Arnab Goswami and drama go hand-in-hand, and Goswami’s newly-launched news channel Republic TV, nevertheless, continues to do so. In a gnarly incident, Republic TV was barred from covering Shashi Tharoor‘s press conference at AICC today. According to Republic TV’s live footages, there were four reporters from Goswami’s channel who went to cover the press conference which Tharoor was addressing. Republic TV’s crew comprising of Pariskhit Luthra, Sreya, Sakal Bhatt and Shweta Kothari along with their video journalists were stopped from entering Congress MP Shashi Tharoor’s press briefing at the Congress headquarters, reported Republic TV.
Notably, since the mysterious death of Tharoor’s late wife Sunanda Pushkar in 2014, the channel has taken a keen interest in Tharoor’s life portraying him as a “murderer”. In January 2015, the Delhi Police had registered a murder case after a board at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences had concluded that she had died of poisoning. The panel had later found that Pushkar had overdosed on an anti-anxiety drug. Currently, a Special Investigation Team of the Delhi Police is looking into the case.
The ‘relentless pursuit of truth’
Goswami’s special interest in decoding Pushkar’s death case has resurfaced time and again. Earlier, Shashi Tharoor had filed a civil defamation suit against Arnab Goswami and Republic TV in the Delhi high court claiming damages and compensation of Rs 2 crore and also a criminal defamation suit in Trivandrum for allegedly making defamatory remarks towards him while airing news relating to the death of his wife Sunanda Pushkar. The video which was aired against Tharoor had severe allegations against him. One among which is his silence towards’s Pushkar’s murder. Tharoor was called names and even alleged a “running away” from the matter as he refused to give an interview with Goswami’s channel. However, one can’t fail to agree that it is Tharoor’s godforsaken right to be silent on issues, as he pleases. Additionally, on any grounds as of now, Tharoor cannot be called a criminal masquerading as a politician, as Goswami had once portrayed.
While the relationship between Tharoor and Goswami has not been an easy cake, four reporters to cover Tharoor’s one press conference explains the soft target here. Talking about targets, earlier, on Republic TVs special broadcast, the channel has accessed the statement of Sudhir Gupta, Chief of Forensic Department of AIIMS, the same doctor who conducted the autopsy of Sunanda Pushkar, wife of MP Shashi Tharoor. According to Dr Gupta, his signed and attested statement continues to be in possession of the Delhi Police. He has mentioned Tharoor’s name, not once but thrice in the statement and was recorded on October 2014.
Republic Tv’s episode of ‘investigation’ into the death of Shashi Tharoor’s wife is an example of usurping the powers of the criminal justice system. In a situation where Goswami, with an image of a veteran journalist, setting up a kangaroo court and deciding that Pushkar was murdered and that her husband was complicit, is clearly a biased propaganda. The channel on its own decided that Tharoor was to be blamed and then went on to prove this through conspiracy theories, innuendoes and open threats to the Congress MP.
Another striking thing which was noticed in a previous episode of Goswami decoding Pushkar’s case was each time, he has alleged that Republic TV reporters who have been in such missions have been ‘assaulted’ and ‘manhandled’. However, there has been no footages, audios or photos of any such activity. In today’s incident, going by Republic TV’s live footage itself, there is barely any ‘manhandling’, the reporters disallowed to enter, were asked to leave the premises in peace. With two female journalists on the ground, the footage shows absolutely no instance of assault or violence. Earlier, when Republic TV was on a similar mission, reporters had claimed that Tharoor’s ‘goons’ assaulted them and pulled a woman reporter’s hair. But actually, there were no visuals to corroborate this.
Here is today’s video where the reporters were asked to leave AICC.
When a reporter claimed that they were here because they had received an official invitation from the Congress, an official of Congress clears the air by saying that they will not be inviting them any further.
Arnab Goswami’s controversial status can’t salvage the serious damage Republic TV is causing to the reputation of Indian media as they pass these instances of yellow journalism, which leave an impression upon the minds of the unsuspecting naive citizenry.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of NEWSD and NEWSD does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.
