In this exclusive interview, senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot discusses his party’s strategy for the crucial Bihar Assembly elections, and expresses confidence in the victory of the Grand Alliance. Pilot stressed, ‘Don’t forget that this government in India is a coalition government and many MPs from Bihar are the crutches on the basis of which the Modi government is coming.’ He addresses the complexities of ‘friendly battles’ against allies, the focus on jobs and growth and the prospects of a grand alliance after the first phase of voting. Pilot also elaborated on Congress’ allegations of massive voter list manipulation by the Election Commission, claiming that the allegation is being ignored despite evidence, and the potential impact it could have on the national political landscape.

This special report revisits the 2020 interview with BJP MP Nishikant Dubey amid the Bihar Assembly elections, where he made bold predictions about the outcome and controversially defended the selection of candidates with criminal backgrounds. Responding to questions about the NDA fielding ‘bahubalis’, Dubey said, ‘I have 52 cases against me… Before 2009, in my entire family, there was not a single case of crossing a red light.’ In the interview, Dubey confidently predicted a two-thirds mandate for the NDA, surpassing its 2010 victory, and falsely claimed that RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav would lose his Raghopur seat. Final results on November 10, 2020, showed the NDA winning with 125 seats, short of a two-thirds majority, while Tejashwi Yadav won from Raghopur by a margin of over 38,000 votes.

This special report details a major counter-terrorist operation by the Jammu and Kashmir Police in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district to dismantle the terror ecosystem. According to the police, ‘Several relatives and overground workers belonging to Jammu and Kashmir nationals operating from Pakistan/Pak-occupied-Kashmir (JKNOP) have been booked under relevant provisions of law for their continued involvement in anti-national activities.’ Acting on specific intelligence, several cordon and search operations (CASO) were launched across the district. The operation targets a network of individuals, including relatives and overground workers, who are accused of facilitating, financing and providing military support to sustain terrorist activities at the behest of handlers based in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Officials said the crackdown on these support networks will continue until the ecosystem of terrorism in the district is completely destroyed.

The focus is on the global impact of US President Donald Trump’s claim that Pakistan is secretly conducting nuclear weapons tests in collaboration with Russia and China. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that ‘clandestine and illicit nuclear activities are consistent with Pakistan’s history that focuses on smuggling, export control violations, secret partnerships, AQ Khan networks and further proliferation for decades.’ India’s reaction came after Trump alleged that many countries were conducting underground nuclear tests and announced that the US would resume testing to maintain the pace. While Pakistan has denied the allegation, saying it would not be the first country to resume nuclear testing, the US President’s unverified claim has set off alarm bells and reignited the debate on international nuclear non-proliferation.