Newslaundry Podcast

This week on Hafta, Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri, Raman Kirpal, Manisha Pande, and Anand Vardhan are joined by diplomatic and foreign affairs expert Manoj Joshi. The Pahalgam terror attack was at the centre of the discussion, with the panel exploring various aspects of the incident, including security lapses, recent developments, India’s immediate diplomatic response, its potential long-term impact, and possible future measures India might take to handle the situation.Highlighting the severity of the attack, Manoj says, “This is happening for the first time in the past 20 years, where defenceless tourists have been attacked like this.” Remembering the Chittisinghpura Sikh massacre in Kashmir, Raman says, “The buildup of terror attacks has significantly changed over the past 24 years.” In light of Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir’s statements about the attack, Manoj comments, “There is an obvious split in the Pakistan Army after Munir’s appointment. The Pakistan Army has a tradition: whoever th

This week on Hafta, Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri, Raman Kirpal, Jayashree Arunachalam, and Shardool Katyayan are joined by senior journalist Nirmalya Mukherjee and NewsX editorial director Priya Sahgal. The panel first discusses communal unrest in West Bengal’s Murshidabad, where protests against the Waqf Amendment Act turned violent this week. Nirmalya says, “This is the first time that Bengal is going to face a situation where religion has become a very important issue.” On the West Bengal CM’s response to the violence, he says, “Mamata first blamed the riots as a Congress conspiracy. Then, the blame shifted to the BSF, and now [it’s an] international relations conspiracy.”“No riot can happen without the complicity of the state,” Jayashree notes.The panel then talks about Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi being named in the Enforcement Directorate’s chargesheet in the National Herald case. Raman says, “If you dissect the case, it’s extremely vague right now. And misappropriation doesn’t carry a str

This week on Hafta, Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri, Raman Kirpal, Manisha Pande, and Shardool Katyayan are joined by Semafor’s business reporter Rohan Goswami and political consultant and federalism expert Tara Krishnaswamy. On Trump’s flip-flop on tariffs and the escalating trade war with China, Rohan says: “Trump created tremendous panic. He got what he wanted. World leaders are calling and begging him... but a 90-day pause is not enough.” He highlights that, unlike the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2008 financial crisis, America’s current market chaos is a “self-inflicted situation”.Manisha analyses the common threads between Narendra Modi’s demonetisation policy and Trump’s tariffs. Shardool adds, “Trump is famous because he is funny. He should be made the TV-President because he understands TV best.”The panel also discusses the Supreme Court’s scathing remarks about the Tamil Nadu Governor earlier this week. Tara remarks,“The time has come to either define the Governor’s role – starting from appointmen

This week on Hafta, Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri, Raman Kirpal, and Manisha Pande are joined by The News Minute’s Sudipto Mondal and Supreme Court lawyer Talha Abdul Rahman.On the controversial Waqf Amendment Bill, passed in Parliament this week after long fiery debates, Talha says: “Every Waqf that is now created will have to register themselves with the central depository.” He adds that the statute is “a translation of a WhatsApp forward.”Sudipto questions the motivation behind bringing in the legislation and the manner in which it will be used. He says that the new bill will now “weaponise” bulldozer demolitions, which are increasingly becoming the norm. Manisha puts focus on the misinformation being spread in mainstream media about the bill. She mentions one anchor claiming that the new bill will ensure “no one can stop the Prime Minister’s plane from taking off because Waqf can no longer claim the airport.”The panel also discusses the student protests in University of Hyderabad against tree felli

This week on Hafta, Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri, Raman Kirpal, Jayashree Arunachalam, and Anand Vardhan are joined by comedian and screenwriter Anuvab Pal.The panel first discusses the Kunal Kamra controversy. Jayashree lays down the timeline of incidents and Abhinandan highlights the Supreme Court’s comments on free speech in the Imran Pratapgarhi case.Anuvab says: “We [comedians] take very special care of the names we mention, especially if the video is supposed to go up online…I don’t see any mobs in defense of Kunal Kamra – just the mobs that vandalised the venue in Mumbai.”“It’s always the sidekicks who want to please the master”, Anand remarks. “Now we know who the real Shiv Sena is!” says Jayashree on the vandalism by Eknath Shinde’s followers at The Habitat.The panel then digs into the mystery of burnt piles of cash found at Justice Yashwant Varma’s official residence last week and the subsequent inquiry into the matter. “There are too many inconsistencies in how it played out”, Jayashree say

This week on Hafta, Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri and Manisha Pande are joined by The News Minute’s Dhanya Rajendran and The Wire’s Seema Chishti.The panel first discusses the recent crackdown on pro-Palestine student protests in US campuses and deportation of two Indian students, Ranjani Srinivasan and Badar Khan Suri. Dhanya says, “Ranjani insisted that she was not a huge part of the protest, but Indian newspapers had already labeled her a Hamas supporter”.As the panel draws parallels between what is happening in the US and the clampdown on student protests in India, Manisha says: “I always thought that in American universities, despite their issues, there was a certain freedom to voice your opinions. For that to go away is quite something to see."Abhinandan then moves to discussing if the concept of patriotism can be considered primitive. He says: “Patriotism is love for your country, but your country may be pursuing values based on whichever government is in power. And that value system may not align wi

This week on Hafta, Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri, Manisha Pande, Raman Kirpal, Jayashree Arunachalam and Anand Vardhan are joined by writer and podcaster Amit Varma. The panel first discusses pre-Holi communal concerns, including a Sambhal cop saying Muslims should stay inside this Holi if they don’t want to be smeared with colour. Jayashree says communal provocations during Holi have become normal: “We have this delusional idea of Hindus and Muslims holding hands and celebrating Holi. But that is not the country we live in now.” Anand explains the history of Bhojpuri Holi songs and the evolution of vulgarity. “The sexualised space has been taken into account by the pop music industry for its titillation value…These songs were not always vulgar, some even represented female desire.”The panel then moves on to the controversies around the recently concluded Champions Trophy. Abhinandan says, “There was nothing offensive about the Indian team not wanting to go to Pakistan due to security issues. Loo

This week on Hafta, Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri, Manisha Pande, Raman Kirpal, and Anand Vardhan are joined by Dr Sumeet Mhaskar, professor of sociology at Jindal School of Government and Public Policy, and Ajoy Bose, veteran journalist and author of Behenji: The Rise and Fall of Mayawati.The panel first discusses the controversy triggered by Samajwadi Party legislator Abu Azmi’s remarks on Aurangzeb while addressing the Mughal emperor’s portrayal in the film Chhava.Sumeet provides historical context to the interpretation of Aurangzeb and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj’s legacies in Maharashtra. Explaining how they are shaped by competing narratives, he says: “Much more communalised interpretation is projected through movies, history textbooks, and plays”. The return of Aurangzeb to headlines shows that we are using the present to judge the past, rather than letting history inform our present, he notes.Commenting on Aurangzeb’s legacy, Manisha adds, “When you look at the Mughals, I would say Aurangzeb was th

This week on Hafta, Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri, Raman Kirpal, Jayashree Arunachalam, and Shardool Katyayan are joined by Nitin Pai, director of Takshashila Institution, and The News Minute’s  Shabbir Ahmed.The panel first discusses the inception and functioning of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) – a new department set up by the United States government and headed by tech billionaire Elon Musk.Nitin says the reason behind something like DOGE “is not just efficiency.” “The ideological reason is to create a government full of people who will act according to the rules of Donald Trump,” he says, adding that federal government employees were laid off en-masse to create fear and uncertainty in the minds of rank and file civil servants. On the importance of “small governments,” Shardool says that any system meant to be working fairly working for citizens will be complex. “Mandates given to governments are not for them to run in a fiscally efficient manner, but to run fairly and independ

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This week on Hafta, Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri, Manisha Pande, Raman Kirpal, Jayashree Arunachalam, and Anand Vardhan are joined by former Chief Election Commissioner Dr SY Quraishi and cartoonist Rachita Taneja. The show starts with a detailed discussion on the controversy surrounding the USAID funds allegedly released to “increase voter turnout in India” and an Indian Express fact-check that found that the said amount was meant for Bangladesh, never India.“The Election Commission is allergic to the thought of taking money from anyone outside India…We had enough funds and enough self-respect,” says Dr Quraishi, adding that he is also “very confident” about his successors.On Donald Trump cancelling USAID funding for several projects, Jayashree says, “What he’s doing is terrible…but there is a tendency to paint US aid as US generosity.” The US has used aid programs as part of its foreign policy, she points out.The panel then moves to discussing the midnight notification issued to appoint Gyanesh Kuma

This week on Hafta, Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri, Manisha Pande and Anand Vardhan are joined by The Caravan’s Hartosh Singh Bal and Delhi University professor Tanvir Aeijaz. The panel begins the show by discussing Narendra Modi’s meeting with Donald Trump which Manisha terms “a test of statecraft” for Modi. The discussion then moves to the Delhi election result, which saw the BJP returning to power after 27 years. “This is a new BJP. It has gained strength since the 2024 Lok Sabha elections,” says Hartosh. “...These elections were not fought on Modi’s back. The party now has organisational strength. Even if Modi falls to the wayside, it does not make a difference to the BJP.” As the panel discusses the AAP and Congress’s performance, Abhinandan says, “One thing BJP has pulled off well is that they won Delhi without a [chief ministerial] face.”Tanvir talks about the controversy surrounding the new UGC draft guidelines that give state governors a prominent role in selecting vice-chancellors. “This

This week on Hafta, Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri, Manisha Pande, Raman Kirpal and Anand Vardhan are joined by Supreme Court advocate Mihira Sood and journalist Govindraj Ethiraj.The panel discusses the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code in Uttarakhand. Mihira says, “There are many peculiarities of the law, but the strangest is that registration of live-in relationships is more cumbersome than a marriage…The penalty for not registering a marriage is nothing, but the penalty for not registering a live-in relationship can be imprisonment.” Commenting on the backlash to inter-faith relationships in the state in the recent past, Manisha adds, “What we know from newspaper reports is that registrations will be scrutinised by the Bajrang Dal…What the Uttarakhand government wants to do here is just police people who are living together.”On the new budget announced for 2025-26, Govindraj says there’s “nothing really landmark” in the budget but the “benefits offered to the middle class are a good thing”. “

This week on Hafta, Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri, Manisha Pande, Raman Kirpal and Shardool Katyayan are joined by senior advocate Indira Jaising and independent journalist Saurabh Sharma. The discussion starts with tax authorities axing The Reporters’ Collective’s non-profit status. Indira says the I-T department’s action against the investigative news outlet is part of a “strategic and calculated crackdown by the government on independent media and journalism”. She says everyone should stand up for the fundamental right of freedom of speech and expression and ensure it is not eroded.The panel also talks about the tragic stampede at the Mahakumbh in Prayagraj. Saurabh breaks down all that went wrong leading up to the tragedy. “There was absolute radio silence from the government for nearly 19 hours about how many people died,” he says. Saurabh adds that he believes the death toll is higher than the official government figure: “I went to the morgue and counted at least 59 bodies.” Raman blames Utt

This week on Hafta, Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri, Manisha Pande, Jayashree Arunachalam and Anand Vardhan are joined by author and political analyst Sanjaya Baru. The discussion begins with Donald Trump being sworn in as the 47th President of the United States of America. The panel analyses the fears of a second Trump presidency. “He will do a lot of damage, yes, but the fear of Trump is greatly exaggerated,” Sanjaya says, adding that India, and the world, historically, has shown the ability to withstand imperialist powers.  Jayashree adds, “Trump comes off as unhinged, but he is the essence of what America is like.” The panel also addresses the Indian media’s exaggeration of Foreign Minister S Jaishankar’s presence in the ‘front row’ at Trump’s swearing-in ceremony. Commenting on India-US relations, Manisha says, “The Joe Biden administration was kind to Narendra Modi’s administration…if Trump is not accommodative, it will affect BJP’s ‘vishwaguru’ politics domestically.”The panel also

This week on Hafta, Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri, Jayashree Arunachalam and Shardool Katyayan are joined by journalist Nidhi Razdan and economist and writer Vivek Kaul.The panel begins with the Delhi polls, and Abhinandan says the BJP’s USP is primarily centred around portraying Kejriwal as a horrible politician. Shardool points out that the BJP is “organisationally strong” but doesn’t have a face in Delhi. Nidhi talks about the AAP’s shortcomings and Kejriwal’s struggle to hold onto his image as an aam aadmi. She also says the Congress is entirely missing from the conversation.The conversation shifts to the current state of the media and the lack of accountability in newsrooms. Nidhi says, “Things that we thought were just shocking or immoral or unethical or unconstitutional – everything is being normalised. And part of the reason is because the media doesn’t ask difficult questions.”Vivek then unpacks the rupee falling against the dollar and its repercussions. He emphasises that this isn’t a crisis, sayi

This week on Hafta, Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri, Jayashree Arunachalam, and Manisha Pande are joined by author Amitava Kumar and academic Joyojeet Pal.The panel discusses Amitava’s new book The Green Book: An Observer’s Notebook, and Amitava explains the role that journaling plays in his life. “Journaling is a means of self-discovery and a tool to document our times. Personal narratives can preserve truths and challenge erasures of history,” he says. He also says journaling helps counteract misinformation since it’s “about creating a record that endures beyond fleeting news cycles”. Manisha adds that reading her own journals from her childhood “makes me cringe at times, but they’re a reminder of how far I’ve come”.The conversation shifts to Meta’s decision to terminate its fact-checking partnerships. Joyojeet warns, “Abandoning fact-checking opens the floodgates for radicalised communities to define their own truths.”Jayashree says, “ A lot of this is about changing things that are associated with li

This week on Hafta, Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri, Jayashree Arunachalam, Raman Kirpal and Shardool Katyayan are joined by The News Minute’s Pooja Prasanna.The panel begins with protests in Bihar against a ‘paper leak’ in the Bihar Public Service Commission preliminary exam. Jayashree explains, “The normalisation process for exams has been rejected outright by the BPSC, but it’s a standard procedure in other competitive exams.” Shardool emphasises systemic delays and negligence, stating, “Students are aging out of eligibility because of these recurring delays – it’s a vicious cycle.”The conversation turned to the lynching of a Muslim man in Moradabad over allegations of cow slaughter. Shardool calls it an “economic issue as well as a social issue” since “most victims of lynchings are from the lower economic strata, unable to defend themselves legally or socially”. Jayashree criticises the media’s reportage of such incidents: “We don’t report these as murders; they are contextualised as actions driven by all

This week, Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri, Manisha Pande and Raman Kirpal were joined by former Supreme Court judge Justice Madan Lokur and political journalist Neerja Choudhury.Neerja describes Dr Manmohan Singh, who died this week, as a “gentleman politician and a unifying figure” who will be remembered for his “decency in politics” and landmark contributions such as the RTI Act, MGNREGA, and the Indo-US nuclear deal. Justice Lokur says, “He was a great man and a great loss for the country.” Manisha reflects on the media’s role during Singh’s tenure, saying, “Back then, leaders were judged critically but fairly, without fear of retribution.”Abhinandan adds, “Manmohan Singh’s leadership taught us that decency is not a weakness but a strength in politics.”On the media and judicial accountability, Justice Lokur acknowledges the increased public scrutiny on courts. “There must be ways to check judges without undermining the institution,” he says, referencing the need for mechanisms beyond impeachment. Nee

This week, Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri, Manisha Pandey, and Jayashree Arunachalam were joined by parliamentary affairs expert and journalist Meghnad S. On the debate on the One Nation, One Election bill, Jayashree says that “the proposal reflects a strong anti-federalism stance.” She pointed out that while the bill may reduce costs, “it could strip states of their power”. Manisha says, “In terms of organising this it could be a mammoth task, especially with the inclusion of panchayat elections, making it an expensive exercise.” Abhinandan asks, “Is Modi the right leader to bring about such changes?”  The panel then discusses the row over scuffle in parliament between the opposition MPs and those in the governing parties. Meghnad says, “It's like a WWE match in Parliament.” Abhinandan questions its media coverage, “Do you feel any shame or guilt about the way you work? How do you face your children?” This and a lot more. Tune in!We have a page for subscribers to send letters to our show