Times Now Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami opened a can of worms yesterday. He did not name anyone, but he made his target clear.
He was on the aggressive, attacking “pseudo-liberals”, some of whom are within the media. He attacked those “who have been trying to echo the Pakistani line, in the guise of backing Kashmiris”, those “who are using the killing of a terrorist, trying to project Burhan Wani, as an innocent son of an headmaster”, those “who give away operational details, of the movement, the logistical details of the armed forces when they are taking on terrorists”, those “who backed those who chanted Bharat ki Barbaadi in JNU”.
Arnab did not name anyone, but Barkha Dutt, you made it clear that all fo the above applied to you, by reacting the way you did. Not only did your reaction make it clear, that he was targetting you, but on the one hand, you claimed that “you dont give a toss for his opinion” and on the other hand, wrote a lengthy Facebook post, and re-tweeted news stories covering that post through-out the day. Clearly,
Barkha, you did give a toss and were deeply affected by Arnab’s attack.
You cry that Arnab has asked for a “gag” on some sections of the media, but all we could see is Arnab asking against people who break laws. Is that a crime?
You bask in the glory of your Facebook post having
reached 1 million plus reach, but you fail to answer or acknowledge the comments on your Facebook post, which are from ordinary Indians, not from nameless, faceless trolls.
These are the top comments on your post Barkha, and it is time for you to introspect why such comments have so much support from the unwashed masses:
Top Comments on Barkha’s post
Barkha, you are not a terror sympathiser. You are someone whom terrorists like Hafeez Sayeed sympathise with. Why do you ask? Is it because both of you somehow seem to argue for the same causes, especially when it comes to Kashmir?
You are not an ISI agent. ISI collects information for their own country. You leak hostage locations during 26/11. You leak information for another country! You maintain a stoic silence for years, and then claim “it was a mistake” and try to blame the entire media for committing the same mistake and also put the onus on the Government for not warning you!
You are not a Pro Pakistan dove. You are a dove that will sell every domestic Jihadi as a victim. And blame the victim for his fate.
A wanted terrorist of a known terror outfit is the “son of a headmaster” for you. Just look at how you blamed Kashmiri Pandit’s for the genocide.
Even Pakistan has a concept of good Taliban & bad Taliban. But for you, every domestic Jihadi is a good Taliban, because in your book he is a victim wronged by us. It’s not Arnab’s comments that have stung you. It’s the endorsement from Hafiz Saeed. You are in the good books of the bad people!
I just wonder if you were reporting about Direct Action day by Jinnah in 1946. How would u have done it:
“What provoked a peaceful, patriot like Jinnah into coming up with two nation theory? Some say it was Gandhi who provoked Jinnah into announcing direct action day by Non-Violence & Fasting. Or was it the Kashmiri Pandit (Nehru) who monopolised all posts leaving Jinnah with no option but the Partition?”
I wonder how would u have covered Sardar Patel’s efforts of unifying India?:
“Why is this Xenophobic, Hyper-nationalistic Sardar Patel sending tanks into Nizam’s Hyderabad? Isn’t Patriotism the last refuge of a scoundrel? Is it not an Indian occupation of Hyderabad? Won’t this create many more Jinnah’s? Won’t this alienate the future generations?”
Be ashamed of the troughs you have fallen to in search of those crests Barkha! I hope I will not be another Chaitanya Kunte for expressing my rage
http://www.opindia.com/2016/07/barkha-dutt-you-are-not-a-terror-sympathiser/
