- 36 minutes ago
Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi met the parents of Ankita Bhandari alongside activist Yogita Bhayana during a protest at India Gate, where the family demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry and questioned the appointment of BJP leader Dushyant Gautam as Governor of Sikkim. Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah clashed politically with the Congress over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, accusing the opposition of protecting infiltrators for vote banks, while Congress leaders questioned deportation data and alleged voter deletions. In Uttar Pradesh, a Meerut court awarded the death penalty to Muskan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla for the murder, dismemberment, and concealment of Saurabh Rajput's body in a cement-sealed drum following a thirteen-month trial. Legal experts, including former Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police Vikram Singh and Supreme Court Senior Advocate Colin Gonsalves, analyzed whether the case qualifies as the rarest of rare on India First amid wider political debates on electoral roll revisions.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Good evening, you're watching India First. I'm Gaurav Sawant. Breaking news coming in.
00:04Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is meeting the family of Ankita Handari,
00:11a young woman from Uttarakhand who died under mysterious circumstances in 2022.
00:18This is a murder investigation in Uttarakhand in 2022.
00:23Her parents, her family, they've been protesting, demanding justice.
00:31Ankita Handari was all of 19. She was working as a receptionist.
00:36She was murdered. She was murdered after disappearing from a resort in Pauri, Garhwal in September 2022.
00:45And the main accused in this case, including that resort owner in Garhwal, Pulkit Arya,
00:53they were convicted in this case.
00:56But the family are not convinced.
00:58Ankita Handari's family want a detailed investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation
01:05into the alleged role of a VIP in this case.
01:10They're saying it's not just a simple case.
01:12Initially, as it was called out to be as a mysterious death, some tried to pass it off as a
01:18suicide.
01:19It was proven this was murder.
01:21People were convicted, but the family says, who is the VIP who is being protected?
01:27The VIP, according to reports that appeared at that point of time,
01:31Ankita Handari, a 19-year-old girl, she was asked to provide some special services.
01:36She was working as a receptionist and she refused.
01:39The images that you see on your television screen are that of leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi
01:44going to India Gate to meet the parents of this young lady who was murdered
01:50and promise them justice.
01:52That is what we have been told.
01:53Listen, and I think there you see images of Ankita's family who are carrying out the protest
01:59and Rahul Gandhi flanked by Congress leaders and workers and the media.
02:05They are there at India Gate.
02:08Now, what is extremely interesting, the latest flashpoint, the Congress party has hit out
02:16at the BJP for the appointment of BJP leader Dushyan Gautam as the governor of Sikkim.
02:23Ankita's parents have made certain allegations about the VIP who was present at that hotel.
02:31Her father has questioned the pace of investigations.
02:35Her father wants directions to the Central Bureau of Investigation
02:41to carry out an independent investigation in this case.
02:45And they want technical evidence.
02:48They want scrutiny of documents.
02:50And in just a moment, Ankita's family.
03:01She's been fighting for justice.
03:04Ankita's family.
03:06Let's try and listen in.
03:08Let's try and listen in.
03:41And there you see images of Rahul Gandhi.
03:43I see images of Rahul Gandhi.
03:48I see images of Rahul Gandhi.
03:50I see images of other people.
04:09I see images of Rahul Gandhi.
04:17so the cbi probe which started with the parents demanding that action be taken and technical
04:25evidence be gathered in october it started family says yes there there is renewed hope
04:31but there's frustration over the time that is taking rahul gandhi as you've seen those images
04:37is meeting the family will the renewed attention lead to a transparent time bound investigation
04:43and answers about the so-called vip presence at the hotel preeti chaudhary my colleague joins me
04:50for more on this ankita's family preeti they continue to wait for justice but the presence
04:56of the leader of opposition there will will renew hopes that there's national attention on on their
05:04plight and perhaps there will be justice what we see clearly on our television screen right in the
05:09middle is yogita bhyana she's a woman rights activist the parents of ankita got in touch with
05:15yogita and they are holding a flash dharna of sorts at india gate also uh got a what one needs
05:21to put
05:21the spotlight on is that utarakhand is headed for elections in february 2027 along with panjab
05:28uh the death of ankita has become a political flashpoint especially in the state of utarakhand
05:35and the hill region we've seen uh mobilization of the congress along with the parents of ankita who
05:42constantly now blame uh dushyant gotham who is a bjp leader constantly claim that the government is
05:48protecting dushyant gotham so this is a massive political flashpoint in the state of utarakhand
05:54in a state that is headed for elections the optics that are now coming out gaurav from janthar
05:59where you have priyanka gandhi and rahul gandhi aligning with the family of ankita at the back
06:07of which there have been multiple dharna's in the state of utarakhand by multiple organizations which
06:12include a political party who's the principal opposition in utarakhand now you know goes full
06:18circle will they get justice will it uh somewhere down the line uh bolster the claim of ankita's parents
06:25uh because it's not just uh a claim against dushyant gotham who's a bjp leader but also
06:32the owner of the resort that had employed pulkit uh who that had uh employed uh young ankita as well
06:39this is okay so the court verdict had sentenced ankit and two other accused uh they found them guilty
06:46they were sentenced uh preeti you've been tracking this case was there any evidence that came to light
06:52that seemed to indicate the role uh of the bjp leader uh mentioned uh they're saying he's he's
06:57been appointed a governor uh when he the family alleges that you know they still have accused him
07:03there is no action that's been taken but preeti is there anything that came out in initial
07:07investigations or the cbi investigations he was never named uh you know uh gaurav by the police so
07:13this is a a point of view of the family where they if you remember it all started off as
07:21a vip who's
07:21being protected the name came out much later uh of uh mr gotham who is a bjp leader the family
07:29though in the last couple of years has been very very vocal and persistent that there is an attempt
07:36or um to camouflage and cover up uh for mr dushyant gotham at the behest of the utara khan police
07:44now this is of course the word of the family and now it has also become a huge political flashpoint
07:51in a state that is election bound stay with me i want to quickly bring in rahul gotham who joins
07:57us
07:57from ground zero on the story rahul uh like a flash protest uh was this planned uh how long has
08:05the
08:05family been sitting there uh for protest because indiagate is otherwise a restricted area
08:15well gaurav this this was just not planned uh in fact uh around 6 p.m this evening uh the
08:22parents of
08:22ankita bhandari along with the women activist yogita bahana bahana reached here and in fact uh uh you
08:29know uh expressing their strong resentment over the fact that dushyad gomar gotham has been nominated as
08:34the next governor of sikkim i'll just show you what's really happening here uh you can see there
08:39uh priyanka gandhi vadra and rahul gandhi uh in conversation with uh with parents of ankita
08:45bhandari and yogita bahana there are two placards also uh which you can easily see uh that says that
08:52ankita bhandari ko niae do vip culture band karo uh essentially saying that the big uh leader uh you
09:00know uh whose family has been claiming uh you know was the one uh for which uh allegedly ankita
09:07bhandari uh was supposed to uh go and you know this was a case of a sexual exploitation uh in
09:13political
09:13circles uh and obviously uh they are saying that they've not got justice in this case i must also
09:19tell our viewers that uh rahul gandhi had met earlier also uh this family and in fact assured justice
09:25to them at that point of time also uh he shared numbers of his office to uh you know stay
09:31in touch
09:31and uh seek whatever help they want uh in uh in their bid to pursue justice and when when this
09:40news
09:40came out that the the family is sitting on a dharna near india gate uh rahul gandhi uh uh you
09:47know
09:47also decided that he's going to go and meet them come in solidarity with the family and we have seen
09:52you know earlier also these you know these surprise uh you know flash protests flash marches uh flash
09:59appearances public appearances uh has become a core part of rahul gandhi's uh you know politics and
10:05that's why you can say uh that uh you know uh rahul gandhi there is sending a strong political message
10:11that he is standing uh in solidarity with the family and would obviously uh you know strive to get
10:17justice uh for ankita bhandari's family uh clearly uh you know as you can see ankita bhandari's uh family
10:25is also alleging that uh you know once you once uh the said leader said bjp leader would become the
10:31governor he would get constitutional immunity and therefore he should not be appointed as the next
10:36governor and which which only shows that how they've been denied justice in this case and that's
10:41why they're going to uh you know take this fight to the logical end and they were left with no
10:45other
10:46option but to come here at india gate to make themselves heard and keep tracking that story rahul
10:52i will come back to you for more for the moment rahul and preeti many thanks for joining me
11:01i now shift focus to our top story 24 hours after union home minister amit shah spoke of what he
11:07called
11:07was congress party's real agenda to stop the special intensive revision of the electoral rolls to help
11:15ghuspaitiyas or infiltrators he seems to have stirred a hornet's nest the congress hit back saying stop
11:24hiding behind the ghuspaitiyas give details give details of how many ghuspaitiyas have been detected
11:32deleted deleted and then deported where is the data the congress claims ghuspaitiyas is a convenient
11:43bogey to justify the deletion of 13 crore voters the union home minister was unrelenting in his attacks
11:52on the congress he called out the congress in particular and the opposition in general accusing
11:58them of opposing the special intensive revision of the electoral rolls not to protect genuine voters
12:03but to shield the ghuspaitiyas to shield infiltrators he said the nation will no longer fall for the
12:11opposition's alleged ploy and that the congress is opposing the sir to protect its vote bank amit shah
12:20invoked the supreme court's monitoring of the sir process and cited percentages of alleged infiltrators
12:27infiltrators detected in different phases he spoke of 30 percent 20 15 and 11 of infiltrators
12:38being weeded out of the system amit shah's attacks then moved from sir to rahul gandhi's political
12:46leadership he in fact went on to predict another congress defeat in 2029 he actually asked rahul
12:54gandhi to introspect he argued that bjp's victories reflect not only the people's trust in prime minister
13:00narendra modhi but also the public rejection of rahul gandhi's leadership and the congress party and
13:07opposition's claims the political context of amit shah's attack is difficult to ignore the congress
13:14has struggled to retain power or in some instances regain power across several states and let me
13:23get you some data that the bjp the union home minister amit shah and facts put out so tamil nad
13:32tamil nad for 59 years has not had a congress-led government though they've been a part of the
13:40government with post-pol coalition with vijay's tvk in tamil nad but the congress has not headed the
13:46government in tamil nad since 1967 west bengal the number is 49 years uttar pradesh 37 years no congress
13:58government leading uttar pradesh in the past 37 years in bihar for the past 36 years in tripura for 33
14:06years
14:06gujarat for 31 years and the national capital delhi where sheila deekshir formed one government after the other
14:15for three terms one after the other 15 years but then 13 years since the congress last governed delhi for
14:24a
14:24party that once dominated india's political landscape these are some sobering numbers but is the issue special
14:33political intensive revision of the electoral rolls from tamil nad to tripura to gujarat to delhi the question is not
14:41merely why congress has lost power in these states it is why it has struggled for decades to regain power
14:49to rebuild a
14:50winning organization in so many of these states and all of this before sir the national election numbers however tell
14:58a more
14:58nuanced story now according to assembly polls tally again we're putting that out on your television
15:02screen congress recorded 17 wins against 60 losses and this is between 2014 and 2026 17 wins and 60
15:14assembly losses in loksa by elections congress won 44 seats in 2014 all this is pre-gyanesh kumar rose to
15:2352
15:24in 2019 again pre-gyanesh kumar 2024 the congress actually soared to 99 so imagine in 10 years from 44
15:35in 2014 it soared to
15:3799 and the congress was actually celebrating 99 in 2024 but now it's talking about vote jury so there is
15:46a recovery from
15:56so yes the party has shown signs of revival in national politics but translating that into recovery into consistent
16:04electoral victories across state elections remains a challenge for the congress the bjp says that's the reason
16:11because the congress cannot win elections under rahul gandhi they choose to blame instead of rahul gandhi
16:17the sir or the election commission year on year record gives you another perspective congress suffered
16:24repeated setbacks through much of this period with particular difficult years 2016 2020 2022 and of course
16:332025 2025 is when gyanesh kumar became the chief election commissioner there are also important
16:41breakthroughs victories victories for example in 2018 and in 2023 and the parties improved loksa by tally
16:48in 2024 so the record is neither of uninterrupted defeat nor uninterrupted victory but it does reveal
16:55a persistent problem for the congress party it struggled to turn individual victories into sustained electoral
17:03momentum across states the congress now chooses to blame the sir and the cec but the problem perhaps
17:12does the congress need to look within as the home minister suggests and that brings us to the sir
17:18confrontation amit shah says congress must prepare for a 2029 route congress responds by telling the bjp
17:26to worry about surviving 2029 on its own amit shah accuses the congress of using the special intensive
17:33revision as a shield to protect infiltrators congress counters that the deletion of 13 crore names
17:39does not mean 13 crore infiltrators deleted from the system amit shah says congress was losing elections
17:46even before sir became an issue congress alleges the election commission has been reduced to a puppet in
17:51the hands of the prime minister the home minister and the rashtriya swayam sevak sangh sar sangh chalak
17:59so as amit shah invokes what he calls is jhoot ki goonj congress now raises the question of the jhoot
18:08about
18:09infiltrators they ask identify how many identified how many deleted and how many deported now that's another
18:18political angle to this confrontation the police action that followed in delhi for example congress
18:24leaders took to the streets not only against the sir and remember you had karnataka chief minister dk
18:30shiv kumar marching alongside rahul gandhi as you see in these pictures but let's contrast this the other
18:36picture that you see on your television screen is from bengaluru october 10 saw police detained more
18:42than 100 demonstrators in karnataka according to information on your screens as you look at that
18:48look at the story in delhi they march and hit out at the police in karnataka the police arrests
18:56protesters in the name of sir it's the same story in chinnai in delhi the congress slammed police action
19:03in chinnai protesters were arrested on october 10 the opposition has has every right to question
19:08the government the electoral process but then protests must remain peaceful equally any allegation
19:15of wrongful detention or selective enforcement of law must also be examined we will debate all of this
19:20but first to set the tone for this debate listen in to the war of words
19:27and i want to tell you that rahul gandhi ji sir ke bahanen ghus pethi aap bachanen ka aap ki
19:38jo kari yodna
19:39hai usko dyes ki janta bhali bhaanti samachukhi hai aur abh bharat ki janta aap ke jansse mein
19:48gara aanen waari nahi nahi hain na hai hai hir sahir nahi rahul ji ji ar unkae saath yor ko
19:52mein eh bhi bata na chaatahun ka 29 meh phracannd har ke liye phis eek bar man banali ji jay
20:00doh 209 ke am chunao me ndi a pracannd bhahumat ke saath jit kar ane waala hai aur congress ki
20:08is going to be the same time, the fourth time is going to be the same time.
20:13This country is going to be the same as Narendra Modi Ji, BJP and NDA.
20:21You can't do this.
20:23This is Hindustan.
20:24This is a good way to see it.
20:27Here is a Hindu, a Muslim, a Muslim, a Shri, a Shri, a push.
20:32This is a protest.
20:34This protest is Hindustan's voice, and you are standing on it.
20:38The Pradhan Mantri Ji is standing on it.
20:41I will promise you.
20:43Don't be standing on it.
20:44Do not stand on it.
20:45There is no standing on it.
20:49People who have surgery the whole system,
20:53the continuous movement's actually become aized center.
20:56Our lutaya was against each other.
20:59And people will fight.
21:00And in the end, this will not be done.
21:21How many Guspaitiyas have been deported?
21:24Now I want you to look at some of the images that we are putting out on your television
21:27screens.
21:28These are from last year in November when the SIR process started in Bengal, November
21:342025.
21:35This is the India-Bangladesh border.
21:38These images are important.
21:40These images will show you Bangladeshis going back.
21:45As the special intensive revision of the electoral roll started on the 4th of November 2025, crowds
21:52of Bangladeshis, as you see in these images, they were seen waiting at the Hakeempur border
21:58not 24 Perganas, many with their belongings waiting to go back.
22:03Now how do we know they are Bangladeshis?
22:05They themselves say so and on camera and not today, but in November 2025.
22:11The BSF had then in writing reported a sharp spike in such exodus or movement back into
22:19Bangladesh.
22:19Many of them who are going back, India today spoke to them.
22:23Journalists on ground spoke to them.
22:25They said they had voted in elections, they had some documents, they had voter identity
22:31card, but now that information was being cross-checked and cross-verified, they knew they would be
22:38caught out and they didn't want to spend years in detention centers.
22:42That's why they were going back on their own.
22:44The authorities that time said, this is reverse exodus.
22:48India today spoke to some of them.
22:51You listen in, you decide.
23:03You say that they had crossed over the border from Dhama Khali, another place in North 24 Perganas,
23:15and they did not have visa, they illegally entered the Indian territory.
23:21They, he has casted his mandate in India thrice, as he said.
23:44Well, what she claims that after this process of implementation of SIRR began, they were told
23:50by people in the neighborhood that if they could not produce a proper documentation establishing
23:55their citizenship here in India, then they would be taken into custody.
24:01And keeping that in mind, they are now attempting to flee back to Bangladesh.
24:06So, let's now throw it open for a free, frank and fearless debate on facts.
24:11Joining me on India first, Pradeep Bhandari, national spokesperson of the BJP, Priyanka Kakkar,
24:16national spokesperson of the Congress party, Ashutosh and Rajat Sethi, two very well-respected
24:22political analysts, welcome.
24:24Pradeep Bhandari, opposition says Ghuspaitia is a bogey.
24:28He gave us details, were 13 crore names deleted all of Ghuspaitia's, Jairam Ramesh says, how
24:34many Ghuspaitia's detected, deleted and deported, sir?
24:42Gaurav, you've also been on the ground and multiple people from your channel have also
24:46been on the ground and let me, you've shown visuals of how people who illegitimately had
24:52entered the Indian border through Bangladesh were going back after the SIRR process has
24:58started.
24:58So, in principle, everybody knows that the Congress party had mushroomed an ecosystem
25:03where they were giving fake Aadhaar cards to individuals who were illegal infiltrators.
25:08Now, this is why if you go down and deep on the 13 crore number, what does the 13 crore
25:13number say and I will quote it, 2.8 crore dead or diseased.
25:16So who was voting on the name of these 2.8 crore dead or diseased?
25:20They were absolutely, some of them would be illegal infiltrators, some can be some other
25:24forged voters.
25:25One crore were duplicate or enrolled voters elsewhere but the voting was still taking place.
25:29Who was voting in their number?
25:316.3 crore were permanently shifted and roughly 3 crore were absent or not found.
25:36So when all of this is the breakdown of the data and still that vote was going on, it is
25:41but natural that a large chunk of this vote was illegal infiltrators and large chunk of
25:45these votes were repeated infiltrators or illegal infiltrators who were given 3 or 4 Aadhaar
25:49cuts.
25:49All of this has been stopped.
25:51Along with that also, Gaurav, 2.8 crore new voters have been added.
25:54This is why if you see that net submission does not change.
25:57But the fact that these numbers have come down reflects that the illegal infiltrators
26:01which were masquerading with Indian voter ID card and Aadhaar card have been shelved out.
26:07And every individual who believes in Indian constitution and article 324 which says that not a single
26:12ineligible voter should be allowed to vote should welcome it.
26:16So I question to the opposition, why are you backing the dead voters?
26:19Why are you backing the disease voters permanently shifted?
26:22That is the biggest assault on the Indian constitution and be the people of India that you are doing.
26:28Respond if dead voters are being weaned out of the system.
26:32Where is the problem?
26:33Amit Shah also put out some other facts in public domain.
26:36Congress not being in power in Tamil Nadu for close to 60 years post 1967.
26:41Bengal 49 years, UP 37 years, Bihar 36 years.
26:45All of this long before SIR and Gyanesh Kumar.
26:53A good evening Gaurav to you and your viewers.
26:55Gaurav, it is very important to ask, when did they ever have a CM in Tamil Nadu, in Andhra Pradesh,
27:05in Telangana, in Punjab?
27:06You know you can look at numbers in any ways.
27:08It took them 27 years to form a government in Delhi and 46 years even at their peak to form
27:15a government in West Bengal.
27:16All that speaks a lot. They are nowhere to be seen in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the southern states.
27:21So, and BJP, abhi 12 saal se satta mein hai hai, they should not be so arrogant about it, you
27:27know.
27:27And once Gyanesh Kumar is ousted, Congress is going to win all elections.
27:32And I don't understand, abhi bhi Pradeep Bhandari ji, he gave a list, a so-called breakup of the 13
27:38crore people.
27:39But he is saying that even 13 names of infiltrators is not mentioned because that has to be assumed.
27:45But I am surprised their own government doesn't have any such data.
27:48I am surprised that the Home Minister is again showing his incompetence after so many years.
27:55He doesn't have one single ghus pethe ka naam.
27:58I remember the visuals that you showed on your channel previously.
28:01These were the same visuals that Suvendhu Adhikari at the time through the media was playing that Suvendhu Adhikari gave
28:08a speech.
28:09And after seven days, everyone just left West Bengal.
28:13If that is the case, why don't you make Suvendhu Adhikari the PM or the Home Minister, maybe Guzpatias will
28:18go.
28:18Because you are going on about this rhetoric.
28:20Pradeep Bhandari wants to respond to you.
28:22And I can tell you this.
28:22Now, I'll give you one more example.
28:24Gaurav, one more thing.
28:26Now, what are they doing?
28:27They have said that you have to add the UP.
28:30In UP, the BJP ministers have given a diktat that every worker has to add 200 votes on each booth.
28:39There are 1.77 lakh booths in Uttar Pradesh.
28:42How will they get these 4 crore people?
28:44Are these same ghusped here who will now be transferred?
28:46Mr. Bhandari is just putting out something called fake news.
28:50Sir, before I bring in Ashutosh and Rajat, sir, what is this fake news that you allege?
28:55Because on India today, we verify everything, but go ahead.
28:57What is this fake news that you claim?
29:02The fake news which Priyanka Kakkar just said that the Bharatiya Janta Party,
29:08which she quoted on the Uttar Pradesh, is an absolute...
29:10She is saying that quote-unquote illegal infiltrators are not saying that we have said that we have to add
29:15them.
29:15Nothing is happening.
29:16Where is she quoting?
29:16What is she quoting?
29:17And is she saying that the Indian Today reporters which went on the ground are lying?
29:21Let's be natural and logical.
29:22Let me give you another data, Gaurav.
29:24Are you seeing this?
29:25This was the BJP strike rate in 2019, which was 92% vis-à-vis Congress Party.
29:31It was 71% vis-à-vis the Congress Party in 2024.
29:35There was no CEC there.
29:37And still the Congress could increase its strike rate.
29:40Maharashtra and Haryana, the Bharatiya Janta Party won.
29:43There was no CEC, the current CEC there.
29:46Delhi elections is where the Bharatiya Janta Party won.
29:49The current CEC came into February.
29:51And all these for 60 years you have not been into power in Tamil Nadu.
29:54For Bihar you have not got a chief minister.
29:56In Uttar Pradesh, 1989 you have not got a single chief minister.
29:59None of the current CEC is there.
30:01And the CEC does not take any unilateral decision.
30:04Let me get Ashutosh to respond.
30:06That's a pertinent point you raised, sir.
30:07By the two of the election commissioners, majority of it.
30:09So, the problem is inside Rahul Gandhi and the Gandhi-Wadra family.
30:12That's the only truth.
30:14I know Ashutosh will defend the Congress.
30:17That's a separate issue altogether.
30:18No, but maybe he won't.
30:20Maybe he won't.
30:21If the current CEC was the problem, if the current CEC was the problem, how did the Congress lose Maharashtra
30:28and Haryana in Delhi elections?
30:30And how could the Congress party even increase its strike rate before that?
30:34Please tell me how two opposite scenarios happened without the current CEC.
30:48Mr. Amit Shah said, let's say in the instance of Gujarat, he's listing out even sthanyan nikai chunav, as they
30:54say, or local body elections.
30:56He says, take for example, Gujarat, Congress out of power for 31 years, Delhi 13 years, Tripura 33 years.
31:02Why blame SIR or Gyanesh Kumar, who only came to the scene in 2024-2025 in EC and as CEC,
31:09sir?
31:11See, Gaurab, BJP spokesperson are suffering from Ashutosh phobia.
31:15Yeah. So before I could enter into the discussion, my name was dropped.
31:20Anyway.
31:21See, I think what Amit Shah was saying...
31:24We love you.
31:25We love you.
31:26I love you too.
31:28I know I love you too.
31:29Okay, so let's move beyond this love fest.
31:31Go on, Ashutosh.
31:33See, what Amit Shah was saying was telling the half-truth.
31:37You know, the four biggest loser of the BJP leaders, I'll take their names.
31:44Shama Prasad Mukherjee.
31:45How many elections he has won as a president?
31:48Deendee Alupadhyay.
31:50He lost his own election in 1963.
31:53Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
31:54Contested from three, lost all.
31:56One.
31:58Lalkis Adwani.
31:59From 1952 to 1989, BJP could not win even a single state election.
32:07Okay.
32:07Imagine.
32:09And in 1984, they got only two.
32:13The point being...
32:14And the biggest number was in 1989 when they got 85.
32:18Okay.
32:19Just imagine.
32:20In politics, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.
32:25If you...
32:25But did Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Shama Prasad Mukherjee, Lalkrishna Adwani, did any one of them blame the election commission for
32:34their losses?
32:36I tell you.
32:37So, Lalkrishna Adwani had an issue with the EVM.
32:39I tell you.
32:39I tell you.
32:40And the VVPAT system that was introduced.
32:43But...
32:43I tell you.
32:44I tell you.
32:44Okay.
32:44Your point being...
32:45Gauru, let me come back to you.
32:47Go on, sir.
32:47Balraj Madhok was a great leader of Jansang.
32:51Firebrand leader.
32:52In 1971.
32:55In 1971, he accused Indra Gandhi that he has bought inks from Russia.
33:02And anybody who's putting that on the fingers, it disappears.
33:09This was Balraj Madhok.
33:10What Balraj Madhok was saying then, Congress is saying now.
33:13Sir, because I quickly want you to bring in our other guests.
33:16Gauru, let me complete.
33:17Indra Gandhi's vote chodi was called out by the Alaban.
33:21Gauru, Gauru, Gauru, I didn't interrupt anybody.
33:22This is why she had imposed emergency.
33:23Gauru, I did not interrupt anybody.
33:25Okay.
33:26I did not interrupt anybody.
33:27Please, have a submission.
33:28Pradeep wants to respond.
33:29Good, go on.
33:29Complete your point, sir, briefly.
33:30Sir, brevity was always your forte.
33:32In 2009, when BJP lost badly, Lalkrishna Adwani held a press conference in Bangalore.
33:39Their member of parliament wrote a book on this.
33:42Yes.
33:42Adwani wrote a foreword of this.
33:44They went to the Supreme Court.
33:46Now, what should I see?
33:48What should I say?
33:49Was Lalkis Adwani a small leader?
33:52No.
33:53I have a tremendous respect for Shama Prasad, Bukharji, Deendial Upadhyay,
33:57and Atal Vyari Vajpi, and Lalkis Adwani, and Bandaj Bado.
34:00You know what has become the political culture to demean, disrespect, insult, intimidate.
34:09This is the new political culture.
34:11Nobody, nobody from the Congress had ever, ever insulted Atal Vyari Vajpi, Lalkis Adwani,
34:17Deendial Upadhyay, Shama Prasad, Dukharji, and Bandaj Bado for losing an election.
34:22And they were the eternal losers.
34:24Let me compete again.
34:25They were the eternal losers.
34:28Sir, but today's question is something else, but be that as it may, Pradeep Bhandari wants
34:34to respond before I bring in Rajat.
34:36Pradeep, go on, sir.
34:39Well, Ashutosh ji has forgotten that Indra Gandhi's electoral malpractice was called out
34:43by the Allahabad High Court.
34:45This is why she imposed emergency, because if she had not imposed emergency, she had to
34:48step down as the Prime Minister.
34:50That was by the judgment of the court.
34:53She was the only person whose entire electoral malpractice was caused.
34:56And despite we losing for 60-70 years, we did not drain the Indian democracy.
35:00This tells you how much faith we had.
35:01Again, misquoting Mr. Lalkis Adwani, because after the election commission addressed the
35:05concerns of Mr. Lalkis Adwani, he said that all our concerns have been addressed and we
35:10are completely satisfied with the entire process.
35:12So, yes, we raised doubt, but once the constitutional body gives a specification and a clarification,
35:18we believe in the judgment of the court.
35:20We believe in the electoral machinery.
35:22This is what you are in filth.
35:23You have yourself, Ashito, said that how democratic we are and how undemocratic the Congress is.
35:29Because Congress has not shown a single proof.
35:31In October, Rahul was saying that he will come with a plethora of proof against the Indian
35:34electoral voting machine, against the SIR.
35:37Now he says that it is the others who have to prove that there is no vote showery.
35:40Good point.
35:41Stay with me, Pradeep.
35:42Before I bring in Rajat, Rajat, apologies.
35:44Priyanka Kakar, you want to quickly respond?
35:46Because the President has asked for proof.
35:48Supreme Court is seeking proof.
35:51Quickly, Priyanka Kakar, let's keep the ball rolling quickly, sir.
35:54Quick intervention, Priyanka Kakar.
35:55I think, Gaurav, anybody who follows Indian politics, it is very clear that the vote showery happens.
36:02You know, recently the EVMs in the Haryana Panchayat, the EVMs were called to the Supreme Court
36:07and the results are overturned.
36:09Imagine, the High Court recently said that Haryana Chunao, please release the CCTVs,
36:15please receive the CCTVs at the time of counting and the Election Commission hasn't complied yet.
36:19Even today, there was a matter where the Election Commission is saying they've lost the record.
36:23What does this point to?
36:24There were also, we saw what happened with Anil Masih.
36:27We also saw that everyone is seeing how they're repeatedly,
36:30and now this new, the chores have evolved the new system of vote chorey.
36:34They already delete the votes which they know people are, because there's so much...
36:38Pradeep Bhandari wants to quickly respond.
36:40Pradeep, you want to quickly respond?
36:41There's so much technology available today that you can easily...
36:43Pradeep.
36:45Thank you, Chalai.
36:46Okay, okay, he's leaving.
36:47Rajat, you want to take this question, because the Congress and the opposition bloc say
36:52this narrative of vote chorey has gone across the nation,
36:56and they're giving instances of what the Congress claims is vote chorey.
37:02You know, we have had ad nauseum debate on this topic.
37:04You know, at the end of the day, it's only word salad.
37:07Beyond that, if you have to go, there has to be a neutral arbiter on this issue,
37:12whether there is vote chorey or not.
37:13That can potentially be the Supreme Court, but you will have to respect that institution
37:19instead of trying to drag the Chief Justice of our country onto the streets for street-level petty politics.
37:25Now, the Congress Party and the remaining opposition will have to take a call,
37:29because, see, you cannot carry on with this day in and day out,
37:32just with the hope that something...
37:34I'm going to throw some mud and something is going to stick on the walls.
37:37It will not.
37:38I agree with the opposition when they say that it is the principal responsibility of the MHA
37:42to weed out all illegal immigrants.
37:45Therefore, all the opposition leaders should come out and support the NRC.
37:49There is no other way in order to do this exercise.
37:52They should, therefore...
37:53Ashutosh, you want to quickly respond?
37:54They should generally have that thing in their mind.
37:56They should come out fully and entirely in support of the NRC activity.
37:59These are the ones who are doing...
38:00Let's have a National Register of Indian citizens,
38:04so that you know who's a Guzpatia, who's a Bangladeshi.
38:07But even when the government does a CAA,
38:09which is an electoral promise,
38:11opposition creates a bogey.
38:13There's a bogey created in this country
38:15that Indian Muslims will lose their citizenship
38:17and we have rights in Delhi.
38:19Ashutosh.
38:20See, Gaurav, the only place where the Guzpatias had been identified
38:25after a proper inquiry and check
38:27was Assam.
38:29You know, 16 lakhs have already been identified as Guzpatias.
38:35Out of 16 lakhs, 7 lakhs are Muslims
38:38and the rest are the Gurkhas and the Hindus.
38:40Now tell me, how many of them have been deported till now?
38:44Even not 1%.
38:45Not 1%.
38:46So forget about...
38:47See, basically the intent of the government
38:50is not to send these Guzpatias to Bangladesh and other places.
38:53Intent is to politicize, polarize,
38:56create Islamophobia and get votes.
38:59That's a...
38:59No, but if Bangladeshis are to be sent back,
39:01how does it create Islamophobia?
39:03I don't understand...
39:04I'm telling you.
39:04If you're sending Gohingyas back or Bangladesh is back,
39:08why this bogey of Islamophobia?
39:15This government has been so inefficient that a few of them were sent back to Bangladesh and finally the court
39:24has said,
39:25take them out.
39:26They are the legitimate Indians.
39:28Oh, absolutely.
39:28Every illegal has been sent out.
39:30You know, you have started this program by showing the Hakeempur border and what is happening.
39:35No opposition person wants to actually talk about how did they come in.
39:39And they voted for three, four times.
39:42It was Abhishek Manu Singhvi who said that there are more than 50 lakh illegal voters.
39:46The Congress spokesperson himself used to say there are 50 lakhs.
39:49Let me tell you, 2004, the sitting Minister of State of Home Affairs from the Congress government,
39:56the newly formed Congress government, on the floor of the House,
39:58he said two crore illegal migrants are there.
40:00But the Home Minister said that.
40:01But this government of those days and the current opposition parties,
40:06which is the principal one is Congress,
40:07they have zero incentive in actually weeding out this.
40:10They will go to any extent to ensure that there is no SIR process,
40:14there is no NRC process and keep on creating this boogie
40:18that this is all anti-constitutional and all of that.
40:21Priyanka, you want to quickly respond before I bring in Ashutosh?
40:24Priyanka, you want to quickly respond?
40:26Because there has been a relentless campaign.
40:28Yes, yes.
40:31Okay, Ashutosh, 30 seconds, Priyanka, then I'm coming to you, sir.
40:3430 seconds, Priyanka, then I'm coming to you, sir.
40:36So, Rajat Sethi also acknowledges that the top leaders in opposition parties
40:43have also called for weeding out infiltrate as well.
40:45That is agreed.
40:46But at the same time, he also has to see that BJP ministers like Hardeep Puri,
40:50they officially tweet, tag the PMO and inform the world
40:54that they are more ghuspaitiyo ko Dilli mein ghar denge.
40:57Ajay Bhalla, who was the then Home Secretary,
40:59he went to Supreme Court and sought citizenship.
41:02And then the Supreme Court had to say how many citizenship do you want to give
41:05when Indians don't have enough resources for them.
41:09So, really these questions have to be asked of the BJP.
41:12How long will you play on this narrative and do nothing about it
41:15and always use it during elections
41:17and always use these very people to make your vote bank perhaps?
41:21BJP has a lot to answer.
41:23Okay.
41:24Rajat, you want to quickly respond?
41:25Because as an analyst, your take on this?
41:30Every time BJP wants to do it only around elections.
41:33When was their election in 2020?
41:352019, BJP had already handsomely won the election
41:38and they then called out the entire exercise
41:41that they want to go about cleaning up the entire country's national register of citizens.
41:45I am telling Rajat Sethi of BJP ministers who have acknowledged that they are settling in some situation.
41:50For once, can we all agree, the SIR process was to ensure
41:55that there are no duplicate voters, no dead voters
41:57and absolutely identify people who have dubious intent
42:01who are not the citizens of this country.
42:03So, now this will be decided perhaps by courts of law.
42:06My apologies for having to cut short this debate.
42:09It's 8.40 already.
42:11And there's a big story that I have on the other side.
42:13Ashutosh, Priyanka and Rajat, as always, many thanks for joining me.
42:17A quick, quick break.
42:19On the other side, it's death sentence for the two who murdered the woman's husband,
42:26cut his body into pieces and put it in a blue drum and put cement on top.
42:31It's the rarest of the rare, but will it deter other murderers?
42:36Details coming up.
42:38Big verdict in the Merat blue drum murder investigations.
42:41Merat court has sentenced the two convicts, Muskan Rastogi and her friend, Sahil Shukla.
42:48They've been sentenced to death for the murder of Muskan's husband, Saurabh Rajput,
42:53in a case that had shocked the nation.
42:55Before pronouncing the sentence, the judge, according to the lawyer,
42:59invoked the Mahabharat and made a pointed observation,
43:04to give a verdict of punishment is also justice.
43:11Punishment is part of dharma.
43:13The verdict comes after a 13-month long speary trial,
43:16126 hearings and examination of 22 witnesses by the prosecution.
43:21The court convicted both the accused on the 30th of September.
43:24They were found guilty, not just of murder,
43:26but criminal conspiracy and destruction of evidence
43:29after the prosecution argued that Saurabh's body was not only cut into three pieces,
43:34then concealed in a blue drum and cement was filled in layers
43:40so that no foul smell would emanate.
43:43And the conspiracy was then to throw the drum,
43:46but then the two went on a holiday with the husband's phone
43:51in an attempt to show people that he was still alive.
43:53The death sentence, will it end in execution
43:57or will it be overturned by a superior court into a life in prison?
44:03Or, of course, they have appeals, commutations, judicial reviews.
44:07There are many aspects that will be discussed now.
44:10I have two very strong guests with strong points of view
44:14on this special broadcast.
44:16I have Dr. Vikram Singh,
44:17former Director General of the Uttar Pradesh Police,
44:19and Colin Gonsalves, Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court.
44:22Dr. Vikram Singh,
44:24the Honourable Judge said,
44:26Dand bhi dharm hai,
44:28quoting the Mahabharat.
44:30In your view, sir,
44:31is this justice?
44:33Will this debtor further crime?
44:36Good evening, Gaurav Ji.
44:37Good evening, respected Colin, sir.
44:38This is indeed justice
44:40and served very appropriately in 13 months.
44:43Bina Dand ke Rajyadikar nahi chalta hai.
44:46And to show any iota,
44:47even an iota of mercy
44:48to Muskaan and Sahil
44:50would be a miscarriage of justice.
44:52I know they have their own rights.
44:54They will go into appeal also.
44:55But I strongly feel
44:57that I have seldom seen
44:58such cold-blooded, deliberate murder
45:01arising out of lust and greed.
45:04And the manner in which they destroyed evidence
45:06goes to show
45:06how really diabolical
45:08and what calculating minds they had.
45:10And they went overboard
45:11and ran the extra mile
45:13to conceal the evidence
45:14and also misguide the police
45:16by using the mobile phone
45:18and also put the police out of track
45:20because this is the level of depravity
45:23of Muskaan and Sahil
45:24that they're fully aware
45:25and thanks to the OTT platforms
45:27that guides them
45:28and in fact
45:29changes the wiring of the mind
45:31of such deviance.
45:32That's a very important point
45:34you raise on OTT.
45:35I'll come to that in just a moment.
45:37But Colin Gonsalves,
45:38in your appreciation, sir,
45:40does this fall in the category
45:41of rarest of rare
45:43or have there been other instances
45:45of spouses and friends
45:49slash lovers
45:50marrying the other,
45:51murdering the other spouse?
45:53Does this warrant
45:54the harshest punishment?
45:57Well, let me start by saying
45:59that I agree with my colleague
46:00on the panel
46:01in terms of the brutality
46:03of the crime.
46:06But I have a feeling
46:07that the Superior Court
46:08will not uphold
46:10the death sentence
46:11because despite the brutality,
46:14it might not meet the standard.
46:16In fact, I think
46:18it will certainly not meet
46:19the standard.
46:21And why do you say that, sir?
46:26And that's because
46:27diabolical crimes in India
46:29are not uncommon.
46:31And the Supreme Court
46:32is generally
46:34giving the death sentence
46:36only in very,
46:38like we say,
46:39rarest of the rare
46:40and common parlance.
46:41It could be
46:42a very extreme case.
46:44Now, a wife and a boyfriend
46:46getting together
46:47and killing her husband
46:48is not a very uncommon
46:50occurrence in this country.
46:52So, I respect the opinion
46:55of my colleague
46:55on the panel
46:56and he may turn out
46:57to be correct.
46:59Okay.
46:59But my guess is that
47:00it will be commuted
47:02to life.
47:04Dr. Vikram Singh,
47:05does this...
47:06It will be
47:07or in the extreme.
47:09Yes.
47:09It will be commuted
47:10to life until death.
47:12Life until death
47:13in prison.
47:14Dr. Vikram Singh,
47:15in your view
47:15and since you've been
47:16DGP of Uttar Pradesh
47:18for over four decades,
47:19a police officer
47:20for over four decades.
47:21You've served
47:22in Uttar Pradesh
47:22for long.
47:23Does this fall
47:24into the category
47:25of rarest of rare
47:26and, sir,
47:27is death sentence
47:28actually a deterrent
47:29for future crimes?
47:32Very much, Gaurav ji.
47:33I respect and salute
47:34the wisdom
47:34of my esteemed
47:35co-panelist,
47:37respected
47:37Colleen Consolvis, sir.
47:39And I would say,
47:39yes,
47:40that it is indeed
47:41the rarest of the rare
47:42but the Supreme Court
47:44in its wisdom
47:44may not approve
47:45of the death penalty
47:46but it is a major deterrent.
47:48All those lovebirds
47:50who think
47:50are smitten by love
47:51and by lust
47:52also would be deterred
47:54because this is one thing
47:55that everybody,
47:56not only in UP
47:56but in the country
47:57and I went to the U.S. recently,
47:59they were talking
48:00of the Nila drum murder.
48:01Nila drum murder
48:02is something that
48:03has indeed shocked
48:04the conscience
48:04of the nation
48:05and therefore,
48:06I would say
48:06in my own small way
48:08that this is the rarest
48:09of the rare case
48:10to kill the wife
48:11and the boyfriend
48:12killing the husband
48:13is one thing.
48:14It happens very commonly
48:15as Mr. Gonsalves
48:16has said
48:16but the manner
48:17in which the body
48:18was hacked
48:18chapped to pieces
48:19and also to conceal
48:21the evidence
48:21and to derail
48:22the investigation
48:23that again falls
48:24in the rarest
48:25of the rare cases.
48:26I have handled
48:26criminals of all varieties
48:27also anti-national ailment
48:29but this is something
48:30that is very,
48:31very different.
48:32Okay.
48:33Colin Gonsalves,
48:34is this rarest of rare
48:36in terms of
48:36not the murder
48:37as you and Dr. Vikram Singh
48:39both pointed out
48:40that there have been
48:41many instances
48:41of,
48:43you know,
48:43a spouse
48:44and a lover
48:44killing the other spouse
48:46but the manner
48:47in which evidence
48:48or the mortal remains
48:50they sought to conceal
48:51and destroy
48:52that makes it
48:53rarest of rare
48:54and perhaps may not
48:55fall in the category
48:56and on the second point,
48:57sir,
48:57does a death sentence
48:59debtor future crime?
49:02Well,
49:03on the second point,
49:04let me say
49:05there is a lot
49:06of material,
49:07academic material
49:08to demonstrate
49:10that the death sentence
49:11is not really
49:12a deterrent.
49:14Now,
49:15people have very
49:15strong views
49:17in one way
49:18or the other
49:19but there is
49:20an enormous amount
49:21of material
49:22that the death sentence
49:24is not a deterrent
49:25at all
49:27and as far as
49:28the second point
49:29that you make
49:30is quite valid
49:31that the actual
49:33act of murder
49:33may not have been
49:34very rarest
49:36of the rare
49:37but the way
49:37in which the body
49:38was disposed of
49:40was rarest
49:41of the rare
49:42but I doubt
49:43I have strong
49:45reservation
49:46and I think
49:47broadly
49:48the Supreme Court
49:49will commute
49:50to life.
49:52Sir,
49:52this was a speedy trend.
49:55The argument
49:55is either life
49:56or life until death
49:58and even there
49:59I think
50:00they will go
50:00in the direction
50:01of life
50:02which is 14 years.
50:03And not life
50:03until death
50:04in prison
50:05but Dr. Vikram Singh
50:07is it the delay
50:08from the initial
50:10conviction
50:10to the final
50:12process
50:13that final
50:13judicial process
50:14Superior Court
50:15Supreme Court
50:16Curative Petition
50:17Mercy Petition
50:18Presidential Pardon
50:19that needs to be
50:20curtailed
50:21for people
50:23to have it
50:24in current memory
50:25and not after
50:2630-40 years
50:27would that be a deterrent
50:28if there is a speedy
50:29trial all the way
50:30through?
50:31Absolutely
50:32justice delayed
50:33is justice denied
50:34and punishment
50:35if it is not swift
50:36is no punishment
50:37at all.
50:38It gets diluted
50:39over a period of time
50:40therefore if it is
50:41not swift
50:41and in absolute
50:43I wouldn't say
50:44urgency
50:44but in reasonable
50:45time
50:46I would say
50:46reasonable time
50:47then the entire
50:48sting of the
50:49punishment
50:50is taken out.
50:51Therefore I would
50:52say
50:52and the current
50:52BNSS
50:53incorporates
50:54and would ensure
50:56that right from
50:57the stage of
50:58FIR
50:59right up to
51:00the period of
51:00deal
51:00has been quantified
51:01and it is not
51:02anybody's liberty
51:03to take it
51:04for decades together.
51:06I do hope
51:06it works out
51:07back to it.
51:08Fair enough.
51:09I wish we had
51:11longer time
51:12for a detailed
51:12discussion
51:13because this is
51:13a very interesting
51:14topic that we
51:15shall continue
51:16to pursue.
51:16Colin Gonzalves
51:17Senior Advocate
51:18in the Supreme
51:19Court and Dr.
51:19Vikram Singh
51:20former DGPU
51:20Tar Pradesh
51:21for joining me
51:21here on
51:22India First.
51:23Many thanks.
51:24That is all I
51:24have for you
51:25on India First
51:25this evening.
51:26Many thanks for
51:27watching.
51:27News and updates
51:28continue on
51:28India today.
51:29Stay with us.