L2: Empuraan, starring Malayalam superstar Mohanlal and directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran, which depicts sequences resembling the 2002 Gujarat riots, has been accused of pushing an 'anti-Hindu' narrative, sparking outrage from right-wing factions.
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00:00Good evening, you're watching Super 6 here on India Today. I'm Akshita Nandagopal and
00:04this evening we're going to talk about the mammoth Empuran controversy that's making
00:09headlines not just in Kerala but across the country. This was the most awaited Mollywood
00:16film starring of course superstar Mohanlal but finds itself now in the midst of a massive
00:21controversy that's turned into a political fight as well. The result of which is that
00:26the makers of Empuran have decided to slice and dice up the film. 17 cuts in all are
00:32being made to the movie that's opened up a larger debate on whether freedom of expression
00:37is being curbed with this kind of outrage leading to the makers making these cuts or
00:42whether there is a Lakshman Rekha, an invisible one perhaps, that's been crossed by the makers
00:47with this particular film which does in fact delve and talk about the 2002 Gujarat riots.
00:54It's interesting to see how political parties are really taking a stand on it because while
00:58you've got political parties in Kerala blaming the BJP, the Bharatiya Janata Party itself
01:03is treading very, very carefully on the subject. So who's outraging? Why have the makers decided
01:07to make these 17 cuts? I'm going to be telling you all about that and the reactions that
01:11have come in so far on this big, big story. Let's begin first as always with the top six headlines.
01:17Vax Bill likely to be tabled on Wednesday in Lok Sabha. Union Minister Rijiju accuses
01:27opposition of provoking, spreading misinformation on Bill. Rijiju says government will not snatch
01:32away any property. Bengal Chief Minister accuses BJP of Ganga Dharam, claims left BJP collusion.
01:46BJP hits back says Muslims given free hand to target Hindus under Mamata.
01:57Noida Lamborghini crash cover a bit, exposed cops first name, unknown driver, then arrest,
02:04accused Deepak Bail, granted in under 48 hours, car owner, YouTuber Mridul summoned.
02:17Trouble mounts for comedian Kunal Kamra. Mumbai cops show up at the comic's Mumbai residence.
02:22Kamra skips summons by Mumbai police. Today's deadline has come to an end.
02:34Bangladesh pleads with China. Interim advisor Mohd Yunus asks China for funds to make Bangladesh
02:41the extension for landlocked northeast.
02:49And pro-monarchy protests erupt in Nepal. Cops block march for monarchy. Nepal Prime
02:55Minister Ali warns ex-king and his supporters.
02:58The biggest Malayalam film this year, Empuran starring superstar Mohanlal is in the midst of a massive
03:15controversy over its portrayal of the 2002 Gujarat riots. There's been massive backlash on social
03:21media for the film leading to the makers now choosing to make several cuts in the film and
03:27even an apology coming from superstar Mohanlal. So they've buckled in a matter of hours to all of
03:32the pressure coming in from some groups on social media. It's also as expected sparked a political
03:38fight in Kerala with the left and Congress interestingly on one side of the fight alleging
03:44that Empuran makers were forced to make these cuts by the BJP and the RSS. Is that actually the
03:50case? We'll talk about the political reaction first and then get you details of how the makers
03:54have reacted to this entire controversy. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has sent across a
03:59very clear message. In a statement amid this controversy he chose to watch the movie over the
04:05weekend accompanied by his family in a theater. A photo op very very rare for the Kerala Chief
04:11Minister. He never really goes out especially on these kind of public messages of solidarity and
04:17yet Pinarayi Vijayan chose to do it with this movie. He then called the anger against Empurana
04:22hate campaign and claimed that makers were intimidated and also were silenced to ensure that
04:29no form of dissent can actually be put forth and so he's called this undermining of creative
04:35freedom. Let's get you all the reactions that have come in from the Kerala government so far.
04:52What has happened with the film Empurana is really an assault on the constitutional right to freedom of expression.
05:15What is the point of having a censor board, the Sangh Parivar and all its cohorts? If they put pressure on the
05:24filmmakers to make changes then you might as well scrap the censor board, set up a unit in the
05:31Nagpur headquarters of the RSS and let all the films be sent there. This is absolutely atrocious, outrageous.
05:45Lakhs and lakhs of people are watching this. People from BJP are saying that this should be banned.
05:51People should think about why BJP wants to ban this. If the truth is shown then they feel very bad,
05:58their stomachs start aching. This is wrong.
06:04So essentially 100% backing for the film in Kerala from the Kerala government. The ruling left in Kerala
06:10has sent across a clear message of solidarity, even promoting the film, saying people should go out and watch it.
06:16You've got minister after minister going and watching the film, saying everyone should be watching this particular movie
06:21and the message it put forth. Yet the makers are giving in to pressure. Here's an interesting situation in Kerala.
06:28The left has actually found support from their number one rival, Congress, who have also backed the film and the makers
06:34and questioned why changes, why cuts are being made now, claiming again it's because of pressure from the Sangh.
06:41So is that really the case? Has the Sangh or the BJP piled pressure on the makers to tweak the film
06:47and remove the controversial bits and pieces? Interestingly, as far as the Bharatiya Janata Party goes,
06:53they've also treated very, very carefully all this issue. The newly appointed Kerala BJP chief Rajiv Chandrasekhar
07:00chose not to criticize the film, merely saying everyone has the right to opine on it. He says,
07:05I will not go and watch the film, but that's my personal view. So it's interesting to see that even the BJP
07:11hasn't been harsh or hugely critical of this particular film, which of course stars Mohanlal.
07:17And that's why perhaps you're seeing that hesitation from the BJP, too.
07:21But listen to how the Kerala BJP chief Rajiv Chandrasekhar has reacted to this entire storm.
07:28None of us in the BJP have said anything remotely intolerant about it. Our general secretary M.T. Ramesh
07:35said very beautifully on the first day that a movie is a movie and the people of Kerala
07:41and the people all over the country see a movie as a movie. A movie is not history.
07:46Since the producers of the movie themselves have recognized that there is something wrong with the movie
07:50and they are undertaking 17 cuts and applying for recensorship. I have chosen to convey to my,
07:57to whoever follows me that I have chosen not to watch the movie. And I am obviously disappointed
08:05that a movie has been used to distort some facts.
08:11A movie is a movie and therefore people should not read too much into it or too less into it.
08:17In any event, without us saying anything or anybody saying anything, the producers have decided
08:22because of the feedback, I think, commercial feedback, that they want to cut the movie
08:27and they want to make edits and recensor the movie, submit it for recensorship.
08:31And somebody asked me, are you sad that Mohanlal would make a movie like this or star in a movie like this?
08:37And I said, yes, I am sad. That's all. If Pindar Bijan loves the movie, he can watch it 10 times.
08:43I have no problem with it. And if somebody dislikes the movie, as many people have,
08:48they are absolutely within their right to dislike it and criticize it.
08:54As you heard there from the BJP, the Kerala BJP chief saying a movie is a movie.
08:59They've given in to some commercial pressure. So the BJP clearly has refused to outrightly condemn the film
09:05in any manner saying we have our own personal views, but that doesn't matter. A film is a film.
09:09But here's where the outrage actually lies. It's with the RSS.
09:14And let's read out for you exactly what was published in the RSS mouthpiece, the organizer over the weekend,
09:19over Emporan, over the film. Here's what they've said.
09:22They've said that the film uses the backdrop of the 2002 riots to push a divisive anti-Hindu narrative.
09:29In the organizer, this article says that a fictional situation is created using a historical event
09:36and so there's a narrative being created. Scenes purposely have been designed to reinforce image of Hindus
09:43as the primary aggressors of the 2002 riots. So the RSS is objecting, saying that the messaging itself is completely wrong.
09:51And then they go after Prithviraj, who remember has acted in the film, but also is the director of Emporan.
09:56So they've said Prithviraj has long been known, associated for his political leanings,
10:02referring to the fact that he's anti-BJP. And in the article, they listed a series of comments,
10:07instances of Prithviraj making comments against the BJP.
10:11Now they've also said that the film targets pro-Hindu political ideologies.
10:16Now here's where the RSS is also critical of superstar Mohanlal.
10:20Because they questioned an organizer in the RSS mouthpiece.
10:23They say Mohanlal's decision to be a part of this kind of a film is a betrayal of his massive fan base.
10:31And they've also questioned why he's chosen to do it, saying mystery.
10:34It remains a mystery why Mohanlal chose a propaganda story which pushes, according to them, hatred against one community.
10:43Essentially, if you read really the full article put out by the RSS mouthpiece organizer,
10:48they claim that this film is pushing an anti-Hindu narrative.
10:52They claim that it also is an attempt to disrupt communal harmony.
10:56They're saying that with one historical event, a fake narrative has been pushed forward.
11:02So we've shown you how the RSS has reacted.
11:05But here's why the RSS and many on social media are calling out the film.
11:09It's based on the 2002 riots, it's used the 2002 riots rather, and then created a fictional situation.
11:17Not based on what investigators have found or what the courts have ruled or any of that.
11:22But they reflect one particular incident.
11:24And so the RSS says that Hindus are shown as primary aggressors.
11:29And it's detailed how there are violent, very graphic scenes showing Hindus attacking members of other communities.
11:35This essentially is dangerous as it can create a divide among communities.
11:39And it's on this basis that right-wing groups have demanded action.
11:43So on social media, there's all of this debate, some backing the film, some against it.
11:48But the makers have said we don't want anything to do with this controversy.
11:52So they've buckled to what is essentially social media pressure and nothing, nothing more.
11:58Because the film is a raging hit already in Kerala.
12:01So the makers have given in.
12:03And now in a few days, you're going to see a re-censored version playing in theaters with several changes.
12:09Again, let me remind you that the makers have chosen to do this voluntarily.
12:12Sources have told us that there will be 17 cuts that have been made to the film which will reflect shortly.
12:1917 cuts.
12:20So you'll see a lot of very, very important bits of what Empuran looked like now being removed.
12:26What are these scenes?
12:27Scenes of violence against women being removed.
12:30There's particularly a controversial one showing a rather graphic, violent scene against a pregnant woman.
12:36Now that particular scene is cut.
12:39Sensitive dialogues that's deemed communal, deemed sensitive, all of that being muted.
12:45Interestingly, the antagonist's name in this movie is called Bajrangi.
12:50Now, once you see this new version being released, this re-censored version,
12:55the name of the villain in the movie is being changed.
12:58So that name from Bajrangi is going to become Balraj.
13:02This is what we're hearing.
13:03So they're changing that name too because there was outrage from right-wing groups on that.
13:07Scenes of violence showing rights, essentially meant to be the 2002 rights, will be cut.
13:13So what you're going to see is about two to three minutes of the film being sliced out
13:18and all of this largely to do with the portrayal of the 2002 rights,
13:23largely to do with graphic scenes of violence,
13:26largely to do with dialogues also that are being deemed as communal.
13:31Let's get your news break coming in on these changes.
13:44So the changes that I spoke of, the 17 cuts that Empuran will undergo,
13:49will be coming into effect from April 2nd.
13:52So from April 2nd, theatres will be screening this new version of Empuran
13:56with all of the changes that the makers are planning to make.
13:5917 scenes, essentially, 17 cuts, I beg your pardon,
14:03which you will see changes of, slicing and dicing of Empuran.
14:06If you've seen the film, you will be able to do a before and after.
14:10And from April 2nd, you will only be seeing, watching this recensored version,
14:15where rights scenes have been cut off, graphic scenes of violence have been cut off,
14:18certain dialogues have been muted.
14:20All of these changes, including the changing of the villain's name from Baba Bajrangi,
14:25we're hearing, to Balraj.
14:27All of that will happen two to three minutes of the film being removed.
14:32Let me bring in our entertainment editor, Tushar Joshi, for more details.
14:36Tushar, just list out for us the changes.
14:38We understand this will be coming into effect from April 2nd.
14:43So what sources have told India today is that close to 17 cuts have been suggested
14:48from the producer's end to the CBFC.
14:51Now, this decision to make 17 cuts happened over the weekend.
14:55What are the cuts that will happen in the film was also discussed in a closed-door meeting.
15:00The makers have told the CBFC the kind of cuts that will happen.
15:05These cuts include various scenes of, a certain scene that includes rioting,
15:10a certain scene that includes pregnant women being violated.
15:14The decision to make these cuts was taken over the weekend.
15:18The number of cuts is 17.
15:20From what India today has learned is that these cuts will reflect in the film
15:25from Wednesday, April 2nd.
15:28And most likely, the chances of the film getting a new certification
15:33will happen either today late evening or tomorrow, which is Tuesday, which is today's Eid.
15:38So post-Eid, the certification might happen on a Tuesday.
15:41You know, this is a film that's passed the censor board certification,
15:45that's been given the certification, and yet now you're going to see a re-censoring of it.
15:5017 cuts that, in fact, the filmmakers have chosen to make.
15:53So again, it'll go through that entire process of being presented before the censor board
15:57and getting a certification.
15:59April 2nd, Tushar tells us, is when you're going to be seeing the new version of Empuran,
16:04sliced and diced Empuran, being shown in theatres across the country.
16:09So the old version, or the current one as it is, will be a thing of the past.
16:13These are the makers trying essentially to bury this entire controversy.
16:21So while the makers have agreed to make all of these changes,
16:24there's been no comment from Prithviraj.
16:26He is essentially facing all of the heat over this issue.
16:30Superstar Mohanlal's the only one who's put out a statement.
16:33He's issued a rather detailed one, and he said that this is on behalf of the entire team,
16:38where essentially he confirmed that yes, they're making changes,
16:41but even took it a step further and apologized.
16:44Let's play out for you his full statement.
16:51I know that some of the political and social themes that have been introduced
16:54in the making of the film Empuran, the second part of Lucifer franchise,
16:58have caused great distress to many of my loved ones.
17:03As an artist, it is my duty to ensure that none of my films
17:08are hostile to any political movement, ideology or religious sect.
17:14Therefore, I and the Empuran team are sincerely sorry for the distress caused to my loved ones
17:21and with the realization that the responsibility for it lies with all of us who worked behind the film.
17:28We have decided together to remove such themes from the film.
17:32I have lived my film career as one of you for the last four decades.
17:37Your love and trust are my only strength.
17:40I believe that there is no Mohanlal who is greater than that.
17:45So that's a detailed statement that came in from the superstar,
17:49where he's immediately apologized, essentially trying to ensure
17:53that this doesn't blow up to become a bigger controversy.
17:56I want to bring in Shibi Moul.
17:57She's joining us live from Thiruvananthapuram.
17:59She's been tracking all the reactions that have come in politically and otherwise as well.
18:04Shibi, how is the Malayalam film industry actually looking at this?
18:08Interestingly, there's been no statement from Prithviraj or for that matter,
18:12you know, the writer of the film's plot.
18:15Both haven't reacted.
18:16Prithviraj, yes, they shared what Mohanlal has put out.
18:24Well, exactly, Akshita.
18:25In fact, it's very surprising that nobody from the industry has openly come out,
18:29you know, speaking about this whole controversy,
18:32especially in solidarity or extending their support to both Mohanlal as well as Prithviraj.
18:39Both of them very influential figures in the industry as a whole.
18:42We only saw Mallika Sugumaran, Prithviraj's mother and actor coming out saying that
18:46there have been allegations raised against my son saying that, you know,
18:49he has fooled the producers and Mohanlal.
18:51But let me make it very clear that the film,
18:53everything that was planned to be shown in the film was approved by Mohanlal
18:58as well as the producer, Antony Perimbaur,
19:00who's the producer who runs the production company, Ashutosh Cinemas,
19:03which is owned by Mohanlal himself.
19:05So both of them knew about it is what we have seen.
19:08But we are not seeing any other prominent faces coming out or speaking about it
19:12or addressing this concern like how we have seen in the past.
19:15And this is probably for the first time.
19:17I don't think in the recent time we have seen a Malayalam cinema being edited,
19:20you know, after a lot of complaints and after a controversy being ignited
19:26that has not happened in a very, very long time.
19:28And that too of a film like Empuran.
19:32But the political controversy is playing out very, very strongly
19:36with the CPM and the Congress coming out, expressing their support,
19:39while the BJP, though they are maintaining their silence,
19:42we have seen the RSS sharply criticizing the film.
19:46Even in fact, after Mohanlal apologized,
19:49visibly the Congress and the CPM seemed very upset,
19:53though they called it a personal choice of Mohanlal to, you know,
19:56whether he wants to apologize, it's his personal choice.
19:59But we saw some of the comments, some of the reactions coming in saying that
20:02if you're going to edit out scenes that has hurt the Sangh Paribas,
20:05then what about those scenes that trolled, you know, CPM as well as Congress?
20:09That should also be edited is what they were saying.
20:11So, and also...
20:12No, but this doesn't end anywhere.
20:13Then you will see all of these demands essentially making headlines
20:16and then filmmakers giving in, which is why it's so surprising
20:19that nobody really in the Kerala film industry has taken a stand on this issue.
20:23Shibi, I also want to understand from you,
20:25because, you know, you're seeing this entire issue being blown up as a massive controversy.
20:29If you actually look at the criticism for Empuran,
20:32it's limited to essentially a lot of social media anger.
20:36There's no backlash per se.
20:38So, which is why I find this move very surprising by the makers
20:41that they've already gone ahead and made those changes.
20:43How is the film doing otherwise, Shibi?
20:45Has this controversy affected it in any way?
20:52Akshita, definitely not,
20:54because this was the most anticipated film of Malayalam cinema in a very long time.
20:58It's the most expensive film ever made in Malayalam industry,
21:01which, you know, as cinema lovers, everybody hoped to change the face of Malayalam cinema.
21:06It was, you know, dubbed as the KGF of Malayalam cinema.
21:09How KGF changed the industry as a whole when it comes to business,
21:12because Malayalam cinema for the longest time has been spoken about the quality,
21:15but this was something that we all anticipated to change the business of the Malayalam film industry.
21:20A lot of risk was involved, but the film is doing extremely well.
21:23Within two days, within 48 hours, the film grossed 100 crores,
21:26which is huge as far as Malayalam cinema is concerned, because it's a very small market.
21:30It is almost on its way to become the industry.
21:33The industry, it is currently Manjumal Boys, which, you know, has grossed over 200 crores worldwide,
21:38which is, Emberon is expected to cross that in the next few days, is what we're understanding.
21:43So the film has not been affected in any way when it comes to the business part of it.
21:46It's not been affected.
21:48And that's exactly some people are asking also why to make edits,
21:51why to give up to the pressures of a particular section
21:55when the film will not be affected by it, is also something that a lot of people are asking.
21:59In fact, before the re-edited version comes out, we're seeing, you know,
22:02people thronging the theatres to watch the original version of the film.
22:06That's also something when we visited a theatre today,
22:09we heard some of them saying that we wanted to watch the film before it gets edited.
22:13And today also, the 6 a.m. early morning shows were scheduled
22:16because there was a major demand for the, you know, for tickets is what we're understanding.
22:21So the business has not been affected.
22:23The business is going as far as they anticipated.
22:25There's also criticism that was this controversy created itself to, you know,
22:29help the film gain more and more interest.
22:32Interesting angle.
22:33So, I mean, we can't answer that, but clearly it's working
22:36because it's creating more demand right now for the current version of Empuran.
22:41There's also, of course, been a lot of criticism of the film's story, which is valid,
22:46of Mohanlal's entry, which again is valid, of how much screen time Mohanlal has, all of that valid.
22:51But was there really a need for this kind of a controversy
22:54where you're seeing edits being made to the film Empuran?
22:57Shibi, thanks very much for joining us with those details.
23:00This is, of course, a huge controversy that snowballed into a political fight as well,
23:04which we will track very closely considering Kerala goes to elections next year.
23:09Let's get you details of a shocking car crash reported in Noida.
23:13A supercar, a Lamborghini was involved in this crash.
23:17But it's the sheer behavior of the driver that stunned everyone.
23:21This man you see on your screens, identified as Deepak, the driver of the car,
23:24not the owner, mind you, was arrested soon after the incident.
23:28But it's the manner in which he was found and his reaction upon hitting two people
23:33that shocked everyone.
23:35I want you to first listen to that sequence of exactly what happened.
23:39Passers-by shooting that video, open the car door, tell him you've hit two people
23:43and he very casually asks, mar gaya kya?
23:46Let's play that out for you and then I'll get you more details.
24:17So calm, just asks has anyone died?
24:20That's the reaction that comes in from this driver, the man identified as Deepak,
24:24seen in that video, was actually planning to buy the supercar, buy this Lamborghini
24:28from someone else, which is why he'd taken it on a test drive, lost control,
24:32rammed into two laborers who were there at an under construction site.
24:36This happened in Noida.
24:38Now, they are grievously injured.
24:41This man couldn't care less.
24:43In the video, you can see him asking, have they died?
24:47And that's about it.
24:48That's his only reaction.
24:49He was immediately arrested.
24:51He says, yes, he was taking the car for a test drive.
24:53It didn't belong to him.
24:55The car, in fact, belongs to a YouTuber called Mridul,
24:59who's also been summoned right now for questioning.
25:02He has over 20 million subscribers on YouTube.
25:06But this video has again put the spotlight on how these rich brats essentially think
25:12that they can get away with these kind of incidents.
25:14Why else would you react in this manner?
25:16Zero panic, no shock, nothing, just asking if people have died.
25:22This is a Lamborghini car, the high-speed car that ran over on Sunday evening.
25:26Several laborers, two were critically injured, were taken to hospital.
25:30It was late Sunday, early Sunday evening.
25:32All the laborers were waiting for their bus to transport back to their locations
25:36after their work was over.
25:38And it was all of a sudden, between 4 to 5 p.m., the high-speed Lamborghini,
25:42Deepak, the person, the accused, who has been arrested by the police,
25:46was driving it, ran over all these laborers with extremely high speed in that particular area.
25:51Now we see the Lamborghini car.
25:53This is, of course, now this is part of the investigation.
25:56The police says do not touch.
25:58This was the entire surface body.
26:00There's a minor damage to the car.
26:02We see only the rear view, the one side of the rear view has been damaged,
26:06partially to this particular area.
26:08There's a minor dent on this part.
26:10And subsequently, to the wheel side area.
26:12Because this was exactly how the car ran over on the pedestrian side.
26:16So we see some marks of the accident.
26:19And subsequently, parts of the body, the upper body,
26:23we have seen certain pieces were found at the particular side.
26:26So after the police seized this vehicle,
26:28this is now here at the police station in sector 126, Noida.
26:32As this became one of the evidence of this accident.
26:35Now what we know reportedly,
26:37the Deepak who was driving the car was keen to buy this vehicle,
26:40buy this luxurious car,
26:42a totally comfortable and high speed car.
26:44Very few people in India own this luxurious car.
26:48And the owner is Mridul Tiwari, a social media influencer,
26:51known the several videos that had gone on viral.
26:54We have seen when he was uncovering this car,
26:56there was a message written, Jai Shri Ram on this.
26:59And Deepak who was keen to buy,
27:01who was taking this car for a test drive,
27:03eventually the test drive turned into a disaster.
27:06A high speed car that ran over these labourers,
27:09two of them critically injured.
27:11In Noida, with Manish, this is Ashutosh Mishra for India Today.
27:29And unsurprisingly, the accused driver,
27:48getting bail in under 48 hours.
27:51The accused driver Deepak, who ran into two people,
27:54seriously injuring them, has now walked out on bail.
27:58He's been granted bail by the district court,
28:00so legally being provided relief.
28:02Perhaps this is why he was so confident when he was nabbed,
28:06and answered so boldly when asked by witnesses what happened.
28:11Perhaps this is why, because he knew he'd get away
28:14in a matter of less than 48 hours.
28:16He's now out on bail, walking free.
28:19This is the man who ran into two people
28:21after losing control of his super car.
28:24Obviously, as it has many times, the question comes up,
28:28whether the law really is equal to the law.
28:40Okay, let's move on to the big political stories of the day.
28:44You had Sonia Gandhi launching a scathing attack
28:46on the central government,
28:47and one of the most contentious issues right now,
28:50the national education policy.
28:52She's claimed that the national education policy
28:55is being imposed on the people with a three Cs attack,
28:58which we'll decode for you in our next report.
29:00But interestingly, let's also highlight that Sonia Gandhi,
29:02while speaking on the national education policy,
29:05hasn't spoken or commented on the most contentious bit,
29:08the language war that their ally, the Congress' ally, DMK,
29:12is leading the fight against the centre over.
29:14Nothing mentioned about whether she's for the three language policy or not.
29:22The new education policy debate is heating up.
29:25Former Congress President Sonia Gandhi has launched
29:28a scathing attack on the BJP-led central government,
29:31claiming that three Cs of centralisation,
29:34commercialisation and communalisation are haunting education.
29:38In an opinion piece in a leading daily,
29:41Sonia alleged that the NEP 2020 serves as a tool
29:45for the government to push its core agenda.
29:48It is important to remove the fear and suspicion
29:53that exists about the language.
29:56And who is responsible for that?
29:59The central government.
30:01While Sonia was silent on three language policy,
30:04the pet peeve of ally DMK, the Dravidian party, joined in.
30:09It's our opposition, DMK's opposition to national education policy.
30:13It's not just because of the three language formula.
30:16Even then we call that as a regressive policy,
30:19which will take us 100 years back.
30:21And that is what now Madam Sonia Gandhi has said.
30:24Sonia's claims were strongly rebutted by the BJP.
30:28Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said
30:31government is imparting Indian-ness to British era slavery through education bid.
30:37If the Indian education system is changing,
30:42then there is no reason for anyone to be sad.
30:45Any patriotic person will say that Indian education should be done.
30:50I feel that Sonia should know about this
30:54and should fully support Indian education.
30:59Sonia Gandhi's attack comes amid DMK's claims of a bid
31:03to impose Hindi through the NEP.
31:05The BJP calls it a stunt by Stalin government to hide its governance failure.
31:10With Mausami Singh and Piyush Mishra, Bureau Report, India Today.
31:40The current Tamil Nadu BJP chief has met with Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi.
31:44And that sparked off endless speculation of what's going to happen.
31:48And now when asked about it,
31:50on whether there's going to be a change of rule for him,
31:53he's not really given details,
31:55but with a cryptic response he said,
31:57I'm ready for any role, whatever the high command asks of me, I will do.
32:01But also with regards to whether there'll be an alliance with the AIADMK,
32:05Anna Malai has reiterated,
32:07he's not against any party, not against any leader.
32:10Something the Tamil Nadu BJP chief has said earlier,
32:12where he says every party is welcome to join the NDA.
32:37Okay, let's bring in Pramod Madhav.
32:49He's joining us live from Chennai with more details on this.
32:51Pramod, how do we really read into that statement from Anna Malai?
32:55It sparked of course endless buzz on social media.
32:58Everyone's questioning whether Anna Malai will continue as the Tamil Nadu BJP chief or not.
33:07Well, it's up to the party high command to decide on that, Akshitha.
33:09But one thing we can clearly say is that,
33:11before Edda Party KSW meeting with Amit Shah,
33:14Anna Malai's answers were straightforward.
33:16But after that, if you ask anything about AIADMK or the alliance,
33:20most of his answers are cryptic.
33:22Anna Malai says that it would be wrong for him to speak about what he told the high command.
33:26But he also clearly states that he has given a micro-level studied,
33:30analysed, deeply seen report about how Tamil Nadu is and how Tamil Nadu is going to progress.
33:36And he says that whatever Home Minister Amit Shah has said about the alliance,
33:40please take it as the final comments on this matter.
33:43Because earlier he said that anybody from the state can go ahead and meet Amit Shah as he's the Home Minister.
33:48But now that stance has also changed.
33:50And very importantly, two lines he's mentioning.
33:52The first thing is that he is not against any party or any leader.
33:56He has nothing personal against anybody.
33:58And the second thing is that, not just as the president of the party,
34:01but he's even ready to work as a caterer.
34:03So it definitely looks like the state president role of BJP in the state of Tamil Nadu is now a fluid concept, Akshita.
34:10You know, important also because of the fact that we've been seeing a lot of talk
34:14of a growing factionalism within the Tamil Nadu BJP
34:18and that this could be the result of, in fact, that kind of a divide in the Tamil Nadu BJP.
34:24Thanks very much, Pramod, for joining us with those details.
34:26We'll track what comes in really from Tamil Nadu,
34:28whether we're going to see a change in leadership.
34:31Let's cut across to more breaking news coming in.
34:41Heartbreaking news coming in from Myanmar, which was struck by an earthquake.
34:45The death toll rising now to 2,056.
34:49The death toll continuing to climb up as rescue and relief work continues.
34:54Now the confirmation coming in from authorities in Myanmar
34:57that unfortunately 2,056 deaths have been confirmed.
35:01That number could go up in the next many days,
35:04as even now the true scale of the disaster that struck Myanmar
35:09is something they're kind of understanding and grappling with.
35:12More than 3,900 people have been injured.
35:15There are scores who still remain missing three days after that 7.7 magnitude quake struck Myanmar.
35:28Let's get you details, really, of how India has also stepped in to help Myanmar in this rather difficult time.
35:37Relief efforts are, in fact, something that India is helping with.
35:41The Indian Army, Navy, Air Force, they've all launched Operation Brahma,
35:46which is sending tons of relief supplies, including food, medicine, tents, sleeping bags,
35:51and a fully equipped field hospital as well.
35:55Rescue teams, canine squads, essential humanitarian aid, all of these also part of the mission,
36:01obviously providing life-saving help to scores of people in Myanmar who've been displaced by that earthquake.
36:07Indian Army personnel, along with NDRF and medical teams,
36:10have also started ground operations to assist in the relief efforts.
36:19All right, let's move on and get you the big sports stories of the day.
36:22What's happening in the Indian Premier League?
36:24The Chennai Super Kings look anything but five-time champions of the IPL right now.
36:29Against Rajasthan Royals on Sunday, they fell short by six runs.
36:33But if MS Dhoni was on strike in the final over when he needed, maybe the story could have been different.
36:38If you think MS Dhoni is still at the peak of his powers, wait till the end of our next report.
36:46If MS Dhoni was on strike in the final over,
36:49it was a given that the pressure was more on the bowler than the batter.
36:59After all, the IPL has seen on countless occasions in the past,
37:03the man steer his team to victory from the jaws of defeat.
37:13But Dhoni not being able to take his team over the line against Rajasthan
37:17and batting too low against RCB point towards some striking numbers.
37:28In the 18 matches that CSK have won since IPL 2023, Dhoni has scored only three runs.
37:36On the contrary, in the 14 games that the Super Kings lost,
37:39Dhoni made 166 runs at an average of 83 with a top score of 37.
37:47While his returns with the bat have come under question, Dhoni's fitness continues to be a concern.
38:18CSK have problems aplenty right now, and who would have thought one of them would be MS Dhoni.
38:25With time slipping away, CSK need their talisman to fire,
38:30but the questions around how much fuel is left in the tank are only getting louder.
38:38Sportsman, Dhoni, is a man of his word.
38:42The questions around how much fuel is left in the tank are only getting louder.
38:47Sports Bureau, India Today.
39:12Usually, he'd be out on the balcony greeting his fans.
39:15This time, there's a bulletproof glass that's been put up in his balcony
39:19considering the multiple threats that the superstar's been receiving from gangster Laurence Bishnoi.
39:24He still ensured that he took the time out behind the bulletproof glass
39:28to wave to all of the fans gathered outside Galaxy apartments.
39:31I'm leaving you with these images. Thanks very much for tuning in.
40:43Congratulations, congratulations.
40:50The worship of the month of Ramadan.
40:54Sehri, Iftari, Namaz, Dua.
41:00The cycle of the month of Pak started with the month of Ramadan, and now it's complete.
41:08There's light everywhere.
41:12There's light everywhere.
41:42The issue in controversy is completely unnecessary.
41:45Now, the RSS leader's contention is this, saying those who have faith can go ahead and visit the structure.
41:50Those who don't, don't need to visit that structure.
41:53The RSS are once again attempting to put an end and put to rest all of this politics and showdown over Aurangzeb.
42:04Look, Aurangzeb's unnecessary issue has been raised.
42:10One is, if he dies here, the grave is already built here.
42:15It's already built, there's faith, he'll go.
42:19We have, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's Namoopadarsh, he had built a grave for Abdul Khan there.
42:26That's all we have time for in this edition of Super Say.