Days after Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar attended an event hosted by Isha Foundation chief and spiritual leader Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev in Coimbatore on Mahashivratri, state BJP took "he may be the Shinde of Congress" jibe at the grand old party.
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00:00Your body, your mind, everything, keep it aside.
00:05You are not a God, you are looking for all those things.
00:10Karnataka BJP's big statement on Deputy Chief Minister DKS.
00:19BJP's DKS may be Shinde of Congress Jai.
00:24It is correct, because it is showing the picture, real picture.
00:29It's a trailer, now it's a showing trailer.
00:33The picture is still remaining.
00:36DKS defence Sadhguru meet.
00:47Congress meltdown on DKS Sadhguru meet.
00:50Top focus at 5 live with Shivaru.
00:55And that is the big political story today,
00:57but I will be leading with another more pressing event,
01:01a big avalanche that has hit Uttarakhand
01:04and there is a race against time to rescue at least 41 workers
01:08who are trapped in the Himalayas.
01:10That is my lead story, but as always first, the headlines.
01:16CAG report exposes Aam Aadmi Party health model.
01:19No new beds, no health infrastructure,
01:22no SOS equipment in ambulances,
01:24no ICUs in 14 hospitals.
01:29Protests on the streets of Chennai over the language war.
01:32DNK workers protest, shout get out Modi slogans.
01:36Stalin vows language and delimitation fights
01:39as no funds given as language policy blocked.
01:54BJP's big allegation on the Himachal government
02:13alleges Sukhu government seeks funds from temples
02:16for government schemes because the state exchequer is broke.
02:2147 workers trapped in avalanche in Uttarakhand,
02:25over 10 rescued, others still trapped.
02:28Administration and border roads organization team are at the spot.
02:32The army is leading rescue and relief operations.
02:35It's our lead story today.
02:45It's a huge avalanche that has hit the Mana area of Chennai.
02:49In the northern state of Uttarakhand,
02:52over 40 workers in the area are currently trapped
02:56after a huge snowfall.
02:58An avalanche at the border roads organization camp
03:01near Badrinath in Chamoli district.
03:03First reactions from the BRO coming in right now.
03:20All efforts are going on.
03:22All kinds of preparations are being made.
03:25From ambulance to ITVP, other organizations are being helped.
03:29Our disaster management department is fully involved.
03:33We are in contact with everyone.
03:36We are trying to get everyone out safely.
03:39Around 57 labourers are working to remove the snow.
03:43That was the camp.
03:46Our teams have been mobilized.
03:49Army, ITVP, STRF and administration team.
03:53There is active rainfall in our district and higher districts.
03:57There is active snowfall.
03:59We are not able to utilize any services.
04:02There is difficulty in movement.
04:05There is no satellite phone available.
04:09We are not able to communicate with them clearly.
04:14We do not have any official information.
04:19We are trying to rescue everyone with coordinated efforts.
04:27We are getting support from higher authorities.
04:31We hope that our team will reach there and rescue everyone.
04:37We received an input at 11 am that the avalanche
04:41There are people from APC contactor on the roadside.
04:47There is a snow clearance team.
04:51There were around 57 people.
04:54We received an input at 11 or 11.30 am.
04:5715 people were rescued.
05:003 people were injured.
05:02They were taken to the army hospital for treatment.
05:07There is a team from BRO, ITVP, and Army.
05:12We are not able to communicate with them.
05:15We have sent ambulances and rescue teams from here.
05:20Due to heavy snowfall,
05:22There is road blockage in Manapas and Badrinath.
05:27We are trying to clear it.
05:30We are not able to communicate with them.
05:33Is the team from BRO there?
05:36Yes, the team from BRO is already there.
05:39Were these 57 workers working there?
05:43Yes, they were.
05:45They were from the APC contactor in Manapas.
05:49These were their workers.
05:52There was no avalanche.
05:54But due to heavy snowfall, there was an avalanche.
06:03There was an avalanche.
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07:21There was an avalanche.
07:23There was an avalanche.
07:25The NDRF teams are on site to try and ensure that a speedy rescue takes place.
07:31Because as the time wears on, it's getting colder.
07:33And the golden period for rescue wears thin.
07:37So this is in effect a race against time to rescue all.
07:43Hopefully all of them will be rescued.
07:45Here's the DG of the NDRF speaking.
07:49We have mobilized four teams of the NDRF.
07:53The Home Minister himself is closely monitoring this operation.
07:57He has spoken to me, DG, ITBP and other people.
08:01They are monitoring it very closely.
08:03Apart from the NDRF, the ITBP and Army teams are already operational.
08:11And out of the updates so far, 16 workers have been traced.
08:15They have been rescued.
08:17And our defense correspondent Shivani Sharma is with me live for a very quick update on that.
08:23And we'll get you a ground view as well in a moment.
08:25Shivani, the Army immediately mobilized.
08:29There are many Army units and formations in and around the Chamoli area.
08:33And that is of course good news.
08:35And these are mountain warfare specialists who are familiar with the very harsh and hostile terrain of Chamoli, Badrinath.
08:43And they are already on site, as we can see in these images.
08:47Shiv, Joshimath, that happens to be the headquarter of the IBEX Brigade,
08:51had mobilized 100 personnel since the information was received about this avalanche early morning today.
08:57And since then, we've been seeing in these pictures that how the equipment is being moved on foot by these soldiers.
09:05They're trying to rescue more and more lives out there.
09:09And including the ITBP, the NDRF, the SDRF, and the Border Road Organization,
09:15all the resources are mobilized towards this site, the avalanche site.
09:19And they are trying, and definitely this is a race against time, as you mentioned.
09:23They are trying to save more lives in time.
09:25It's a race against time because 41 persons are still trapped.
09:30And Shivani, you know, you've been to some of these forward areas.
09:34The Border Roads Organization that comes under the Ministry of Defense is engaged in very crucial,
09:40you know, very important infrastructure like roads and tunnels and bridges in these hostile forward areas.
09:46You know, apparently this is the Mana Pass area where a road or a tunnel was being built.
09:51And that's where these workers were contracted for infrastructure and earth-moving work
09:56when they got caught in that avalanche.
09:58These are crucial projects, and these people who are trapped are very much heroes of India's security.
10:07Certainly, Shiv, these are difficult areas, most difficult terrain,
10:10where these Border Road Organization workers have been working hard around the year,
10:14despite the difficult weather situations, to give accessibility and mobility to the armed forces.
10:20And this was one such project in which these workers were involved.
10:23They were making a road at the border area.
10:26And this was a sudden avalanche because generally in this period of the year,
10:31such snowfalls are not expected.
10:33This was a sudden avalanche that happened today morning.
10:36And that's why another challenge also happened that none of the air assets can be used for this avalanche.
10:42Had it been a normal weather situation, the air assets of the army and the air force would have been pushed in action.
10:48But right now, it's snowing continuously as we are getting these pictures.
10:52It's quite difficult for the air assets to assume action out there.
10:57So everything has to be done on land by the army, the ITBP, the SDRF, NDRF,
11:02and those forces who are deployed out there, the Border Road Organization.
11:06We've been tracking such projects in most difficult areas.
11:09And this also happens to be one of a very difficult area, Shiv, where this work was going on.
11:15And now we can see that the roads have been cut off due to heavy sheets of snow.
11:21So this is a race against time in a challenging weather situation
11:24where the army personnel along with the other agencies are trying to save more lives in time.
11:32Shivani, thanks very much for that input. We'll keep coming back to you.
11:35And as Shivani pointed out, it's important to point out that the weather is extremely bleak.
11:42It's almost a semi-blizzard-like situation post that avalanche.
11:46And therefore, any attempts to bring in helicopters, etc., is going to prove very difficult, maybe a little later.
11:53But at the moment, everything is being done from the ground.
11:56Ankit Sharma, my colleague on the ground in Dehradun, which is the capital city of Uttarakhand, is with me also live.
12:01Ankit, what is the latest that you're hearing from the ground?
12:0541 persons still currently trapped, multiple agencies on site.
12:10Yes, sir. Well, I would like to clarify that there's a lagging in the information coming from the exact incident site
12:21because as we understand that there's a complete lack of network over there.
12:28There's no network and that is why it's causing the information to come out and it's delaying right now.
12:36So as per the latest information, the government is still saying that we have rescued 10 people now and still 47 are here trapped.
12:47However, they also say that some of them had already ran away when the avalanche struck the area.
12:53And there are companies of ITBP, Assam Rifles and BRO and Indian Army units are also there, the 9th Brigade.
13:01So we can say that multi-operational and joint operation is going on with the forces.
13:10So their units were already camping over there, so they know the geographical areas.
13:14But the only hurdle right now is that the area is not communicable with the rest of Uttarakhand and that is why it's delaying the rescue operation.
13:26Ankit, thank you very much.
13:27So there is a lot of hurdles, the hampering, the rescue operation which are very clear to see from the pictures that you can see on your screen.
13:37The weather is actually really, really bad and as the sun sets, it's possible that it will get worse.
13:44It's bitterly cold.
13:46That poses its own challenge.
13:48There's also a great deal of wind.
13:50The snowfall is actually increasing and therefore the ability to get to the trapped workers, that window shortens with every passing minute.
14:00We will get an expert view on the challenges of avalanche rescue.
14:05Remember the Indian Army is no stranger to avalanche tragedies and rescue and relief operations.
14:13It has conducted them with varying degrees of success in Ladakh, in Siachen, in the northeast, in Sikkim and several other places including the frontier areas of Uttarakhand.
14:24And therefore, the army on site is good news that the best men for the job are on site to try and rescue those trapped workers.
14:34I want to get an expert view, Lieutenant General S.L. Narasimhan who is a very well regarded and well known Indian Army veteran and expert is with me live.
14:43And I wanted to get his view on the challenges of an avalanche rescue.
14:49General Narasimhan, you've served and operated and commanded in some of these forbidding areas, high altitudes, forward areas, inundated with snow and blizzard like conditions.
15:00How difficult is an avalanche rescue?
15:03We're seeing these amazing images of army men conducting rescue and relief operations in Chamoli.
15:10Just take us through how difficult all of this is, sir.
15:13Good evening, Shiv. Thank you for having me on the show.
15:20Thank you for coming, sir.
15:21And firstly, let me convey my condolences for anybody who is fatally injured, but I'm sure all of them will come out very, very well and recover quickly.
15:33Avalanche is something, you know, which doesn't tell you when it is coming.
15:38So, the problem is that you may have heavy snow, but when avalanche will happen, nobody will know.
15:45That is the first point we need to get.
15:47The second point will be after the avalanche comes up, to locate where these people were exactly and where are they buried under the snow is going to be another difficult issue.
15:59So, what we used to do when we used to operate in these environments is that we used to put pointers in long poles with some highlighting marks so that, you know, we understand where these patrols have gone and where they are located.
16:14There are also now modern equipment that is available, which will tell you where the life is under the snow.
16:21Notwithstanding all that, you cannot be there at every point where such things could happen.
16:28So, once the things happen, firstly, the message has to go out to the people to come for rescue.
16:33That itself is going to be a difficult problem.
16:36Second, the moment the information comes, how quickly we can react to that, how quickly we can mobilize and reach that place.
16:44Because once avalanche takes place, even to reach the place where people are buried is going to be extremely difficult and time consuming.
16:51So, that is the second aspect of it.
16:54Third is to locate exactly where these people are lying and thereafter try to extricate them by various means.
17:01So, these are all difficult type of operations and the nature is actually involved and nature is not going to be easy on us when we do all this.
17:09So, my only recommendation is that I think we should pray for the well-being of those people and pray for the success of the operation that the Army is conducting at this point in time.
17:19I am sure the other forces also will pitch in like NDRF and others will pitch in.
17:23But I think the first responders are the Army because they are closer to that place and I wish them all well.
17:28You are right, sir. The Army is the first responder.
17:31The ITBP and the NDRF are also either on site already or reaching some BRO personnel are also on site.
17:38I wanted you to throw some light, General Narasimhan, on the idea that this is also a race against time.
17:44It is about 5.15 in the evening now.
17:47Those rescue operations are on.
17:48The sun sets a lot quicker in the mountains and dusk brings with it probably more aggressive weather.
17:56It is already snowing as we can see in some of these live pictures that have been coming.
18:00Can you throw some light on that, sir?
18:02How much pressure will these teams be under to get the rescue done as quickly as possible?
18:08Because when night falls, that brings with it its own challenges and of course the passage of time.
18:13Of course, that brings in too much of problems.
18:20The thing is that the moment the sun goes down, the temperature also goes down in those areas.
18:25If the temperature is now say minus 15, 20, it could very well reach minus 30, minus 35.
18:31To operate in those conditions is going to be extremely difficult.
18:35But I am sure the Army is quite used to such operations and then they are also used to carrying on whether day or night.
18:42They will try their maximum level best to continue these operations whether the weather is playing a support role for them or otherwise.
18:53But the night is going to bring further complications in this rescue operation.
18:59There is no doubt on that particular story.
19:01And the problem will also be that what happens when the fresh snow falls, it is easier for you to dig.
19:07And when the snow solidifies and becomes ice, it makes it that much more difficult.
19:13So the operations are going to be extremely difficult, there is no doubt about it.
19:17But the Army is, of course, hands-on on this and I am sure they will continue to do the job to the best of their abilities.
19:24One final question, General Narasimhan.
19:26We have seen incidents where soldiers or people trapped in avalanches have been able to survive for a few days.
19:34I remember the famous story of Lance Naik, Hanumanthappa, who actually survived for six days in an avalanche in Siachen.
19:43Not everyone is that lucky to actually be able to make it.
19:47What are the various factors that would dictate survival under a bed of snow of this kind?
19:54In fact, Lance Naik Hanumanthappa, God bless his soul, he is from my regiment.
19:59The battalion which supported those casualties was from 19 Madras, which is from my regiment.
20:04See, what happens when you get buried under the snow is, firstly, you have two requirements.
20:11One is you need to continue breathing, so you need to create space to continue breathing, that is one.
20:16The second thing that you need to do is to survive.
20:19You will need a little bit of water, etc.
20:21Even to the extent of drinking their own urine, people are going to survive, actually speaking, in these areas.
20:27So these are going to be tough conditions.
20:29You need to create a space for you to keep breathing.
20:32Second, you need to sustain yourself with some amount of water, etc.
20:37Food is, of course, not a given at this point in time.
20:40Without food, people can survive for a few days.
20:42But without water and breathing, it is going to be extremely difficult.
20:47So this is the thing that they need to do.
20:49They need to probably push the snow a little bit, make some space to ensure that they breathe,
20:55and then ensure that they are able to drink some kind of water to sustain themselves.
20:59And that is the way I think they need to survive.
21:02Hanumanthappa typically survived like that.
21:04And people kept speaking to him and telling him what to do.
21:08The medical officer of the battalion was right there, guiding him as to how to survive within this particular kind of a situation.
21:15And that is a tough situation.
21:17It is not easy.
21:18I wish that all of them come out alive and healthy.
21:22I joined you in prayers and hailing our army heroes and hoping that all of these trapped workers are brought out alive.
21:30I'd like to repeat once again that these workers are doing a heroic job building border infrastructure in some of these most hostile conditions.
21:39And we pray that they all come out alive and the injured are treated successfully and are healthy very soon.
21:45General Narasimhan, always a pleasure, sir.
21:47Thank you very much for throwing light on this developing story.
21:50Thank you very much.
21:52Okay, moving on now from that tragedy in the Himalayas now to political rumbles in Karnataka.
22:00In another political drama, Karnataka's Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar is once again under the BJP's radar.
22:08Today, Karnataka's leader of the opposition from the BJP, R. Ashoka, called D.K. Shivakumar possibly another Shinde.
22:16Well, you know the implications of that.
22:18He's basically saying that D.K. Shivakumar is a rebel within the Congress who could split the party and cross to the enemy camp.
22:25He said that D.K. Shivakumar is on the verge of a political shift.
22:29Take a look.
22:30After Karnataka Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar celebrated Shivratri with Sadhguru alongside Home Minister Amit Shah,
22:46speculation about the Congress leader joining BJP has flared up again.
22:52The buzz around his political future has forced Shivakumar to clear the air.
22:59Shivakumar speaking in Tamil
23:15Regarding his visit to Sadhguru's ashram, the Congress leader had already clarified his stance.
23:23Shivakumar speaking in Tamil
23:42The BJP, however, is shipping in the choppy waters of Karnataka politics.
23:50Yesterday you said D.K. Shivakumar will be the Eknath Shinde of Karnataka.
23:55Yeah, it is correct. Because he's showing the picture, real picture.
24:00It's a trailer, now he's showing trailer.
24:03Picture is still remaining.
24:06On umpteen number of occasions I've made it pretty clear.
24:10Day by day infighting within the ruling Congress party is only increasing.
24:16Day by day competition is increasing for the CM seat.
24:23And that's the reason why D.K. Shivakumar is also looking very disturbed.
24:28And senior ministers also repeatedly attacking D.K. Shivakumar.
24:33Many Congress leaders have bagged Shivakumar.
24:37He was born religious. So from birth by birth he's BJP then.
24:44These are all nonsensical talks that are going on.
24:48Mr. D.K. Shivakumar is a staunch congressman and he will remain a staunch congressman.
24:54The rift within Congress over CM's post is a known fact.
24:59There is an uneasy between CM Siddharamaiah and Shivakumar.
25:04But how long will it last?
25:07With Nagarjun Dwarkanath, Bureau Report, India Today.
25:37Well Shiv, it's been almost many years since we've been talking about how there's always been political drama in Karnataka.
25:50More than Bisible Baath, it's Chaucho Baath now in Karnataka because all the parties are internally fighting.
25:55But this time around it is about D.K. Shivakumar who visited Isha Foundation in Coimbatore for Shivratri.
26:02And now people are questioning his alliance or his preference towards the Congress Party.
26:07AICC secretary has come down heavily saying the president seat has to be more than the suspicion.
26:13So you can't behave the way that people start suspecting your moves.
26:17But however D.K. Shivakumar has said that he'll not comment on what BJP says or what AICC leaders say.
26:23He says that he's a born Hindu and he'll die Hindu and he has nothing to do with what people are commenting.
26:29But definitely there's something brewing. We have to read in between the lines about what D.K. Shivakumar's actions are and what he's doing.
26:36There is Amit Shah there, there is Jaggi Vasudev and also D.K. Shivakumar in the first row itself.
26:43Many in the BJP feel that there is no chance that D.K. will come back to BJP because in other three years elections will be held in Karnataka.
26:52There's Kumar Swamy already with BJP and alliance. Will the BJP be ready to take D.K. Shivakumar?
26:58Even if yes, if he's willing to go to BJP, does he have the number of MLAs? That's the big question.
27:03But as of today it looks quite not possible of D.K. moving to any other party.
27:08But there is some flexing of muscles and sending out passive messages to the Congress High Command.
27:15Okay, flexing of muscles, power projection, you know, call it what you will.
27:20This is not just a simple story. There's a lot of symbolism and messaging going on.
27:24Naga, thanks very much for that. Keep tracking that story on the ground.
27:28Let's also get in an analysis from R.K. Upadhyay, senior journalist who knows the ins and outs of Karnataka politics.
27:35Mr. Upadhyay, good to see you. Thank you very much for being with me here on Five Live.
27:39What are you making of D.K. Shivakumar's muscle flex?
27:42It is clear that there is some, you know, messaging going on. You can call it what we want.
27:48But is it just muscle flexing or is this really some kichidi cooking here?
27:54Shiv, I think it's very clearly D.K. Shivakumar in the last 48 hours, I would say.
28:01I mean, he went to Mahakumar on the last day.
28:04You know, since then, I can see that he's repositioning himself in the Congress party.
28:10He's trying to show that, you know, he's a pro-Hindu, pro-Hindutva leader, you know,
28:16who doesn't mind going to the temples and, you know, being part of the right finger kind of, you know, ideology.
28:23I think he's sending a very strong signal both to the BJP and the Congress.
28:28I think more so at this point of time to the Congress high command because I think he's quite fed up with the kind of,
28:35you know, campaign that has been going on from Sidharamaiah's side to keep him out of the chief minister's post.
28:43I mean, nobody's yet clear as to whether Sidharamaiah and D.K. Shivakumar have an agreement that,
28:49you know, after 30 months, Sidharamaiah has to vacate the seat for him.
28:54But all indications are that Sidharamaiah is not going to do that.
28:57He has been saying that, you know, he will continue for all the five years and, you know,
29:03and they're even talking about Shivakumar, you know, vacating the KPCC president's post.
29:08No, but how fed up is, how fed up is D.K. Shivakumar is really the question.
29:14You're saying he's fed up and he's trying to sort of project himself as this, you know,
29:20a person who wears his religion on his sleeve, you know.
29:23But the boss of the Congress party, Mr. Upadhyay, Rahul Gandhi,
29:27is also someone who chooses to sometimes wear his religion on his sleeve.
29:31He goes to temples, you know, he's been described by his gatekeepers as a jane udhari Hindu.
29:36So why should this be a source of discomfort for the Congress party?
29:41The fact of the matter is that, you know, he, you see, Shivakumar can destabilize the government.
29:48He's capable of doing that because, see, all that he needs is, you know, BJP has 66 MLAs
29:55and he needs about 47 to make it a majority.
29:58And he's very well capable of mastering that kind of a number.
30:02You know, he expects Siddharamiya to vacate the seat by November when he completes his two and a half years.
30:09That doesn't seem like happening.
30:11And he has started, you know, telling the high command, look, if you don't make me the CM, I have other options.
30:17It's a very clear messaging that he has started.
30:20And it's not going to be easy for Congress to contain him because he's the kind of leader that, you know,
30:26they can't throw him out or what will he do?
30:30I think they're completely stunned by the kind of positioning that he is taking.
30:34And I don't know whether BJP will be ready to take it because they have seen how this Khichdi governments have,
30:40you know, really messed up Karnataka.
30:42And especially people of Karnataka don't want another, you know, messy government on their hands.
30:48So, in effect, what you're saying, Mr. Upadhyaya, and this is my last question, is that this is, in your view,
30:54DK Shivakumar sort of putting the Congress leadership on notice for November,
30:58saying that, you know, he's not just a pushover who's going to sit around and watch, you know,
31:03Siddharamiya renege on some supposed, you know, agreement or understanding that there will be a rotational arrangement
31:11as far as Chief Minister is concerned. And the question really is now about how he's trying to project that,
31:18you know, he stands on his own strength and can damage the party if push comes to shove. That's what you're saying.
31:24Absolutely. Absolutely. I think he's very much capable of doing that.
31:28You see, within the Congress legislature party, it is very clear that Siddharamiya still enjoys the majority support.
31:36A majority of MLAs do support him, not, you know, Shivakumar. Shivakumar somehow has this, you know,
31:43very arrogant, brash ways of treating people and not many MLAs like him.
31:48But, you know, he thinks that he has a right to be the Chief Minister.
31:52He's an eight-term MLA and supposedly he should have been, you know,
31:58by the first choice of the Congress party because he led the Congress campaign.
32:03Remember, he was the KPCC president. There has been precedents where KPCC presidents have been made the Chief Ministers.
32:10Yes. So, here is an exception made for Siddharamiya and who had already one full term of five years.
32:17So, his supporters are saying, why is he not letting Shivakumar also have a chance of becoming the Chief Minister?
32:23The Bisi Bele Baat of Karnataka politics continues. I don't want to call it Khichdi even though I took that word.
32:30It's better to call it the Bisi Bele Baat and that is actually so accurate if you think about it.
32:36So, thank you Mr. Upadhyay. Always good to have your view and your analysis on this developing story.
32:40We'll have to see where this actually leads. Thank you for being with me.
32:45Well, the BJP's big charges not just in Karnataka but also in another Congress ruled state, this time in the north, Himachal Pradesh.
32:54The BJP has accused the Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu government of demanding funds from temples in Himachal Pradesh
33:03because the state exchequer is simply flat broke.
33:06The government in Himachal Pradesh, the BJP says, has no money to spend on its welfare schemes and guarantees
33:13and has now been reduced to asking temples to donate money to the Chief Minister's fund.
33:20Here's the full story.
33:24Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu is under fire.
33:32The BJP has accused the Sukhu government of demanding funds from temples in the state for the Sukh Ashra scheme
33:40that aims to provide orphans with various facilities including higher education.
33:46On one hand, they are opposing Sanatan.
33:49On the other hand, the situation is such that the government in Himachal Pradesh has recently taken a decision
33:57that the government has no money.
33:59The money in those temples and trusts should be deposited in the government's treasury.
34:05I think this is very sad and unfortunate.
34:11The BJP argues that the money from temples can be only used for Sanatan Dharma.
34:18The Sukhu government, however, justifies its decision calling it a good deed.
34:24The Congress claims that the previous BJP government also used temple funds.
34:40This is a routine practice.
34:43In the past, the BJP government also used such schemes.
35:00The grand old party urged the BJP to join the good cause.
35:06They talk irrelevant things which is not true.
35:09They should see for which cause they are being asked.
35:12You should also join the good cause.
35:14I request the BJP people to also join the good cause.
35:18To improve the future of these children, we should all rise above the party and help them.
35:29Under the Sukh Ashra scheme, 6000 children have been adopted as children of the state.
35:35Making the state government a foster parent of the orphans.
35:39With Kamaljeet Sandhu, Bureau Report, India Today.
36:10I do have a notification in my hand.
36:13It clearly states that this is in reference to the contribution made to the Sukh Ashra scheme.
36:22As well as the Sukh Shiksha scheme.
36:25These are the two.
36:26As mentioned in the package as well.
36:28It basically says that 6000 children have been adopted as children of the state.
36:34There have been educational funds, trip funds to several states like Delhi, Goa.
36:43They are saying this is a good deed done by the state government.
36:47There are several prominent temples.
36:50Most of them are around 30-35.
36:53That is where a lot of money goes to the temples.
36:56The BJP has been saying that this is a cash-strapped state.
37:00That is why they are utilising funds meant for temples.
37:04To be diverted towards these particular schemes.
37:07On the other hand, Sukh says these are good deeds.
37:11We are just asking for a part of the portion to be donated.
37:14Towards the cause of the Chief Minister's two schemes.
37:18This is where things are really different.
37:21As far as the view and perspective are concerned.
37:23But yes, the BJP guns blazing.
37:26Especially in Devbhumi.
37:29This is not just about the temple trust.
37:31This is also a war of words as far as religion is concerned.
37:36Where the BJP seems to be hitting out at the Sukhwinder Sukhu government.
37:41There have been reports earlier as far as pensions or pay is concerned.
37:46That Himachal Pradesh does not really have the money.
37:49This is including in the latest chapter as to what is really transpiring.
37:53Meanwhile, the government is saying a mountain has been made out of a molehill.
37:59Thanks very much Kamal.
38:01We will continue to report that.
38:03Hopefully get a reaction from the Chief Minister as well.
38:06On this developing story.
38:08Thanks for that input.
38:09The Indian stock market's Dalal Street was in the red again today.
38:14And in deep.
38:16In the last week, the benchmark indices witnessed a sharp correction.
38:20With the Nifty ending nearly 3% lower.
38:23While the Sensex was down over 2000 points.
38:26Among sectors, all the major sectoral indices registered profit booking at higher levels.
38:32With the capital market and IT indices correcting sharply.
38:35Today, the Nifty 50 was down by 400 points.
38:38And the Sensex dropped around 1400 points.
38:41The major drop was seen in mid and small cap IT and telecom stocks.
38:46There are many reasons for the market plunge, we should tell you.
38:49The most important one is, in case you haven't already guessed it.
38:52Trump's tariff threats.
38:54The US dollar is maintaining its position near multi-week peaks against major currencies.
38:59The dollar index reached 107.35 on Friday against 6 major currencies.
39:08I want to bring in India Today's Siddharth Zarabi, Managing Editor with Business Today.
39:13Siddharth, this bloodbath on Dalal Street.
39:16Sensex tanking by nearly 1400 points.
39:19What has prompted this selling spree?
39:24Well, that's right.
39:25The bloodbath on our markets continues.
39:28And in fact, India's benchmark stock indices recorded their worst day in around 5 months.
39:35A black Friday of sorts.
39:38And this, in fact, has been the longest losing streak for the Nifty 50 since 1996.
39:47So, very clearly, market pessimism, the lack of confidence amongst investors is now feeding into these massive cuts that we have seen.
40:00If you look at in terms of mid-cap and small caps, it's very clear that those shares and stocks are in bear market territory.
40:11Now, why is this happening?
40:13And if you take a longer 5-month view, it's a mix of factors.
40:18It really started in some ways with the pullout by foreign institutional investors.
40:24And now, the Trump tariff wars that he seems to be unveiling every other day are now feeding into nervousness around what will happen as far as global trade is concerned.
40:41But it's not just global factors.
40:44There are fears of further impact as far as companies are concerned, their earnings.
40:50We now have a situation where India and the European Union or the United Kingdom are in serious conversations for, you know, doing free trade pacts.
41:02And that, in some ways, there is also a fear could feed into pressure, further pressure on corporate earnings.
41:09Because if goods are allowed in at lower import duties, there could be some impact.
41:16There's also the broader context of very high valuation.
41:19So, some experts in the markets are saying that sanity is coming back to certain stocks and sectors where valuations had run completely out of sync with fundamentals.
41:32But the last bit of good news from the macro front, and we'll have to wait and watch for how the markets react to this, is that third quarter GDP numbers for India's economy suggest a revival.
41:47The latest number coming in at slightly better than expected reading.
41:53But it's very clear that as far as India is concerned, this 6.2% data that we saw for the October-December quarter seems to suggest that the economy is coming back.
42:06And rural consumption, along with government spending, which had slowed due to the election and in its aftermath, is now back feeding into our growth prospects.
42:18Siddharth, thanks very much for that very comprehensive view to this bloodbath on Dalal Street.
42:23We'll keep a very close watch, track business today for live updates 24-7 on everything that's happening on our capital markets.
42:31Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is in Washington to meet the US President Donald Trump.
42:38Apart from the Ukraine-Russia war, Zelensky and Trump will discuss a possible mineral deal.
42:44Reports also suggest that Zelensky will propose Ukraine's membership in the NATO, a very touchy topic which Trump has already aggressively ruled out.
42:53But remember, before Zelensky's visit, Trump had backtracked on his recent sharp criticism of Zelensky, where he'd called him a dictator.
43:24A dictator without elections.
43:26Zelensky better move fast or he's not going to have a country left.
43:30Gotta move, gotta move fast, because that war's going in the wrong direction.
43:34In the meantime, we're successfully negotiating an end to the war with Russia.
43:39Something I'll admit that only Trump is going to be able to do in the Trump administration.
43:43We're going to be able to do it.
43:51Did I say that?
43:52I can't believe I said that.
43:54Next question.
43:56Shashank Mattu is with me live from our India Today Global team.
43:59Shashank, Trump seems to have backtracked a little bit on the dictator, you know, jibe at Zelensky.
44:07So all eyes on Washington today.
44:09There's going to be as much attention paid to what is said and what is unsaid and also the body language.
44:15You're absolutely right.
44:17In fact, Trump has made a real bold face in terms of the rhetoric.
44:21He's now said that Zelensky is actually very brave.
44:23And he anticipates having a very, very good meeting with Zelensky today.
44:27Really, the key drivers of this change are twofold.
44:30Number one is this impending minerals agreement between the United States and Ukraine.
44:34That could mean that U.S. companies could win very valuable contracts in Ukraine to develop that country's natural resources.
44:40Also, we've seen very high profile visits by European leaders, including the British Prime Minister Kirsten Stammer, as well as the French President Emmanuel Macron.
44:47So, to sort of impress upon Trump that they need him to be on board with their strategy to end the Ukraine war.
44:53And those two things may have contributed to this change in.
44:56But you're absolutely right.
44:57The body language between the two leaders, Zelensky and Trump, will tell us a lot about where this relationship between these two men is going to go.
45:04World Today today at 10.30 p.m. is around the time all of that stuff will be emerging in Washington.
45:10Shashank and his team will be looking at that very closely and bringing us live coverage.
45:14Look out for that.
45:15Thanks, Shashank, for that input.
45:18And finally, my dear viewer, today is a little different, a little special, and just a little bit emotional for me.
45:26After 18 incredible years at India Today, this is my final broadcast here.
45:32I was 26 years old when I joined this amazing network.
45:35As I bid farewell today, I'm 44 years old.
45:39It has been the honor of a lifetime to bring you the news every day.
45:43Whether from a bustling newsroom, the front lines of a breaking story, battlefields around the world, or deep inside the corridors of power.
45:51To you, my viewer, those who've cheered, challenged, and occasionally yelled at me through your TV screens, thank you.
45:58You've been my greatest allies and my most brutal reality check.
46:02To my critics, a special thank you.
46:04Without you, my thick skin wouldn't be nearly as battle-hardened.
46:08You are the heartbeat of everything I do.
46:10Your unwavering engagement, your sharp questions, and your constant demand for truth have hopefully made me a better journalist every single day.
46:20To my incredible colleagues and team who've tolerated my newsroom rants, bad jokes, and my insatiable love for telling stories, you truly are the real heroes.
46:30You've been my family, my co-conspirators, and in some cases, my unofficial therapists.
46:35To everyone behind the scenes that makes this magic happen in TV news, this is as much your show as it is mine.
46:42In fact, more so.
46:43I'm the one facing the camera, but as I always say, it takes an incredible backroom force for me to be able to stand here and anchor, to report, and now to say goodbye.
46:54But this is not really a goodbye.
46:56It's just a turning of the page.
46:59You know me.
47:00I don't stay away from the action for long.
47:02So don't get too comfortable.
47:04I'll be back before you can say, exclusive breaking news.
47:08Until then, stay sharp, stay curious.
47:11The journey continues, and I will see you very soon.
47:14Jai Hind, and thank you.