Investigating patterns in political funding in India, decoding electoral bonds data dump. Discovering strange patterns of donations surpassing profits. Delving into the controversy of electoral bonds and implications on transparency and corruption. Exploring the significance of independent news investigations and data analysis in elections. Analyzing funding patterns and the impact of media companies on voting decisions.

This week, host Basant Kumar is joined by Newslaundry’s Pratyush Deep.Pratyush reported on the Assam police increasing security and barricading in anticipation of protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act, which the government this week said it would soon implement. He says there’s a huge difference in intensity of protests between 2019 and 2024. But Basant points out the government laid the groundwork to make sure no protest could take place.Basant talks about his report on Uttar Pradesh appointing a chief information commissioner and 10 information commissioners last week. At least four have links to the BJP or are favourable to Chief Minister Adityanath, he says. He also explains his interview with Indrajeet Ghorpade, a 32-year-old techie and activist from Pune who has filed over 50 complaints against hate speech on news channels. Watch. Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:05:53 - Cops try to quell Assam’s CAA disquiet 00:24:10 - Appointments of information commissioners in UP 00:33:42 - Interview with Indrajeet Ghorpade 00:34:48 - RecommendationsRecommendationsPratyushIn 15 more donors of BJP, 4 shell firms, 11 companies that faced central action by Prateek GoyalBasantPoacher on Amazon PrimeProduced by Prashant Kumar, edited by Parikshit Sanyal, and recorded by Anil Kumar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, host Tanishka Sodhi is joined by Newslaundry’s Pratyush Deep and The News Minute’s Nidharshana Raju.Pratyush reported on Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s media conglomerate, Pride East Entertainment, which is also the Northeast’s biggest media network. He delves into the hold of Sarma’s family on the media outlet and how its political leanings change as Sarma switches sides.  Nidharshana talks about her report on the killing of a 22-year-old Dalit man by his caste Hindu brother-in-law in broad daylight in Chennai. She says the city has been witnessing crime against Dalits, but had not witnessed such a caste killing in recent years.Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:01:12 - Himanta’s media empire00:11:25 - Caste killing in Chennai00:36:26 - RecommendationsRecommendationsPratyushULFA: The Mirage of Dawn NidharshanaKaruvadu: the wet world of dry fishTanishkaIndia’s iPhone factory is keeping women workers isolatedProduced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, and recorded by Anil Kumar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the podcast delves into a joint investigation on political funding, uncovering donations of Rs 335 crore to the BJP by companies facing central agency actions. The hosts explain unique patterns in donations and discuss the consequences of companies skipping donations. Tune in for insightful revelations!

This week, host Basant Kumar is joined by Newslaundry’s Aryan Mahtta andThe Quint’s Fatima Khan.Fatima reported on Muslim vendors and delivery agents employed by online platforms that leave them vulnerable to discrimination and hate speech. She says bigots use technology as a tool to spread hate and fintech companies do nothing to stop them. To some people, she says, simply being a Muslim vendor is a “crime”.Aryan reported on the ongoing farmers’ protests. He says it devolved into a stand-off between farmers and security personnel, since the forces were using a “very aggressive” approach towards the protesters. Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:03:52 - Boycott of Muslim vendors00:26:15 - Farmers’ protest00:43:22 - RecommendationsRecommendationsAryanRed Love: The Story of an East German FamilyFatimaThe Day I Became a Runner: A Women's History of India through the Lens of SportBasantUnfiltered by Samdish ft. Vikrant Massey | Powered by WoodlandProduced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, and recorded by Anil Kumar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Newslaundry reporters Avdhesh Kumar and Prashant Kumar discuss the farmers' protest in Haryana and the violence in Haldwani. They cover police crackdown, farmer demands, mosque demolition, and Muslim residents leaving the area. Tune in for insightful on-ground reporting.

This week, host Sumedha Mittal is joined by Newslaundry’s Tanishka Sodhi and The Caravan’s Sagar.Tanishka reported on the push for Ram temple consecration celebrations by resident welfare associations in Delhi. She talks about the discriminatory policies practised by many RWAs, resulting in the isolation of non-Hindus.  Sagar talks about his reports on the Ram temple trust in Ayodhya. He delves into the “undeclared” collusion between Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra's trust and the government, and says the trust is involved in murky land deals.Tune in.Timecodes00:00:00 - Introduction00:01:08 - RWA’s discriminatory “rules and regulations00:18:02 - Shady deals in Ayodhya00:43:43 - RecommendationsRecommendationsSagarPeaky BlindersTanishkaA thank you where it's dueNL@12 musicalSumedhaThe RSS: A Menace to IndiaProduced and edited by Saif Ali Ekram, and recorded by Anil Kumar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Guests Sumedha Mittal and Neerja Deodhar discuss India's slipping rank in the Academic Freedom Index and the culture of surveillance on professors. They also explore the challenges faced by prisoners under the Public Safety Act in J&K.

Ayush Tiwari, a reporter, talks about shady land deals in Ayodhya involving the BJP and the Adani group. Srishti Jaswal, an independent journalist, discusses the BJP's data collection app and data manipulation in India. The podcast covers topics like land deals, data privacy concerns, and the vulnerability of misidentification due to facial recognition technology.

Independent journalists Shweta Desai and Kashif Kakvi, along with Newslaundry journalist Basant Kumar, join host Shivnarayan Rajpurohit to discuss interesting topics. They touch upon Ayodhya's redevelopment, locals' fear and excitement over the Ram Mandir project, tension between Ramanandi akharas and the temple trust, false cases in Madhya Pradesh, and the negative impact of the Agnipath Yojna. Tune in for an engaging conversation!