The Wire Wrap

by The Wire

Dhaka-Delhi Eye Reset, AI Summit Chaos, India Turns Blind Eye to Epstein Files

Eighteen months after the youth uprising that resulted in former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's fleeing to India, Bangladesh has a new government headed by the BNP's Tarique Rahman who is looking to reset ties with India. A US court has accepted the guilty plea of Nikhil Gupta, the Indian charged in the trans national plot to kill Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. AI Summit in Delhi made headlines for chaos, mismanagement and Chinese robot being passed off as India. Impact of the Epstein Files meanwhile has reached the British monarchy with former Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the younger brother of King Charles III arrested. The Wire's Sravasti Dasgupta is joined by Siddharth Varadarajan, founding editor, The Wire and Sreeradha Datta, professor, international affairs at the O.P. Jindal Global University.

SC Stay on UGC Rules Rescues BJP From Upper-Caste Uproar

After days of protest by upper caste groups against the new UGC equity rules against caste based discrimination in higher educational institutions, the Supreme Court has stayed these guidelines and said that they are vague and capable of misuse. Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has promised that “four to five lakh Miya voters” will be deleted when the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls takes place in the poll-bound State, triggering sharp reactions Meanwhile Vijay's Jana Nayagan has been delayed again as he Madras HC raising questions about whether the delay is political and if the film will ever see the light of the day. The Wire's Sravasti Dasgupta is joined by Sobhana K. Nair, deputy editor, The Hindu and Saba Naqvi, senior journalist.

Why Nitin Nabin Is BJP President, a Tragic Death in Noida, Namaaz a Crime in UP

Nitin Nabin is now officially the new BJP president, after being elected unopposed. A 27-year-old IT worker died tragically in Noida after his car fell into a deep, open construction pit. The UP Police have detained 12 people in a Bareilly village after they offered namaaz in an empty house. And the back-and-forth between the ICC and the Bangladesh Cricket Board over matches to be played in India continues. The Wire's Jahnavi Sen discusses all of this with senior journalist Javed Ansari and The Wire’s political editor Ajoy Ashirwad Mahaprashasta.

ED New Player in Bengal's TMC vs BJP Fight, Censor Woes for Vijay's Jana Nayagan

A week after the enforcement directorate conducted raids on the offices of TMC political consultants IPAC leading to high drama where CM Mamata Banerjee accused the ED of seizing party information ahead of the assembly elections, the Supreme Court has issued a notice and said state agencies obstructing central agencies is a serious issue. On the other hand ahead of elections in Tamil Nadu, two separate films Parashakthi and Jana Nayagan are facing roadblocks from the censor board raising questions of whether it is politics that’s behind these films being stalled. And badminton's India Open is facing criticism because of the conditions under which the tournament is being played. The Wire's Sravasti Dasgupta is joined by Seema Chishti, editor at The Wire and Jomy Thomas, bureau chief, Malayala Manorama

Trump's Gangsterism in Venezuela, BCCI and Bangladesh, No Justice for Umar-Sharjeel

The US under Trump has conducted large-scale military strikes in Venezuela and captured President Nicolas Maduro and his wife. Trump has assented to a Russia sanctions bill that could potentially increase tariffs on India from 50% to 500% if passed. Cricket has become the latest ground for rising tensions between India and Bangladesh. And the Supreme Court has denied bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in what has been called the Delhi riots ‘larger conspiracy’ case, while granting bail to five others. The Wire's Jahnavi Sen discusses all of this with Professor Anuradha Chenoy, who taught at the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and Siddharth Varadarajan, Founding Editor of The Wire. Edit notes: The trade referenced at 9:35 is $100 billion.

2025 Rewind: Whither Vishwaguru?

rom the Pahalgam terror attack, Operation Sindoor to the sinking ties in India’s neighbourhood, troubling economic indicators and the rising nationalism in our movies: as 2025 draws to a close, The Wire Wrap’s year ender special brings you the highlights of this year in the news. The Wire’s senior political correspondent, Sravasti Dasgupta and deputy editor, Jahnavi Sen are joined by Sushant Singh, consulting editor, The Caravan and Siddharth Varadarajan, founding editor, The Wire.

Modi in Ayodhya, SC on Governors, BLO Deaths & Gautam Gambhir

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted a saffron flag in Ayodhya this week, at a ceremony to mark the end of Ram Temple construction. The Supreme Court in an advisory opinion said it cannot put a time limit on governors and the president granting assent to state Bills. Booth level officers are reporting immense pressure because of the special intensive revision of voter rolls. India has faced a test series defeat on home turf. The Wire’s Jahnavi Sen is joined by journalist and author Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay and The Wire’s Editor Seema Chishti to discuss all of this.

Hasina Verdict Tests India-Bangladesh Ties, Hidma's Killing & Questions of Justice

Nitish Kumar has taken oath as chief minister for the tenth time after the NDA swept the Bihar assembly elections winning 202 out of the 243 seats. A Bangladesh court has sentenced former prime minister Sheikh Hasina to death for crimes against humanity, leaving questions for India and whether it will hand her over. The UP government has moved court to drop charges against those accused in the 2015 killing of Mohammad Akhlaq. And as the Naxal threat fades with top Maoist commander Madvi Hidma's killing questions remain about the future of Adivasi development. The Wire's Sravasti Dasgupta is joined by Ashutosh Bhardwaj, editor, The Wire Hindi and Maya Mirchandani, senior journalist.

On Gandhi Jayanti Modi’s Police Descends on Anti-SIR Protest | The Wire Wrap

On Gandhi Jayanti, as opposition parties took to the streets of the national capital to demand CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over the ongoing contentious SIR Delhi Police arrived with 4000 personnel and detained over 500 people. In Mumbai, the cockroach Janta Party held a massive demonstration against the CEC. The Wire’s Sravasti Dasgupta discusses the implications of the protest in conversation with Seema Chishti, Editor, The Wire; Anjali Bhardwaj, Transparency Activist; Jomy Thomas, Bureau Chief,Malayalam Manorama

UPI 'Tax', US Tariffs Loom Over Modi's Birthday

Prime minister Narendra Modi celebrated his 76th birthday on Thursday with an unprecedented scale of nationwide grandeur where BJP state governments sought to outdo each other with their spectacles of light and sound shows and prayers for Modi However the celebrations made no mention of the challenges being faced by his government including the up to 100% tariffs being placed by a US legislation on India as part of sanctions for purchasing Russian oil. Or the new 'tax' on UPI transactions that the Modi government is placing on citizens amid rising inflation All this just days after the BRICS summit was held in Delhi where the Modi government sought to show unity standing alongside Russian president Vladimir Putin Putin and Chinese president Xi Jinping. The Wire's Sravasti Dasgupta is joined by Siddharth Varadarajan, founding editor, The Wire and Ajay Srivastava, founder Global Trade Research Institute

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