The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the operation of certain parts of the contentious Waqf law, including the inclusion of non-Muslims in the Waqf boards and council, till the next date of hearing on May 5.
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00:00Good evening, you're watching Super 6 here on India Today.
00:03I'm Akshita Nandagopal. Over the next 60 minutes, we break down for you
00:06the biggest stories of the day. Decode and simplify them
00:09the manner that we usually do this one hour.
00:12Let me first line up for you what we've got in store
00:15over the next 60 minutes here on Super 6.
00:18Story number one, our top story on Super 6
00:20is the VUKF hearing that took place in the Supreme Court.
00:25What does the top court's interim order actually mean?
00:28What is the impact it will have on the VUKF reform?
00:31As always, we break down all of those details bit by bit for you
00:34to explain what is the impact of the interim order by the Supreme Court.
00:38Is it a setback for the central government or not really?
00:41We'll explain all of that for you in just a few moments.
00:44Story number two on Super 6.
00:46All of the speculation on the AIA-DMK BJP alliance.
00:50Some channels got it completely wrong,
00:53telling you that the alliance has been called off,
00:55it's a U-turn by AIA-DMK and whatnot.
00:57Not true at all.
00:58We get you all the facts on what are the terms and conditions for this alliance
01:02and how AIA-DMK seems to be saying that yes, alliance is there,
01:06not so much a coalition government if they win in 2026.
01:09We'll explain that for you.
01:11Also on the show, an absolutely shocking story
01:14from Uttar Pradesh's Mirat,
01:16where a man murdered by his wife,
01:18which is passed off as a snake bite
01:21after she planted a snake next to his body.
01:24How did the officials find out?
01:26We'll break down for you the details of the investigation.
01:30Story number four on Super 6,
01:32an extremely interesting one,
01:33the prospect of life beyond planet Earth,
01:36of aliens.
01:38Scientists have discovered gases around a planet
01:40that suggests it's got microbial life.
01:42So it's got all the ET enthusiasts,
01:45the extraterrestrial enthusiasts pumped.
01:47We'll explain what exactly scientists have found.
01:51Also, as always on Super 6,
01:52we'll get you a sense of what's happening in the world of sports.
01:55The BCCI cracking the whip on Team India's coaching staff
01:59after that humiliating defeat against Australia
02:02in the border Gavaskar trophy.
02:04So who's out now?
02:05Who has the BCCI pinned the blame on?
02:07We'll tell you in just a bit at 6.45 on Super 6.
02:11And in the Indian Premier League,
02:13all the action in the IPL coming your way,
02:15the Mumbai Indians take on Sunrisers Hyderabad
02:18at the Vankere shortly.
02:20What can you expect from this clash?
02:22A report coming your way.
02:28All right, let's begin our show
02:30with what happened in the Supreme Court.
02:32The Vakf case came up today in the top court.
02:35The CGI-led bench passed an interim order.
02:38If you're confused by what this order means,
02:41how does it alter the Vakf Act provisions,
02:44I've got you covered.
02:45Let me begin by breaking down for you
02:47the top five takeaways of the Supreme Court order today.
02:51The first most important one
02:52is that in the Supreme Court's interim order,
02:54they've said no change to existing Vakf assets.
02:59What does this exactly mean?
03:00It means that no asset, even if disputed,
03:04can be cancelled right now.
03:05So there's a stay on that.
03:07Effectively, what this means is
03:08whatever changes have been brought into the Vakf Act
03:11with the reform that the Modi government brought in,
03:13a pause has been hit on any of that
03:15coming into effect per se.
03:18No change to registered Vakf assets.
03:21Now, no action can be taken.
03:23There can also be no check,
03:25no scrutiny of registered properties
03:27till the next year.
03:28And remember that part of the Vakf Act
03:30also talks about checking right now
03:32all of the Vakf properties
03:34with the collector directly being involved.
03:37Clearly, the Supreme Court in its interim order
03:39has no change to registered Vakf assets.
03:41But also, mind you, the previous point that I said,
03:44whatever status of the Vakf property,
03:46there can be no change whatsoever.
03:48Now, let's take you through also the next takeaway.
03:51There'll be no new appointment made to the Vakf boards
03:54for the time being
03:55till the next hearing of the Supreme Court.
03:58So this isn't something
03:58that goes on for months together.
04:00It's just a matter of a few weeks.
04:02So what that will translate to
04:03is the government's reform in the Vakf boards,
04:07which spoke about bringing in non-Muslims as well.
04:09That can't happen for the time being
04:11because currently, as the Vakf board stands,
04:15there are only Muslims.
04:16And there are no changes,
04:17means essentially no non-Muslims can be brought in.
04:20So that change, again,
04:23pause hit by the Supreme Court.
04:25Now, takeaway number four,
04:26no stay on the Vakf law.
04:28This is something that the centre will consider to be a win
04:31because there were multiple petitions
04:33that said stay this law.
04:34Ensure doesn't come into effect
04:36till there's some clarity, really,
04:38on what the Supreme Court thinks.
04:40In its interim order,
04:41the top court has said
04:42there's no question of staying this law.
04:44All changes made to the Vakf Act
04:46with, in fact,
04:47the provisions that were made
04:48with the Vakf Amendment Bill
04:50that was brought in in Parliament a few weeks ago,
04:52all those changes remain.
04:54Takeaway number five,
04:55the government gets seven days to file a reply.
04:58After those seven days,
05:00then you'll have the Supreme Court
05:01taking up this issue
05:02till then the interim order stays.
05:04So there'll be no changes
05:05till the government replies.
05:06No stay on the Vakf law,
05:08but at the same time,
05:09no action also that the government can take.
05:11The next seven days,
05:13nothing really will move
05:14in this particular act.
05:16With regards to a crackdown on properties
05:18by the government,
05:19or for that matter,
05:20a stay on the law.
05:21I'd like to bring in
05:22our legal editor,
05:23Nalini Sharma,
05:24to explain for us, really,
05:25the repercussions
05:26of this interim order
05:28that's come in from the Supreme Court.
05:30Nalini, you know,
05:31there are mixed opinions
05:32that are coming in,
05:33mixed reactions coming in
05:34to this order.
05:35Some deeming it
05:36a setback to the centre,
05:38others saying,
05:38not really,
05:39because there's no stay
05:40on the Vakf law.
05:41How do you read
05:41what happened in court today?
05:42Well, Akshita,
05:45whatever's happened
05:46before the Supreme Court
05:47three judgments
05:47headed by the Chief Justice of India
05:49over the course of the past two days,
05:50that's yesterday and today,
05:52has been really significant
05:53when it comes to this particular Vakf law
05:55and the opposition
05:56that was given to this law
05:57once it was enacted.
05:58Most importantly,
05:59Akshita,
06:00the Supreme Court's
06:01acted with alacrity.
06:02That means that
06:03soon after the petitions were filed,
06:05they were listed for hearing
06:06and soon after
06:07they were listed for hearing
06:07an interim order
06:08was pronounced
06:09after hearing
06:10the preliminary arguments.
06:12In case the Supreme Court
06:13had kept the matter pending
06:14for a long time,
06:16then it would have
06:16effectively become
06:17in fructuous the fact
06:18that the petitioners
06:19were asking for a stay,
06:21an interim stay on the law
06:22till the time
06:23that the Supreme Court
06:24was hearing the matter.
06:25So it comes in
06:26as a big relief
06:27to the petitioners
06:28that the Supreme Court
06:29has found some
06:30prima facie ground
06:32on the basis
06:33of the arguments
06:34that were made
06:34by the petitioners yesterday
06:35and decided that
06:36some steps need to be taken,
06:38some intervention
06:39needs to be done
06:40so that the centre
06:41holds its own
06:42hands when it comes
06:43to enacting
06:44certain provisions
06:45of this contentious act
06:46that the petitioners
06:47have been raising
06:48time and again.
06:49Like you correctly pointed out
06:50the concept of
06:51BAKS by user,
06:52the concept of
06:53inclusion of non-Muslims
06:54into the BAKS boards
06:55and BAKS councils
06:56have been some of the
06:57major issues
06:58regarding the petitioners
07:00that have even been
07:01brought up before
07:01the Supreme Court
07:02on which some very
07:03pointed questions
07:04were asked in the centre.
07:05Today, even though
07:06it was a solicitor general
07:07who had given his assurance
07:09to the Supreme Court
07:10that the government
07:10will hold its hands
07:11on all of these
07:12contentious provisions,
07:13there will be no
07:14development that will be
07:15done so that there is
07:16no drastic change
07:17on the ground
07:18and the status quo
07:19will more or less
07:19be maintained,
07:20it is important to
07:21clarify that if it
07:22wasn't for the
07:23Supreme Court's
07:24intervention,
07:24the government
07:25would have never
07:26come to this
07:26discussion table
07:27where they would have
07:29even agreed to
07:29take such a step
07:30to hold their hands
07:32at least for some time.
07:33So even though
07:34it's only till the
07:345th of May
07:35and the further hearing
07:36is going to happen
07:37on the 5th of May,
07:38which is when we're
07:38going to know
07:39how the case
07:40will proceed further
07:40but until then
07:42it's going to be
07:42a huge sigh of relief
07:43to all the petitioners
07:44and all the stakeholders
07:45who were opposing
07:46this contentious law
07:47stating that it's
07:49against the rights
07:50of the Muslim minorities
07:51and it's taking away
07:52their religious freedom
07:53under Article 26.
07:54So there's no
07:55stay effectively
07:56on the law
07:57but several provisions
07:58and the most contentious
07:59ones which were challenged
08:00by these petitions
08:01they've essentially
08:02been stayed in a way
08:04with the Supreme Court
08:04saying that look
08:05there can be no changes
08:06no scrutiny
08:07none of that.
08:08Thanks very much
08:09Nalini for joining us
08:10with those details.
08:10One term
08:11that you very often hear
08:13every time
08:13this issue of vakf
08:15comes up
08:15and it's one of the
08:16biggest bones of contention
08:17is the term
08:18vakf by user.
08:20What exactly does this mean?
08:21Why is it one of the
08:22biggest clash points?
08:24So first
08:25there's a distinction
08:26let's change that up
08:27for you
08:28and talk about really
08:29what vakf by user is.
08:31It's defined
08:32by Islamic fiqh law.
08:34By Islamic law
08:35it's property
08:35that an individual
08:37voluntarily offers
08:38to the vakf board
08:39for charitable
08:40or religious purposes
08:41but in some countries
08:42like India
08:44that definition varies.
08:46Property that was not
08:47formally declared
08:48as vakf
08:48but has been used
08:50over time
08:50for religious
08:51or charitable purposes
08:52and therefore
08:52the vakf board
08:54assumes it
08:54to be vakf.
08:56So a plot of land
08:57that's been used
08:57as a mosque
08:58for decades
08:58for example
08:59even though it was
09:00never legally transferred
09:01as vakf
09:02is recorded
09:03as vakf by user
09:04or vakf by use.
09:07Essentially the board
09:07using that property
09:08so it becomes
09:09vakf property.
09:10This concept
09:11was legally recognized
09:12through court rulings
09:13and also the
09:13vakf Amendment Act
09:15of 2013.
09:16So what did the
09:17Supreme Court
09:17say on this?
09:19Well vakfs
09:20including vakf by user
09:21registered or declared
09:22by notification
09:23are not to be denotified.
09:25I'll come to this
09:25in just a bit.
09:27The characters
09:28are not to be changed.
09:29Essentially
09:30there will be
09:30no denotification.
09:32What does that mean?
09:33And I'll start off
09:34from the very beginning
09:35of this graphic.
09:36A stay on notification
09:37is essentially
09:38the disputed vakf land
09:40cannot be touched.
09:42The government
09:42can't take land
09:44claimed by vakf
09:45even if it is disputed.
09:47That's important.
09:48Even disputed land
09:49at this point
09:50cannot be touched.
09:51Nothing can change.
09:52Status quo
09:53essentially
09:54is what has been decided.
09:56And that's what we mean
09:57by denotification
09:58and the fact that
09:59there's a stay on it.
10:00No action
10:01can be taken
10:02by the government
10:02at least for the next
10:03seven days.
10:04And then you'll have
10:05the next hearing
10:05coming up
10:06in the Supreme Court.
10:10Let's talk about
10:11really the debate
10:11over the vakf law.
10:13The concerns
10:14that have been raised
10:14and what the Supreme Court
10:15has had to say
10:16on these.
10:17Now the petitioners
10:17raised a number of issues.
10:18One of the issues
10:19can heritage sites
10:21be declared
10:21as vakf?
10:23Now petitioners
10:24had one aspect
10:25to this.
10:25They said
10:26that this kind
10:27of a reform
10:28affects historic
10:29masjids
10:30like Jammah Masjid
10:31for which
10:31because it
10:32was in fact
10:33centuries ago
10:34declared as
10:35Muslim property,
10:36as Islamic property,
10:37there are no papers
10:38to back it.
10:38So it's not
10:39registered property.
10:40Does that mean
10:40there'll be a crackdown
10:41on Jammah Masjid?
10:42The Supreme Court
10:43said very clearly
10:43that can't be the case.
10:45Monuments are already
10:46protected.
10:47Such clauses
10:47will not apply
10:48in this case.
10:50Another issue.
10:51Does the law
10:51violate personal
10:53inheritance rights?
10:54With regards to
10:55inheritance,
10:55can the government
10:56now intervene
10:57saying nothing
10:57doing private
10:58individuals
10:59cannot go ahead
11:00and hand over
11:01property?
11:02So the petitioners
11:03allege that this
11:04is interference
11:04in Muslim
11:05inheritance practices
11:06and in our
11:07religious law.
11:08So the Supreme
11:09Court on this
11:09also said very
11:10clearly that the
11:11parliament can
11:12make laws for
11:13all, not just
11:14for Muslims,
11:14but also for
11:15Hindus as well,
11:16which we've seen
11:17previously on this.
11:19Now can vakf
11:20exist without
11:21formal documentation?
11:22And this is
11:24something that
11:24the government
11:24has spoken about
11:25saying that
11:26vakf by user
11:27has been
11:28exploited,
11:29has been used
11:29and that's why
11:30there's a need
11:31to ensure that
11:32that doesn't
11:33happen.
11:34Petitioners,
11:34however,
11:35have said that
11:35oral or user-based
11:37vakf may be
11:38excluded from
11:39these terms and
11:40conditions.
11:41The Supreme
11:42Court said that
11:43there must be
11:43legitimacy because
11:44otherwise there
11:45could be bogus
11:46claims, which is
11:47what the government
11:47also has maintained.
11:48So the Supreme
11:49Court has said
11:49that this kind
11:50of a deed
11:50ensures legitimacy
11:51and transparency.
11:54Now can land
11:54owned by
11:55scheduled tribes
11:57be vakf?
11:58One of the other
11:58issues that came
11:59up in the top
11:59court.
12:00Now the petition
12:01is alleged that
12:02this particular
12:02clause is
12:03exclusionary when
12:04you talk of
12:04scheduled tribes.
12:06Now the Supreme
12:06Court has said
12:07that as far as
12:08tribal laws go,
12:09there's no
12:09question of
12:10discrimination or
12:10it being
12:11particularly targeted.
12:12It's protected
12:13by other laws
12:13nationwide as well.
12:16So these are
12:16some of the
12:17issues that the
12:17Supreme Court has
12:18ironed out very
12:19clearly their stand
12:20to own.
12:21So all of these
12:22issues that the
12:22petitioners brought
12:23up, the Supreme
12:23Court said there's
12:24no reason to
12:26worry.
12:26Let's get you
12:27some of the
12:27reactions coming
12:28in.
12:30The important
12:31thing to note
12:32is, which is
12:33very important,
12:35that this order
12:35is an order by
12:36consent of the
12:38solicitor general.
12:39It is based upon
12:40the voluntary
12:41assurance given
12:43by the solicitor
12:44general that we
12:45will not take
12:46certain decisions.
12:47So the idea
12:49is to make it
12:50clear the
12:51import of the
12:52Supreme Court's
12:53interim order.
12:54It is only an
12:56order to secure
12:57a fuller hearing
12:59on the next date
13:00of hearing after
13:01the government
13:02of India has
13:02filed its
13:03detailed response.
13:04This is not
13:06reform.
13:08It is retaliation
13:10in the guise of
13:12reform.
13:13It is retaliation
13:15meticulously scripted,
13:18strategically timed,
13:20and constitutionally
13:21questionable.
13:22The Waqf Amendment
13:25Act is not an
13:27exercise in
13:28efficiency, as it
13:30pretends to be.
13:32It is an exercise
13:33in erasure.
13:36Behind the bland
13:37language of
13:38governance lies
13:40the bold ambition
13:42of control.
13:44Religious autonomy
13:45is being reduced
13:47to state-administered
13:50protocol.
13:51and community
13:53rights are being
13:55redrawn with
13:57bureaucratic pens.
14:00Let us be
14:01clear, this is
14:03not about
14:03improving
14:04institutions.
14:05This is about
14:06infiltrating them,
14:08controlling them,
14:09and closing
14:09them.
14:10The stand
14:11taken by the
14:11India Alliance
14:12and especially
14:13Congress Party
14:14has been totally
14:15justified by the
14:16preliminary observation
14:17of the Supreme
14:17Court.
14:18the speakers of
14:21India Alliance
14:22during the debate
14:24on Waqf Bill
14:25clearly emphasized
14:27the violation
14:29of Article 26
14:30through this bill.
14:32through the
14:34preliminary observation
14:35clearly stated
14:38that the
14:39concerns raised
14:40by the
14:40parliamentarians
14:42of India
14:43Alliance
14:43was relevant.
14:44The Supreme
14:46Court has
14:46said that
14:47the
14:48Central
14:48Work
14:48Council
14:49and the
14:49State
14:50Work
14:50Court
14:50will not
14:51be
14:51constituted.
14:52Work
14:53by user
14:53cannot be
14:55deleted.
14:56Now, there
14:57are other
14:58provisions also
14:59which we
15:00as a party
15:00have come
15:01to the
15:02Honorable
15:02Supreme
15:02Court
15:03calling it
15:04unconstitutional.
15:06Now,
15:06whenever it
15:08will be heard,
15:09our
15:09counsel,
15:10Mr.
15:10Zan Pasha,
15:11on behalf
15:12of me,
15:13will be
15:13arguing it.
15:14Today the Supreme Court has given us the interim stage. It was good for us today, which we are going to do today.
15:26The government has an undertaking, commitment to the government has given us that in any kind of way,
15:33we will not be able to do this, nor will it be the title, nor will it be the land, nor will it be the vote, nor will it be the vote.
15:42So this is our situation. This is our own authority, which we can say.
15:47What happens in the future is not the case, but it is a great route.
15:54We will get to the Supreme Court of the Supreme Court of the Supreme Court for all the time and the veterans of the Supreme Court.
16:15And it will be the right for our Supreme Court.
16:17The Supreme Court of the Supreme Court has been the last hope.
16:19and even as you're seeing the debate over vakf rage on a delegation of the davidi borak community
16:33of muslims has met with prime minister modi today to thank him for the vakf amendment act for
16:40bringing in the reform this community the davidi borak community has repeatedly spoken in favor of
16:47the act saying that poorer sections of muslims have been struggling because their property has been
16:53grabbed by the vakf boards and they haven't received any benefits this is the message with
16:57which they also met the prime minister today in delhi saying that this was a long pending demand
17:02of the community and so welcomed the vakf amendment act also being brought in by the government at a
17:08time when you've got a huge divide over this very reform with the supreme court also hearing all of
17:15these petitions 73 petitions both for and against this law you've got now this community meeting with
17:23prime minister modi saying thank you for bringing in the vakf amendment act this is the davidi borak
17:28all right let's move on to other stories and a big news break coming in from tamirnado amid questions and
17:48speculation over what's really happening between the aiadmk and the bgp you've got another statement
17:53that's come in from the aiadmk days after the alliance firmed up the aiadmk has reiterated that there's no
18:00question of a coalition government so the aiadmk is setting the record straight that it's a yes to an alliance
18:06no to a coalition government and you've got the aiadmk's tambi duray a senior leader of the party saying tamirnado
18:14never had a coalition government so there's no question of it happening now the indication from the aiadmk is that the
18:20alliance is for the elections but post elections if the alliance comes to power it will be an aiadmk-led
18:27government no question of an aiadmk plus bjp government
18:32yeah
18:34yeah
18:38they don't want to do this
18:39yeah
18:42okay
18:45yeah
18:49yeah
18:53yeah
18:57That's the statement that's come in from an AIADMK leader there
19:03who said that Tamil Nadu has never seen a coalition government
19:06and they never will, essentially indicating
19:09that in one of the terms and conditions laid out by APS
19:13for this alliance is that there's no question of a coalition government.
19:17But at the same time, there will be questions about
19:19whether the BGP also is on board with this.
19:23Let's get to our next report about really what this means
19:26for the AIADMK BGP alliance are looking to come to power in 2026.
19:31They're teaming up, of course, to take on the ruling DMK.
19:34The alliance is taking shape, but there's mixed signals from the AIADMK
19:38raising one key question of who's really in charge of the NDA.
19:56The AIADMK and BGP are back together.
20:00After contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha polls separately
20:04and losing all 39 seats to the DMK-led front,
20:08the two parties are realigning to avoid splitting anti-DMK votes.
20:13But even before the alliance could take off,
20:18AIADMK chief Edapadi Palani Swami has rocked the boat.
20:22Just a week ago, while sharing the dais with EPS,
20:46Amit Shah had claimed the two would form the state government together,
20:49but sources suggest talks on cabinet sharing will happen only after a win.
20:54ADMK and BGP, the alliance will be made by the alliance of the Raja Yampis.
21:01Yes, we will be made by the government,
21:05and we will fight against the NDA party.
21:09If we will fight against the NDA party,
21:11we will fight against the NDA party.
21:13We will fight against the NDA party.
21:15We will fight against the NDA party.
21:24Had they joined forces in 2024, the NDA might have won up to 13 seats.
21:30While AIADMK is strong in rural areas,
21:34the BGP brings urban and youth support.
21:37Together, they hope to challenge the DMK's dominance.
21:41With Stalin's solid alliance and superstar Vijay's entry shaking things up,
21:472026 Assembly Poll is shaping up to be a fierce contest.
21:52Bureau Report, India Today.
21:55Okay, let's bring in Anagar Keshaw for more details.
22:00Anagar, AIADMK reiterating their stance that yes to an alliance, no to a coalition.
22:05Having said that, is this one of the terms and conditions that was clearly laid out by the AIADMK
22:10even before the alliance shaped up?
22:12What are you picking up from your sources in the BGP?
22:14Are they okay with this kind of an announcement by the AIADMK?
22:18Well, in fact, Rakshita, when it comes to Tamil Nadu, it has never had a coalition government.
22:26It has either been DMK or been ADMK in power, but never a coalition.
22:31Even in the current dispensation, where the DMK is in alliance with Congress,
22:37we have Congress MLS, but no cabinet birth sharing.
22:40That has been the case with Tamil Nadu so far.
22:43But now, with ADMK and BJP joining hands,
22:46in fact, in that press conference, when Amit Shah a part of,
22:50he very clearly said that ADMK and BJP will together form the government,
22:55implying that the BJP is maybe expecting their role to also be there
23:00when it comes to cabinet birth sharing,
23:02but Edapati Paraniswamy says that while ADMK and BJP will together form the government,
23:07when it comes to power sharing or when it comes to dividing the cabinet birth,
23:11it's only going to be me who is leading it, which is Edapati Paraniswamy,
23:15and it's only going to be ADMK is what, in fact,
23:19Edapati Paraniswamy is now implying.
23:21So clearly, it looks like the BJP and the ADMK do have some things to sort out.
23:25But remember, the reason why EPS also said this could be because of the fact that
23:30Tamil Nadu has never had a coalition government before and by saying that this time,
23:36if ADMK wins, it's going to be in coalition with BJP might cost for ADMK politically.
23:42So that could also be one of the main reasons why Edapati Paraniswamy said that it's only going to be ADMK that's going to be leading,
23:50you know, it's going to be forming the government.
23:52All right.
23:54I request you to stay with me.
23:56As in fact, we decode what really this alliance will mean in Tamil Nadu.
24:00I want you to take a look at a couple of data figures that we've put together on what really are the chances of the AIA-DMK coming back to power in Tamil Nadu.
24:10Is it really a spent force?
24:12Not really.
24:13Just take a look at these figures.
24:14Now, we've demarcated very strong, strong moderate and weak.
24:18How have we done this?
24:19Well, very strong seats are those won by each of the parties three out of three times.
24:24That is in 2011, 2016 and 2021.
24:27So if you look at it, actually, the AIA-DMK is very strong in 38 seats.
24:31And that's more than actually the DMK and the Congress at 15.
24:35Strong seat we've calculated based on, again, 2011, 2016, 2021 out of the three elections if they won twice out of the three times.
24:44So in that case, too, the AIA-DMK has 81 such seats, whereas the DMK has 62.
24:51And this is DMK plus Congress, mind you.
24:53Moderate, one out of three wins.
24:55Essentially, if three assembly elections are held in some seats and they won once out of the three times, that's when we've deemed them as moderate.
25:03That's 77 seats.
25:04And here's where the DMK actually has the strongest numbers at 91.
25:09And whereas at weak, which is essentially a seat never won by a party, including seats not contested, you've got essentially 66, the DMK versus 38, the AIA-DMK.
25:19They'll be very happy with that figure.
25:21There's potential essentially for the AIA-DMK.
25:24What this indicates, especially when you look at those 38 very, very strong seats, is that they've got strongholds and they've got a very faithful, loyal, voter base, voter bank, which they can make the most of.
25:36Now, let's take a look also at some other numbers and some other data figures that we have for you with regards to really how the AIA-DMK has performed.
25:46You look at the seed share and we've done a comparative analysis from 2001 right up to 2021 as well.
25:55So you look at those figures, you see, of course, that there is a huge seesaw in how the AIA-DMK has performed.
26:00But are they down and out?
26:02Absolutely not.
26:03You see that, of course, they surged in 2011 under JL Alita in 2016 at 136, came down to 66 in 2021.
26:13Now, 133 is where the DMK reached.
26:15So essentially, it's almost like a flip from 2016 to 2021 here.
26:19But if you look at also the vote share and you compare how the AIA-DMK fared against the DMK, you will still see that it's a close battle.
26:27It doesn't necessarily translate to seeds, but if you look at really the vote share, it's not as alarming as some would show you that the AIA-DMK is completely a decimated spent force in Tamil Nadu.
26:40Because you look at essentially 2021, that particular figure here, AIA-DMK at 33%, the DMK at 38%, just a 5% difference between the two parties.
26:52It doesn't obviously translate to seeds when you had essentially the DMK managing very, very smoothly to get those numbers.
26:59But you see how the AIA-DMK actually rose, actually, in fact, went down from 41%, rose from 2011 to 2016, and then came down to 2021.
27:09And you look at that number, obviously, because JL Alita was no longer there, Eda Party was leading the party, but it's still giving a fight to the DMK, which is what is important to highlight here.
27:20Now, we're also doing a comparative analysis.
27:23What if there was an alliance between the BJP and the AIA-DMK in the 2024 general elections?
27:29Here's first to look at the numbers in 2024.
27:32This is what it looked like for the BJP, the AIA-DMK and the DMK.
27:37Now, if there was an alliance in 2024, how would those numbers actually have changed up?
27:42You see 10 there for AIA-DMK+, that would have gone up to 84.
27:46And whereas you look at the DMK at 150 versus 26 and 13.
27:53This is the 2024 general elections.
27:56What you see there in blue is essentially in the assembly seats trends based on the results in 2024.
28:04These are parliamentary seats, which you broke into assembly segments to explain what would happen if there was an alliance that had happened in 2024 for the general elections.
28:11And you saw an assembly election then, too.
28:13It's interesting to see what the numbers were like.
28:16And while you still had the DMK in the lead, it would have been a much closer battle.
28:21Convert that also to vote share and look at what it looked like 2024, what the actual results were versus what would have happened if there was an alliance.
28:30Now, let's show you those numbers as well.
28:32So the DMK at this point, we all know, of course, look at those numbers there.
28:37They had 47 percent in 2024.
28:39If there was an alliance, the AIA-DMK plus the BJP could have got 41 percent of the vote share.
28:46And you then compare the two numbers of 47 percent versus 41 percent, just about a 6 percent difference.
28:52Whereas in reality, what happened was there was no alliance.
28:55So that's broken up further.
28:57AIA-DMK 23 percent, BJP at 18 percent.
29:00So then there's a very big difference between the DMK and these parties, which is why experts say that it just makes sense for both parties.
29:08The AIA-DMK and the BJP that they come together, bring forces together nationally and regionally in the state.
29:15And so they can take on the DMK.
29:17They're trying to create a narrative of DMK versus the rest.
29:21They'll want these numbers to hold good in the 2026 elections and perhaps even build on this as well.
29:27All right.
29:36Big breaking news that's coming in right now in trouble for Tamil Nadu Minister Ponmoody, who is a close aide of Chief Minister Stalin.
29:43The Madras High Court has now said that an FIR should be filed against the minister for his extremely nude vulgar below the belt remarks that he'd made last week.
29:53He'd compared revered Hindu symbols to sex positions and it triggered huge outrage.
29:59What did the DMK do?
30:00They removed him from his post in the party as Deputy General Secretary and that was about it.
30:05He remains a minister in the Stalin cabinet.
30:07There was no action taken against him and no police action as well.
30:10And now the Madras High Court very clearly saying that he must face an FIR.
30:16They've given a deadline to the police saying go ahead and file an FIR against him.
30:21The Madras High Court judge also in very, very strong remarks has said if there's a hate speech made by someone,
30:27it doesn't matter who that person is.
30:29Take action the same way you would if it was a member of the opposition.
30:33But I want you to listen first to what Ponmoody said for now with which he will face action.
30:40So, One was that of me that I were readingăŠ.
30:44To say that, you are saivoma, vaynavoma.
30:48He did not know that.
30:50He said that it wasn't an issue.
30:53When I went to theévomaru,
30:54we called it saivoma and vaynavoma.
31:00He said that they did not know that.
31:04He did not know that.
31:05I am confident that you are the saivoma, vaynavoma.
31:09It's not one thing. Saivam is here, Vainam is here.
31:15It's not one thing.
31:20It's not one thing. Saivam is here, Vainam is here.
31:26Vainam is here.
31:32The minister from the DMK government has the audacity to go up on stage and speak utter gross nonsense in front of hundreds of non-believers, especially belonging to the Periyarist movements.
31:47And, you know, he also had a laugh about his own gross comments.
31:50The DMK has sacked him from his party post, but that's just purely an eyewash.
31:54If the DMK has any spine, they should kick him out of the ministry.
31:58They should throw him out from the party itself. And for hurting the sentiments of crows of believers, this man should be put behind bars.
32:08Anagar Keshav is joining us with more details on this.
32:11Anagar, a clear deadline being given by the Madras High Court saying go ahead and file an FR against him or we will take suicidal cognizance and ensure there's action against Minister Ponmudi.
32:20The reality is that this man is still a minister despite making the kind of comments that he did.
32:26This step now by the Madras High Court, will it ensure now pressure on the DMK to also remove him as a minister?
32:37Well, of course, Sakshita, in fact pressure is mounting on the DMK to take sufficient action against Minister Ponmudi.
32:43In fact, there is also a PIL that's filed at the Madras High Court requesting for Ponmudi's disqualification for his derogatory statements against Shaivites, Vaishnavites and women in general.
32:55There is a PIL that's being registered and it will be heard in upcoming days.
32:59Meanwhile, the Madras High Court has directed Tamil Nadu police to file an FIR against Minister Ponmudi and if failing to do so before April 23rd, the High Court will take Suomoto cognizance of this case.
33:13So, really the Madras High Court has taken the last straw and given a warning to the Tamil Nadu police stating that if you don't file an FIR because it's been five days now.
33:23April 11th was the day when Ponmudi made that statement.
33:27The next day, 12th was the when issue came out.
33:29It's been five days now.
33:31It's April 17th and why no FIR against Ponmudi for the kind of vulgar comments?
33:36Was it because he's a minister? Is it because he's from the current ruling dispensation? What's the reason?
33:42That's the kind of cracking of whips that Madras High Court has taken up.
33:46In fact, they've also gone a step further and have stated that the law is the same for every single person in this country whether you are in power or not.
33:55When the DMK can file cases against other people from the opposition or even common citizens, why is it that members from their own party are being let go?
34:05Is what justice from the Madras High Court has also questioned.
34:09That by cracking the whip on the government, the High Court has directed for an FIR to immediately be registered and if failing to do so, it will take Suomoto cognizance.
34:19So, an FIR will have to be filed and will be supremely brazen if the DMK, even at this point, doesn't act against Minister Ponmudi.
34:28Sure, they've removed him from a position of power in the party, but simply not enough.
34:33And what kind of a message are you sending across if this minister, after making these kind of crass vulgar remarks, is a part of the cabinet, the core team of the Stalin government.
34:43We'll see what really happens and whether the government finally goes ahead and cracks the whip on Ponmudi.
34:48Thanks very much, Anaga, for joining us with those details.
34:51Another story from Tamil Nadu that came in today is of the decoration that was made on the Kalengar Memorial today.
34:59There was a visit by Minister Shekhar Babu, who is the endowments minister in the state.
35:04He visited this particular memorial, the Kalengar Memorial, an iconic site along the Marina Beach.
35:09And so, how did they decorate it?
35:11They put up the Temple Gopuram, which is the entrance of temples in the south.
35:16I'm sure you've recognized that particular symbol that's placed and then you have a decoration all across.
35:21The BJP's cried foul over this, saying that this is, again, disrespectful to Hindus, because at a burial site, this is where Kalenya Karnanadi was laid to rest.
35:30So, at a burial site, you've put the image of a temple.
35:33But mind you, what also you have to note here, and as we show you that symbol, this is also the logo of the Tamil Nadu government.
35:41The Gopuram is part of the logo of the Tamil Nadu government. You see that on top with the emblem as well.
35:47So, while you have the BJP saying, remove this kind of decoration, how is this okay?
35:52You've got the DMK's allies speaking out, saying, we've done this repeatedly.
35:57This is a logo of the Tamil Nadu government. So, there's no question of any sort of insult to any religion or community.
36:04This is a property's government. They've put the emblem. What is wrong?
36:11Sir, BJP's rebuttal is that, but still, even though it is an emblem, it depicts a temple. So, how is it okay to place on a memorial, is what they're asking?
36:19Memorial is like temple. What is the meaning of the memorial? Our God. Our God is sleeping there.
36:27Karnanidhi Ji, they're seeing the Tamil Nadu people, they're like God. He did lot of revolutions, lot of schemes, lot of whelpers. He did for his period in the Tamil Nadu.
36:41The people are seeing that God is sleeping, God is taking rest. This is as simple as the temple.
36:46We are reporting from Kalengar Karnanidhi's memorial here in Chennai. Remember, he was a former chief minister who passed away in the year 2018. And we are reporting from his memorial. And today, what you see over there, the temple Gopuram, the placement of this banner over here has sparked a rav with BJP saying that this has hurt their sentiments.
37:09The BJP says that Kalengar Karnanidhi was an atheist. He didn't really have faith in one particular religion. So, how is it okay to place a Hindu temple Gopuram atop his memorial, is what the BJP is asking and is condemning the placement of the Gopuram banner over there.
37:28But, it's also important to note that the Srivili Pitoor Gopuram that you see over there is actually Tamil Nadu government's logo. It's their symbol.
37:37So, that explains why the DMK government would have placed that particular banner over there.
37:42But, the BJP says that placing this particular banner on the memorial of somebody who didn't have faith in Hindu religion is something that goes against the principles of Hindu religion and this must be removed is what the BJP is demanding.
37:58It's also important to note that the placement of this banner is of course temporary. It wasn't there. But, today it has been placed. Why?
38:05Because, the HNRC department, that's the Endowment Minister is going to be raising issues pertaining to his department in the assembly.
38:12And, it has been an age-old tradition for every single minister to come here and pay tributes before raising issues pertaining to their department in the assembly.
38:22So, today we had Endowment Minister Shekhar Babu come here and play floral tributes and he also placed this particular temple Gopuram over here as a mock of respect.
38:31It has been an age-old tradition.
38:33But, the BJP has sought exception and condemned the placement of this particular Gopuram calling this as an anti-Hindu move by the DMK.
38:42However, the DMK has not responded on this matter and has till now maintained silence.
38:47With camera person Daniel and Agar Keshiv reporting for India today from Chennai.
38:54Okay, let's move on here on Super 6 and get you that story from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh where a man was found dead with a snake discovered under his body.
39:05Initial reports suggested that he died from a snake bite.
39:09But, then details emerged of how this was a chilling conspiracy.
39:14The real killer was none other than his wife.
39:17What was believed to be a snake attack was actually a carefully orchestrated plot to murder her husband.
39:24What exactly happened? How did she plan this?
39:27And, how did she claim it was actually a snake attack that had killed him?
39:30More in our next report.
39:32A couple of days ago, Amit was found dead in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.
39:40And, a snake was recovered from under his body.
39:44It was reported that Amit died of snake bites.
39:48But, now there is a twist in the tale.
39:51The local police have now unearthed the real conspiracy.
39:55Amit did not die of snake venom, but he was killed by his wife, Ravita.
40:03It was she who hatched the poisonous plot.
40:06Ravita was allegedly having an extramarital affair and plotted to kill her husband.
40:13She strangled Amit and placed a snake under his body so his death appears to be from a snake bite.
40:21It was the autopsy that revealed the true extent of horror.
40:33Amit was rushed to the hospital on suspicion of being poisoned by the snake.
40:38The hospital declared him broad dead.
40:53Post-mortem was then ordered which revealed that Amit died of strangulation, not snake bite.
41:00Both the accused, Amit's wife Ravita and her friend Amardeep have now been arrested.
41:07This is the second sensational murder that has stunned Mehrat.
41:32First, it was Muskan who chopped up her husband's body and stuffed it in a blue drum.
41:41Now, Ravita and a snake bite conspiracy.
41:45Bureau Report, India Today.
41:51It just gets weirder and weirder the kind of conspiracy and planning that goes into some of these murders.
41:56Let's move on, talk about a story that the world right now is hooked on.
42:01Is there a possibility that aliens, after all, are real?
42:05Well, it's too early to speculate on that, but scientists in a big, big breakthrough have found and discovered the first possible sign of life outside of planet Earth.
42:15What form is this in?
42:17It's in a planet called K21b, very, very far, K218b rather, very far from planet Earth.
42:24We're talking about hundreds of light years away in a constellation called Leo.
42:27And it's in this planet that the certain gases that have been found, gases that are emitted by algae.
42:33So, it's led to speculation that this planet has microbial life.
42:37And so, obviously, the next step is to look into whether beyond microbial life, there's also other extraterrestrial life, intelligent beings perhaps, like human beings.
42:47More on this report.
42:49The eternal hunt for other life, for aliens.
43:05For generations, we have toyed with the idea of how aliens look or where they live and what not.
43:11And now, the first ever sign of life outside planet Earth.
43:23In a groundbreaking discovery, an Indian origin scientist has uncovered potential signs of life on a distant planet.
43:29Bringing us one step closer to answering one of universe's biggest questions.
43:34The famous James Webb Space Telescope has detected clearest signals so far of possible biological activity beyond our solar system.
43:50So, what do we mean by biological activity?
43:53Scientists have detected two gases in the atmosphere of a planet.
43:57These gases are emitted only by microbial organisms like algae.
44:01This moment in history of science will be viewed as a paradigm shift in our search for life.
44:07And the reason for that is that we have breached the level where we are demonstrating that if there is life out there,
44:15if there are Haitian worlds out there, these ocean worlds with hydrogen atmospheres with life on them,
44:21we are basically establishing here that we can detect that kind of signature, those kinds of planets and biosignatures.
44:30So, that is a paradigm shift in our eyes.
44:37So, where have these gases been found?
44:39On a planet far, far away called K2 18b.
44:43In the Leo constellation, this planet falls in what's called a habitable zone,
44:48where water exists.
44:49And this planet too has oceans that could be teeming with microbial life.
44:56Even with the excitement this discovery has sparked, scientists are urging caution,
45:02emphasizing that more data and research are needed before any definitive conclusions can be made.
45:07This is a monumental discovery.
45:12It is very important, but we also have to be extremely cautious.
45:16The reason is that this is one of the biggest questions we have asked as a species in all of science,
45:21and we have to deal with it very carefully in that we want to be really, really robust in establishing whether this is actually life that we are seeing.
45:29We want two things. We want more observations to confirm that the signal is robust.
45:34We are seeing it at a three sigma level.
45:36We still have three in a thousand chance of it being a fluke.
45:39So, we want to observe more to get it to a five sigma level, less than a chance in a million,
45:44a part in a million of a fluke.
45:46But we also want to do more theoretical and observational studies to make sure that there is absolutely no other way we can make this molecule without life.
45:55I think it is our responsibility as scientists and as part of a society that we want to answer this very deep question in a very careful and robust manner.
46:05But the excitement is still there nevertheless that we've got the capability to do it now.
46:09Though it does not confirm an alien life, the discovery is a major step forward.
46:19Scientists believe we may be closer than ever to answering the timeless question.
46:24Are we alone in the universe or not?
46:28Bureau Report, India Today.
46:30The BCCI has shown the door to two members of Team India's support staff.
46:38The casualty has come in the wake of the review carried out by BCCI to assess India's poor run, poor performance in test cricket,
46:45and particularly the Borda Gawaskar Trophy.
46:49Less than a year after appointing him as assistant coach, the BCCI has relieved Abhishek Nayar of his duties.
46:59Nayar is a major casualty of the review carried out by the BCCI in the aftermath of India's batting failures and series losses
47:07against New Zealand and Australia.
47:13Also, fielding coach T. Dilip's contract has not been renewed as part of a major reshuffle ahead of the new WTC cycle.
47:24While Dilip survived the shake-up of the previous dispensation under Rahul Dravid, he hasn't been persisted with this tie.
47:30The latest move is a sign of massive change within the Indian cricket setup as the eye of fresh start for the England tour in June.
47:43Sports Bureau, India Today.
47:46That's all we have time for in this edition of Super 6. Thanks very much for tuning in.
47:53I'm leaving you with what to expect at the Indian Premier League tonight.
47:57After Delhi Capitals beat Rajasthan Royals in a Super Over on a thrilling night at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
48:03Today, it will be a clash between Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
48:08Both of whom will be looking to continue their winning momentum.
48:11The contest between Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals reached a thrilling end with Super Over needed to decide the winner.
48:26The Royals could only manage 11 runs, losing both Riyan Parag and Ghesha Svi Jaispal off consecutive deliveries.
48:33For Delhi, Kheer Rahul and Tristan Stubbs held their nerve and guided their side to a dramatic win.
48:51Today, Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad will face off at the iconic Vankhede Stadium.
48:57Both teams are coming off a much-needed victory following a tough start to the season.
49:06Both MI and SRH are on 4 points each in 6 games, with only net run rate separating them on the points table.
49:16And their encounter today could well have a say in the fates of each of these former IPL champions.
49:24Sports Bureau, India Today.