December 22, 2025 • 21 mins
First, we talk to The Indian Express' Diplomatic Affairs Editor Shubhajit Roy about the situation in Bangladesh. After the killing of a protest leader who played a key role in the movement that led to the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh is witnessing a fresh round of turmoil and an anti-India sentiment once again.
Next, we talk to The Indian Express' Nikhila Henry, who shares about a recent conflict that has emerged in Andhra Pradesh regarding ten new government medical colleges and the development of their infrastructure through a Public Private Partnership. (11:08)
Lastly, we speak about a case where a Former Punjab Police inspector general, allegedly shot himself after reportedly losing crores of rupees in an online scam. (19:16)
Hosted by Niharika Nanda
Produced by Niharika Nanda, Ichha and Shashank Bhargava
Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar
Next, we talk to The Indian Express' Nikhila Henry, who shares about a recent conflict that has emerged in Andhra Pradesh regarding ten new government medical colleges and the development of their infrastructure through a Public Private Partnership. (11:08)
Lastly, we speak about a case where a Former Punjab Police inspector general, allegedly shot himself after reportedly losing crores of rupees in an online scam. (19:16)
Hosted by Niharika Nanda
Produced by Niharika Nanda, Ichha and Shashank Bhargava
Edited and mixed by Suresh Pawar
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
In this episode, we talk about a recent conflict that
has led to protests in Andhra Pradesh. We also talk
about why an online scam led to a former Punjab
Police Inspector General shooting himself. But we begin today by
talking about an incident that has caused a fresh round
of turmoil and an anti India sentiment in Bangladesh. Hi
(00:25):
I am Ahrikan Nanda and you are listening to three
things in an Express News show. After the killing of
a protest leader who played a key role in the
movement that led the ouster of Prime Minister Sheik Hasina
and her party in twenty twenty four, Bangladesh is witnessing
a fresh round of turmoil.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
This is Sharif Osmanhadi.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
He was shot in the head on the twelfth of December,
the very day he was set to launch his campaign
for the elections scheduled for February twenty twenty six. Now,
following his assassination, violent protests hawa across Bangladesh. Angry mobs
have vandalized public property and set fire to buildings, including
the offices of prominent newspapers, The Daily Star and prothom Alo.
(01:11):
What's important to note is that this latest wave of
unrest has once again fueled anti India sentiment. Something New
Delhi is watching very closely. In fact, after the security incident,
the Assistant High Commission of India in Chittagong, the second
largest city of Bangladesh, Indian visa operations there have been
suspended indefinitely to understand what is driving these protests and
(01:34):
the impact they could have on the upcoming elections. We
are joined by the Indian Express's diplomatic affairs editor, Shubiji Troi. Shubuji,
can you explain to us what exactly happened on the
twelfth of December in Dhaka.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
You know, there's a youth leader who had participated in
the protests against the Hasina government last year in July August,
which led to From of Bangladesh Panister Sheikhasina being ousted
from office. So his name is Sharif Osman Hahdi. He
(02:08):
is a thirty two year old young man and he
was sort of now planning to contest the elections that
are going to be held in February next year, and
so he was campaigning in a particular constancy in Dhaka.
So while he was sort of moving around campaigning there,
(02:28):
two masked assailants came on a bike and shot at
him and they ran away. So this youth leader Adi,
he was taken to government hospital in Thaka and then
a private hospital and then there was a lot of
h and cry and amongst the protesters, amongst the student leaders.
So he was airlifted to Singapore and was under medical treatment,
(02:53):
but he didn't survive and he passed away on the
eighteenth of December after about battling for life for about
six days. So that's what has triggered the latest round
of sort of violence or arson ing and the turmoil
in Bangladesh.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
And what kind of response did Hardy's assassination garner And
why has this incident created an anti India sentiment in
Bangladesh once again?
Speaker 3 (03:22):
Well, you know, Bangladesh is going to face elections next
year in February, and it's just a couple of months away,
so generally the political atmosphere is very charged right now
in the run up to the elections. And what happened
was this particular killing of this youth leader was caused
a lot of furore in the country and the police
(03:45):
investigations claim that two assailants have escaped to India. So
that generated an anti India sentiment which has already been
there latent or now even in public street. So these
protests started in Bangladesh and now also they're directed towards India.
(04:07):
That's why the Indian High Commission and the Assistant High
Commissions have also faced the threat of attacks and also
being sort of seen attacks in their vicinity in the
last few days.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
And Shuburi to understand that during this turmoil, two of
the most prominent media houses in Taka, the largest English
language daily, the Daily Star and its sister concern, the
largest Bengali daily, Protamalo, were also attacked.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
Why was that, Well, you know, these two newspapers have
been really at the forefront of media freedom and they
are the most read, the most credible news organizations in Bangladesh.
And what happened was, you know, these two organizations were
I mean the mob on the street. They saw them
(04:59):
as part of the old establishment, as part of the
old elite, who are Hassina's enablers, and also pro India
because remember Hassina was seen as very pro India by
the Bangladeshi. So these two organizations faced the wrath of
these protesters, and these protesters they entered these buildings from
(05:22):
the newspaper offices, they vandalized these places, also set them
on fire, so it was sort of a mob attack.
In fact, prominent individuals from the society, including the student
leaders themselves, they came and tried to sort of spacify
the crowd, the mob, but you know, it took a
good four five hours before the police and the fire
(05:44):
brigade could help the and douse the fire and put
the situation under control, bring the situation under control. So
that was what happened overnight on Thursday Friday night.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
But should we were these media houses and newspapers really
pro Hassena and the Obami League government.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
So these newspapers were actually not pro Hassina. That is
a misplaced sort of a perception because they were in
fact pretty critical of Hassina's authoritarian regime in the last
few years. They were also talking about corruption in her government.
So in fact, Hassina government had tried to intimidate Harris
(06:26):
and you know, block access to these two organizations. But
somehow the street mob didn't sort of go by what
is empirical evidence, but by general perception that these newspapers
were also part of the old elite and the old establishment.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
And Shubijid, like you mentioned, elections in Bangladesh are just
around the corner. In what way do you think these
protests will impact them and also what kind of an
impact will these elections have on India.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
So you know, these elections are happy or are being
scheduled for February twelfth, and this who has been a
key demand of many political parties as well as individuals
in Bangladesh and India has also supported that call that
they should have a legitimate government which is not this
(07:20):
interim setup which has been there for the last year
and half almost And there has been sort of a
lot of back and forth over the last year or so,
with the army also lending its weight behind the demand
for holding the elections early. Now you know, in Bangladesh,
(07:41):
the elections, according to the opposition and international observers, the
elections were not held in a free and fair way
when Hassinah government was in power. And you know in
twenty fourteen, for example, PNP, which is the opposition party,
boycotted and then two d eight teen and twenty twenty
(08:01):
three the elections were seen to be rigged completely by
the ruling party that is Awami League, which is a
sena's party. So there is a case for holding free,
fair elections. Apart from that, it should also be credible
and inclusive. Now, what has happened is in the last
(08:22):
year and half the interim government and the current sort
of setup, they have banned Awami League as seen as
party and they've also sort of sought to completely marginalized
Awami League which was in power for sixteen seventeen years,
which from India's perspective or from any democratic perspective, it
(08:45):
is seen as not inclusive. So what India has been
saying that, you know, Bangladesh should hold its elections which
are free, fair, inclusive and credible. So when India says inclusive,
it basically means include Awami League as a contesting party
as well.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
And how has Bangladesh's Foreign ministry responded to India saying
that the elections should be inclusive.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
The Bangladesh Foreign Ministry has obviously not taken it in
the right spirit. It has said that we don't need
any lecture or from India on how to conduct elections
because they see India as a pro Hasina pro Ourami league.
So that's the reason they have reacted negatively to this statement.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
Yeah, and it has only said that it will hold
elections according to the highest standards and that they will
ensure that everyone can come out and vote. But Shibuji
tell us what is the political situation there right now
and what do other parties of the country have to
say about the upcoming elections.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
Well, you know, right now, you know, Bangladesh is in
a sort of a state of turmoil, a shock after
Hadi's death, and we saw on Saturday a huge crowd
giving him farewell, giving a sort of i mean, doing
the last rights. The jenaza that they conducted were prominent
(10:10):
political leaders, prominent political parties they joined in and a
huge crowd which moaned the youth leader and the worry
now that these fresh violence and the starmoil may impact
the election schedule in Bangladesh. And in fact, the BNP,
which is the main opposition party and sort of almost
(10:31):
you know, which thinks that it will be the biggest
beneficiary if elections are held. They have also raised the
red alarm saying that you know, the skilling of this
young youth leader Hadhi and the violence after that is
aimed at derailing the election schedule. So you know, even
within Bangladesh society, Bangladesh politics, these careholders are raising this
(10:54):
issue of how there is a violent, you know behavior,
this ransacking, vandalism, arson off places including media organizations, is
going to derail the election.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
And next we talk about a fresh row that has
broken out an Entrepradesh over new medical colleges. Over the
past week, the state has witnessed protests and sharp exchanges
between the ruling Telugudesm party and the opposition vis Our
Congress Party over the future of ten new government medical colleges.
And at the center of this dispute is Chief Minister
(11:33):
Chandrababu Naid Government's decision to develop infrastructure at these colleges
through a public private partnership, a move the opposition claims
is nothing short off backdoor privatization. To understand why this
issue triggered such a sharp political confrontation, Michael League Chasharma
speaks to The Indian Expresses Nikola Henry, who reported on
(11:53):
the story for the paper.
Speaker 4 (11:55):
Nikola, could you start by telling our listeners what exactly
did the previous government promise when it announced these medical
colleges and also what was the status of these institutes
when the government changed.
Speaker 5 (12:07):
Right, So, in twenty twenty twenty one academic year, vys
Jagan Mohanridi, who was the then Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh,
sanctioned seventeen new medical colleges for the state of Andhra
Pradesh and by twenty twenty three, basically six of these
colleges started functioning. But in twenty twenty four a new
(12:28):
government under TDP Genasena Party and the BJP came to
power in andhre Pradesh and their claim is that the
rest of the colleges out of the seventeen were not
operationalized by the previous government. So that's where the controversy
starts with the TDP, BJP and Shusena government claiming that
(12:49):
the ys Congress government did not operationalize at least eleven
of the new medical colleges which was sanctioned in the
year twenty twenty twenty one.
Speaker 4 (13:00):
And also Nikola talk about the importance these new medical
colleges hold for and Pradesh.
Speaker 5 (13:06):
Right now, Andra Pradesh is a state you know, which
is a deficit state, revenue deficit state. In twenty fourteen,
when Telangana was carved out of the united or undivided
and Pradesh. The residue state of and Pradesh or the
remaining state of andrew Pradesh basically had to give up Hyderabad,
which was the capital, knowledge capital, you know, which had
(13:27):
a lot of colleges, which had both engineering and medical colleges,
the it sector and everything. So to be fair, I
think that the Andhra Pradesh is basically starting from scratch
and new medical colleges would mean a lot to them
because their students need not travel to other states to study,
so they will get a bigger pool or bigger share
(13:50):
in the domicil kota in these medical colleges. So the
medical colleges mean the world to them, at least in
andre Pradesh.
Speaker 4 (13:58):
Right, and so what was this decision by the new
government that has triggered this political confrontation.
Speaker 5 (14:05):
Right, the TDP led government decided that the remaining eleven
medical colleges should function in collaboration with the industry or
with the private sector. So, out of the seventeen six
had started functioning, eleven were remaining, right, and out of
that eleven, one is already in advanced stage of construction.
(14:27):
And the government has decided to take it up on
its own and the government will be running that college,
but the rest of the ten colleges will be run
under a mode of governance called PPP or public private partnership,
So there will be private players who will invest in
infrastructure and other facilities on the campus, and the medical
(14:51):
colleges will function with the help of the private players.
So that has led the VISRCP to allege that the
TDP government is trying to privatize medical college education in
Andhra Pradesh. So that's where the controversy starts and nicole for.
Speaker 4 (15:07):
Listeners who may not know already, how is the PPP
model different from outred privatization and also what exactly is
the opposition worried about.
Speaker 5 (15:17):
So these are two contrasting claims. First of all, one
is that YSRCP saying that PPP will lead to privatization
or it will open the doors to privatization because private
players will be given a say in government, you know, institutions,
is what their claim is. But the TDP government is
saying that public private partnership does not directly correspond to
(15:41):
privatization because the ownership of the colleges. Colleges will not
be handed over to the private parties in this mode
of governance, whereas the private parties will basically be facilitating
the college, but recruitment to the seats in the college,
for exact example, will be the solely the responsibility of
(16:02):
the government and the reservation policy will be applicable there
unlike in a private enterprise. Is what TDP has been claiming. So,
while considering both the claims, my understanding is that PPP
mode of governance across the country has allowed private players
to have a stake.
Speaker 6 (16:20):
In government institutions.
Speaker 5 (16:22):
So whether that can be called privatization or not is
entirely up to you know, how the institutions will be
run in the future.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
And so given the protests, what's next for these medical colleges.
Speaker 5 (16:35):
So the TDP government is very convinced that these medical
colleges will function under the PPP mode, but visur CP
under jagon Mohan Redi has collected over one core signatures
which say that PPP mode should not be implemented in
these medical colleges.
Speaker 6 (16:52):
So there is a limbo.
Speaker 5 (16:54):
The colleges are stuck in limbo because there is a
lot of pressure on the government to change the more
of governance in these colleges.
Speaker 6 (17:02):
But as far as I.
Speaker 5 (17:03):
Understand from my sources, there is no walking back on
PPP for Teleusation Party, is what I think, because Teleudation
Party is always known for its industry friendly or proximity
to the private industry, So there won't be any walking
back on this decision to make medical college governance in
PPP mode is what I think.
Speaker 4 (17:25):
And lastly, Nikola, medical colleges are not just educational institutions, right,
they are also a crucial part of a state's public
healthcare system. So how could this move to involve private
players affect access to healthcare for ordinary people?
Speaker 5 (17:41):
Yeah, so that we are not entirely sure of. See,
one thing is that we have not gone through the
MoU between these public and private players, you know. So
if only medical education is to be handed over to
private players, as viscp's claim, then it is a problem
because if the government, you know, say reservation system or
(18:05):
the government's oversight is not there, then it could be
a problem. And as you're saying, if healthcare is basically
privatized in government institutions, then there is a problem when
it comes to that. But we are not sure whether
these medical colleges will start functioning in a private capacity,
because if the recruitments are done, if the job recruitments
(18:27):
and the student enrollments are done by the government, and
if the fee structure is that of the government, and
if everything else related to governance is that of the government,
and if the private sector is only giving infrastructure and
other support, then I don't see what is the benefit
the private sector will reap. And there are no free lunches,
(18:49):
you know, So it is possible that the MoU will
have to be studied properly to kind of comment on that.
Speaker 6 (18:56):
So, as far as I understand.
Speaker 5 (18:58):
The public private partner ship moored in government medical colleges
is definitely a step towards privatization. If it is not
a full on, you know, effort for privatization, it's definitely
a step towards it.
Speaker 6 (19:10):
But whether that is good or bad is.
Speaker 5 (19:12):
Entirely up to you know, the policymakers and the government
to decide, I guess.
Speaker 1 (19:21):
And in the end we talk about why an online
scam led to a former Punjab Police Inspector general shooting himself.
On Monday, former Punjab Police Inspector General Amar Singh Chehel
allegedly shot himself with a security guard's revolver at his
Patala residence after reportedly losing corores of Rupeas in an
online scam.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
The Indian Expresses Kamal Deep Singh.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
Bra reported that according to the Patala Police, Chehill, who
retired as an IG, sustained a.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
Chest wound and is under treatment.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
They said police teams rushed to his house and admitted
him to Park Paris Hospital, where his condition is said
to be critical. Waron Sharma's senior Superintendent and of Police Patella, said, quote,
we intervened in time and took him to the hospital
while he was still breathing. We reached and reacted in
less than ten minutes. He is critical bud breathing end quote,
(20:12):
Sharma said. Chehell left a twelve page note addressed to
gor Ivyadev, Director General of Police Punjab, citing financial distress
after he was duped in a Rupeez eight point ten
kros cyber fraud. SOS said Chell's note indicates that he
got in touch with the company allegedly involved in the
fraud in October. They added that several people had invested
(20:33):
in the company. According to the sources, Chehll said in
his letter to Yadev that he invested rupee's one crore,
borrowed the rest from friends and relatives and made payments
to the company online through three banks. They added that
Chehll had also written to Prime Minister Arra Ramodi, Union
Home Minister Ahmitshah and Finance Minister in Malasi Taraman about
the issue. Bra reported that the police said an investigation
(20:57):
is underway in to these circumstances, including the claims made
by the former IPS officer, and that their focus is
on saving his life. Jahel face charges in the twenty
fifteen Behebal Kalan and quote Karpura firing incidents linked to
protests over sacrilege cases where two protesters died.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
You were listening to Three Things by The Indian Express.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
Today's episode was edited and mixed by Surish Brabar and
produced by Ichasharma, Shashankargev and Niniharikhananda. If you like the show,
then do subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.
You can also recommend the show to someone you think
we'll like it, share it with a friend or someone
in your family. It's the best way for people to
get to know about us. You can also tweet us
(21:42):
at Express podcast and write to us at podcasts at
indianexpress dot com
In this episode, we talk about a recent conflict that
has led to protests in Andhra Pradesh. We also talk
about why an online scam led to a former Punjab
Police Inspector General shooting himself. But we begin today by
talking about an incident that has caused a fresh round
of turmoil and an anti India sentiment in Bangladesh. Hi
(00:25):
I am Ahrikan Nanda and you are listening to three
things in an Express News show. After the killing of
a protest leader who played a key role in the
movement that led the ouster of Prime Minister Sheik Hasina
and her party in twenty twenty four, Bangladesh is witnessing
a fresh round of turmoil.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
This is Sharif Osmanhadi.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
He was shot in the head on the twelfth of December,
the very day he was set to launch his campaign
for the elections scheduled for February twenty twenty six. Now,
following his assassination, violent protests hawa across Bangladesh. Angry mobs
have vandalized public property and set fire to buildings, including
the offices of prominent newspapers, The Daily Star and prothom Alo.
(01:11):
What's important to note is that this latest wave of
unrest has once again fueled anti India sentiment. Something New
Delhi is watching very closely. In fact, after the security incident,
the Assistant High Commission of India in Chittagong, the second
largest city of Bangladesh, Indian visa operations there have been
suspended indefinitely to understand what is driving these protests and
(01:34):
the impact they could have on the upcoming elections. We
are joined by the Indian Express's diplomatic affairs editor, Shubiji Troi. Shubuji,
can you explain to us what exactly happened on the
twelfth of December in Dhaka.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
You know, there's a youth leader who had participated in
the protests against the Hasina government last year in July August,
which led to From of Bangladesh Panister Sheikhasina being ousted
from office. So his name is Sharif Osman Hahdi. He
(02:08):
is a thirty two year old young man and he
was sort of now planning to contest the elections that
are going to be held in February next year, and
so he was campaigning in a particular constancy in Dhaka.
So while he was sort of moving around campaigning there,
(02:28):
two masked assailants came on a bike and shot at
him and they ran away. So this youth leader Adi,
he was taken to government hospital in Thaka and then
a private hospital and then there was a lot of
h and cry and amongst the protesters, amongst the student leaders.
So he was airlifted to Singapore and was under medical treatment,
(02:53):
but he didn't survive and he passed away on the
eighteenth of December after about battling for life for about
six days. So that's what has triggered the latest round
of sort of violence or arson ing and the turmoil
in Bangladesh.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
And what kind of response did Hardy's assassination garner And
why has this incident created an anti India sentiment in
Bangladesh once again?
Speaker 3 (03:22):
Well, you know, Bangladesh is going to face elections next
year in February, and it's just a couple of months away,
so generally the political atmosphere is very charged right now
in the run up to the elections. And what happened
was this particular killing of this youth leader was caused
a lot of furore in the country and the police
(03:45):
investigations claim that two assailants have escaped to India. So
that generated an anti India sentiment which has already been
there latent or now even in public street. So these
protests started in Bangladesh and now also they're directed towards India.
(04:07):
That's why the Indian High Commission and the Assistant High
Commissions have also faced the threat of attacks and also
being sort of seen attacks in their vicinity in the
last few days.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
And Shuburi to understand that during this turmoil, two of
the most prominent media houses in Taka, the largest English
language daily, the Daily Star and its sister concern, the
largest Bengali daily, Protamalo, were also attacked.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
Why was that, Well, you know, these two newspapers have
been really at the forefront of media freedom and they
are the most read, the most credible news organizations in Bangladesh.
And what happened was, you know, these two organizations were
I mean the mob on the street. They saw them
(04:59):
as part of the old establishment, as part of the
old elite, who are Hassina's enablers, and also pro India
because remember Hassina was seen as very pro India by
the Bangladeshi. So these two organizations faced the wrath of
these protesters, and these protesters they entered these buildings from
(05:22):
the newspaper offices, they vandalized these places, also set them
on fire, so it was sort of a mob attack.
In fact, prominent individuals from the society, including the student
leaders themselves, they came and tried to sort of spacify
the crowd, the mob, but you know, it took a
good four five hours before the police and the fire
(05:44):
brigade could help the and douse the fire and put
the situation under control, bring the situation under control. So
that was what happened overnight on Thursday Friday night.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
But should we were these media houses and newspapers really
pro Hassena and the Obami League government.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
So these newspapers were actually not pro Hassina. That is
a misplaced sort of a perception because they were in
fact pretty critical of Hassina's authoritarian regime in the last
few years. They were also talking about corruption in her government.
So in fact, Hassina government had tried to intimidate Harris
(06:26):
and you know, block access to these two organizations. But
somehow the street mob didn't sort of go by what
is empirical evidence, but by general perception that these newspapers
were also part of the old elite and the old establishment.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
And Shubijid, like you mentioned, elections in Bangladesh are just
around the corner. In what way do you think these
protests will impact them and also what kind of an
impact will these elections have on India.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
So you know, these elections are happy or are being
scheduled for February twelfth, and this who has been a
key demand of many political parties as well as individuals
in Bangladesh and India has also supported that call that
they should have a legitimate government which is not this
(07:20):
interim setup which has been there for the last year
and half almost And there has been sort of a
lot of back and forth over the last year or so,
with the army also lending its weight behind the demand
for holding the elections early. Now you know, in Bangladesh,
(07:41):
the elections, according to the opposition and international observers, the
elections were not held in a free and fair way
when Hassinah government was in power. And you know in
twenty fourteen, for example, PNP, which is the opposition party,
boycotted and then two d eight teen and twenty twenty
(08:01):
three the elections were seen to be rigged completely by
the ruling party that is Awami League, which is a
sena's party. So there is a case for holding free,
fair elections. Apart from that, it should also be credible
and inclusive. Now, what has happened is in the last
(08:22):
year and half the interim government and the current sort
of setup, they have banned Awami League as seen as
party and they've also sort of sought to completely marginalized
Awami League which was in power for sixteen seventeen years,
which from India's perspective or from any democratic perspective, it
(08:45):
is seen as not inclusive. So what India has been
saying that, you know, Bangladesh should hold its elections which
are free, fair, inclusive and credible. So when India says inclusive,
it basically means include Awami League as a contesting party
as well.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
And how has Bangladesh's Foreign ministry responded to India saying
that the elections should be inclusive.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
The Bangladesh Foreign Ministry has obviously not taken it in
the right spirit. It has said that we don't need
any lecture or from India on how to conduct elections
because they see India as a pro Hasina pro Ourami league.
So that's the reason they have reacted negatively to this statement.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
Yeah, and it has only said that it will hold
elections according to the highest standards and that they will
ensure that everyone can come out and vote. But Shibuji
tell us what is the political situation there right now
and what do other parties of the country have to
say about the upcoming elections.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
Well, you know, right now, you know, Bangladesh is in
a sort of a state of turmoil, a shock after
Hadi's death, and we saw on Saturday a huge crowd
giving him farewell, giving a sort of i mean, doing
the last rights. The jenaza that they conducted were prominent
(10:10):
political leaders, prominent political parties they joined in and a
huge crowd which moaned the youth leader and the worry
now that these fresh violence and the starmoil may impact
the election schedule in Bangladesh. And in fact, the BNP,
which is the main opposition party and sort of almost
(10:31):
you know, which thinks that it will be the biggest
beneficiary if elections are held. They have also raised the
red alarm saying that you know, the skilling of this
young youth leader Hadhi and the violence after that is
aimed at derailing the election schedule. So you know, even
within Bangladesh society, Bangladesh politics, these careholders are raising this
(10:54):
issue of how there is a violent, you know behavior,
this ransacking, vandalism, arson off places including media organizations, is
going to derail the election.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
And next we talk about a fresh row that has
broken out an Entrepradesh over new medical colleges. Over the
past week, the state has witnessed protests and sharp exchanges
between the ruling Telugudesm party and the opposition vis Our
Congress Party over the future of ten new government medical colleges.
And at the center of this dispute is Chief Minister
(11:33):
Chandrababu Naid Government's decision to develop infrastructure at these colleges
through a public private partnership, a move the opposition claims
is nothing short off backdoor privatization. To understand why this
issue triggered such a sharp political confrontation, Michael League Chasharma
speaks to The Indian Expresses Nikola Henry, who reported on
(11:53):
the story for the paper.
Speaker 4 (11:55):
Nikola, could you start by telling our listeners what exactly
did the previous government promise when it announced these medical
colleges and also what was the status of these institutes
when the government changed.
Speaker 5 (12:07):
Right, So, in twenty twenty twenty one academic year, vys
Jagan Mohanridi, who was the then Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh,
sanctioned seventeen new medical colleges for the state of Andhra
Pradesh and by twenty twenty three, basically six of these
colleges started functioning. But in twenty twenty four a new
(12:28):
government under TDP Genasena Party and the BJP came to
power in andhre Pradesh and their claim is that the
rest of the colleges out of the seventeen were not
operationalized by the previous government. So that's where the controversy
starts with the TDP, BJP and Shusena government claiming that
(12:49):
the ys Congress government did not operationalize at least eleven
of the new medical colleges which was sanctioned in the
year twenty twenty twenty one.
Speaker 4 (13:00):
And also Nikola talk about the importance these new medical
colleges hold for and Pradesh.
Speaker 5 (13:06):
Right now, Andra Pradesh is a state you know, which
is a deficit state, revenue deficit state. In twenty fourteen,
when Telangana was carved out of the united or undivided
and Pradesh. The residue state of and Pradesh or the
remaining state of andrew Pradesh basically had to give up Hyderabad,
which was the capital, knowledge capital, you know, which had
(13:27):
a lot of colleges, which had both engineering and medical colleges,
the it sector and everything. So to be fair, I
think that the Andhra Pradesh is basically starting from scratch
and new medical colleges would mean a lot to them
because their students need not travel to other states to study,
so they will get a bigger pool or bigger share
(13:50):
in the domicil kota in these medical colleges. So the
medical colleges mean the world to them, at least in
andre Pradesh.
Speaker 4 (13:58):
Right, and so what was this decision by the new
government that has triggered this political confrontation.
Speaker 5 (14:05):
Right, the TDP led government decided that the remaining eleven
medical colleges should function in collaboration with the industry or
with the private sector. So, out of the seventeen six
had started functioning, eleven were remaining, right, and out of
that eleven, one is already in advanced stage of construction.
(14:27):
And the government has decided to take it up on
its own and the government will be running that college,
but the rest of the ten colleges will be run
under a mode of governance called PPP or public private partnership,
So there will be private players who will invest in
infrastructure and other facilities on the campus, and the medical
(14:51):
colleges will function with the help of the private players.
So that has led the VISRCP to allege that the
TDP government is trying to privatize medical college education in
Andhra Pradesh. So that's where the controversy starts and nicole for.
Speaker 4 (15:07):
Listeners who may not know already, how is the PPP
model different from outred privatization and also what exactly is
the opposition worried about.
Speaker 5 (15:17):
So these are two contrasting claims. First of all, one
is that YSRCP saying that PPP will lead to privatization
or it will open the doors to privatization because private
players will be given a say in government, you know, institutions,
is what their claim is. But the TDP government is
saying that public private partnership does not directly correspond to
(15:41):
privatization because the ownership of the colleges. Colleges will not
be handed over to the private parties in this mode
of governance, whereas the private parties will basically be facilitating
the college, but recruitment to the seats in the college,
for exact example, will be the solely the responsibility of
(16:02):
the government and the reservation policy will be applicable there
unlike in a private enterprise. Is what TDP has been claiming. So,
while considering both the claims, my understanding is that PPP
mode of governance across the country has allowed private players
to have a stake.
Speaker 6 (16:20):
In government institutions.
Speaker 5 (16:22):
So whether that can be called privatization or not is
entirely up to you know, how the institutions will be
run in the future.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
And so given the protests, what's next for these medical colleges.
Speaker 5 (16:35):
So the TDP government is very convinced that these medical
colleges will function under the PPP mode, but visur CP
under jagon Mohan Redi has collected over one core signatures
which say that PPP mode should not be implemented in
these medical colleges.
Speaker 6 (16:52):
So there is a limbo.
Speaker 5 (16:54):
The colleges are stuck in limbo because there is a
lot of pressure on the government to change the more
of governance in these colleges.
Speaker 6 (17:02):
But as far as I.
Speaker 5 (17:03):
Understand from my sources, there is no walking back on
PPP for Teleusation Party, is what I think, because Teleudation
Party is always known for its industry friendly or proximity
to the private industry, So there won't be any walking
back on this decision to make medical college governance in
PPP mode is what I think.
Speaker 4 (17:25):
And lastly, Nikola, medical colleges are not just educational institutions, right,
they are also a crucial part of a state's public
healthcare system. So how could this move to involve private
players affect access to healthcare for ordinary people?
Speaker 5 (17:41):
Yeah, so that we are not entirely sure of. See,
one thing is that we have not gone through the
MoU between these public and private players, you know. So
if only medical education is to be handed over to
private players, as viscp's claim, then it is a problem
because if the government, you know, say reservation system or
(18:05):
the government's oversight is not there, then it could be
a problem. And as you're saying, if healthcare is basically
privatized in government institutions, then there is a problem when
it comes to that. But we are not sure whether
these medical colleges will start functioning in a private capacity,
because if the recruitments are done, if the job recruitments
(18:27):
and the student enrollments are done by the government, and
if the fee structure is that of the government, and
if everything else related to governance is that of the government,
and if the private sector is only giving infrastructure and
other support, then I don't see what is the benefit
the private sector will reap. And there are no free lunches,
(18:49):
you know, So it is possible that the MoU will
have to be studied properly to kind of comment on that.
Speaker 6 (18:56):
So, as far as I understand.
Speaker 5 (18:58):
The public private partner ship moored in government medical colleges
is definitely a step towards privatization. If it is not
a full on, you know, effort for privatization, it's definitely
a step towards it.
Speaker 6 (19:10):
But whether that is good or bad is.
Speaker 5 (19:12):
Entirely up to you know, the policymakers and the government
to decide, I guess.
Speaker 1 (19:21):
And in the end we talk about why an online
scam led to a former Punjab Police Inspector general shooting himself.
On Monday, former Punjab Police Inspector General Amar Singh Chehel
allegedly shot himself with a security guard's revolver at his
Patala residence after reportedly losing corores of Rupeas in an
online scam.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
The Indian Expresses Kamal Deep Singh.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
Bra reported that according to the Patala Police, Chehill, who
retired as an IG, sustained a.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
Chest wound and is under treatment.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
They said police teams rushed to his house and admitted
him to Park Paris Hospital, where his condition is said
to be critical. Waron Sharma's senior Superintendent and of Police Patella, said, quote,
we intervened in time and took him to the hospital
while he was still breathing. We reached and reacted in
less than ten minutes. He is critical bud breathing end quote,
(20:12):
Sharma said. Chehell left a twelve page note addressed to
gor Ivyadev, Director General of Police Punjab, citing financial distress
after he was duped in a Rupeez eight point ten
kros cyber fraud. SOS said Chell's note indicates that he
got in touch with the company allegedly involved in the
fraud in October. They added that several people had invested
(20:33):
in the company. According to the sources, Chehll said in
his letter to Yadev that he invested rupee's one crore,
borrowed the rest from friends and relatives and made payments
to the company online through three banks. They added that
Chehll had also written to Prime Minister Arra Ramodi, Union
Home Minister Ahmitshah and Finance Minister in Malasi Taraman about
the issue. Bra reported that the police said an investigation
(20:57):
is underway in to these circumstances, including the claims made
by the former IPS officer, and that their focus is
on saving his life. Jahel face charges in the twenty
fifteen Behebal Kalan and quote Karpura firing incidents linked to
protests over sacrilege cases where two protesters died.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
You were listening to Three Things by The Indian Express.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
Today's episode was edited and mixed by Surish Brabar and
produced by Ichasharma, Shashankargev and Niniharikhananda. If you like the show,
then do subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.
You can also recommend the show to someone you think
we'll like it, share it with a friend or someone
in your family. It's the best way for people to
get to know about us. You can also tweet us
(21:42):
at Express podcast and write to us at podcasts at
indianexpress dot com
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!