This week on Hafta, Abhinandan Sekhri, Manisha Pande, Raman Kirpal and Jayashree Arunachalam of Newslaundry are joined by public health physician Jammi N Rao.

Talking about the controversies surrounding Bharat Biotech's Covid vaccine, Covaxin, Jammi notes that the company hasn’t provided the final data yet, so “nobody can assess it".

Moving the discussion to the mega vaccination drives conducted on International Yoga Day, Jayashree says, "In our long list of PR focussed disasters, this is a lesser evil.” In this vein, Raman talks about the Narendra Modi government’s supposed reclamation of yoga and argues that it’s mostly been reduced to a publicity exercise.

Analysing the centralisation of power in recent years, Raman argues that it is now "one man, one nation”. Jammi adds that this is a trend towards a presidential system of government.

Abhinandan contends that in the digital age the dependence of political parties on one face to get votes has greatly increased.

The panellists also review UEFA's refusal to allow LGBTQ colours at a German stadium during the ongoing Euro championship, the Modi government's meeting with pro-India politicians of Jammu and Kashmir, the shutdown of the Apple Daily in Hong Kong, and more.

Listen!

Text by Ritika Chauhan.

Hafta letters: Covid deaths and vaccines, climate change, need for dissenting voices