By Sango Bidani, with inputs by Anshul Tewari:
Today in the evening the Headlines Today office in the capital was attacked by suspected RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) goons after the channel exposed how the saffron party’s top leaders were involved in criminal activities that included a plot to target Vice President Hamid Ansari and also the had allegations related to the Mecca Masjid Blasts. The investigation was primarily conducted on Indresh Kumar of the RSS and B.L Sharma of the BJP. This has not only raised questions on the sangh but have also raised questions on the fact that the press is supposedly free to conduct investigations.
Video Courtesy: IBN Live.in
Earlier Video:
This is not the first instance of a media house being attacked by a political party. It is highly shameful that the politicians and workers who claim to be the protectors of particular beliefs are the ones staging this. Last year, it was the IBN – Lokmat office in Mumbai which was attacked and today the Headlines Today office. Political parties should technically have no business interfering in the functioning of the media, they should just allow the media to work independently and let them do the right thing (which is sadly not happening, blame the media for commercialization or the politicians for misuse of power).
We say that in India there is freedom of expression. Nehru, our country’s first Prime Minister, had very clearly stated that the role of the media is to be a watchdog of democracy, and it is doing that accordingly. If that means attacking a media house then it is the mother of all ironies. We have had much debate on the credibility of the media, and we are on the same page as your thoughts are, but how do we EVER justify this act?
Of the people, for the people and by the people is now being overpowered by of the power, by the power and for the power.
Was this staged?
Also, a bigger question is being raised now. Was this sting a staged act to defame the RSS by the Headlines Today? The BJP has declared that this is an act to tarnish the image of the sangh. Also, reportedly, RSS has started suspending the workers involved in this attack.
Media houses have every right to expose the wrongdoings of the political parties and will continue to do so. In no way can we ever justify such acts by a political party that claims to be a representative of the common man.
Your voice matters. What do you think? Can this act be justified in any way? Voice yourself now.