

And this is also not the first-time buzz of Kishor joining the Congress have surfaced since similar discussions also happened between the two entities in 2021 but the negotiations were reportedly unsuccessful due to disagreements over his role.

So, what led to the Congress finally changing its mind? What are Kishor’s plans for the Congress, and the big question remains – Will the Congress give Kishor the mandate to make the crucial election decisions?

To help us answer these questions, joining me today in Aditya Menon, The Quint’s political editor.

Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Aditya Menon

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

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15 min
April 19, 2022 COVID-19 Cases Rise in Delhi: Should the Mask Mandate Return?
After close to a two-month decline in COVID-19 cases, as we were getting back to our pre-pandemic lives with state governments lifting restrictions, the rise in COVID-19 cases in the national capital has started to sound alarm bells once again.

Since 11 April, Delhi has witnessed a whopping 265.69 percent surge in daily new cases, according to data released by the Union health government. On 11 April, daily cases were at 137 and on 18 April, this number rose to 501.

Not just Delhi but its neighbourhood state of Haryana has also reported a rise in daily active cases with the state reporting 1,200 fresh COVID cases in over 14 days between 31 March and 14 April as per an Indian Express report.

The most worrying part however is that there is also a reported rise in COVID cases among children, with some cases requiring hospitalisation as well. Multiple media reports point towards children with pre-existing health conditions complaining of cough, allergies, and viral infection.

While the surge in cases is only incremental, with total active case nationally being at 11,860, the spike in cases does put a question mark over the recent ease in restrictions like mask mandates in public areas.

To make sense of what this spike in COVID cases means, we spoke to Dr Chandrakant Lahariya, an epidemiologist and health systems expert. We also spoke to Prof Anupam Sibal, Group Medical Director and Senior Paediatric Gastroenterologist at Apollo Hospitals Group and Dr Himanshu Batra, a paediatrician practising in New Delhi.

Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Vaishali Sood

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

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15 min
April 18, 2022 What Led to Communal Tensions in Northwest Delhi's Jahangirpuri?
On Saturday, 16 April, violence broke out in Northwest Delhi's Jahangirpuri following a Shobha Yatra organised to mark Hanuman Jayanti.

The Delhi Police have so far arrested 24 people and apprehended two juveniles in connection with communal clashes that broke out in North Delhi’s Jahangirpuri after a religious Hindu procession allegedly attempted to hoist a flag on a mosque.

According to the FIR filed by the police, arguments between two groups escalated after a man named Ansar came with a few people and started an argument with those participating in the yatra. The argument escalated and stone-pelting and sloganeering started from both sides.

And as per purported videos of the yatra uploaded on social media and eyewitness accounts, several in the procession were carrying saffron flags, swords, pistols, and sticks.

The police have also recovered three firearms and five swords from the accused persons. The Quint’s reporter Fatima Khan spoke to several members of the procession and they claimed that they carried the swords for “fun”.

This incident also comes days after the violence that erupted during the Ram Navami processions in several parts of the country.

However, the twist in this incident is that there was a heavy deployment of police in the area where this scuffle took place. As per a report by The Indian Express, the Shobha Yatra also had police permission and around 50 police officials were deployed in Jahangirpuri along with PCRs, MVPs, and drones. Later, DCP Northwest Usha Rangani clarified that the procession took place without any permission.

In today’s episode, we take you through exactly what led to the violence in Jahangirpuri through eyewitness accounts and The Quint’s ground reports on the same. We also speak to Somya Lakahni, Senior Editor at The Quint to know the latest on the investigation.

Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Somya Lakhani

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

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14 min
April 14, 2022 Karnataka Politics: Unpacking KS Eshwarappa's Surprise Resignation from Office
In a big development in Karnataka politics, State Minister of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj KS Eshwarappa announced his resignation from office on Thursday, 14 April, after allegations of corruption and his alleged role in the suicide of a contractor surfaced.

The news of Eshwarappa’s resignation is huge given that it was not expected in the days after the allegations surfaced. Eshwarappa too had been defiant on the issue and even previously stated to media that there is “no question” of him resigning as a minister.

His resignation comes on the heels of the death of Santosh Patil, a contractor involved in various government projects. Patil was found dead in a hotel in Udupi on 12 April. In the final message that he purportedly sent to his friends, he named Eshwarappa as "solely responsible" for his death.

Pertinently, Patil had also alleged that Eshwarappa harassed him for a bribe to clear the bills regarding some construction work, reportedly asking for a 40 percent bribe of the total cost of the project, which reportedly amounted to a whopping Rs 4 crore.

The Udupi police had also registered an FIR against Eshwarappa and two of his aides under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with abetment to suicide. Although the minister has denied the charges, his surprise resignation throws a new twist in the entire case, with the question being: was he pushed to resign from office?

We discuss the resignations and the case with The Quint’s South Bureau Chief Nikhila Henry and Naheed Ataulla, a senior journalist based in Bengaluru.

Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Nikhila Henry

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

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15 min
April 13, 2022 Unpacking the Big Takeaways From India-United States 2+2 Dialogues
In the backdrop of big geopolitical developments in Ukraine, the United States and India held their fourth 2+2 dialogue on 12 April in Washington DC.

These focused discussions between two countries' foreign and defence counterparts have become a regular affair since the inaugural dialogue in 2018. However, Tuesday became noteworthy since it was also preceded by a surprise Biden-Modi virtual summit, signalling that the talks were being guided from the top.

As in previous dialogues, the usual elephants were in the room: China’s growing presence in trade, India’s defence ambitions and trade, and the issue of human rights violations which the US has brought forward in almost every official diplomatic meeting. However, the new entrant – Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was one of the main pivot points for the meeting.

While the US in its public statements named Russia and slammed its actions in Ukraine, India – unsurprisingly – did not. Ever since the start of the invasion, India has maintained neutrality in the crisis and has not publicly named or condemned Russia for its actions.

Though the US through its statements has indicated that it understands India’s stance on the issue, the big question is – how long will the US continue to accommodate this stance? Do these talks signal where the India-US relations are headed?

To discuss the big takeaways from the India-US 2+2, joining me today is Vivek Mishra, a fellow at the Observer Research Foundation.

Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Saundarya Talwar

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

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14 min
April 12, 2022 As Shehbaz Sharif Becomes the New Pakistani PM, What Does It Mean for India?
On 11 April, Shehbaz Sharif became the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan after his predecessor Imran Khan was booted off unceremoniously through a no-confidence vote.

After 3 years and 8 months in office and a lot of attempts to stay in power, Khan ultimately shared the same fate as the 21 Pakistan PMs before him, none of whom were able to complete a five-year term.

Sharif who was leading the charge against Imran Khan in Pakistan’s parliament, was elected unopposed shortly after, but as the new Prime Minister, he is going to be inheriting an economic crisis along with ruffled foreign relations with the US and a rise of militancy in the country.

But as he takes up the new mantle, what is the perception around Shehbaz Sharif as a politician and administrator? How is his approach to foreign policy expected to be different from Imran Khan’s? And, most importantly, as Pakistan goes through this political reconfiguration, the question is, what will it mean for India and the changing geopolitics?

Our guest in this episode is Dr. Sameer Patil, a Senior Fellow at ORF Mumbai.

Tune in!

Host and Producer: Shorbori Purkayastha
Guest: Dr. Sameer Patil, a Senior Fellow at ORF Mumbai
Editor: Shelly Walia

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

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12 min
April 11, 2022 Understanding Why the Occasion of Ram Navami Has Turned Communal
Several instances of violence, stone pelting, and arson rocked many states of India on the occasion of Ram Navami on 10 April.

Reports of unrest and violence emerged from Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Gujarat West Bengal, Goa, Mumbai, and New Delhi, where students of the Jawaharlal Nehru University were allegedly attacked by students affiliated with right-wing groups. Meanwhile, the clashes that erupted in Gujarat caused the death of a person.

Several purported videos of these incidents uploaded on social media showed youth wearing saffron clothing, wielding swords, and chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and anti-Muslim slogans, whizzing through the streets on their bikes.

In one instance, in Bihar's Muzaffarpur, a purported video uploaded on social media shows a group of men holding saffron flags and swords outside a mosque, with one man climbing the mosque's wall and trying to fix a saffron flag atop it.

And in Madhya Pradesh's Khargone, as many as 77 people were arrested after incidents of stone pelting and arson occurred during a Ram Navami procession in the district.

This is, however, not the first time such rallies have taken place on the occasion of Ram Navami. Over the years, right-wing Hindu groups taking out processions have led to tensions in many parts of the country, according to several media reports.

In today’s episode, we take a look at the reports of violence in some of these areas and analyse how the occasion of Ram Navami has been a weapon to spread communal hatred by certain right-wing groups.

We speak to Teesta Setalvad, a journalist and civil rights activist, and Apoorvanand, a professor at Delhi University.

Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Somya Lakhani

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

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13 min
April 08, 2022 What’s Next for Imran Khan if Ousted as Pakistan's Prime Minister?
All is not well for Imran Khan as he faces an unprecedented no-confidence motion against him in the Pakistan National Assembly on 9 April

The chess pieces were set for what seemed like a sure ouster by the country’s Opposition on 29 March, who had collected 197 votes—25 more than the required 172— for winning the vote in the 342 member house.

But Khan swiped away at the pieces with some help from Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri, who dismissed the no-confidence motion, calling it “unconstitutional” and then discontinued the session. Minutes later, Khan blindsided the Opposition again, this time advising President Arif Alvi to dissolve the National Assembly.

However, fortunes turned against Khan when the Opposition took to the Pakistani Supreme Court, where a five-judge bench unanimously quashed Suri’s 3 April motion and the subsequent dissolution of the national assembly. Giving its verdict, Pakistan’s apex court termed the decision to dissolve the assembly as “illegal.”

And with the political turmoil leading up to the vote, the big question is- what’s next for Imran Khan if he gets ousted as PM? And does a united Opposition in Pakistan signal a consolidation in democracy?

To unpack this, we spoke to Sarral Sharma, a PhD Scholar at Jawaharlal Nehru University specializing in India-Pakistan relations and Gul Bukhari, Pakistani journalist and rights activist.

Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Saundarya Talwar

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

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22 min
April 07, 2022 How SDMC Mayor’s Attempt To Shut Meat Shops Did Nothing but Create Confusion
In an unprecedented move on 4 April, the Mayor of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) proposed to shut meat shops under his jurisdiction during the Navratri festival, which will last till 11 April.

In a letter to the South Delhi commissioner, Mayor Mukkesh Suryaan – a Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) leader – argued that “in view of the sentiments and feelings of the general public, necessary directions may be issued to the officers concerned to take necessary action for the closure of meat shops during the nine-day period”.

This sudden proposal to blanket ban meat shops led to large-scale confusion and tension across meat shops in south Delhi.

And it's important to note here that an official order to shut down any form of trade can only be passed by the commissioner, not the mayor. And no such order did materialise.

So what was the purpose of such a letter? More so, will the order of shutting down meat shops during festivals hold up in court?

In today’s episode, you will hear from some of the meat-shop owners The Quint spoke to in South Delhi’s INA market. For a legal analysis of this proposed ban, you will also hear from Vakasha Sachdev, The Quint’s Legal Editor.

Host and Producer: Himmat Shaligram
Editor: Shorbori Purkayastha
Interviews: Eshwar Gole

Music: Big Bang Fuzz

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18 min