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It’s raining interviews, albeit through email: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has never held a press conference during his tenure so far, and as for the interviews he has given to select TV channels and media houses, questions have rather resembled lollipops rather than hard balls. So the master orator decided he would try and mollify the media with a series of interviews over the weekend. Guess what, though, the PM responds to email now. Predictably, he has taken Twitter by storm.

Not one of his back-to-back interviews with The Times of India, ANI, and Hindustan Times is a face-to-face encounter.

Modi spoke on a range of issues from the opposition alliance to unemployment to economic reforms among others. But was it really him? Some unknown hand, for all we know, wrote down what he thinks the PM thinks.

Within hours, social media sites were flooded with pro-Modi and anti-Modi comments, challenging the government’s narrative or defending it.

The Congress hit out at the PM on his statements on unemployment in India and dared him to address “real” press conferences, ABP News reports.

Congress dubs @narendramodi's interviews as 'monologues', dares PM to address press conferencehttps://t.co/81ycXeWCja — ABP News (@ABPNews) August 12, 2018

TMC MP Derek O’Brien brought up the NRC debate in response to the Prime Minister’s interviews.

Here’s are two straight Qs. Challenge Central Govt to answer these Qs. Your time starts now ! https://t.co/FUdWT7qSYo — Derek O'Brien | ডেরেক ও'ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) August 12, 2018

Meanwhile, the BJP’s head of social media, Amit Malviya, had this to say:

Comprehensive interview of Prime Minister Modi, where he speaks on a range of issues including NRC, policy making ahead of polls, higher education reforms, jobs among others… Read. https://t.co/2kWNDk7DEc pic.twitter.com/g7vvuuT1xa — Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) August 12, 2018

Nobel Prize winning author V.S. Naipaul has been widely mourned since he passed away late Saturday at age 85 in London, but none better than in The Telegraph and here.

Daily doses of ‘desh bhakti’: Senior journalist Rajdeep Sardesai took to Twitter to counter Times Now’s broadcast on Sunil Gavaskar’s ‘refusal’ to go to Pakistan to attend Imran Khan’s swearing-in ceremony in order to “put India before everything else”.

Gavaskar puts India first. Turns down Imran's invite. 'Desh' not 'dost' priority. Message for Sidhu and Cong. Pro-Imran lobby is on test. Will Sidhu dump Imran too?@madhavgk on #SidhuLearnFromSunny pic.twitter.com/Evv9H74Ulr — TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) August 11, 2018

Sardesai said Gavaskar’s inability to travel to Islamabad was because of his prior commitments in the ongoing India-England series, not any other reason.

Hey @TimesNow Gavaskar in his interview to me said he can’t attend @ImranKhanPTI swearing in because he is doing commentary in England. Nothing to do with this ‘Desh’ bull crap! In fact, Sunny was full of praise for Imran. Watch the interview and stop pushing your toxic agenda! https://t.co/6cwZLw9bTg — Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) August 12, 2018

And a little bit more on ‘desh bhakti’ : Uttar Pradesh Shia Waqf Board chief Waseem Rizvi issued a letter Saturday, making it compulsory to chant ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ at all Waqf properties after Independence Day celebrations, The Times of India reports.

All the King’s men: Hasmukh Adhia, finance secretary and close aide of the Prime Minister, may become the next Comptroller & Auditor General of India, The Indian Express reports. It is not uncommon for prime ministers to have advisers around themselves, sometimes called a coterie, often from their native regions. Indira Gandhi had a number of Kashmiri Pandits in her administration, variously called ‘The Caucus’ or her ‘Kitchen Cabinet’. Likewise, PM Modi has brought a number of trusted bureaucrats from Gujarat to aid him at the Centre. The post of CAG is extremely crucial, more so in an election year.

Monsoon wrath wrecks Kerala : About 38 people have lost their lives while over a lakh have been shifted to relief camps across the state, The Hindu reports. Union home minister Rajnath Singh assessed the ground situation along with chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and announced a package of Rs 100 crore as the state braces for another spell of heavy rains. The announcement came in response to the state government’s plea for Rs 1,220 crore form the National Disaster Response Fund.

Got milk? Indian farmers say they have too much. Hindustan Times says an unprecedented spurt in milk production has farmers down with low prices and excess milk, “a domestic glut and declining exports that have contributed to agricultural distress, on top of the vagaries of weather”.

Meanwhile, when in doubt, subsidise: To placate farmers distressed by excess production and limited exports, the Gujarat and Maharashtra governments have decided to offer subsidies worth Rs 50,000 per tonne for the export of milk powder.

London saw a noisy face-off between people against secession and pro-Khalistan groups in a rally Sunday with slogans, dhols and all. Sikhs for Justice, a US-based pro-Khalistan group, led the demonstration that was a call for a referendum by 2020.

To counter the pro-Khalistanis, pro-Indian groups brought with them posters and chants in an attempt to disrupt the rally allowed by British authorities on the grounds of freedom of expression.

But India was not pleased, and equated the rally with “separatist activity which impinged on India’s territorial integrity”, said Raveesh Kumar of the ministry of external affairs. But the British, unlike Delhi these days, pointedly said they weren’t afraid of a little dissent, saying, “People in the UK have a right to protest and to demonstrate their views, provided they act within the law.”

Meanwhile, Twitter is losing itself over a video where PM Modi is believed to encourage the use of sewage to make chai, but it’s not what you think! The video, which you can see here, shows Modi talking about the use of biogas as a sustainable alternative, but in terms that are perhaps less technical than expected.

News it’s just kinda cool to know

The NASA Parker was launched Sunday, and is speeding towards the Sun as you read this. This is the first rocket to study our Sun since humankind began exploring space, and marks a historic turn for NASA.

The spacecraft is the fastest human-made object, flying at about 120 miles (over 190 km) per second.

There’s more for space junkies. The Indian Space Research Organisation is due to roll out a full-time TV channel “showcasing space applications, developments and science issues, targeting young viewers and people in remote areas in their language”, the The Hindu reports.

Business Class

After disrupting the mobile market, Reliance Jio sets its sights on the broadband sector, reports The Economic Times. According to the report, “Reliance Jio Infocomm is poised to launch a mass-market, high-speed, wired, broadband service bundled with internet-based television programming starting at about Rs 500 a month, or effectively half of what cable operators charge for similar services.”

Another life-support system in the making for Air India? The Economic Times reports the government is considering another bailout package for the flag carrier, which will “include a Rs 30,000 crore loan write-off and a cash infusion of Rs 10,000-11,000 crore”.

Point of View

Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill will now be taken up for discussion in the next session of Parliament. The Indian Express writes in its editorial, “The Bill that seeks to outlaw triple talaq is now a significantly watered-down version of the legislation passed by the Lok Sabha in December 2017…In a milieu where Muslims are becoming more vulnerable and targets of intolerance, and even acts of violence, this change is a salutary climbdown from the original clause which allowed anyone to file a complaint.”

V.S. Naipaul, who passed away Saturday, was one writer loved and despised in equal measure. The Hindu writes in its editorial, “Naipaul’s writings are too important to be overlooked on account of his intolerance; equally, his opinions cannot be excused while understanding his literary legacy.”

In a week from now, Imran Khan will take oath as Pakistan Prime Minister. Pakistani columnist Ayesha Siddiqa writes in The Indian Express, “His ambition to establish an Islamic welfare state might get muddled, and produce more religious agenda than welfare.”

Prime Time

Republic TV debated the NRC Sunday night, with hashtags such as “Indians first or vote banks first”, “No tolerance for infiltrators”, and “India for Indians or Bangladeshis”. In the raging debate, where all the panelists spoke simultaneously on most occasions, one could hardly hear or understand anything. The discernible keywords in the high-decibel news drama were the BJP, divisive, Muslims and Bangladeshis.

At one point in the debate, Arnab Goswami, editor-in-chief and chief shouter, seemed dismayed that his role was effectively being taken over by a few of the panelists. Goswami then began hitting a gong placed by his side to announce his entry into the debate to stop others from making any more comments and went on a monologue spree.

Will he, won’t he? India TV mulled over the possible themes of Prime Minister Modi’s speech for Independence Day. It covered a range of issues that PM Modi has touched upon in his speeches from the ramparts of the Red Fort over the last few years, from sending out a tough message to Pakistan through surgical strikes to showcasing his vision for development. The broadcast inevitably made predictions about the Lok Sabha elections in 2019 and Modi’s fate in them.

NDTV debated adultery on We the People, with the Supreme Court hearing cases on Section 497 of the IPC. The top court disagreed with the Centre’s submission that adultery hurts the sanctity of marriage, and that a woman is not subject to the same provisions as a man committing adultery. Panelists from the National Commission for Women claimed that there was a need for more gender-neutral laws. The panel also spoke about the changing nature of relationships and notions of privacy in India.

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