New Delhi: On the eve of Budget 2021, prime time debates focussed on the expectations from the budget as well as the farmers’ protests.
Zee News went elsewhere with an exclusive interview of former vice president Hamid Ali Ansari on the occasion of the release of his book By Many a Happy Accident. However, there was considerable drama after Ansari left the interview — as anchor Aman Chopra explained the matter, Ansari was annoyed by being cross-questioned on why he thought Indian Muslims felt threatened in India today.
Chopra then conducted a debate on whether Ansari got angry because no one had dared to ask him such questions before.
BJP MP Syed Zafar Islam took a jibe at Congress: “Congress’ post independence politics comprised of courting a major Muslim vote bank — they made Muslims feel victimised,” he claimed.
On Republic TV, anchor Arnab Goswami was worried about the national integrity, security and interests of India after he claimed that there is an attack on these from “all sides” — whether in the form of a blast near the Israel embassy or the ‘horrendous’ scenes at Delhi’s Red Fort after it was overrun by protestors on Republic Day.
G. Prathasarthy, former high commissioner of India to Pakistan was also worried: “Peaceful demonstrations are desirable and even encouraged in a democratic society but I’m concerned now when these bonds are broken,” He added that the violence on Republic Day and hoisting another flag at the Red Fort to him was treason.
Professor Monojit Mondal, however, added a caveat: “We are with the government when it comes to national security but he (actor Deep Sidhu) who breached the sanctity of the Red Fort is still at large.”
NDTV 24X7 shifted focus to Budget 2021 as anchor Prannoy Roy discussed the state of the economy with former chief economic adviser to the Government of India, Arvind Subramanian. Roy asked whether India will bounce back in this crucial and pivotal time for India’s economy.
“After the 2015 budget, this is arguably the most important budget because the economy is devastated by the pandemic. It also offers the government (a chance) to reset course with policy-making,” replied Subramanian.
“2021 will be a good year for India… the pandemic is little bit under control so naturally the economy will come back, the world economy is also rebounding, and financial conditions are good with low interest rates all over the world,” he added.
ABP News conducted a viewer survey on budget expectations, in which 73 per cent people expected to get Covid vaccine for free, while 91 per cent wanted medicines to be sold on lower prices.
The NewsX discussion panel was populated by economists who discussed the areas of focus today for the government. “We are five years ahead in nat-tech and education right now because of the pandemic and there is an adoption curve,” founder and CEO of Bada Business, Dr. Vivek Bindra said.
“Digital has been adopted by almost everyone in India and there can be a move to bring in more ease of doing business,” suggested data security expert, Ajay Data. Economist Mitali Nikore agreed: “There has to be a focus on the digital infrastructure value chain.”
“Another big statement coming from the government in this budget will be new privatisation policy,” noted business journalist Siddharth Singh.
I am glad that Hamid Ansari has been exposed for what he is. A communalist. He is the descendent of MA Ansari who was one of the people who gifted Khilafat movement to India, and its after math of wide-spread communal riots, including the Mopla genocide of the Hindus. I hope that Hamid Ansari has been cut to size.
Biased. Just read how this article starts. Just dismissing all credibility of zee news right off the bat. Ur following the wire into becoming a legitimate extremist news agency.