Left, Right & Centre

A story that's stirred the soul of a nation! Team India's walk-off during their match against Pakistan was a defiant stand against hate, as terror-linked taunts poisoned the air. This wasn't just a game-it was a battle for dignity. Facing a barrage of hostility, India's captain made a historic call, prioritising player safety and national pride over a mere scorecard. India's bold move sent a clear message: we won't bow to intimidation. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board has suspended Director International Cricket Usman Wahla for mishandling the Pak-India match 'Handshake Gate' issue and not complaining to remove match referee in time.  This was a stand for values, for respect, for India. The nation rallies behind its team, proving unity triumphs over division. Was India justified?

In a resounding victory for global unity and Indian policy, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) has adopted the Tianjin Declaration today, unequivocally condemning terrorism in all its forms. This powerful statement explicitly denounces the horrific Pahalgam terror attack of April 22, where 26 innocent lives-mostly tourists brutally cut short in Kashmir's serene meadows, shattering families and igniting national outrage.  The declaration also slams cross-border terror networks, vowing to dismantle them and ensure perpetrators face justice, reaffirming SCO's unyielding commitment to peace and stability.  Amid this, a resurgent India ... has seen landmark meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Yet, despite these triumphs, the US-led by Trump's hawkish advisor Peter Navarro-continues its reckless rants.  In a shocking, divisive tirade on Fox News, Navarro accused "Brahmins" of "profiteering off the Indian people" through Russian oil deals, branding India a "laundromat for the Kremlin" to justify crippling 50% tariffs. This casteist slur, ignoring India's sovereign energy choices that stabilised global markets, reeks of hypocrisy from a nation still buying Russian uranium.

Tensions between Washington and New Delhi have hit a new low, driven by White House advisor Peter Navarro's scathing X post today. Navarro accuses India of being a "strategic freeloader," claiming its purchase of Russian oil fuels the war in Ukraine, acting as a "financial lifeline" to Putin's war machine. He insists Delhi must "act like a strategic partner" if it seeks that status with the U.S., a demand that underscores a deteriorating relationship. This comes just two days before a critical meeting between Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi in Tianjin on Sunday, which could fundamentally reshape China-India ties. A potential thaw, possibly boosting trade  might shift India's global alignment, impacting its relationship with the U.S. further.  But all this is at the larger level - What India will not accept are condescending messages from a White House Advisor whose messages expose a lack of understand and out and out hypocrisy.

The Supreme Court has sparked a debate with its ruling against comedians like Samay Raina, ordering apologies for jokes mocking the disabled. Declaring, "Freedom of speech can't apply just like that on commercial speech," the court prioritized dignity under Article 21 over free expression under Article 19. It's pushing for social media guidelines to curb offensive commercial content.  Is this a vital step to protect vulnerable communities from harmful humor, or does it threaten to chill creative freedom in India's diverse society?

Amid Donald Trump's unfair tariffs, the BRICS countries are coming together to defeat U.S supremacy. India's ties with China are warming up, while India is deepening ties with Russia. Osama Shaab decodes in today's Left, Right & Centre. 

The impasse in India-US ties continues to be our focus with the former US Ambassador Nikki Haley sounding the alarm, warning that these sanctions risk fracturing a vital alliance. In a Newsweek op-ed, Haley urged President Trump to treat India as a "prized democratic partner," not an adversary like China, emphasizing India's role as a counterweight to Beijing's global ambitions. She called the tariffs a "strategic disaster," noting India's potential to reshape supply chains and stabilize the Middle East.  

In order to ease traffic congestion in Delhi NCR, PM Narendra Modi has now cut the ribbons for two highways in the region- a key stretch of the Urban Extension Road-II and the Delhi section of Dwarka Expressway.

All stray dogs in Delhi NCR must be shifted away from residential localities and any organisation that blocks this exercise will face the strictest action, the Supreme Court said today. The top court's significant order comes amid a rise in cases of dog bites in Delhi, leading to rabies deaths. NDTV has been campaigning about the stray dog menace on the streets that has left children and elderly persons injured, and in some cases, dead.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking from his political bastion Varanasi, launched a scathing attack on the opposition, slamming the Congress for calling Operation Sindoor a 'drama'. From Varanasi, he also doubled down on his 'Vocal for Local' campaign, urging Indians to rally behind homegrown products and economic self-reliance amid Trump's 25% tariffs. Politics, national pride and global posturing all collided in one explosive speech. With politicians and experts, Osama Shaab decodes this mega narrative battle.  

U.S President Donald Trump has thrown down the gauntlet, announcing a stinging 25% tariff on Indian goods with an additional, unspecified penalty aimed squarely at India's energy and defense ties with Russia. Should India stop importing crude oil from Russia? Vishnu Som decodes in today's Left, Right & Centre.  

Trump on Wednesday said that imports from India will face 25 per cent tariffs, while also announcing an unspecified "penalty" over New Delhi's purchases of Russian weapons and energy. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the measures will kick in on August 1, along with a host of other tariff hikes -- some up to 50 per cent.

India will pay a 25 per cent tariff on goods exported to the United States from August 1, Donald Trump decreed on Truth Social, the social media network owned by the US President, on Wednesday. Mr Trump also slapped a penalty on India - an unspecified amount above the 25 per cent - whom he called America's "friend", for buying "a vast majority of their military equipment" and oil from Russia.  

A special discussion on Operation Sindoor continues in the Lok Sabha today. While addressing the House, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "We gave a free hand to the forces". The leader of the opposition also delivered a fiery speech, raising questions on the role of US President Donald Trump in the ceasefire. Watch Left, Right & Centre on NDTV.   

This is a moment of reckoning! Today, in the heart of Kashmir, justice has struck like lightning. Three terrorists, the cold-blooded masterminds behind the horrific Pahalgam massacre, have been eliminated by our brave security forces in a daring operation. These cowards, who gunned down 26 innocent souls in the serene Baisaran meadows of Pahalgam on April 22, 2025, thought they could shatter our spirit, sow fear, and tear apart our unity. But today, they've met their end, and India stands tall, unbowed, and unrelenting! Watch Left, Right & Centre only on NDTV.

A volatile crisis is unfolding along the Thailand-Cambodia border, where heavy artillery fire and airstrikes have escalated tensions to their highest in over a decade. Vishnu Som decodes in today's Left, Right & Centre.

Former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned on Monday. The Congress and opposition parties question the official narrative, pointing to Mr Dhankhar's active participation in Rajya Sabha meetings just hours before, with some alleging deeper political motives. Watch Left Right And Centre.