Firstpost Editor's Picks: Mulayam's praise for PM, North East's secessionist threats, Sala tragedy; today's must-read stories

Mulayam Singh Yadav's praise for Narendra Modi shows he disapproves of son Akhilesh's choice of allies The significance of Mulayam Singh Yadav’s statement lay in the fact that he is considered to the original ‘dharti-putra’ — a self-made, rooted-to-ground and wily politician from the politically-critical Hindi heartland state. His line of politics is otherwise diametrically opposed to that of Modi and the BJP’s Hindutva politics. Although he is not in the best of health, his son Akhilesh Yadav has snatched the reins of authority in his own party, but the Samajwadi Party patriarch’s wish is still a command for a section of party followers, at least among the older generations of Yadavs. “Netaji”, as he is fondly called, is still admired by old-time Samajawdis in Uttar Pradesh. Russian Doll review: Netflix's existential dramedy is a whole lot better than Groundhog Day on steroids Russian Doll is a remarkable show for various reasons; it completely upends the time loop genre and by veering ambiguously away from the standard sci-fi trope, it actually manages to elevate itself as a human story. The morality aspect of the show is intriguing too, bu_t The Good Place_ has dibs on the best sitcom with moral philosophy lessons seamlessly threaded into it, and thankfully, Russian Doll stakes no such claim on it. North East sets streets on fire with secessionist threats ahead of final day of Budget Session of Parliament Even as the Opposition accuses the government of being insidious to get the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019, their victory will be achieved only when the proposed law is shellacked either by vote or natural lapse. But once so close to becoming a law, a new bill will probaly be a leitmotif of anxiety again like those higher secondary students who will appear in some other exam in the future. Tragic Emiliano Sala affair reveals the real nature of football: All business, some sentiment and barely any soul Even before Emiliano Sala’s body had been identified, the French club had sent a letter to Cardiff City demanding the first slice of payment for the Argentine striker. The Ligue 1 had mentioned, in no uncertain terms, that should Cardiff fail to make the first installment of the £15million transfer fee within 10 days, they would be dragged to court. It must be pointed out that the Welsh club had never tried to wriggle out from making the payment. Their contention, they claim, was that the timing for financial dealings to take centrestage was just inappropriate. Sordid, even. Like it or not, the whole Sala affair reeks of crassness. **Inside 'Bombay 70': Finding asli 'hip-hop' inn Naezy's neighbourhood** Bombay 70 shows Naved’s entire production lay in one cabinet in his house: an iPad given to him by his father, which would be used to shoot video and create tunes. He also used a chhanni (tea filter) to add texture to his voice, and the scene that captures this in Bombay 70 is mirrored in Gully Boy. They would buy hoodies from Chor Bazaar.