By YKA Staff:
Editor’s note: On July 26, the Times Now Newshour debate with Arnab Goswami discussed “pro-Pak terror apologists suddenly going mute at a time when Pakistan spreads terror in Kashmir valley, and government sending a strong message to peaceniks, and if time has come to confront pro-Pak lobby.”
During the course of the debate, titled “How to Deal With Pro-Pakistanis & Anti-Indians“, Goswami repeatedly referred to ‘some’ sections of the media who in his opinion, “lionised Burhan Wani” and “worked for creating further unrest in Kashmir”.
He said, “What a crying shame in our country today, there are elements who in the name of human rights, are advocating the breakup of their nation, not aware of the consequences.”
He also added later, “I say, catch these elements, expose them one by one, reveal what they say, question the facts they put out, and if they are wrong, bring them to trial.”
In a rebuttal to Goswami, Barkha Dutt posted the following on her Facebook account, strongly disapproving the view which Times Now has upheld.
Times Now calls for gagging of media & for journalists to be tried & punished. This man is journalist? I am ashamed to be from same industry as him. What’s striking is his brazen and cowardly hypocrisy. So he drones on and on about Pro Pakistan Doves without one word on the JK alliance agreement that commits the BJP and PDP to talks with Pakistan and Hurriyat and is silent on Modi’s own Pakistan outreach- neither of which I object to- but since Arnab Goswami measures patriotism by such views why is he so silent on the government? Chamchagiri? Imagine, a journalist actually exhorts the government to shut down sections of the media, misrepresents them as ISI agents and terror sympathisers, calls for them to be tried and acted against. And our fraternity remains locked into politically correct and timid silence. Well, I’m not a shrinking violet Mr. Goswami and no matter how many times you take my name directly or indirectly on your show, I really don’t give a toss for your opinion. I hope I will always be someone whose journalism you loathe, because trust me, the feeling is so utterly mutual that it would kill me to be on the same side of any issue as you.