Newslaundry Podcast

This week on NL Hafta, Newslaundry’s Abhinandan Sekhri, Raman Kirpal, Jayashree Arunachalam and Anand Vardhan are joined by author Tushar Gandhi. The conversation begins with Tushar recounting the police action against the silent march in Mumbai to commemorate the Quit India Movement, and the “insecurities” of the Maharashtra government. The panel divulges how a peaceful march is perceived as more dangerous by the state than one involving hate speech and people armed with weapons. The discussion stirs to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day speech, which Abhinandan views as “pale” and “a bit under confident” in comparison to his earlier speeches. “Even an Independence Day speech is not about the nation, it is about Modi’s electoral prospects,” says Tushar, while the panel highlights the significance of Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge’s absence from Independence Day celebrations at Red Fort as a mark of protest. Dwelling into the times of the independence movement, Tushar talks about hi