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NEW DELHI – A lot of Indians especially readers of The Hindustan Times newspaper showed anger and frustration and showered huge criticism on Karan Thapar – Indian journalist, television commentator and interviewer – for praising National Security and Foreign Affairs Adviser Sartaj Aziz.
In his fresh writing in the paper, Thapar asked Indian politicians to learn a lot from Sartaj Aziz, as he has many sterling qualities like a quiet dignity, a pleasing manner, a quick intelligence and an appearance of honesty. “The quality that took me by surprise and is the cause of my admiration is his astute handling of the press,” he wrote.
The Indian readers openly wrote against the seasoned journalist in their comments on the paper’s website. “Only Karan Thapar and Barkha Dutt (another Indian television journalist and columnist) have problems with India,” a reader wrote. “Indian government should treat Indian media the same way as how media is treated in Pakistan and China,” he wrote.
Some readers called Thapar and Barkha ‘idiots’ for writing what they believe in ‘favour of Pakistan’ or sharing Pakistani point of view in the Indian media. Another reader asked the Indian government to ban certain TV channels which are creating ‘social unrest’ among people and are ‘inciting violence’ in India. Some readers suggested ban on journalists like Thapar.
“I’m writing to praise Sartaj Aziz,” he said, adding that it certainly goes against the grain of the present atmosphere in India. “It’s also not what you expect of an Indian journalist when he writes about a Pakistani politician,” Thapar wrote in the paper. “The important point I want to make is that a top Pakistani politician was willing to give interview to the Indian media, even after the talks collapsed amidst acrimony and bitterness,” he said.
“You might not have agreed with him (Sartaj) but what was undeniable and, consequently, impressive is he was willing to be questioned, answered unhesitatingly and, therefore, did what democrats should do: explain, persuade, and try to convince,” he wrote.
Some readers tried to label Thapar as ‘traitor’ for airing Pakistani point of view and helping Sartaj in answering the questions, raised by him during the interview. Thapar is currently associated with the Headlines Today television channel and hosts the shows – To the Point and Nothing But The Truth.
A week has passed but not a single member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has spoken to the media about the collapsed talks. “Our ministers have felt no need to explain, leave aside justify — and forget all about the thought of answering critics. Yet a Pakistani minister did just this. I believe that contrast speaks for itself,” Thapar wrote.
“Our minister's press conference on that crucial afternoon was specific to the point, firm, and very well presented. There is no ambiguity left for further detailed explanations,” another Indian reader wrote with his reference to a media talk of India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Sawaraj in which she clearly cancelled the talks after putting conditions for the unconditional talks.
Indians call Karan Thapar ‘traitor’ for praising Sartaj
